Musicians see and hear notes as colors – a song is a painted picture. Camden Neff blends the line between sounds and colors with his Saxophone.
Neff plays Alto, Tenor, Bari, Soprano Saxophone and the Clarinet. Neff has spent years participating in numerous bands reaching the double-digits, throughout fifth to twelfth grade. Neff has participated in the following groups and ensembles: Wind Symphony, Jazz 1, Happiness Combo, All state, Iowa State University Honor band, Neiba honor band, Neiba jazz band, Coe College Senior honor band, North corridor Jazz Allstars and Iowa Ambassadors. They call Neff one of their top Saxophonists. Neff has traveled across multiple countries to paint his music.
“The art that I produce is such an ecstatic feeling,” Neff said.
Neff grew up in a musical family. His father, David Neff, has been his biggest inspiration. David Neff is a High School band director at Center-Point Urbana and dedicated Euphonium instrumentalist. Neff was raised on good music and idolizing great musicians. This encouraged his love of band and motivated him throughout his life.
Stephanie Williamson, Kennedy’s Wind Symphony and Jazz 1 director, considers Neff as, “One of those students you don’t have very often” going on to describe him as the “full package”. Williamson praises Neff for his abilities and the way he helps everyone be better.
“Camden made me not okay with mediocre and he pushes the band as a whole,” Williamson said.“I wouldn’t be programming as hard of music without him.”
Neff has spent hours dedicated to his saxophone. He has a gift. While it still takes practice and time, he has something not all musicians are able to grasp.
“Camden is one of those kids that the music is in him, it’s in his soul,” Williamson said. “He plays with maturity, something about his music is so innate in him.”
From freshman to senior year, Camden trained and auditioned for Kennedy’s highest prestige of bands and was successfully nominated for top chairs every time.
“He is so smart with his practice and it comes from his training,” Williamson said.
Show Choir Director Storm Ziegler said “[He] holds his band mates and myself accountable, as much as he holds himself accountable.”
Neff’s quality of production of music comes directly from his skill and drive to improve individually. Countless hours spent towards auditions, concert pieces, solos and small group pieces. Thoroughness and attention towards the small details highlights him in the crowd like bold words in an essay. It is obvious to listeners and followers that there is something different about his intense passion for music.
“Growing up, as I got to know him, it became a matter of it looking like he enjoyed it so much and it made me want to get up to his level, wanting that for myself. He is one of my inspirations,” senior Jonathan Lane states.
Throughout his high school years, Neff has won countless awards. Neff started auditioning for All State Concert Band freshman year. Since his first audition he has been a Finalists two times and Alternate two times. Neff has been one of Kennedy’s Marching Band Drum Majors for three years and has been awarded three times best soloist on Soprano and Tenor Saxophone in the songs, “Come Together” by Beetles, ”Kiss From a Rose” by Seal and “Strange Humors” by John Mackey. For Jazz, Neff was awarded with Outstanding Soloist at Jazz Champs twice. Outside of Kennedy, Neff has won 2024 IOWinds Alliance Young Artist Competition, 2025 Cedar Rapids Municipal Band Young Artist Competition, and second place at the 2025 Music Teacher National Association (MTNA).
Out of all of the years spent traveling with bands, Neff has been to quite a few places. Places such as Orlando, Florida, Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. His all time favorite place and experience was Nashville, Tennessee. Neff had the opportunity to perform at the Grand Ole Opry with Kennedy High School’s varsity show choir, Happiness Inc. in the Combo band.
“Hearing people cheering while you know you are performing really well is such a strong, amazing feeling,” Neff said. “That weekend was filled with positivity, line dancing, great bbq and time well spent with friends.”
Neff recently auditioned for drum core, Colts bugle and drum core, and will be conducting as a drum major for the Colts over the summer. Neff would like to continue his education at the University of Iowa to major in music education in hopes of becoming a high school band director. He was influenced by his band directors, Stephanie Williamson and Lesley Fleer.
“The goal is to be a really good educator so that future kids have a quality directors like I did,” Neff said.
