Blast Off: Saxophone Studio at North American Saxophone Alliance

The U of A Saxophone Ensemble will be featured on the opening concert of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference at the University of Southern Mississippi on Thursday, March 30. The studio will be joined by the Owasso High School Saxophone Ensemble, under the direction of Arkansas alumnus Shawn O'Kelley.

The opening concert, titled "Better Together," will be at 7:30 p.m. in Thad Cochran Center Grand Ballroom in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The combined group will be performing works by Coree Dundee and Daniel Montoya.

The North American Saxophone Alliance is an organization made up of individuals who share a common interest in the saxophone. Members include professional performers, university professors, public school teachers, students of all levels and others who have an interest in the saxophone. In addition to the alliance's emphasis on disseminating information concerning the saxophone, the organization also works to provide opportunities for its members to make music, fostering fellowship among saxophone enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds.

The conference is from March 30 through April 2 and will consist of performances, lectures, panel discussions, workshops and masterclasses. The majority of the conference is made up of performances from professional and student saxophonists playing solo and chamber music, often times giving world premieres of new works for the instrument. The lectures and panel discussions cover topics such as jazz improvisation, entrepreneurship, diversity and representation, and other saxophone specific topics.

"In addition to our ensemble's performance, we have a number of students who will be performing and presenting at the conference," said Nathan Mertens, teaching assistant professor of saxophone in the Department of Music. "The saxophone studio here at Arkansas is very active, and I'm thrilled to see them share their work with the field." Below is a full list of activities from the studio:

• Masterclass participant for professor Debra Richtmeyer - Catherine Ryan BM4
• Masterclass participant for Justin Massey - Tyler Trickey BM2
• "Music of Caroline Shaw for Saxophone Quartet" - Performance, Alpenglow Quartet (Dylan Matheny MM2, Ian Gunnarschja MM1, Catherine Ryan BM4 & Tyler Trickey BM2)
• "Supporting Neurodiversity in Saxophone Pedagogy" - Lecture, Lee Ross BM5
• "Don't Just Practice: Make Yourself Marketable!" - Lecture, Nathan Mertens
• "From the Other Side: Insight and Resources from New Higher-Ed Professionals" - Panel discussion, Nathan Mertens

"Our saxophone students' participation in the NASA Biennial will be an enriching and rewarding experience, one that will provide numerous benefits, from learning and networking to exposure and inspiration," says Lia Uribe, chair of the Department of Music. "I'm thankful for Dr. Mertens' guidance and excited for our music department to be represented by such talented and devoted students."

The mission of the alliance is to provide resources for saxophonists at all levels of skill, of all ages and backgrounds, and of varied musical styles by disseminating information about saxophone performance and pedagogy, by providing opportunities for music making, by fostering and facilitating the creation of new repertoire, by providing a communication network and by promoting the musical activities of its members.