Jazz Heritage Orchestra, a professional 17-piece not-for-profit performance/education aggregation which is officially in residence in the Cleveland State University Black Studies Program, celebrates the life of Kyle Braun. The orchestra is composed of outstanding musicians who are also highly competent music educators. The band is led by Dennis Reynolds.

Doors open at 6:30pm and concert begins at 8pm. There will be a silent auction and raffle with all proceeds benefiting the Kyle James Matthew Braun Memorial Fund. This fund will grant music lesson scholarships to inner city youth whose families cannot afford lessons on their own.

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To know Kyle was to love Kyle. His humility, sincere eyes, smiles, hugs, willingness to listen, loyalty to family and friends, and God-given talent for trumpet (and piano) were only a few of his amazing qualities.

Kyle loved life and lived it to the fullest every chance he could. Playing his trumpet at Severance Hall, snowboarding down the mountains of upper Michigan, co-piloting an airplane flying over Lake Erie, and riding his motorcycle to new cities and sights are some examples of how he lived an amazing and adventurous life. Kyle took his roles as son, nephew, grandson, friend, student and child of God seriously. He was a respectful, helping, considerate and quiet young man. He didn’t talk much, but somehow you always knew Kyle was in the room. He was a self-proclaimed introvert and no one could deny it. He watched the world around him with eyes that took everything in but never had a bad thing to say, usually wide eyes, looking down to the ground or the shaking of his head were his only reactions. Kyle fought for what he believed in and was an extraordinary young man whom everyone says they are lucky to have known and had him in their lives.

Kyle had a way of making everyone feel special – his smile included a twinkle in his eyes that let you know he cared about you, his hugs…if you ever got one, you know how they made you feel. No matter your relationship with Kyle, his presence made a difference in your life.

Kyle attended Le Chaperone Rouge for Preschool through first grade, Dike Montessori School for second grade, Cleveland School of Arts third through eighth grade, St. Edward High School ninth and tenth grade, and Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA) in northern Michigan for eleventh and twelfth grade. He graduated from IAA in 2015 and that fall he began attending Cleveland State University as a music and mechanical engineering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) student. After his first year at CSU he decided to concentrate on engineering where he planned to pursue a career in the automobile industry to help make cars safer.

Kyle was recognized as an exceptionally gifted trumpet player in both jazz and classical. Over the twelve years Kyle played trumpet, he attended the Tri-C Community Arts Program, Interlochen Summer Camp, Music Settlement, Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory and Berkley College of Music. He was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and MOJO Big Band, he also performed with numerous community bands and the Wooster Symphony. He often performed at local churches, Prince of Peace Lutheran (Westlake), Willoughby United Methodist, North Olmsted United Methodist, Trinity Lutheran (Ohio City) and Compass Christian Church (Akron).

Kyle was a student of Dennis Bradley Reynolds (Artistic Director of Jazz Heritage Orchestra, former member of Count Basie Band), Chris Anderson (Director of Open Tone Music), Steve Enos (Cuyahoga Community College), Neil Mueller (Music Settlement), Charles Schlueter (Retired Principal Trumpet of Boston Symphony), James Tinsley (Former Principal Trumpet Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra), Lyle Steelman (Assistant Principal, The Cleveland Orchestra), Jack Sutte (Second Trumpet, The Cleveland Orchestra), Ken Larson (Interlochen Arts Academy), Marlene Dirksen (Private Piano Teacher), Dianna White-Gould (Piano teacher, Cleveland School of the Arts), Clark Terry (Legendary Jazz Trumpet Player), and James William Braun, Sr.(Organist).

Kyle played with Jazz greats including Dominick Farinacci, Sean Jones, Clark Terry and the members of the Jazz Heritage Orchestra (JHO). Kyle was at one time told he would be the next artistic director of JHO. In December 2015 he met his trumpet idol, Wynton Marsalis and was thrilled to have taken a picture with him. Perhaps Kyle’s proudest moments as a musician were when he accompanied his grandfather, James Braun, Sr. for church services at St. Andrew Lutheran Church (North Olmsted) and Willoughby United Methodist. Kyle was the featured artist at the ‘Brown Bag Lunch Concerts’ at Trinity Lutheran in Ohio City during the summers of 2014 and 2015. For the concerts, Kyle accompanied organist Bob Myers and felt privileged to play at a church that is very special to his family. Trinity Lutheran sponsored Kyle’s great-great grandparents when they came to the United Stated from Germany in the early 1900’s. It was also very special to Kyle’s grandfather, James Braun, Sr. when Kyle played at Trinity, Jim grew up attending the church and helped in the process of building the world-renowned organ. He also learned to play organ there himself – all these facts made Kyle very proud.

Kyle worked as a trumpet teacher with Open Tone Music. He provided lessons to students during an after school program at FDR School in Cleveland. Both students that Kyle worked with continue playing their instruments to this day and credit Kyle’s patience and thorough teaching with their successes.

Kyle was never afraid of hard work. He had his own business cleaning brass instruments the summer of 2013. He was also a budding mechanic, he taught himself through observing mechanics at work and YouTube videos to fix cars. He was able to strip his motorcycle down to its frame, fix any issues and put it back together. He ‘dumped’ his motorcycle in April this year and broke many of the plastic pieces on the bike. Rather than pay to replace the pieces, Kyle meticulously pieced them back together by drilling holes one inch apart and using zip ties. His bike from that point on was lovingly referred to as “Frankenstein.” Kyle contemplated pursuing building motorcycles and cars as a hobby, and possibly a career if the engineering didn’t work out.

Kyle was employed by Buffalo Wild Wings, Strongsville after high school and worked with Open Tone Music part time. He worked at Sunnyside Toyota, North Olmsted at the time of his accident. He was loved and is greatly missed by all of his co-workers.

Thank you for your continued support and helping to keep Kyle’s legacy alive. Proceeds from this ticket sales will be placed into the Kyle James Matthew Braun Memorial Fund. This fund will grant music lesson scholarships to inner city youth whose families cannot afford lessons on their own. Kyle will live on...