What defines a successful music performance?--Bellevue School of Music

With our spring Student Recital recently concluded and lessons focused on reviewing performances, I’m reminded students need guidance to recognize their accomplishments. Understandably some inexperienced students arrive at their lesson with a gloomy face hounded by memories of nervousness and the notes that got away; they view their nerves as a weakness and their errors as failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. A student’s willingness to accept the challenges of performance is itself a tremendous achievement and the single most important prerequisite to developing their talent. The nervousness and errors are essential components a student learns to manage through experience.

Violin Student, Bellevue School of Music Spring Recital 2012

Competition Day, North American Saxophone Alliance Young Artist Competition at ASU—Bellevue School of Music

Competition day, Saturday March 17th, has come and gone. I had wished to report a fairytale ending for Andrew Nelson, but because this is real life the hero in our story isn’t always victorious—these are the terms we accept in the pursuit of our dreams.

Andrew Nelson rehearsing Friday March 16, 2012
Herberger Institute of the Arts School of Music
Arizona State University
Bellevue School of Music

The trip to ASU--Bellevue School of Music

Five AM Friday, March 16th, the alarm wakens me in time to finish preparing for the flight to Phoenix; it’s the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference weekend and things are already in full swing at Arizona State University. Professional Saxophonists, College Professors and students are gathering for a wide range of events held every two years by the nation’s premier saxophone organization. Featured are five competitions for ages fifteen through twenty-six, showcasing the artistry of performers from High Schools and Universities throughout the nation. I’m attending the conference and coaching my private saxophone student Andrew Nelson, Andrew is a finalist in this years’ Young Artist Classical Saxophone Solo Competition to be held on Saturday afternoon March 17th at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts School of Music. As luck would have it the Nelsons are sitting across the aisle from me as I type.

Andrew Nelson Finalist in National Saxophone Competition--Bellevue School of Music

It is my great pleasure to work with many bright young students, you never know what direction their interests will lead them or to what level of performance they aspire. Andrew Nelson began his lessons just prior to entering his freshman year at Interlake High School, with an intense desire to learn. As with all incoming intermediate students there was an adjustment period in which we reshape their tone and finger technique. (My teaching is predominately pedagogical, relying on a precise physical concept and an incremental series of exercises with specific goals.) Andrew immersed himself with great relish, soon hearing and feeling the results as notes he struggled to play started to come with ease, his fingers relaxed and became more accurate. By spring Andrew had developed significantly and received his first accolade in winning the Eastshore Solo and Ensemble, Solo Division--a feat he recently repeated for the fourth and final time.

Andrew Nelson
Bellevue School of Music Fall Recital 2011
Frye Auditorium

All-State Wind Ensemble 2012

The All-State Wind Ensemble 2012, held on Monday February 20th in Yakima, featured sixty-three of the states' finest high school musicians under the direction of Marcellus Brown and is the premier All-State honor band. Of the four saxophonists chosen to perform, two were my students: Andrew Nelson 1st Chair Alto and Soprano saxophones, and Benjamin Zobel Baritone saxophone.

Although the concert began at 3:00 the journey began at 8:30 in Kirkland with my wife Jennifer and I gathering cold weather clothing in case we got stuck driving through the pass, dog toys and snacks for Koby our Bernese Mountain Dog mix, and of course our morning lattes as we wouldn't be able to function otherwise.

Morning Tonic :)