By John Turner, Read other Up Close & Personal Stories from this Series.

To Jared Mulcahy, jazz is much more than just a style of music. To him, jazz is almost a way of life.

The 16-year-old Skaneateles High School junior is already legendary for his incredible skills on the upright bass. In 2007, when was only an eighth grader, Jared was named one of four jazz soloist winners in the annual Student Music Awards presented by Down Beat, a national jazz magazine.

During an interview last week, Jared said he first plucked bass strings at the ripe old age of 7.

“Since I was a little guy, I played a smaller size bass,” he recalled. “I don’t think I could’ve reached the strings of a regular size one,” he continued with a laugh.

Ever since he could remember, Jared said, his parents, Tim and Kristen, exposed him to “fantastic music” in a variety of genres.

“I remember my dad bought me a CD called ‘Super Bass,’ and it had some legendary upright bass players,” he explained, noting the album featured bassists like Ray Brown and John Clayton.

Though he really wanted to play drums, he said, his parents gently prodded him toward learning the bass. “They knew that if I was to be a musician, bass is needed in every genre of music and not that many people play it.

“So that makes it a valuable instrument,” he added.

As Jared grew, his skills grew with him. He graduated to a normal-size upright bass in sixth grade, and in the years since has become very well-known for his talent.

While running down the laundry list of his accomplishments, Jared pointed to this past summer as one of his proudest achievements.

“I got to go to the Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony in Stockton, California,” he said.

The week-long music camp, held annually at the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific, was attended by Jared and about 20 other student musicians selected from hundreds of applicants from around the world.

Jared said some of his favorite musicians taught the students about jazz theory, advanced improvisation techniques and combo rehearsal methods.

“My bass instructor was a guy named Ray Drummond. Everybody there was just so generous, so knowledgeable. … I really learned not only how to be a jazz musician, but a jazz ‘person.’ It starts with having good character.”

Jared currently performs with the Skaneateles High School concert and jazz bands, and is a member of the Madrigal choir. In addition, he studies Music Theory under music instructor Angelo Candela.

Though Jared said he has no problem reading sheet music, he much prefers to learn and play music by ear.

“Most of the time when I play jazz music I’m playing by ear. Anybody can read notes off a page, and maybe add some musicality to that, but when you play by ear it’s much more of a musical ‘conversation.’”

Jared said he plans to study music in college, and his college choices are undoubtedly the nation’s top programs.

“Some of my choices are Manhattan School of Music, Julliard, Berklee, the New England Conservatory and the New School (in Greenwich Village),” he said.

Whichever school Jared attends, that music program will undoubtedly be lucky to have him as a student.

“I think musicians are some of the brightest people I know,” he said.

And Jared himself is probably the brightest of the bright.