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Ben Kincaid
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
| November 3, 2002--Jazz speaks to the soul and much of our jazz comes from aging musicians. Notice I said 'much' of our jazz, not all of it. Ben Kincaid is a jazzman and at 15 he plays with the big boys. And at 15 this Southeast High School Freshman is turning some heads in the music world. |  | Now the difficult part about telling this story on the web, is you can't hear Ben play.
"My goal is to be successful in whatever I do."
Like any other teenager in a school band, when homework is finished you might find Ben Kincaid practicing his alto sax. | 
| Like any other teenager, his classes at Southeast high take a lot of his time. In one honors history class the teacher asks a question.
"Conflict, can you defend your choice?"
He could, Ben is a good student. | But there is something more right now. He's finding himself—figuring out who he is—and reckoning with a God-given talent.
I listened to Ben practice one evening at his home. He sounded like any other student of the saxophone going over mundane lessons. Then I heard him a few nights later with a professional jazz band. Big difference!
There he was, this kid...doing things with a saxophone many professionals would have a difficult time accomplishing.
|  | "I don't know about being professional. I'd like to go to college and I might become a doctor or an astronaut. I just don't know."
Ben was sitting in with a band called the 'Four Brothers', headed by longtime Wichita Jazz Artist Pat McJimsey. Torre's Pizza in Old Town was rocking. | "You know, they've been there since I first started. They let me get up and play the saxophone with them. You know those guys are so friendly, they are just like my uncles."
|  | "It's like a natural high. People will jump out of planes for it. People will light themselves on fire for it—and I'll just go and play my saxophone on stage with a thousand people and just get that rush."
His saxophone is special too him. It's expensive and it's beautiful. Not only to look at---but to hear the way it is played.
"It's my baby. It's much more than a piece of metal. it's a piece of art. It means fun, it means family, it means everything." | | Ben's unique talent with the Alto-sax will serve him well. It will be interesting to visit with him again...five years from now. Or maybe we'll be able to catch him on some TV show.
He's that good! |  | | Note: Ben has a web site and if you'd like to see some of his accomplishments— and check out where he might be playing next, just go to: www.benkincaid.com | | Have a story idea for Hatteberg's People? Send Larry an email with the details. | |
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