Pat-Med Alum Plays in MU Jazz Band

Justin Downs, a 2003 graduate of , is featured in a recent Columbia Daily Tribune's Area Artist story for being a member of the University of Missouri (MU) Concert Jazz Band.

Before that, Downs was a member of the Wind Ensemble at Patchogue-Medford High School, led by Peter Randazzo.

"I studied with him and he had a large impact on my musical life," Downs told Patch of Randazzo.

In the story, Downs talks about how he began playing music in the fourth grade.

"I wanted to play drums, and they gave me the saxophone," Downs told the Tribune while laughing.

The Tribune reports that Downs time in the wind ensemble eventually led to his decision to study music in college, initially at George Mason University. Downs is now pursuing a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies at MU.

Read the full profile on Justin Downs on the Columbia Daily Tribune.