Kevin Ridder

Editor and Freelance Trombonist in Chattanooga, Tennessee

About

Kevin is a writer, environmentalist, hiker, and trombonist based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His trombone experience includes jazz, classical, rock, funk, and the occasional David Bowie cover band.

In 2016, he graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a B.S. in geology & environmental studies, concentration in journalism, and a minor in trombone performance. While there, Kevin played in the UT Jazz Big Band, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Sympony, and Pride of the Southland Marching Band.

He now works on the content team for the award-winning SmartNews app and delivers jazz to the people on his off-time.

Before that, Kevin was the Associate Editor of The Appalachian Voice, a bimonthly 70,000-circulation newspaper published by 501(c)(3) nonprofit Appalachian Voices. Kevin also worked as a Communications Associate for Appalachian Voices where he wrote blogs and newsletters, managed interns, and more.

Kevin has also freelanced for The Knoxville News Sentinel, interned with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and The Knoxville Mercury, and completed a year of service with CAC AmeriCorps in the City of Knoxville Solid Waste Office. He was mildly internet famous for a day after the New York Times featured Kevin as "NYT Commenter on Facebook."

When he's not attempting to afford food and shelter, you can probably find Kevin standing outside in the cold while his dog Murdock (below) meticulously examines every bush in the neighborhood.

Murdock, the Goodest Boi