Jazz trumpeter Paul Tafoya, a Polk County native, will perform Sunday, Aug. 19 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Zenzera’s in Landrum, along with the Craig Sorrells Project of Greenville, S.C.

Tafoya began his music career in the Polk County Cadets as a sixth-grader. In 2002, he made the All-County Honors band and won awards as the most improved brass player and Outstanding Cadet of the trumpet section. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, he was awarded scholarships to the Cannon Music Camp held at Appalachian State University. While at Cannon, he consistently earned awards for outstanding dedication and achievement in performance. In 2006, he earned Cannon’s director’s award for his performance in jazz ensemble.
In 2005, Tafoya earned an Excellence in Music award from the All District Band and in 2006, he was one of three trumpet players from Polk County to make the All-State Honors Band. In 2007, he again made the All-District Band and also participated in the WCU Honor Band Clinic, earning an outstanding performance award.
On graduating from Polk County High School in 2008, he was awarded the Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, and subsequently joined the Marine Corps. Following this, he took a break from music and served as an electro-optical repairman from 2009-2010, doing one tour in Afghanistan.
In 2011, he picked the trumpet back up and joined the Marine Forces Pacific Band in Hawaii, where he was stationed. At the end of 2011, he was nominated for Marine Corps Musician of the year and went on to take fourth place in that competition.
During the course of this year, he has performed regularly in many well-known clubs in Hawaii, such as Jazz Minds Art & Café, and joined accomplished musicians while gaining popularity there himself. Having completed his service with the Marine Corps, Tafoya is headed to Florida, where he plans to study jazz at the University of Central Florida.
Craig Sorrells studied jazz at Limestone College and also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Sorrells started his music career as a trumpet player at age 10, was classically trained and attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts. He was also a lead trumpet player for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, which won a DCI World Championship in 1995.
Sorrells attended the University of South Carolina on a full music scholarship and studied under Bert Ligon and Roger Pemberton. He went on to assist the award-winning Irmo High School Marching Band, and then joined the U.S. Marines, studying jazz at the Joint Armed Services School of Music in Little Creek, Va. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C.
The concert at Zenzera’s was arranged as a welcome home by Tafoya’s family and friends, as well as an opportunity for them and interested community members to hear Tafoya and Sorrells play during Tafoya’s brief visit home.
If you plan to attend the performance at Zenzera’s, call Robin at 828-817-4790 to be sure there is enough room for everyone.
– article submitted