Announcer
Ken Taylor
Ken is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. He came to Arizona in 1998 to teach music at Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek. Ken quickly became an active musician in the valley, playing in jazz, commercial, and symphonic ensembles.
After graduating from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1963, Ken began his career in Michigan. He later moved back to Ohio, where he continued to teach and play music.
In 1993, Ken retired (for the first time) and entered a doctorate in music education program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He further developed his passion for classical music, and while in school, landed a paying job with the Northern Kentucky Symphony.
In Phoenix, Ken is an active member of the jazz community, performing with such headliners as Danny Long, Dennis Rowland, Margo Reed, Nancy Gee, and Delphene Cortez. Ken serves on the board of "JazzInAz," a jazz advocacy organization. He is principle trumpet in the Scottsdale Symphony.
Ken's second retirement, from Cactus Shadows High School, lasted only one year. He was called to conduct string orchestras at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, where he served the last four years.
"KBAQ is the number one station on my car radio, and it is a pleasure to share my love of classical music with our listeners," says Taylor. "I feel learning is a life-long journey, and I enjoy learning new things about music through sharing the classics with our audience."
Off-air, Ken teaches trumpet lessons, plays golf and enjoys model trains.
He lives in Scottsdale with wife Carla. They have four children and four grandchildren.
