By Hogan Webb
Executive Features Editor
Eddie King
Managing Editor
Mira Costa junior Hunter Cross passionately plays his saxophone while peering out at the hundreds watching him.
Cross began his musical career in the fifth grade playing the clarinet. He then transitioned to the baritone saxophone in the sixth grade, and has since learned how to play alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone, as well as the bass clarinet.
“Playing in general is an outlet for creativity,” Cross said. “It’s purely intangible, but it’s really interesting to create something that’s your own, and sharing it with other people is really cool too.”
Recently, Cross has been practicing and performing with his band, Ignited. The group has played at various locations throughout the South Bay and is composed of Costa students Jessie Eades on bass, Max Huggins on guitar and keyboard, Matthew Nelson on tenor saxophone, and Redondo Union student Matthew Lucas on drums.
Link: Check out a link to Ignited’s Facebook page
“They all are such talented musicians and amazing people that I know I’m going to be lifelong friends with and we are all able to bring the best things out of each other and into our music,” Cross said. “We usually have a gig once or twice every month. In the future we might be performing at the Black Scholars Union festival and playing a blues type of song.”
Cross says his favorite part of being with Ignited is actually creating the music, as well as playing at events and spending time with his bandmates.
Photos: Check out some photos of Cross playing
“[Creating a song] feels like an actual genuine creation of something that I can be proud of and get to share with amazing people that are basically like brothers to me,”Cross said.
In addition, on February 9, Cross traveled to the Berklee College of Music in Boston with Mira Costa’s Jazz Band. While there, they performed in one of the nation’s largest high school jazz festivals and placed second out of 139 schools.
Link: View a full story on band’s trip to Berklee
“It was intense going on stage in front of people who have spent years perfecting what you’re about to show them but at the same time it was like stepping up to something that you know you are so ready for that even if you were to completely black out mentally, you would play the set perfectly
Cross and his band primarily play classical music, yet sometimes they mix it up, playing Cross’s favorite, latino song Blue Bossa, falling under the genre of bossa nova.
“It’s just a very stylistic song that always sounds really nice whenever I play it with my outside band, Ignited,” Cross said.
In the future, Cross plans to continue pursuing his musical passion. Cross plans to pursue a minor in music and a major in either computer science or psychology.
“I plan on continuing playing the saxophone because it’s opened so many doors for me on a musical level but also on a social level as i’ve been able to meet so many amazing people through playing,” Cross said.
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