Montgomery high school student to play at Carnegie Hall in NYC

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A Montgomery high school student is inspiring her community after being chosen to perform in one of the most historic music halls in the world. “I started playing the guitar in second grade at Carver Elementary,” said young musician Kaylen Miles.

Kaylen Miles, an 11th grader at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, says music has always come easy to her. “When she was in kindergarten, she was always humming around the house, kind of banging on things, just experimenting,” said Bobby Miles, Kaylen’s father.

It wasn’t until she began playing the bass clarinet when she would be noticed by one of her band teachers. “My band director, he came up to me and said, ‘Oh, I have this opportunity for you I nominated you,’” Kaylen recalled. Miles auditioned against 10,000 other applicants from all over the world. She was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City, an opportunity Miles didn’t think she would get. “I, kind of, cried because I didn’t think I was going to make it,” she said.

Kaylen’s father has been inspired by her daughter and says his kids make her a better person every day. “I would say, just go for it because if you, kind of, let nerves get in the way, it will never happen,” said Kaylen. Kaylen will play her bass clarinet in the historic music hall in February.