Karla Harris, a vocal jazz instructor at Kennesaw State University, has been named Atlanta’s Jazz Hero for 2025 by the Jazz Journalists’ Association. The national organization selects a Jazz Hero each year in nearly 30 metropolitan areas across the United States to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities through jazz performance and outreach.
Harris serves as an artist-in-residence and part-time instructor in the Dr. Bobbie Bailey School of Music at Kennesaw State. She is also known for leading community outreach efforts throughout the South while maintaining an active performance schedule.
“There are so many people who deserve this, and I am incredibly humbled to receive this honor,” Harris said. “It’s also gratifying because I know it is in recognition of the work we’re doing with the jazz outreach programs and our attempts to extend this legacy with not just young people, but the community at large.”
In addition to her teaching responsibilities at Kennesaw State, Harris leads the Jazz Discovery Series, an educational program focused on jazz music. The series includes modules for children of all ages as well as master classes for advanced performers, similar to those she conducts in her university classes.
Harris began considering teaching seriously after moving to Atlanta in 2012. She often encountered faculty from KSU’s jazz program during performances around the city. Sam Skelton, director of KSU’s jazz studies program, and Tyrone Jackson, senior lecturer of jazz studies and piano, encouraged her to join the faculty.
“I was taken aback because I was not a teacher; I was a performer,” Harris said. “Tyrone said KSU has professors who teach voice, and they needed somebody who can teach students how to feel this music. Something just settled into me when he said that and I thought, ‘I can help with that.’”
Skelton praised Harris’s impact on students and her ability as a musician: “Karla is a complete musician,” Skelton said. “She connects with the audience in such an intimate way. The very first concert performed by her KSU students blew me away. She had created these young versions of herself that echoed her poise, grace and audience connection. She pulls out amazing potential from her students right from the start. Their progress over the course of the Jazz Performance degree is inspirational and infectious. We are thrilled to call her a colleague.”
After more than ten years performing in Atlanta’s jazz scene, Harris continues to be sought after both as a vocalist and educator. She expressed gratitude for her colleagues at Kennesaw State.
“I’m grateful I landed at Kennesaw State because it’s been the best place for me, and I think it’s the best place for our students,” she said. “Everybody does a wonderful job here. The work and the level of passion that I see from all the instructors is the real deal.”
