In a year mired in loss, frustration, isolation, and uncertainty it’s been a comfort and given me a sense of personal pride to have students that have endured and even thrived throughout the 2020 and 2021 school year.
Read MoreStreaming music is garbage. It is, and I’m not sorry to say it. Now, let’s deal with the problem.
Read MoreIf you’re a musician that loves electronic music, but craves live interaction, Zach and Owen have created something unique that you need to see. Below is a masterclass-ish of how Edit Bunker does (say it with me) - the voodoo that they do. … (pause for laughter)
Read MoreIf you haven’t heard Joel Frahm, you haven’t heard one of the best tenor sounds in all of music. So, here’s 3 hours of him talking (and playing a little). ;-)
Read MoreMy students have heard this before, but there's an old playbook being used when it comes to teaching saxophone tone. It needs to die a slow, horrible death...
Read MoreThis is one of the best masterclasses I've ever seen. Dick Oatts essentially lays out everything you need to know as an improviser. It's a long one, but WELL worth the watch.
Read MoreAfter the first few lessons with a new student, inevitably they come in frustrated saying that their band director told them that they (and the entire sax section) are playing too loud. I tell them to calm down and do what their band director tells them. Then we talk about the “Why” and “How” of dynamics. And, in my opinion, band directors often seem to get it wrong when it comes to tone and dynamics with their saxophone section more than any other. I admit that I have, and I like, a louder sound. This doesn’t mean I can’t or don’t want to play soft, but I prefer to have, and believe musicians need, a sound that projects. I recently attended a master class with Jeff Coffin here in Atlanta and heard him talk about this very thing. (Disclaimer: I’m certainly not comparing myself to Jeff Coffin). Think about any time you’ve been to watch young kids play instruments in a group. Cousins’, brother’s, sister’s, niece’s, nephew’s concerts in their school gym. It wasn’t very loud was it? When you have new musicians on Flutes, Clarinets, Trumpets, Trombones, Bassoons, basically any instrument that’s not Saxophone, these instruments are not naturally loud for a beginning musician. While air production is consistent from instrument to instrument, it takes a lot of training of embouchure muscles to get a sound that projects on many of these instruments. The exact opposite is true of Saxophone.
Saxophone doesn’t require a muscular embouchure, at least if you follow the teachings of Joe Allard or possibly even Larry Teal. After embouchure, the only thing left is air production. This is where band directors fall into a trap without knowing it: Saxophonists have to first learn how to control their air and support their sound. This usually means putting LOTS of air into the horn. I equate it with the first time I hit a correct backhand in tennis. The instructor showed us how you have to hit through the swing. The first time anyone hits the tennis ball with the correct form, the ball goes over the fence and into the parking lot. We then were told to keep the form but to try and aim more accurately. THAT’S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN WITH SAXOPHONE!! So many directors are interested in immediate balance and huge volume changes that young saxophonists do not have the capability to do well. Instead, everyone in the section bites down and backs off on air. This results in pitch and tone quality issues which is why their saxes sound so ‘bright’ or ‘tinny’, why they can’t articulate with speed and accuracy, and why they can’t play in the upper register or lower register, let alone play these registers in tune. Worst of all, the students learning the instrument are developing terrible habits and having a lousy time since they can’t play what’s on the page. It’s like giving a pointillist painter a roller to use and then telling them just to paint lighter. If you don’t have the proper base, in this case air control, you can’t start practicing subtlety.
My Advice: To get a great sounding sax section, students should start by doing overtones (the saxophone version of the brass section’s ‘lip trills’, although a very a different exercise). Then introduce dynamic long tones. And, directors and teachers, don’t worry about getting the right balance the first couple of months. Let the students build the warm, lush sound that the saxophone has, then teach them ‘how to aim’.
Before we get too far into 2012, I want to take a minute to recognize the hard work that my students put forth in 2011. This is by no means a full list of all of the amazing things they've done. However, I do want to let everyone know how proud of them I am. Great Job Guys! Let's get ready for another great year.
Stephanie Lopez Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: Glen C. Jones Middle Director: Dr. Tonya Millsap Grade: 8th Chair: 3rd
Rishi Rao Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 5 School: Rivertrail Middle School Director: Angela Reynolds/Jennifer Compton Grade: 8th Chair: 8th
Jason Herrera Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: North Gwinnett Middle School Director: Mary Wilson Grade: 8th Chair: 2nd Alternate
*These two students scored within a half point of one another and twenty points above the rest of their section.
*Connor McClelland Instrument: Alto Saxophone School: North Gwinnett Middle School Director: Mary Wilson Grade: 8th Chair: 1st Chair Recipient of the Junior Director Award
*Stephanie Lopez Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: Glen C. Jones Middle Director: Dr. Tonya Millsap Grade: 8th Chair: 2nd
Kristyn Nowak Instrument: Bass Clarinet District: 13 School: North Gwinnett High School Director: Brian Lambeth/Marion English/Rudy Gilber/Hunter McRae Grade: 9th Chair: Principal Encore! Honor Band
The following students made their District Honor Bands. If they are noted as an All-State Finalist then they also passed on to the second round of All-State auditions.
Brendon Ayestaran Instrument: Tenor Saxophone/Clarinet District: 13 School: N/A Director: Grade: 10th Chair: N/A All-State Finalist – Scored 4th out of 50 at State
Jeremy Heit Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: Northwestern Middle School Director: Christy Naughton Grade: 8th Chair: N/A
Jason Herrera Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: North Gwinnett Middle School Director: Mary Wilson Grade: 8th Chair: 3rd All-State Finalist
Kaitlyn Lopez Instrument: Clarinet District: 13 School: Mill Creek High School Director: Erik Mason Grade: 10th Chair: N/A
Stephanie Lopez Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: Glen C. Jones Middle School Director: Dr. Tonya Millsap Grade: 8th Chair: 1st All-State Finalist
Connor McClelland Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: North Gwinnett Middle School Director: Mary Wilson Grade: 8th Chair: 2nd District Concert Band All-State Finalist
Kristyn Nowak Instrument: Bass Clarinet District: 13 School: North Gwinnett High School Director: Brian Lambeth/Marion English/Rudy Gilbert/Hunter McRae Grade: 9th Chair: N/A All-State Finalist
Jamie Park Instrument: Clarinet District: 13 School: North Gwinnett Middle School Director: Mary Wilson Grade: 8th Chair: 6th All-State Finalist
Mandy Peskin Instrument: Tenor Saxophone District: 3 School: Ridgeview Middle School Director: Michael Gibson Grade: 8th Chair: N/A All-State Finalist
Stephen Thomas Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: N/A Director: N/A Grade: 7th Chair: N/A All-State Finalist
Tito Tomei Instrument: Baritone Saxophone District: 13 School: N/A Director: N/A Grade: 8th Chair: Principal District Concert Band All-State Finalist
Rebekah Warnstrom Instrument: Alto Saxophone District: 13 School: N/A Director: N/A Grade: 8th Chair: N/A All-State Finalist
Despite some observed oddities for the high school district auditions for students in District 13 this year, many students did well on their audition in that district. Their names are listed below.
John Brocksmith Zach Compton Joon Kim Kaitlyn Lopez Jessica Morton Alex Wise
I get questioned all the time by my students about how to get a better sound. It's a great question and an important one at that. However, the worst thing that can happen is if someone has never even asked themselves "how do I work on tone?" If someone new to an instrument is using their ear when they play, really listening to themselves, they usually have a pretty good sound. This allows them to do all sorts of new music, new concepts, extended range and techniques, even if their embouchure and air stream aren't perfect. The flip side is when someone is fighting a 'bad' sound. They'll find that it holds them back from doing so much more on their instrument. Tone work should usually start off your practice session. It allows you to warm up, use air correctly before working on technical or musical aspects, and get mentally prepared for your practice session. Here's a list of Clarinet tone exercises that I've picked up over the years and a Saxophone version will follow shortly (but, feel free to reference "Ramon Ricker Overtone Exercises" in the meantime).
PDF of Clarinet Tone Exercises
I know, everyone's wretched band director had them bring their instrument home everyday, not practice, then convince their parents to lie at the end of the week and sign this arbitrary sheet called a 'practice log' saying you had practiced an hour a day. This is truly unfortunate because this is the exact opposite of what a practice log should be. A practice log is an objective recounting of how much time you spent doing what in your practice time: no more, no less. Some people get really fancy with them, writing down detail after detail. That's not what I'm doing here. Above is a very simple practice log that I thought would be helpful for anyone looking to improve their practice routine, either by practicing more efficient, or by keeping better track of their own progress, or both. While you don't want the log to go on for pages, it is helpful to keep small notes as you progress (e.g. faster tempo markings, new exercises, etc.). Write down the individual times per exercise or concept and then add them up at the end to see how much you practiced in a day.
It's pretty self explanatory, but I'll take you through it. The first field listed is "Instrument", that's mainly for anyone who is a multi-instrumentalist and is juggling multiple practice schedules, in which case, a practice log is almost necessary to track of everything. The next is the date for the beginning of that week. Below that field are the goals for that week. This will help you keep track of your progress from week to week. You write down what you and your teacher have decided you'll work on for the week. The table is a breakdown of time spent on each category and total time per day. That's it.
This table is simple on purpose. You want to spend as little time as possible 'book-keeping' and as much time as you can practicing. Remember, this is for you, not for someone else (so no need to lie). It's a way for you to objectively evaluate where you're at, how to set goals, how to proceed with your practice routine, and the results of those efforts.
I've included a link to Word document so that people can open it on their machine and edit it as need be:
2010 was an eventful year and 2011 promises to be even more so. I wanted to take the opportunity to name some of the accomplishments that my students made this year. They all worked very hard and saw that work pay off. Needless to say, I'm very proud of them. Here is a list of some of their major accomplishments.
As you probably already know from reading my bio, I've been playing saxophone since I was six years old. That means I've been through a lot of reeds, mouthpieces, music, horns, and most importantly, teachers. I thought I could provide some tips on how to find a teacher based on what I've learned over the past few years.
First, have a goal in mind of what you want to learn or what you are interested in musically. Then you want to make sure you have the right goal for a teacher. You want to find someone who has your musical interests in mind and the pedagogical skill to meet those interests. Do you want to learn to be the best jazz improviser you can be? Do you want to study classical repertoire? Or, do you just want to start playing an instrument and see where things go? Usually you can find that the best teachers can help no matter what you want to pursue. You don't want to do like I did and basically fall into the nearest studio, go through 2 or 3 teachers over about two and a half years, and finally, after lots of time and money spent, you find the best one in town.
Contact at least a handful of people as possibilities or for a list of references to other teachers, especially people that are NOT in your area. One of the best ways to start your search for the best teacher is to call or e-mail the professors for your instrument at the major colleges in your state, preferably with the best music programs. If you can study with them, great! But, since these are college professors, many times you can expect that they don't accept beginners into their studio, their studio is full, or they charge a high lesson fee. They will however, usually provide you with a great list of references.
After you've contacted all of the colleges with major music programs in your state (this shouldn't take long - usually only 4 or 5 e-mails), you'll see certain names pop up multiple times. Start with these names by doing an internet search, see what they're qualifications are, check out their playing, etc. You should always check the person's musical background no matter what organization they belong too. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO.
There are some main qualities you want from your private teacher. First and foremost, you want to make sure that they enjoy teaching. There are a good number of musicians that are good players but haven't honed their ability to teach just yet. Secondly, that they teach in a way that you see, hear, and feel results in your playing. Some of the people recommended may be current students or recent graduates. This may seem worrisome when you've just started playing, you don't know who's out there or who to trust. Whether they be an experienced veteran or just starting out, what you're looking for is the same.
Having taught privately while still in school and knowing people that did as well, you'll find people that are great teachers, are great with kids, have a real love for music, and most importantly a love for teaching. However, college students may still be getting a handle on their own teaching style, but are usually more of a bargain, can be more laid back, and are sometimes more flexible with when they teach.
Another good way to gauge the kind of teacher they are and the effort they put into the development of their students is to check out how they communicate with their students. Do they communicate via e-mail, phone, etc.? Do they answer questions on the practice material in between lessons? How do they set goals for your playing? How do they structure lessons and what do they focus on? Do they allow you to record your lessons or have a way of doing that themselves? Do they have a website, even a site with extra practice/helper material?
If you're looking for a teacher for your kid, many times their band director will flat out KNOW who are the best private teachers. Check with the elementary, middle, AND high school directors just like with the college professors. Eventually you'll get names that come up again and again.
Chances are, unless you do your homework and come into contact with the right people at first, you'll probably go through at least one teacher before finding the best one for you. Don't fret though, the more you research and the more people you talk to the easier it will be. And don't forget, most of the time a teacher is just a guide. You'll find the more time you spend working, the better you'll get.
Teachers in the Atlanta and southern Georgia area that I have studied with and would recommend as a good starting point are:
