Gifted sax player returns to hometown
When Markus Howell’s family — and the city in which he was a celebrity — said goodbye to their gifted saxophone player, he was riding a full scholarship to Michigan State University, where he hoped to become be a jazz professor.
That was in 2013. Last week, Howell was back in Deerfield Beach, catching up with friends and family at the Oveta McKeithen Recreational Complex. Now 22, the new college graduate is anticipating the next step: a master’s degree in music.
“I’m going to be a teacher’s assistant,” Howell said of his plans for September. “I was awarded that job by my sax teacher at Michigan State and I will be his assistant, teaching jazz sax lessons to classical music majors.”
The high point of his life so far? Howell pauses.
“I’ve done so much in my life,” he said. “There are definitely some memorable moments.”
There was playing at Kennedy Center and performing with jazz greats Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, Christian McBride, and Kenny Barron — not to mention Rodney Whitker, the jazz bassist who played with Wynton Marsallis.
There was four years on full scholarship at Michigan State, with its nationally and internationally renowned jazz faculty.
“I’ve never had so much fun in my life,” Howell said.
There was the tour bus to Cleveland, the plane trip to Monteray, Calif., performances with 17-piece and 20-piece bands - and that euphoric time when a concert ends.
“After concerts, we’d just hang at someone’s apartment until the wee hours of the morning. And there are random hangs,” he said, “just a chance to get together, with some food, and grill outside.”
Older students have graduated but, Howell said, he’s now meeting musicians he knew from programs at Dillard High School, the New World School of the Arts, and jazz camps at Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Howell’s back to Michigan State on Aug. 27 and says one thing hasn’t changed.
“I still want to be a music professor, and teach at someone’s college or university,” he said. “I still plan to travel and gig and stuff and teaching at a university or college affords you that. You make a name for yourself? And you make the university look good.”