KJ: You've performed with all sorts of musical greats: Carmen McRae, Zoot Sims, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, and Barbra Streisand, just to mention a few. How do you feel that your performing life affects the way you teach?

HK: Drawing from my experience, I focus on ways to get students to be able to play with a practical eye. I want them to be comfortable in a lot of musical settings. They must have the academic fundamentals but also be able to use them in practical application.   

KJ: Why do you like to teach?
HK: Nothing is more enjoyable to me than to watch the development of a student. Frankly, I never anticipated becoming a teacher; I kind of stumbled into it. And it has brought me great pleasure. I remember when my very first students played their first recitals. It was very emotional for me to hear them play. 
KJ: How old were you when you started playing drums?
HK: I was nineteen. I always loved the drums, but I never got serious until then.
KJ: Were you at a disadvantage to start at that age?
HK: No. I had done a lot of listening and had a good musical memory and I knew exactly what I wanted to sound like. And I was very fortunate to have had great teachers. In fact, I saved the materials they gave me and I use them as part of my teaching today. 
KJ: What do you think is the perfect age to start drums?
HK: Probably the perfect age is a lot younger than I did. It depends on the student. I have a student presently who is five years old and is marvelous. And then I have another who is 65. They are both beginners and both are very, very good. 
KJ: You've had so many varied musical experiences. What is the highlight?
HK: There is no one thing. All performing experiences have different kinds of values. Something that comes to mind was playing the Claude Bolling Suite with WCM faculty members a few years ago. And I loved the time I was with the Mitchell Ruff Trio. That was a wonderful experience that meant a lot to me.
KJ: What was special about the Mitchell Ruff Trio?
HK: Well, for one thing we used to play ballads at extremely slow tempos. I learned to "breathe" -- to play time and think about breathing.
KJ: How is it to play for singers?
HK: Playing for singers is wonderful because the drums are primarily an accompanying instrument. It really defined the role of the instrument for me. 
KJ: You've played all over the world. Is there a difference in audiences?
HK: Every place I've ever performed, the audiences were happy we were there and responsive to the music. For instance, I played the Motorola Jazz Festival in Singapore and remember there was a great comprehension of what was going on. From the stage we could hear the audience make comments that indicated they were very attuned to the music.  It was the same in Lisbon, Portugal. 
KJ: You play all kinds of jazz. Do you have a favorite?
HK: All of jazz -- the whole body of the music -- is only 125 years old. To me, it is all good and it is all coherent. Orchestral players usually play a program from all eras. But some jazz players tend to be more limited in their approach. I like to be inclusive and to play all jazz periods from Traditional Jazz to Be Bop and avant garde too.
KJ: What's the difference between playing in a small club, and in venues for thousands of people?
HK: In larger venues, they want the musicians to spread out on stage. It's harder to hear and see each other. In a club, the spatial proximity is more conducive to the music. After all, jazz is chamber music.