About Kai Cruz

A lifelong musician, Kai has been playing brass instruments since the age of 6. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Kai grew up in close proximity to legendary lead trombonist of the USAF Airmen of Note, Dave Steinmeyer, and would go on to study with him at the University of North Florida. Kai has been giving private lessons since high school, and his students have gone on to study at prestigious schools such as the Manhattan School of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music, the University of North Texas, and Florida State University. Kai holds degrees from the University of North Florida (BM '18, Performance Certificate '19) and the Conservatory at the University of Missouri - Kansas City (MM '22). Outside of music, Kai is also a high-ranking rules judge for the card game Magic: The Gathering, and helps run most of the major tournaments in Chicagoland.