America may be a bigger playing field than Bermuda, but one Bermudian teenage musician has proved he can handle the extra competition when it comes to jazz music.

That's because Benjamin Lusher, 17, a senior at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, beat hundreds of competitors to win two prestigious awards at the 33rd Downbeat Student Music Awards.

"Downbeat is the premier music magazine in Unites States besides Rolling Stonemagazine," said Benjamin's mother, Jamie.

Downbeat focuses on jazz, although other types of music are sometimes featured. Every year, hundreds of students from around the United States send in audition materials to compete in the magazine's music awards to find the top music students in the country.

"It is a very highly renowned competition," said Mrs. Lusher. "To have your name in the magazine means a lot."

Thirty-two students from various age and music categories were picked. Benjamin won in the high school jazz soloist category and the vocal jazz soloist category.

He was up against students playing a variety of instruments. "His was a piano audition, but the other student who won for high school got it for saxophone," said Mrs. Lusher. Benjamin and the other student winners are featured in the June issue of Downbeat, that hits stands this week.

In the current issue, Benjamin talked with Downbeat about the importance of improvisation in creating a unique sound.

"My main goals as a musician and as an improviser are to be completely in the moment," he toldDownbeat. "I feel that striving to be totally spontaneous and to be truly improvising makes the music more fun, more interesting and more emotionally connected both to myself and to listeners."

Benjamin is a member of two high profile teenage music organisations including the National Foundation for the Advancement in The Arts (NFAA) and YoungArts which is the core programme of the NFAA.

The organisation recognises and supports America's most talented 17 and 18-year-olds in the visual, literary and performing arts.

Six thousand students applied and this year YoungArts chose 150 of those students to go to Miami for YoungArts week. Benjamin was chosen for jazz vocals and won honorable mention in piano.

In Miami, the selected students participated in Master classes with renowned artists, in workshops, exhibitions and performances.

During the week they were judged on their work again. Of these 60 students, 37 were were chosen as gold and silver award winners, an honor that identifies the best at YoungArts week.

Benjamin was one of the 37 chosen as a silver award winner and invited to a week-long residency at The Baryshnikov Arts Center, in New York, where the young artists were exposed to some of the best teachers and coaches in America, along with world renowned artists.

"This week culminated in three wonderful performances," said Mrs. Lusher. "I saw one and was blown away. They only had three days to rehearse, and they put together a show that was mesmerising."

It was one of the most inspiring weeks of Benjamin's life. "It was very inspirational," said his mother. "He was exposed not just to world class teachers and artists, but also to young people who are aspiring to be the best in their fields."

And there is more excitement coming for Benjamin as he has been chosen to tour for the second time with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. With Next Generation, he will perform at both the Monterey and Montreal Jazz Festivals in October.

He is currently preparing for his high school graduation. Then he is off to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he won a scholarship.

"It has been a fabulous year for my son," said Mrs. Lusher.