Sax Reel

It was an honor talking with someone so influential in the saxophone world for this episode! Professor Richtmeyer has nurtured such a wonderful career for herself and for her students, and I am very glad she was able to come on the show! It was great hearing about her time at Northwestern, her path to her current job, the amazing experiences of adjudicating some of the world's largest music competitions, and of course her new methods book!

I had a fantastic conversation with Dr. Girard! I love how he integrates his engineering degree into his saxophone career. Listen to hear about his beginnings, the start of the Sinta Quartet, how he uses engineering in his pedagogy, and all of the amazing projects he is working on!

It was a pleasure talking to Dr. Andrew Allen! We are lucky to have someone who is so in love with the saxophone! Hear about his prolific passion for writing, his extensive work with some amazing composers, and the great projects he is a part of!

I had a great time reminiscing about our days in China with Dr. Johnny Salinas! It was great hearing about how he overcame all of the setbacks life threw at him, even from a young age! 

Talk about someone who is dedicated to their craft! Come hear about how Jonathan Cathell has dedicated his life to high quality repairs, especially considering its the only job he has ever had! It was great hearing about his experience of successfully starting and running his own business.

I have always admired Dr. Rhonda Taylor's ability to create her own artistic path! Her exploration into free improvisation is always fun to explore and listen to. It was an honor to have had the chance to have some real conversations with her about some of the struggles that we often face as musicians, especially during the pandemic.

Have you ever been curious about what some of the first saxophone pedagogues were like? Well then go no further! I had a blast hearing from Patrick Meighan about what it was like studying with teachers such as Larry Teal and Sigurd Rascher. He also gave some great input on what young saxophonists should be focusing on, and how we can balance work life and family life! I hope you enjoy this episode!

If you are looking for someone who is inspirational and is involved in a lot of amazing projects, go no further! Between Carrie Koffman's unique path into collegiate teaching, the implementation of yoga practices in her saxophone studio, the work she does with the Committee on the Status of Women in the NA.S.A., and her troubadour adventures, I am sure you will enjoy this episode!

I had a great time chatting with Dr. Younglove this week! Tune in and hear all about his crazy travel experiences, his memories with Fred Hemke, and hear his advice on how to make it work in the world of collegiate teaching!

It is always so fun talking with Dr. Baker! She is so extremely talented, yet so down to earth. Tune in to hear about her experience of getting into the work force, how she came to regularly play with multiple orchestras, and how she proved the great Fred Hemke wrong (in a very humorous way)!

It was my pleasure to have our first composer on the show! We talked about Dr. Wanamaker's path to becoming a composer, his introduction to the saxophone, and about the wild chipmunk he tamed and wrote a piece about!  Dr. Wanamaker was kind enough to provide clips of his music to add to the episode as well! Here is the information on each short excerpt you will hear throughout the episode: Cyclic Movements, II (1995). Patrick Meighan and the FSU New Music Ensemble. March 31, 1995 Opperman Music Hall FSU School of Music. Cyclic Movements, IV(1995). Patrick Meighan and the FSU New Music Ensemble. March 31, 1995 Opperman Music Hall FSU School of Music. Sonata deus sax machina, I. (Opening)(2000). Timothy McAllister, Kathryn Goodson. Studio Take (May, 2005) Night Set (3 excerpts)(2017). Matthew Younglove, Liz Ames. Wayne State University, April 6, 2018.   Saxophone Quartet, II. Scherzo Psycho (Opening) (2005) Masato Kumoi Quartet Tokyo, Japan, April 11, 2009. Monologue (2 excerpts) (2020). Arno Bornkamp, baritone saxophone. NPO-4 Radio Broadcast January 8, 2021.

Welcome back to the premier of season 2! I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Dr. Loeffert about his experiences navigating the unforgiving yet highly rewarding world of music! Tune in and hear his insightful prospective on how we can set ourselves and our students up for success.

I had a blast talking Geoffrey Deibel this week! He is definitely a musician that has taken on the role of life-long learner. Listen in and hear about his formative mentors, his highly successful quartet's experiences competing and recording, and how he is shaping FSU's studio culture.

Its hard to believe that we are 11 episodes in! I am honored to have been able to talk to Joseph Lulloff about his unique reason for starting on the saxophone, his journey to teaching at his alma mater, and his input on what it means to be a mentor.

Talk about someone who is passionate about teaching the saxophone! I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Levinsky and I got to hear about her US premier of XAS, her massive studio in Texas, the treasure hunt-like experience of revising a publication, and much more! 

It was a pleasure having Steven Banks on the show this week! Its always inspirational hearing about the success and accomplishments of people like Steven. Tune in to hear about how he truly embraces the model of being a holistic musician!

I am happy to have had the chance to talk with David Dees! Hear about his time in school spent with Debra Richtmeyer, his grueling army band audition, and his perspective on what it means to coach a successful chamber group!

We have another exciting guest in this week! Hear about Erin Roger's journey into the world of being a freelance musician and composer! The story involves people and organizations that encouraged her throughout her career, a certain famous cowboy-boot wearing flutist in NY, and her close knit group of friends that she performs with!

I am very happy to have had the chance to talk to Dr. Robert Young! Tune in and hear about his start on the saxophone, his disconcertingly short graduate audition with Donald Sinta, his exciting first trip abroad, and his outlook on fostering good studio culture!

Naturally, a saxophonists with so many experiences can easily fill a two part interview! This episode features John Cage's practical joke on Dr. Sampen, the time Jean-Marie Londeix cooked a birthday cake for him, and some inspirational words for up and coming musicians.

I am thrilled to have had the chance to talk to one of my mentors and one of the greatest figures in American saxophone history, Dr. Sampen! Come hear about his experiences of pushing a car up the Swiss Alps in a snowstorm, travelling to Soviet Russia, and getting mistaken for a member of Billy Joel's band!

Tune in and hear about Allison Balcetis' educational journey that took her around the world, the creative chamber ensembles and projects she is a part of, and what she aims for her saxophone studio to look like. On a side note that doesn't come up in this episode but makes me SO happy, Dr. Balcetis owns an ADORABLE chow chow named Thor! She is the fluffiest dog ever!

Welcome back to the second half of my interview with Dr. Leaman! Listen to him share his experiences watching his students thrive, how he fosters a healthy, positive studio, and his projects you can look forward to!

I am so excited to have Dr. Leaman on the show today! Listen to part 1 of the interview, where we talk about his accidental start on the saxophone, the time he spent herding middle-school children around a band room, and his trek of navigating graduate school auditions with the legendary Donald Sinta!

This is the first episode of my new podcast Sax Reel! Here is a brief introduction on what you can expect when you tune in! My first official guest and I will be recording in the coming week, so be expecting more content soon! I would like to thank the ever so generous Helen Holman for helping me design the cover art. A huge shout out to Claire Salli, Beth King-Bennett, Abraham Nunez, Hillary Kierspe, and Dr. Deibel for work shopping this idea with me! Lastly, I would like to thank my brother Caleb Kierspe for providing the sound equipment used for recording. I can't wait to share this experience with you!