© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

12-Year-Old Trumpeter From Georgia Will Play In Virtual Inauguration Parade

NOEL KING, HOST:

Jason Zgonc, a seventh-grader in Georgia, got a lot of things done this summer.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRUMPET)

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

This blows my mind. For 100 days straight - 100 days in a row - Jason played trumpet outside the Emory Decatur Hospital near Atlanta. He was trying to cheer up exhausted health care workers caring for COVID patients.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRUMPET)

KING: Today, his audience will get bigger. He'll be part of President-elect Joe Biden's virtual inauguration parade. We asked him what song he's playing, and he would not tell us. But he's already filmed his bit of the ceremony.

JASON ZGONC: I was nervous because I thought I was going to, like, keep messing up, then my feet would turn into icicles.

INSKEEP: (Laughter) Despite the cold weather, Jason says he is proud to be part of this moment in history.

J ZGONC: It feels good to be known, like, as a good thing happening during this time and not a bad thing.

INSKEEP: Jason comes from a musical family. His dad Nathan is a trombonist for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and his mom Karen runs a music school.

KAREN ZGONC: An opportunity like this is something we could have never dreamed about. Like, it's not even on the bucket list (laughter) because it's so far out.

KING: There are some other things on his bucket list, though.

J ZGONC: I want to play live for the Braves game and also play in the symphony with my dad.

KING: For now, he's focused on the moment - the honor of a place in today's virtual inauguration parade by.

(SOUNDBITE OF JASON ZGONC'S "GOD BLESS AMERICA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.