Aaron Bazzell is a musician, composer and educator based out of Brooklyn, NY.  Born in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of eight the family moved down south. Growing up in Metro-Atlanta, he would eventually come home from school one day to find that his father had purchased an alto saxophone.  After receiving some encouragement from his middle school band director, he quickly became serious about the instrument.  Originally a classical saxophonist, it was the increased opportunity for freedom of expression along with the sense of community among its practitioners that would lead him to shift his focus to jazz.  He holds a B.M. in jazz studies from Michigan State University and a M.A. in music education from Teachers College. His primary teachers include Don Taylor, Jack Morrell, Greg Ward, Wess Anderson, and Diego Rivera.  Aaron teaches music at Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts where he hopes to develop within his students the same attributes of focus, empathy and consistency that a life in music has provided him.