‘A really huge honor:’ High school musician wins first prize in national jazz challenge

WARNER ROBINS – Houston County High School student Drew Bragg won first prize in the national 2025 Gerry Mulligan Jazz Challenge. 

Every year, the Gerry and Franca Foundation invite high school musicians to learn a Gerry Mulligan song and perform it on YouTube. Their performance is judged by a team of professional musicians on sound, technique, intonation and presentation. 

Drew received top scores from all judges. The prize for his accomplishment was a $500 grant.

“It’s actually a really huge honor to be selected as one of hundreds across the nation to win this challenge. I’m just very excited because it’s money and [Mulligan] was a great musician to begin with,” he said. 

Drew performed a piece called “Etude for Franca,” named and written after Mulligan’s wife. Franca, the president of the foundation, heard his rendition while listening to the winning recordings, and Drew was able to send her a thank-you message. 

Mulligan passed away in 1996 and the foundation was established in 2010 to fulfill his wish to provide free music education to young musicians in need. Contest winners are announced every year on April 6, Mulligan’s birthday, and during Jazz Appreciation Month.

Drew shared that he found out about the challenge through his private lessons teacher, Ryan Johnson. He learned of the contest a week before submissions were due and signed up for the challenge a few days before the deadline. 

He wanted to participate because of the potential prize money, since he was starting to save up for a soprano saxophone; the prize money will be put towards the purchase.

Saxophones are very expensive instruments, Drew explained, especially because he plays both concert band and jazz music. This requires a lot of reeds and mouthpieces. 

Recently, he purchased a tenor mouthpiece and now he is saving up for the soprano saxophone.

His mother, April Bragg, shared that they were excited when they found out her son won the competition. She describes him as an accomplished musician at only 16 years old. 

Drew has been a member of one All-State band every year since he was in eighth grade. Additionally, he is the lead tenor saxophone in the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony Orchestra. April said Drew has had incredible opportunities, like soloing at Carnegie Hall and attending Interlochen’s summer intensive in Michigan. He was also invited to perform at Columbus State University and the Georgia Music Educators Association Annual Conference. 

“We recognized Drew’s talent very early on, but I think the thing as a parent [that] makes me most proud is not necessarily the wins, but it’s him taking his talent and truly pursuing it as a passion,” she said. 

Drew has always been a musician at heart. When he was a little kid, he played on his drum set every day. He said he was set on being a percussionist until instrument tryouts in sixth grade. It was then he figured out the saxophone was for him.

His dad, who was the middle school band director, also loves music and plays every other instrument except the saxophone.

Drew’s favorite part of being a musician is the bonds he creates with others. 

“It’s always a good thing to meet new people and I feel like music is a very big catalyst because everybody loves music and it’s very easy to meet new people and make friends,” he said. “Also, the individual expression of it; I like to improv and jazz and there’s something about it that gives me a detachment from reality that I just love so much.”

Drew plans to pursue degrees in saxophone performance and Computer Science or Software Engineering when he graduates high school. This will foster his love for the arts as well as math and science.

April describes her son as hardworking and willing to put himself out there to better his craft.

“He loves it, he chases after the sound, the tone he wants,” she said. “He listens to music that inspires and challenges him and he’s always putting himself out there to try new experiences and new opportunities. This competition is just one of those experiences.”

Drew advises younger musicians and those wanting to pursue playing the saxophone to listen to other musicians. He said to figure out how other musicians sound and if they like the instrument they are playing, choose it and learn it.

As far as learning the instrument, he advises putting their unique spin on what other musicians do. This is something that Drew continues to do, and it has helped him improve his sound since he is constantly listening to professionals. 

“You can’t really make bad music because everybody likes music anyway,” he said. “So just [have] fun with it and [make] sure the joy that music brings to you is shared with others.” 

To view his performance of “Etude for Franca” click the video below.