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Bio:Twenty six year old trumpeter Kevin Hackler began playing music in his native Virgina at eight years old, starting on guitar and drums. He first picked up the trumpet to join the school band in fifth grade. After relocating to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during his seventh grade year Hackler began to take an interest in jazz, joining the newly formed school jazz band. Landing his first gig with the House of Blues Big Band in Myrtle Beach at age fifteen Hackler was motivated to pursue music as a career.Kevin Hackler graduated in 2003 with a B.A. in Music Performance from the College of Charleston, studying under such great influences as drummer Quentin Baxter, trumpeters Lyle van Wie and Charlton Singleton, composers David Maves and Trevor Weston, and pianist Tommy Gill. During his time at the college and afterward, Kevin had the opportunity to tour with several bands across the United States and Europe and finally becoming a band leader himself.The trumpeter's acclaimed debut album Absalon has been called "one of the finest original works of 2007" by the Charleston City Paper. Ronald Jackson of Jazz Review.com says "Absalon is one of those albums that won--t just serve as background music during conversation. Rather, it can easily be seen as the subject of conversation." Most recently, Hackler recieved the Critic's Pick award for Best Horn Player in the 2008 Charleston City Paper "Best Of" edition.Hackler’s musical endeavors have also taken him into the world of composition and computer generated music and many of his pieces have been presented at art shows and film festivals across the East Coast and in Europe, along with artistic animated and still works by his long-time friend and renowned New York artist, Matthew Smithson (www.manvsmagnet.com). A few of their most recent collaborations have been presented at the Pictoplasma Conference and the Webcuts festivals in Berlin.More Information: kevinhackler.com