[Guest]

Let's say I wanted to go to the Paris Conservatory (a shadow of its former self)-for the name. According to the website, I would have to play unaccompanied Bach cello suites (WHY? why should I have to?), a "standard" (tired, overdone) work like Glaz etc, and for the 3rd round-LAUBA (required.) I could deal with the first 2, but I refuse to dedicate months to learning a "piece" that makes me feel like crap inside, and also makes 99% of audiences feel like crap. I could be learning things like cornet solos from Marsalis' Carnaval. Oh wait, I am. In fact, I am positive what I am attempting right now has never been done on the saxophone. I'd much rather hear (and implement) a TASTEFUL use of double tonguing, like in those virtuostic romantic cornet and flute solos, than pecky pseudo crap, like the way Albright sounds. I believe how successful you want to be is a matter of how much you want it and what's inside you, not some fancy degree. But, I'm getting my stupid bachelor's degree in music performance right now. Anyway-I hate modern music. I hate modern music like you might hate 1880s "cheesy, carnival of venice" type "crap." Don't feel like wasting my breath explaining why. Anyway. I love music, and can tolerate pieces like...oh, Tomasi concerto, Desenclos, etc. They're pretty cool. But when you get into Berio, or Lauba, or whatever, I wretch. I hate multiphonics. They sound like crap. Does anybody get that? Why can nobody release a GOOD cd without the same tired old crap? Anyway, screw the classical saxophone world. Screw it. It's all about conformity and stroking each other's bulbous egos and being little robots and having your head so far up every mediocre professor's *** you can taste brylcreem. I am gonna change it, or fail and do something else. We'll see.

 

[hakukani]

My boy, I think you're in the wrong business. If you're not happy with what you're doing, go do something else. Nobody holds a gun to your head and says 'you must get a perfomance degree'.

There's a whole world of things out there that you can do.

Relax, explore. You have your whole life in front of you, for heaven's sake!

LIVE

 

[Kevin]

If we're gonna keep score, put my vote down for failing and doing something else.

 

[Guest]

Of course you would wish that. Everybody has to be "nice" and conforming. Right? Too bad I'm pretty good at the saxophone. Nice try.

 

[Guest]

I'm done. ::yawn:: you people are all the same.

::deletes account::

 

[Carl H.]

Anyway.
I am gonna change it, or fail and do something else.

I put my money on your last option.
You aren't setup to play sax for a career, you want to be a star - AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN. But I don't want to waste time telling you why.

 

[srcsax]

So, things aren't going well with Dale Underwood? Hes a sweetheart of a teacher. Breath and talk to him.

 

[hakukani]

Have a great life, whatever you choose...

 

[srcsax]

And to think i was upset because this sunday i will play "In The Mood" for the 10 millionth time.....

 

[drakesaxprof]

8 minutes from initial post to quitting SOTW--must be a new record. Doesn't seem to bode well for longevity in the music business.

 

[Carl H.]

Somebody probably got in to their mommies computer.

 

[rabbit]

In an ironic way this guy is sort of correct.

A musical education wouldn't help him.

 

[jmartin]

Wow, that was strange.

 

[dpmusic]

famous pieces are famous for a reason...usually because it's good music in one way or another...instead of bitching about how terrible these pieces you obviously don't understand are...how about trying to understand what you currently behold in ignorance? the first time i heard song X i didn't like it..but i KNEW if i listened to it again in a few years i'd like it...and that turned out to be so true...that can be said of much music.

 

[Steve P]

Whats the old saying, 'One mans garbage is another mans treasure' ? I believe thats it.

 

[hakukani]

Ya know, being a perfomer on legit sax is a strange thing. You work your okole off playing sonatas and concertos to learn your craft, then go teach others to do the same thing.

Then you play a concerto or two infrequently, and a recital once in a while, on the rare occasion play the Ravel or Prokofiev with an orchestra. You do it for the love, and you make do with making a living.

Even string players, who arguably get the best of regular orchestra pro gigs, spend years and years perfecting concertos and sonatas, and then rarely get gigs making a living at something other than teaching or tutti-picking with an orchestra. You do it for the love, and you make do with making a living.

Or you get another career, and enjoy the be-jeessus out of the music making you get to do. You do it for the love, and you make do with making a living.

So unless you got the talent of someone like Josh Bell, or are independently wealthy, don't get your expectations too high in the soloist area.

 

[NatureColor]

I dont think this guy understands modern music, and that's the path classical saxophone repertoire is going.. I think overall, he's just tired of music. He's going to have to find a new passion or learn and understand and appreciate modern music. sigh. God bless this guy.

 

[silvin]

He just have to play, learn by himself or with a particular teacher only the music it wants to play, at the time he wants, and for the people it wants.
Maybe earning a bit money teaching or doing any part time job, keeping cool and being sincere with his love of music.
Things are so simply!
(I'm really sorry about my basic english ...)

 

[Pinnman]

Once the excess baggage is cleared out of the way (although this takes longer than the high speed entrance and even faster departure), some questions do come across. Why is it that saxophone examinations include unaccompanied Bach cello suites, or Handel Sonatas, etc? Partly classical snobbery, of course, partly the existence of all the Mule and Londeix transcriptions of sixty odd years ago, partly inertia. But there are classsical works for saxophone that could be used; so why not?

The other point that comes to mind is the irony of a complaint by a saxophone player who does not wish to play music originally composed for strings. The Buescher company proclaimed in its literature that the saxophone could/would make other instruments obsolete. This was an echo, essentially, of Saxe's own boast. But not everyone wants to follow that line of argument!

 

[Angel]

A few haters on the forum very recently.:|

Angel