It’s All Jazz For Him

Luke Celenza's life may have taken a whole different trajectory had it not been for his neighbor. Or so, it would appear, looking back now.

Luke, an 18-year-old senior at Fox Lane High School, is one among 143 finalists chosen from an applicant pool of 4,000 high school student artists nationwide to participate in the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' youth program called YoungArts.

Each year, the organization honors the most creative of young minds from nine disciplines: visual, literary and performing arts.

Needless to say, Luke is busy rehearsing these days, but he scooped out some time to speak with Bedford-Katonah Patch.

"I got back late from rehearsals last night and am just done with frying eggs and bacon," he said, kicking off the interview.

Luke's love affair with music began roughly 15 years ago, when his parents, both dentists, moved to Bedford Village from New York City. Not far from their home, lived Michel Camilo, the Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer and bandleader.

"He [Michel Camilo] was my dad's patient and his wife, Sandra, was my mom's. So we became very close family friends," said Luke.

When Camilo would regale cozy get-togethers of family and friends at the Celenza home, the three-year-old would watch him play with rapt attention. "I would sit right next to him and listen to him play," he recalled.

As he soaked up every bit of the future maestro's melodies, he plunked down in front of his electric keyboard, the clavinova.

Still not 5 years of age, Luke began to take private piano lessons from Elizabeth Porter, a Pound Ridge-based instructor, who coached him mostly in the classical repertoire.

As his practice continued, Camilo told his parents that he would injure himself if he didn't switch to a better instrument, he said. He graduated next, to a Boston Baby Grand piano.

Within the next few years, he "outgrew" that as well. Seeing Luke's promise and talent, three years ago, Camilo began a search for a grand piano for his eager protégé.

"He started looking around for a real, real piano," he said excitedly.

The Celenza's bought a seven foot, German-made, Hamburg Steinway B from Pro Piano's (generally, a renter of concert pianos worldwide) warehouse, located off Carnegie Hall in Manhattan. 

At 12, he enrolled for the pre-college jazz program at the Manhattan School of Music. After taking classes in jazz history and theory, in his sixth year now, Luke is starting to create his own compositions under the guidance of a saxophonist teacher. 

Five years down the road, he envisions himself as starting either his own band or getting snapped up by another. Else, he will go with the flow.

As the next step in his formal musical education, he hopes to get a four-year undergraduate degree from either Julliard or Manhattan School of Music.

In the immediate future, however, coming the second week of January, he and his buddies will go to Miami, to take part in a weeklong training as well as a filtering session.

Those who ace that will head to New York City, to go through another round of screening. The crème de la crème will then go on to the White House to be awarded the prestigious title of "Presidential Scholar in the Arts."

Along with 27 other high school students from 12 states, he will also travel to Los Angles, this year, to participate in the 2010 Grammy Jazz Ensembles. 

Editor's Note: We wish him all the best!