If you’ve found your way to this article, chances are pretty good that you know who Michael Brecker is. Chances are also pretty good that you’ve spent many a listening session in awe of his legendary, unparalleled command of the saxophone as well as his often-imitated-never-duplicated improvisational vocabulary. For most of us, he ranks at, [read more…]
Introduction This marks my 8th year attending the annual NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show and it’s pretty remarkable how much the show has grown in attendance year after year. Similar to the 2018 NAMM Show, this year’s show was filled with exhibitors showcasing products new and not-so–new, including saxophones, necks, ligatures, mouthpieces, reeds, [read more…]
Here's a new alternative to the uninspiring tunes often found in the average beginning sax book. This collection of 25 tunes, each with backing and demonstration tracks plus a video tutorial, is the product one of my most significant discoveries in over two decades of working with beginning saxophonists. That is, beginners learn fundamentals much faster by playing the kind of music that attracted them to the horn in the first place.
INFINITEMUSICAN.COM
🎷 Sax Fundamentals Faster
Once you have earned your first dollar, euro etc from playing music, you are now a professional. If you work as a full time, part time musician, composer, arranger, music teacher, or instrument repair tech, you are a professional. As such you need to act like a pro and you need to be aware of [read more…]
This is part 2 of a 2-part series on alternative ways to make a living playing sax. Although this article stands on its own, it would be good to check out part 1 if you haven’t done so already. Click here to for part 1. The Cruise Line Bands Suppose you do not want to [read more…]
This article will cover the topic of auditions and the various job opportunities for saxophone players. I will touch on the military fleet, field and regional bands of the Navy, Army, Marines and Air Force. In addition I will discuss opportunities with the cruise lines via auditions with Pro Ship. Lastly I will discuss the [read more…]
Introduction This marks my 7th year attending NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) and the show keeps getting better and better every year. Similar to my experience at the 2017 NAMM Show (2017 NAMM Show Saxophone Gear Roundup), the 2018 NAMM Show was full of exhibitors showcasing products such as: necks, ligatures, mouthpieces, reeds, neck-straps, cases [read more…]
My name is Larry Weintraub, I played tenor sax, clarinet, bari sax, alto sax and bass clarinet with Army, Navy and civilian bands. Today I will be talking about touring with military bands both stateside and overseas. Things to do as a reed player before you leave If there is any doubt of how your [read more…]
Introduction With the demand increasing for vintage mouthpieces, ligatures, saxophones, neck’s, and other accessories, many manufacturers have decided to make a copy or produce their own version of these highly sought after pieces of equipment. Most recently, I had the chance to try two ligatures: One, is offered by Echobrass and is a re-creation of [read more…]
Getting a saxophone to sound distinctive and beautiful in the recording studio is considered to be something of an art form that can take many years to perfect. If you are looking to start recording your own playing with a home studio set-up, or have already begun and are finding it difficult – you will [read more…]
Biography The gifted, versatile saxophonist/clarinetist/composer John Ellis occupies an imaginary (and extremely imaginative) space directly between the celebratory, welcoming spirit of New Orleans and the edgy, frantic streets of New York City. Both as the leader of his own eclectic projects and as an in-demand sideman for a mind-boggling number and variety of artists, Ellis [read more…]
Tips and Techniques from the pros PLUS free access to the Sax Lessons with the Stars archive - 10 years worth of interviews and exercises featuring the likes of David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Ben Wendel, Bob Reynolds, and many more!
