Voice Lessons in Tucson, AZ

Instruments: Saxophone

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
I typically start with the overtone series for warming up. It's sort of a stretch for my jaw muscles before I get into strengthening them. Scales (full range of the horn) to establish technique and control over my fingers. It's important to keep your fingers close to your horn while you're playing even when not pressing down a certain key. The closer your touch, the faster you're able to play. I usually end with playing along to tracks to help with my time and then sight reading a transcribed solo to end.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
My major is in Jazz Performance and Composition. I chose this specific major because I was inspired from a live show performed at my school when I was 15. It was a nine piece ensemble with five horns and four rhythm section players. They played some original tunes and some arrangements of some jazz songs that I really took a liking to. Their soloing blew my mind because I had never heard instrumentalist play so well together from memory. Their professionalism and sound quality really drove my interests to the next level.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
I suppose my dream tune to play over effortlessly would be countdown by John Coltrane because it's upbeat and the changes are quite difficult to interpret. I poses a challenge because to get the speed up to par, you first have to master many techniques and be able to get around your instrument effortlessly without hesitation. The next step is to hear the harmony and be able to make shapes over the changes that make melodic sense. On top of all that, you're interacting with the other band members and trying to create a real connections that's enjoyable and exciting to the listener.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
If I wasn't a musician, I'd like to think that I'd be in the arts in some other way. Perhaps a painter or cartoonist. I loved art class as a kid but never believed that I could do it for a living so it never sparked my interest as a career, only a hobby. I remember winning competitions for art class and receiving strong grades as well. But as a kid, I always had a dream of becoming an architect for houses. I also still have a desire to give back to the community in some way, maybe as a volunteer fireman.

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