I want to be a PRO! a STAR!!

[johnlow]

Hi. I am a 16 years old boy. I have always dream to be an international star like Dave Koz, Kenny G. I want to hit stardom as young as possible especially during my teen years but i dont know how. I dont even know how to start.

I am joining Marching Band now and currently playing an Yanagisawa A901 alto sax with Vandoren Optimum Lig and Selmer Soloist D. I have ordered an A992 that is due to come during december. I hope that can really add a spark to my sound.

Marching Band really takes away much of my time. Plus my school work, formation to practice everyday, i dont really have much time to practice.

Can anyone help me by giving me some advice? how do i enter stardom? how do i know i have any talents?

Please help. Thanks!

John.16. Malaysia

[jazzybat]

john, i am 16 y/o too, Philippines... i play the sax since 2002....

theres nothing else to do but to practice, practice, practice... it will take some time though... thats all i can say.. practice practice practice... find time to practice your sax, not for marching band but for you, for yourself.. what songs do you like? listen to it.. listen for licks or styles, how they play their sax etc... listen and practice. :) like me.. i listen to kenny g music when i was just starting... listen listen listen... then i got my sax and try to play it.. practice.. really practice...

i play by ear and by notes... so i can play songs that i hear and see.. :) due to practice.... nothing else but practice.... :)

ingat! take care! :)
troyg.

[Nefertiti]

If we knew the answer to that we'd all be doing it. :lol: I personally have never wanted to be a star. What I've always wanted since 8th grade is too be a great musician and to play music and to be respected by other musicians.If I can make a comfortable living and play music I would be happy. I'm not a star today 20 years later but I play music with the majority of my time and I am happy. I had a girlfriend back in High school that was a singer. Her focus and goal in life was to be famous and have everything that goes with it she was always chasing after it and it seemed like she was focused on everything BUT the music. The music was just a vehicle to get her what she wanted. It was all about getting that pop song out that would be the next big hit. I always tell my students who ask your question to "just love the music". "Be devoted to the music" Then no matter what happens whether fame , fortune or nothing you still have that one thing you love the most. THE MUSIC!! And your chances of being happy are that much greater.IMHO. BUT............too each his own. That's just me. You might be the next Kenny G.

[gary]

Nefertiti - I just wanted to thank you for your answer.

My inclination was to make a short post referring to trolling. If the poster really is serious and that naive and, IMO, missing some values as a musician, you gave him a dignified and supportive answer, which might be needed and really constructive. And worth a lot in the long run.

[Saxaholic]

I suppose I'll add to the chorus and echo some feedback.

Here's a reality check: there are 14 year old kids out there playing saxophone on gigs and even recording some. At 16, you're not necessarily behind the game, but that star thing? There will ALWAYS be someone better than you, and IMO, always someone who will be a notch ahead of you on that "stardom".

If you want to be famous, lift weights for 4 years and join a sports team. Become a professional athlete.

I'd say for every 1 famous music star there are 10,000 musicians who want to be a famous music star. And 10,000 more who DON'T want to be a famous music star.

I'll tell you how to become a music star. Practice 8 hours a day for 5 years under a top notch professional teacher. Then MAYBE you can begin dreaming of becoming a star. Until then, LOVE YOUR MUSIC. It isn't about being famous. It's about creating beautiful music for people to enjoy.

Sorry for the rant. Not meant to be destructive/demeaning in any way. Good luck on your quest to become a better musician.

[Jazzer143]

Unfortunatley in order to be a famous superstar musician you have to have more than playing ability, you have to to be marketable. This means ya gotta have looks, a certain flair and above all be able to tap into the mainstream music scene. Take Kenny G for example, he isn't a good player however he plays what most people want to hear, and thats why he is the most famous sax player around. There are players in high school who could school Kenny G, however they're not famous, because they probably don't sell out and do whatever the public wants. I'm not saying that practing hard doesn't help you get there. Its just that there is a lot more to it, most of which is luck and the other is being a good player and businessman.

Good Luck on your quest to stardom!

[johnlow]

Thanks guys for the help and advices. I'll practice hard everyday to make my dream come true. :D

[sax_appeal]

There's nothing wrong with having dreams and ambitions.

However, the only way to achieve this is to become the very best and give yourself plenty opputunities to be noticed. There's no point in being the best if noone knows you're there...

[Sigmund451]

John, Im still not sure your getting it. I think part of the suggestions made here imply that you need to clarify your "Dreams". Are they to be an amazing musician or to be famous and adored by others? Are you seeking emotional validation or are you focused on music? It still seems that you didnt hear what Nefertiti said, as though you glossed over it.

It still sounds as though you view this as a "vehicle" to transport you to something other than the making of music. You dont have do defend yourself. This is not intended as a statement to offend. Rather, it is to suggest you employ more insight, introspection, and honesty with regards to what you are really looking for so that you can find the most effective way to get there. Best of luck.

[warmdaddy]

In my early years of high school after I first took up sax, I practiced obessively, with the hope that one day I would be as good as my idol Charlie Parker. I practiced with the sole intention of being good, really, really good, but I missed the whole point of playing music. I think my great sax teacher summed it up perfectly, the last time I spoke to him, about three years ago (I'm now 21) just after I had bought my own Yanigisawa Alto Sax:

'Just enjoy playing it'.
:D

[Russty1]

John you have to gig as much as possible...Find anywhere you can and play, even if it means gettin a drummer and a bassist and playin on the sidewalk...if you are good enough you will get discovered or somthing like that. play at coffee shops or resturaunts or books stores and people will listen to you...if they walk out on you dont get mad it happends all the time to everyone, not everyone there is going to like it cuz they are there to read or drink or eat. But you will play and play and play and keep getting better, your tone will improve, your fingers wont be clumsy anymore, and you will be heard. so get out and play anywhere. but there will compititon john (like me) but just gig as much as you can, call places and see if you can get down there and play for them, if they like you you will get asked back. so go play man. and just have a good time while youre doin it

[sax_appeal]

I'd also like to point out that the more you perform to people the better you can become at satisfying their wants and needs as an audience, and thats the greatest and most helpful skil you can develop

[Costard]

Johnlow, if your ambition is to become a star, don't let anyone "poopoo" that. A good many people - some in this forum and, if you pursue music in college, some there as well - will tell you that music should be performed "for its own sake;" anything else is sacrilege.

Hopefully I can save you a little doubt and grief by telling you, that's nonsense. Every musician uses the art to get at some end, whether it's intellectual, emotional, or philosophical (I don't say monetary because nobody in their right mind becomes a jazz musician for the money).

Ultimately, it comes down to motive ... if you want to become a star because you can connect with more people - good! If you want it for popularity, you'll be disappointed. Kenny G is reviled by many people, whether deservedly or not.

Conversely, if you want to pursue more intellectual jazz because you seek to more profoundly affect a smaller audience, that's noble. But doing it for the respect of your peers - many of whom will dismiss anything popular as "selling out" - is a recipe for dissatisfaction.

There's room in music (and jazz) for more than one approach. Maybe I'm tilting at windmills, but it strikes me that too many musicians are overcritical when it comes to forms and approaches that don't fit their narrow definition of the art.

Just use your head and follow your heart. Stick to that and I don't see how you can miss.

[alsdiego]

Johnlow,

You will get a wide perspective from many different viewpoints in this forum (I'd rather try to herd cats than make sax players all march to the same drummer :D ). So here's another one:

Music is both an art and a business. Many people find the art a deeply satisfying, enriching endeavor that feeds their soul. As I've gotten older, I've found that my life's priorities have gradually changed to the point where spiritual enrichment from music is a major goal. So in one sense, "art for art's sake" can be very important at a very personal level.

That said, it's important to realize that there's not "straight line" to fame in the music business. You can practice your brains out and it may have very little effect on your eventual fame. It's not like the NBA, where a guy with the right athletic tools (speed, height, coordination, etc.) who practices day and night might have a reasonable shot at least at a tryout. No matter how good you are as a musician, the odds of acheiving fame are incredibly slim. Why? It's the nature of the business. To put it bluntly, you are at the mercy of steely-eyed business people who are in the business to make a buck, period (not that there's anything wrong with that). They don't give recording contracts to artists they think are "gifted", if that were true the Backstreet Boys would still be unknown. They give recording contracts to people who they think will make them some money by striking a nerve with the CD-buying public. The music business is very, very cold, dollars-and-sense cold.

There's nothing at all wrong with pursuing a dream, but to avoid shattering disappointment, it's important to look at the world realistically. So if fame is what you really want, forget the saxophone, it's a "fringe" instrument in today's popular culture, and has been for many years. Instead, take up guitar and start a garage band. Get gigs at the local punk rock venue. Try to find the next "big thing" in popular music. Land a contract with an indie label. Make sure the lead singer can light his hair on fire and dance around like he has a rabid wolverine in his colon. And don't forget the tattoos and body piercings.

Sound cold? It IS cold, because that's reality. Just my 2 cents.

Al

[alsdiego]

Johnlow,

You will get a wide perspective from many different viewpoints in this forum (I'd rather try to herd cats than make sax players all march to the same drummer :D ). So here's another one:

Music is both an art and a business. Many people find the art a deeply satisfying, enriching endeavor that feeds their soul. As I've gotten older, I've found that my life's priorities have gradually changed to the point where spiritual enrichment from music is a major goal. So in one sense, "art for art's sake" can be very important at a very personal level.

That said, it's important to realize that there's not "straight line" to fame in the music business. You can practice your brains out and it may have very little effect on your eventual fame. It's not like the NBA, where a guy with the right athletic tools (speed, height, coordination, etc.) who practices day and night might have a reasonable shot at least at a tryout. No matter how good you are as a musician, the odds of acheiving fame are incredibly slim. Why? It's the nature of the business. To put it bluntly, you are at the mercy of steely-eyed business people who are in the business to make a buck, period (not that there's anything wrong with that). They don't give recording contracts to artists they think are "gifted", if that were true the Backstreet Boys would still be unknown. They give recording contracts to people who they think will make them some money by striking a nerve with the CD-buying public. The music business is very, very cold, dollars-and-sense cold.

There's nothing at all wrong with pursuing a dream, but to avoid shattering disappointment, it's important to look at the world realistically. So if fame is what you really want, forget the saxophone, it's a "fringe" instrument in today's popular culture, and has been for many years. Instead, take up guitar and start a garage band. Get gigs at the local punk rock venue. Try to find the next "big thing" in popular music. Land a contract with an indie label. Make sure the lead singer can light his hair on fire and dance around like he has a rabid wolverine in his colon. And don't forget the tattoos and body piercings.

Sound cold? It IS cold, because that's reality. Just my 2 cents.

Al

[sure1234]

Just be focused on your dream and you will be fine john. While your at it pick the winning lottery numbers.

[mayho]

Jazzer143, please post clips of the "high school players that can school Kenny G". Thank You.

[T992]

"Take Kenny G for example, he isn't a good player however he plays what most people want to hear, and thats why he is the most famous sax player around."

Yeah that was a little harsh. At all state last year I didnt meet any of those... There were some great players though. I can tell that in a few years some of them are going to be amazing. I think Kenny G is good (dont yell at me!), but he is very mainstream as far as that goes. I guess if you want to be rich and still just play your sax then you have to "sell out" a bit eh? He got lucky enough to land a career doing what he loves and instead of being jealous I think it makes more sense to be happy for him. I doubt anyone here who insults Kenny G has been given the opportunity to make a TON of money for playing christmas songs ect, and if you had... Can you honestly say that youd rather keep your day job?

Joe

[GaryLee]

Johnlow,

You might want to look up a bio on Joshua Redman. Basically he played because he loved making music. He went to college planning to go to law school, not as a music major. After college he got "discovered", his music career took off and he decided to bail on law school.

Some people, like Redman, are just naturally talented musicians. If you fall int that catagory success will come to you. If not, and you have to work harder at it, you may still be successful but it will take longer. Go ahead and go for your dream but don't set yourself up for failure with a perdetermined time line.

I agree with alsdiego. If instant stardom is your goal then a guitar and good marketing will get you there faster than a sax.

I am sure that Kenny G has made a lot of money and is well known but I see a lot more pictures of Justin Timberlake than Kenny on magazine covers. IMHO Kenny is way more talented than Justin and even at that he had to "sell out" on mainstream jazz and exploit the smooth jazz concept to reach his current level of stardom.

Redman has made a name for himself within the jazz community because he is tremendously talented, but he is not likely to achieve the stardom of KG given the genre of his work. Miles Davis produced a tremendous number of recordings but many do not view him as a particularly good trumpet player from a technical aspect. His work however was unique, inspirational and attracted a loyal fan base that has stood the test of time. I do not know how KG will be viewed 40 years from now.

There is no one road to success. You will need to find you own path grasshopper.

[Nefertiti]

There's so many sick players out there it's crazy. I don't even think we realize how many there are. I'm close to Boston and every year I hear of different players here and in NY that I never heard of that are killin. Sometimes it might be a local guy that just does weddings and he's playing in the room next to where I'm playing. The guy sounds amazing and I never heard of him and he never heard of me. I'm just happy playing good music and being able to put food on the table, pay my mortgage and buy my kids some toys here and there(and some toys for me as well :lol: ) My dad tried hard to disuade me from persuing music because of the financial side of it. All I know is that I had to do it. It wasn't an option to me back then. It's what I loved and had a passion for and it was what I was very good at. Money and fame never had anything to do with it. If I had to do it over again I would make the same choices. I'm not famous and I'm not rich but man do I love playing that sax. :lol:

[saxophobe]

I faced a similar choice about 7 years ago when I was finishing my masters. I think every serious player has to face a similar choice at least once in their lives.

My choice was whether or not I wanted to have a serious musical career and do what would be required to accomplish this. For a jazz player, recognition on a national or international platform requires quite a bit of sacrifice. Most of my friends went to NY or LA, and a few of them are actually starting to make names for themselves. I just couldn't see myself doing this. I didn't want to go to NY or LA, live as cheaply as I possibly could to make nothing on club gigs, end up waiting tables or driving a cab, and spending what little money I would scrape together on making demos, head shots, an entertainment lawyer and a manager in order to play saxophone. Too much work just to eke out a living!

As one of the previous posters said, you have to ask yourself if you want to play, or do you want to do what it requires to "be a star"? I decided I really didn't want to be a star, just wanted to enjoy playing.

Another thing I decided on was that I didn't want to be a full time, 24x7 musician. I have other interests I wanted to explore, and that's what I'm doing now, working in the computer field. I just found out that it was driving me crazy thinking about nothing but music all the time. I need variety.

These are just some of the questions that you might face. As for Joshua Redman, I think he was pretty well groomed to be a jazz star, I mean, having Dewey Redman as his father didn't hurt his chances! :D

I hope this helps.... Sorry if it doesn't.

Thanks!

[jaankaden]

never expected a thread like this to generate replies, but i must say that this is getting pretty interesting. i guess here's my 2 cents.

fwiw, i have never really had to deal with this question. sure, the thought of being a "star" was always on the back of my mind, but then again, i kinda always knew that music isn't my forte. so that fantasy remains just that, a fantasy.

do i still do the odd gig every now and then? yes. do i busk? whenever my law professor decides to go easy on the papers. and in all honesty, the feeling of playing your music for others and having them enjoy it can't be beat. however, as great as it sounds to me to be the next kenny g (i like his music, get over it), i know i'd just crumble if i had to not only create hits, but constantly defend whatever status i've achieved through them with more.

that said, you certainly seem enthusiastic enough, and who knows, that might just be enough to propel you to "stardom". notice the inverted commas, because even the best saxophonists will probably not be known to many average laymen besides a select group of people (read: us). let's not even go into the money aspect of saxophone "stardom". dare i say that a one-hit-wondered teenybopper will probably earn more.

nonetheless, i wish you all the best.