METHODOLOGY


My research was based around three elements, a questionnaire, a study book and recordings of those studies.

 

Firstly I sourced the main teaching resources and, with my research questions in mind, created a short questionnaire with which I hoped to gain an insight into which aspects had helped individuals with their own development from materials to exercises, stories, ideas etc.

 

The questionnaire was emailed to performers that I know through masterclasses, a saxophone chamber festival in Denmark, previous teachers, young performers and their own teachers. My research consists of responses from:

 

Name

Country of Origin

Occupation

Ali Wright

UK

Teacher at Univeristy Central Missouri, Trio Dionysus

Andy Tweed

UK

Teacher at Birmingham Conservatoire, Founding member of Saxtet

Claus Oleson

Denmark

Principal of Aarhus conservatoire

Christer Johnsson

Sweden

Teacher Royal Academy of Music, Sweden

Christoph Enzel

Germany

Tenor Saxophonist of Clair-Obscure quartet

Diane Hunger

Germany

Teacher at Fredonia - Cansias college, Mana quartet, Duo Klang par2

Eugene Rousseau

USA

Teacher at Indiana, Minnesota, Yamaha consultant

Fred Hemke

USA

Ex- teacher at Northwestern University, Chicago

Fredrick Olsen

Norway 

Freelance musician

Guiseppe Fusco

Italy

Professor of woodwind, New Jersey City University

Hans de Jong

Belgium

Teacher at Antwerp Conservatoire

Javier Linares Leyva

Spain

Freelance musician

Johannes Thorell

Sweden

Freelance musician

Kyle Horch

USA

Head of saxophone at Royal College of Music, BVMG, Piccadilly Dance Band

Lars Mlekusch

Switzerland

Head of saxophone at Vienna Conservatoire, Zurich university of the arts

Masahito Sugihara

Japan

Head of saxophone at Sam Houston State University Texas, Awea duo

Michael Duke

Australia

Teacher at Sydney Conservatorium, Duo sax

Naomi Sullivan

UK

Head of saxophone at Birmingham Conservatoire, Syzygy quartet, Flotilla

Paul Cohen

USA

Teacher at Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Columbia University, Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College

Rusne Mikiskaite

Lithuania

PGDip Royal College of Music, London

Tiago Goncalves

Portugal

Teacher at Escola Profissional de Artes da Covilhã

Next I composed six studies that use elements from altissimo sections in standard repertoire for students who are starting to encounter the register. Each of these are accompanied by a paragraph with ideas and hints on how to approach practising it, referencing elements of the method books I had researched and pointing to relevant sections to read as well as suggested CD listening. I then recorded several of these studies myself to accompany the book, as this would be proof of my personal benefit from this research.