Why We Do It
Jason and Kaity are friends and business colleagues in Bloomington. Jason grew up in the Edgewood music program and Kaity was a vocal student at the IU Jacobs School of Music. They both have fond memories of their time as growing musicians and have come to appreciate the character that being a musician has brought to their professional and personal lives. Through the Musician of the Month program, they seek to encourage the next generation of local high school musicians to excel at what they do and to embrace every minute of their musical journey.
Jason Lanham
Before working at Edward Jones as a financial advisor, music and the arts have been a significant part of my life. I was a trumpet major in college and graduated with a music degree. My first 10-year career in music and media was quite diverse. I played and recorded contemporary, classical and jazz music on the trumpet. I also oversaw all aspects of live, pre-, and post-production including video, audio and stage lighting for one of the largest auditoriums in Bloomington. I currently volunteer as a brass instructor and trumpet teacher for an area high school music program.
Kaity Sandes
Kaity started singing before she could talk and she hasn't stopped since. She started performing in musical theater productions at age 10 and ended up performing in 16 productions by the time she graduated high school. Following high school, Kaity studied voice performance (not musical theater because she can't dance) at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Upon graduating with her bachelor's degree in voice performance, Kaity started a career in real estate while simultaneously teaching voice lessons at a local music shop and continuing to work backstage at the IU Opera and Ballet Theater.
Nowadays she mostly rocks out to Broadway ballads in the car and sings lullabies to her kid, but the impact that performing had on her life is something that will never go away. She's excited for the opportunity to support and recognize young musicians.