Biography
photograph by susan broockman
Max Seiden, a senior at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, plays tenor saxophone in the school’s jazz band, jazz combo, and wind ensemble. He has won numerous awards including the Outstanding Soloist at the University of Texas Austin Longhorn Jazz Festival in both 2009 and 2007, the Outstanding Soloist at the Temple College Jazz Festival 2009, the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award in 2008, was recognized as a member of the All Star Jazz Band at the Texas A&M Kingsville Jazz Festival in 2008 and as the Outstanding Musician at the Texas Tech University 40th Annual Jazz Festival in 2007.
As a musician in Austin, Max is an active writer and performer. He has played with groups and musicians such as The Jazz Gormandizers, The Fireants, Austin Jazz Band, Ted Hall’s Blues Machine, The Ben Burgess Band, Neil Blumofe, Alex Coke, Rich Harney, Sam Lipman, Joe Morales, and Spencer Starnes. On his own, Max has organized numerous jazz combos and often performs at private parties and events. He is a founding member of Secret Spice, a group whose diverse membership gives rise to an interesting blend of funk, jazz, and jam.
This fall, Max will attend the University of Michigan where he will pursue a dual degree in jazz performance and engineering.
