The Bis Key Chronicles

Have you ever found a song on MySpace, YouTube, or Soapbox that you just can’t stop listening to. For musicians like Suzy and me this is a very common occurrence. So I thought I share some of my new favs with the caveat that I am a reed musician so that helps define my taste in music.

First I’d like to mention a sax player’s CD and that is Pete Thomas’ Mr. Lucky and you can see his fabulous underwater sax playing video on YouTube. The song he plays on this video uses that very sexy saxophone growl technique and the underwater pictures were taken in England and a friends salt water swimming pool.

The prop sax was borrowed from a repair shop for the filming and if you look closely, you can see the keys are all missing. Bonus points if you can figure what kind of sax (soprano, alto, tenor, or baritone) he is playing. Don’t be fooled by the tenor sax in the video.  ;o)

Next is Caroline Glass (I wish she was a relative ;o) and her Tinfoil Hat song. Not only is she a cutie, she plays some very exotic instruments including an English horn, oboe, bass clarinet, and pictured here, bass saxophone.

I’ve ordered her CD, but haven’t received it yet. So I must make do by going to her MySpace site for my listening pleasure. I get an almost visceral response to her bass saxophone and bass clarinet voicings. I would aspire to play as sensually as Caroline does; it’s obvious she loves her profession.

She is one of the reason’s I purchased my Buescher bass sax. That and listening to Seattle’s own Paul Woltz and the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band. Both of these fine musicians play a Buescher bass sax. However Paul and I use the old pickle mouthpiece and Caroline’s looks like a Vandoran or modified bari sax piece.

I have so many CD’s to pick from, but to finish the post and provide a change in pace, I am really into Sara Gazarek’s "Yours". My fav cuts are the title song and her very special rendition of Blackbird. Sara is a vocalist who performs nationally but calls Las Angeles home. Her sexy vocalizations take you away from where you are to a place where time slows down and you are surrounded by those you love.

I’m gonna cheat and add my newest local (Seattle) find. Her name is Miya Collins and she too is a fine vocalist. Her musical stylings are charged with electricity, placing you in an intimate place where the rhythms carry you to new highs of pleasure. I can’t find a CD of Miya’s but there is no doubt that in the very near future we will be able to find one on Amazon.com. :o)

There are so many fine musicians in the Seattle area, that Suzy and I are never at a loss for a new place and talent to enjoy. Keep the music live! Support and love your local musicians.

 Little Amber cried the first time she heard me playing sax. But she can be forgiven as she was barely one year old. And she has never done it since. She probably hears Suzy and I playing almost everyday now. When she wanders in, she often wants to try to play the instrument we are working on.

So Suzy purchased Amber a little soprano recorder that was a cute pink thing. At two Amber doesn’t put her fingers in the right places yet. But she can blow the recorder and it makes a noise.

She asks me to put on some music on the stereo so that we can play together. So I’ll often put on some up-tempo jazz and we go at it. Amber knows the difference between saxophones and clarinets. Today I asked her if she was going to play the clarinet when she got older and she said no. I’m not sure whether she, almost three now, understood the question but I got to thinking how many kids don’t play music instruments. It’s probably a genetic thing, loving to perform and being any good at it. But I have no doubt that given time and training, Amber will be a fine musician.

Look at her brother Nicky who within two months of playing clarinet (fifth grade) played ‘Amazing Grace’ with no sheet music at his school. He and I had played in on sax for a couple of years. But since there were too many saxophonists, he is playing clarinet. It’s genetic I tell you.  :o)

New musicians, usually late bloomers, often ask me where they rate as a performer. They also ask their instructors to help them determine that. Now I’m not going to get into the dynamics of a person’s need to be rated. And actually the last guy that asked me wants to use this rating as a tool to spur him on to greater performances.

But I think that a relatively easy method of determining your skills could be developed for those of us out of the university scene. Sheetmusicplus.com, who advertises themselves as the largest sheet music store around, uses a six-level rating system to help directors determine if a chart is right for the class level they instruct.

So if you go to that site, and pick out some charts you’ve played, at what level can you usually sight read the music with no errors. For me, on sax it is 3+ and on clarinet (which I started last year) it is a solid 2-. ;o)

Once I have that info, I use it as a snapshot for where I am now and can refer to it in the future. Musicians and music majors like our directors for concert band and the jazz ensemble are usually very comfortable sight reading level 6 music. Soloists for the different bands are usually at the five level although I’ve know some lousy sight-readers who can do jazz solos at the drop of a hat.

I’d luv to hear from my directors as to whether this system has any merit. I’m not a music major, I just play one on TV.  :o)

The company I work for had a charity auction so I auctioned one hour of my time as a beginning to intermediate instructor. My emphasis was stated as evaluating equipment including mouthpiece selection, intro to music theory, learning to enjoy practicing, and finding a stellar instructor. The fellow who one the auction for my time has a 14 year daughter who currently plays clarinet and has received an alto saxophone sometime last year. The lesson will be held this coming Saturday.

I do not give professional lessons. Most of my students so far have been late bloomers returning to the saxophone. Four of my students have been relatives who were just starting out—all of who still play. I never give more than three lessons (usually less) before I recommend one of several instructors I have worked with based on their personality match, work ethic, and location.

So I thought my curriculum might benefit from a sanity check by my more knowledgeable musician instructors who frequent my web. Here is what I have drafted so far:

1. Talk about the kinds of saxes. Demonstrate some of the sopranino to bass saxes in the room.

2. Watch student install instrument. Check for functionality and leaks. Talk about protecting an instrument, why we don’t loan instruments to non-players, and sax stands (the good and bad of them).

3. Have student play the concert Bb scale if she is able to. Talk about the differences between the Bb clarinet and Eb sax. See if she can play thirds (G, B, A, C…) Present her with a copy of the circle of fifths and discuss why this could be important in the future.

4. Evaluate mouthpiece to ensure she at least has a adequate or better piece. Talk about reed selection, protection, and preservation. Talk about placing a reed and lig on an instrument.

5. Look at method books and make recommendations. Books by Teal, Klose, and Abersold will be briefly covered. If student can play Bb scale, work through some examples from each book.

6. Intonation, the fallacies and the facts.

7. The truth about rhythm.

8. Simple practice tips for the beginner.

9. Talk about instructors. The parents in this case work with me at Microsoft so they should be able to afford a decent instructor. They are also invited to sit in on this session. I emphasize getting an instructor that the student will appreciate and respect. Many of these music instructors will be remembered the rest of the student’s lives even if they do not become life long friends.

Okay team, what have I forgotten? Thank you for your time and consideration.