MEET THE MUSICIANS
TRISTAN CLARKE TRUMPET One of the first things you want to know about Renaissance man, Tristan Clarke, is that he is part of a duo called Melodica Men. What’s a melodica? It’s a musical instrument that sounds like a harmonica but requires the skills of a pianist and the ability to control your breathe like on a brass instrument. The Melodica Men wowed the crowd during the recent Holiday Pops performances. Tristan travelled to Paris this past summer with friend and fellow Melodica man Joe Buono delighting the Parisians with his melodica tunes. “We were by the Eiffel Tower with a group of about eight people and some Frenchmen who did not speak a word of English used their best broken English to ask if they could join us and listen,” he said with a big smile. “I love making connections through music.” A graduate of The Julliard School, Tristan comes to Jacksonville from the Charlotte Symphony. He loves the positive vibe about the city and has even found a rescue dog to add to his home (if his landlord and roommate agree!). Next up for Tristan is a possible trip to Barcelona next summer. He’s practicing his Spanish now and hopes to get good enough that he can even dream in Spanish. Viva Tristan! Photo by Tiffany Manning
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