More Music, Less Driving: A Smarter Way to Rehearse

With Kevin Howard

With a demanding schedule of live performances and rehearsals multiple times a week across the D.C. area, every hour counts. National recording artist, keyboardist, writer, composer, and producer Kevin Howard’s experience spans recording and performing with musicians including George Benson, Roy Ayers, and John Legend. He most recently toured with and was the musical director for jazz saxophone legend Ronnie Laws.

As a solo Jazz musician, Kevin works with other artists and bandmates on numerous projects across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Living in the Washington D.C. area, traffic is, as Kevin says, “horrendous.” He would spend hours commuting to in-person sessions. Not to mention the added cost of gas and rehearsal space. It wasn’t sustainable, especially with how often he needed to rehearse. Enter Lutefish. Kevin heard about the device when the technology was first rolling out, but rediscovered it at NAMM 2026. Lutefish quickly became a way for him to rehearse without losing time to travel. Instead of planning around traffic, he can jump into a session whenever he needs to.

“I swear by it. It is definitely a wonderful platform for us, and we don’t have to worry about traffic or weather,” Howard shares.
Getting ready for a series of shows in the D.C. area, Kevin hops on jam sessions with his bandmates to rehearse. He mainly works with a trio consisting of himself on keys, Will Greenwade on drums, and Tim Jones on Bass. With bandmates spread across three states, rehearsing together used to take serious coordination. That’s a lot easier to manage with Lutefish.

“It’s invaluable because it’s as if you’re in the same room,” Howard expresses. “There is no noticeable latency, and the quality is great.”
That means they can lock in their timing and actually play off each other, even from different states. As a trio, they’re saving time and money, plus still getting the feel of a real session from the comfort of their own homes.

Because of that, Kevin is rehearsing more often than ever. It’s easy to jump online at any time to get together for jam sessions. He and his bandmates are able to rehearse multiple times per week to prepare for shows. Kevin plays over a dozen shows every month, whether solo or in a trio. It’s easier to stay sharp when getting together is this simple.
And the benefits don’t stop when the session ends. Being able to go back and listen helps him and his bandmates tighten things up before the next rehearsal.

With a demanding schedule, staying connected with his band is everything. Now, instead of losing hours to the road, Kevin is spending that time where it matters: making more music.