Olds Series 2 Saxophone

[Niobe Hennigan]

Atthe tender age of 21, Adam Larson has attained a level of musical mastery that many professionals twice his age would only dream of having. Hailing from the unusually-named town of Normal, Illinois, Larson recently made the move to New York City where he currently attends at the Manhattan School of Music.

Adam Larson: I grew up in a very musical household. My father plays the drums and my mother plays the trumpet. My mom has been a middle school band director for 21 years and my father was also a band director for 11 years before he got started working with computers around the time that I turned 3. I know that growing up in such a household where I was around music so much definitely had an impact on my development as a player.

Another person who was instrumental in my development on the saxophone was my first saxophone teacher, a man by the name of Larry Harms. Through taking privately with him and through the support of my parents, I think I was able to make good strides in my progress on the instrument.

AL: My private lessons with John Riley were invaluable to me and were some of the best lessons that I have ever had the chance to take with a teacher. I studied with him during my sophomore year at Manhattan School of Music and we would play duets together, talk about different rhythmic structures and a work on a myriad of other rhythmic ideas. More importantly, John is someone who I really look up to, and in addition to being a great teacher, he has been a great mentor for me in all things music and more importantly, NOT music.

AL: When I came into college as a freshman, I would say that I was very into two things; be-bop and Michael Brecker. The first saxophone teacher that I had the opportunity to study with at MSM was George Garzone, and I did so for two years. This was one of the best things for me because he showed me a whole new way of approaching harmony through his triadic-chromatic-approach concept. This did wonders for opening up my ears to new possibilities in harmony and it also over time has made me much more open to different musicians/groups which has in turn shaped the way that I play/write music. I would also say that playing through lots of classical music has strengthened my ear because of the rich harmony that the music contains.

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!

One of the most common questions I get as a saxophone teacher is one of the simplest to answer: Am I told old to play saxophone? Of course, the answer is NO!

The truly interesting thing is, I get this question from 70 year olds just as often as I get it from 20 year olds. Unfortunately a misconception still exists that unless you start an instrument in childhood, you can never achieve success.

In this article, I'll debunk the myth that adults can't learn (and thrive) on the saxophone, and share some unique benefits and opportunities adults have whilst learning the instrument for the first time.

Quality of practice. Remember the concern about time constraints? Well, it's not just about how much you practice - equally important is how well you practice! With age comes maturity, and an ability to stay focussed on the task at hand. 20 minutes of focussed practice is often more beneficial than an hour of unfocussed, meandering practice.

Physical size. It is comforting to know that as a grown man or woman, you are much less likely to experience any discomfort playing the saxophone than your younger brethren - particularly if you opt to play the larger saxophones like the tenor or baritone!

Doing it 'for the love'. Children pick up the saxophone for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, many of those reasons stem from sources other than their own desire to play the saxophone! Their parents, their school, their friends, etc.

Adults generally only have one reason to learn the saxophone - they're doing it 'for the love' of the instrument. Perhaps it's a song, a band or simply the tone they're drawn to. In any case, learning the saxophone because you love it is simply the best (and only!) way to learn the instrument if you wish to have sustained success.

Many adults simply want to learn the saxophone for their own personal enjoyment, but for those that wish to take their playing a step further and engage with the social aspects of playing an instrument (such as joining a band) - there are opportunities for you if you know where to look!

Playing for yourself. Adult of all walks of life understand the necessity to be able to find a passion that transports us away from the pressures of everyday life. Sometimes the simple joy of learning a new skill on an instrument that you love is enough to make the whole process worthwhile. Playing music can be therapeutic and also help to reduce stress and anxiety.

Most adults are experienced enough to know how they learn best. Like with many other skills, the saxophone can be learnt online through the structure and safety of an online course. Online courses allow students to learn on their own schedule and rewatch important lessons as often as they like!

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