[floobydust]

Well... I started an earlier thread on some of the basic science behind the ongoing pandemic and it...was...spirited. Although I did sprinkle a couple of videos of my son playing jazz so the thread wasn't completely empty of saxophone content.

Here's another vid from last fall before all of the coronavirus mishigas.

"All the Things You Are"

(I'm still kvelling!)

-floobydust

 

[bandmommy]

Nice! The kid is developing some serious chops.
Proud Papa moments are warranted.

 

[10mfan]

Hi,
Sounds very nice. How old is he?
I look forward to hearing more as the videos come in.
As a former educator, if I could make a couple of suggestions ......I would love to hear more space, more dynamics, and have him listen to the group and be able to play off each other— rather than play over them.

I really look forward to hearing more as time goes on. Great job!

 

[J-Moen]

Great playing! Definitely has some serious talent! Hopefully he keeps at it!

 

[floobydust]

Hi,
Sounds very nice. How old is he?
I look forward to hearing more as the videos come in.
As a former educator, if I could make a couple of suggestions ......I would love to hear more space, more dynamics, and have him listen to the group and be able to play off each other- rather than play over them.

I really look forward to hearing more as time goes on. Great job!

He graduated from music school last year (summa cum laude, and the only instrumentalist to graduate from the Honors College at the University). Studied under Ralph Bowen.

He was doing a bunch of teaching gigs (including 3 nearby school jazz bands) but that stopped with the lockdown. He writes a lot (jazz tunes for himself and his friends as well as some big band charts or "deranged-ments" as he calls them). With the lockdown, he switched to exclusively teaching students online (saxophone and piano). He's been practicing a lot but misses "playing with people."

 

[Alex Nyman]

He graduated from music school last year (summa cum laude, and the only instrumentalist to graduate from the Honors College at the University). Studied under Ralph Bowen.

He was doing a bunch of teaching gigs (including 3 nearby school jazz bands) but that stopped with the lockdown. He writes a lot (jazz tunes for himself and his friends as well as some big band charts or "deranged-ments" as he calls them). With the lockdown, he switched to exclusively teaching students online (saxophone and piano). He's been practicing a lot but misses "playing with people."

Ralph Bowen is one of my very favourite players and a great educator so your son is very lucky to have such a great guy to study with. He's obviously got a full bag of chops and I love his playing. I wish the recording had been done somewhere a little more recording friendly. I guess the sooner he gets in the studio the better. It would be nice to converse with him directly too. Very impressed with his playing....kind regards, Alex

 

[10mfan]

He graduated from music school last year (summa cum laude, and the only instrumentalist to graduate from the Honors College at the University). Studied under Ralph Bowen.

He was doing a bunch of teaching gigs (including 3 nearby school jazz bands) but that stopped with the lockdown. He writes a lot (jazz tunes for himself and his friends as well as some big band charts or "deranged-ments" as he calls them). With the lockdown, he switched to exclusively teaching students online (saxophone and piano). He's been practicing a lot but misses "playing with people."

Thats fantastic. Summa cum laude----AWESOME!
He's young and on the right track for sure. Ralph is a great player. How was he as a teacher?
We all miss playing with people. Thats the great joy of making music.

 

[floobydust]

Thats fantastic. Summa cum laude----AWESOME!
He's young and on the right track for sure. Ralph is a great player. How was he as a teacher?
We all miss playing with people. Thats the great joy of making music.

My son says he is the rare superb player that is also a superb teacher. Completely tailors his teaching to the individual player (when my son compared notes to his other students, he noticed that everyone's "program" was unique. This was unlike some other faculty members who had a specific one-size-fits-all approach in their methodology). Very cerebral and and has just figured out all aspects of the instrument as well as how to convey his thoughts effectively to each student. Also a master flute player and a fantastic drummer. Very encouraging as a teacher. Also gave feedback on any compositions that my son wrote (although, as a composer, he preferred very complex songs in obscure scales).

One of the things that he told my son is that he was pleased that my son was naturally so musical in his playing and that he bemoaned that too many students show up and just need to "live more and experience life more" to improve as a musician. My son contends that he is the best individual teacher that he has ever met.

 

[10mfan]

That’s great. I’ve studied with a bunch of great players that didn’t turn out to be so great in the teaching department, so I completely understand what you’re saying. That’s nice that Ralph has both of those down so well.
Post some more clips when you have a chance. Stay safe.

 

[floobydust]

Here are the other two video clips that were buried within the larger science discussion on the novel coronavirus. It may have gotten overlooked a bit by the rest of the discussion in that thread:

This one was in January:

This was taken a year ago at his senior recital. It is a short excerpt of an original composition of his:

Actually, his entire senior recital consisted of original compositions of various jazz styles - a blues, a rhythm changes tune, a Coltrane changes song, a modal tune, an odd-meter piece, and a ballad.

-floobydust

 

[10mfan]

Thank you!

 

[floobydust]

Here is another video of an original composition of my son. It's a twist of the blues form. He was doing some short audio recordings of some of his original compositions to submit for a summer composition program (which has since been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic). I tagged along and took this video.

-floobydust