2023 Youth Scholar Biographies
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, 15-year-old Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport fell in love with the blues at a young age. Challenged by many struggles, he started learning guitar and harmonica at the age of 10 to express his anguish. Influenced by legends such as Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor and Billy Branch, Rell played his first concert at the age of 10, followed by writing his first song at 11.
Cale Fladager is a 16-year-old self-taught harmonica player and multi-instrumentalist originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, though he currently lives in Poland. He’s only been playing harmonica for 1.5 years—jazz on the chromatic harmonica, and blues and folk on diatonic and tremolo harmonicas. Cale is currently playing and leading original jazz compositions for harmonica with various ensembles at European international school music festivals.
Aramis St-Gelais is a 21-year-old Canadian diatonic, chromatic, and harmonetta player who plays jazz, new music, and Classical pieces. He fell in love with the harmonica at age 15. Aramis studied jazz harmony and composition in high school and upon graduation, was awarded Composer of the Year. While at University in New Brunswick, Canada, he became the first harmonicist in the jazz band. Aramis composes and arranges pieces and études for harmonica and mixed ensembles, including big bands.
Alexander Harris is an 11-year-old from Virginia who has been playing the harmonica for 6 years. He has been instructed by Dr. George Miklas. .Alexander enjoys playing diatonic, 12, and 16 hole chromatic. His harmonica styles are Classical, traditional, patriotic, and folk.
Sally Ma is a 14-year-old harmonica talent based in Shanghai, China. She began to learn chromatic harmonica in kindergarten at age 5, and starting at age 7, studied under harmonica virtuoso Zhao Chenxi, and is currently also a student of Mr. Gordon Lee (Harmonica World Champion). Sally won 1st runner up chromatic harmonica solo in the 13th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival Youth Group (2022), Gold Award in Taiwan Harmonica Music Competition in harmonica solo junior (2020), and Champion in China national harmonica competition Junior Group (2019). She opened her first harmonica solo concert in Shanghai in 2020 and has performed harmonica on live TV. Sally was a SPAH Youth Online Scholar in 2021 and 2022.
David Manche is a 20-year-old college student from Kentucky who is self-taught on the diatonic harmonica and enjoys playing country, bluegrass, and gospel. He has been playing for 5 years. The college band in which he plays recently came in 1st in a battle-of-the-bands competition.