tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51967347647323193972012-02-16T00:50:57.638-06:00Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.comBlogger571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-11658266549769767562011-11-16T14:03:00.001-06:002011-11-16T20:13:05.018-06:00

Hey everyone! Now that the fall semester is almost over, classes are starting to ease up (that is, until finals week). I have finally gotten into the "groove of things" and have finally found a way to have some free time. I haven't posted a review in a while, so I wanted to write a quick review over my Phil Barone Soprano. Now, most of you know that the products I review are sent to me;

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-75793768859757281382011-11-15T18:08:00.001-06:002011-11-15T18:10:33.754-06:00

Hey you! If you are reading this article, then you must be connected to the Internet! That means that you can go and like our page on Facebook! There will be some sweet giveaways in the near future if we reach 100 fans, so GO GO GO!!! Invite your friends too! Link Here Sara

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-14618020902420680442011-11-14T11:29:00.001-06:002011-11-14T11:44:17.625-06:00

Hello Blog World! If you have been following this site, you may have noticed that I have not posted since August. Well, I'm back and wanted to post to let y'all know that I'm still here. Last year, I applied for a special program offered by my state to gain an extra edge in math and science. In this program, you enroll in college two years early, take all college courses, live like a college

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-61256555897543773472011-08-11T20:32:00.000-05:002011-08-11T20:32:17.043-05:00

Hey guys! Sorry for the long hiatus; I have been very busy preparing for college and playing saxophone. When I purchased my iPad 2 back in March, I searched the App Store for great music-related apps that would help me with my saxophone playing. One app that caught my eye was the Rhythm Sight Reading Trainer. I wrote about this about previously, but I have decided to give an in-depth review of

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-57781604606875459182011-06-21T21:01:00.002-05:002011-06-21T21:01:40.522-05:00

High school students, are you ready for solo and ensemble contest for your respective state? I know I am! Solo and Ensemble Contest may be eight or nine months away, but I have already chosen my piece! I decided that I will attempt (keyword is attempt) Improvisation et Caprice by Eugene Bozza. Seeing I have only been playing two years, this will be a great piece to work on my vibrato and

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-46786659522841932332011-05-26T18:18:00.002-05:002011-05-26T19:15:21.534-05:00

After researching soprano saxophones for a while, I have come up with a conclusion regarding the differences between Asian made "cheapo" saxes and the "high quality" pro saxes (think Selmer Paris, Yamaha, Yanagisawa, etc.). Please keep in mind that this is just the opinion of a saxophone-playing student not the meaning of life, and I own an Asian made "cheapo" and "high quality" pro sax. If

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-7081792799153113532011-05-24T08:34:00.000-05:002011-05-24T08:34:19.550-05:00

The second mouthpiece in the, "Mouthpiece Spotlight," is Theo Wanne's Brahma mouthpiece. This mouthpiece is the other tenor sax mouthpiece offered in the Performance line for those on a budget. The Brahma is described as having medium brightness and is like a vintage Otto Link with improved projection, sound, and vintage hard rubber. Because it is part of the Performance Line, there are less

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-71891878280948413222011-05-15T14:00:00.000-05:002011-05-15T14:00:33.655-05:00

Hey guys! I'm starting a new series called the, "Mouthpiece Spotlight." This series will showcase mouthpieces from different brands on my website. That way, you can come to one place to find out about a new mouthpiece you may want to buy. The first mouthpiece in the, "Mouthpiece Spotlight," is Theo Wanne's Datta. The Datta is only available for the tenor sax and is part of Theo Wanne's

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-45403456806428785862011-05-14T16:32:00.001-05:002011-05-14T16:34:01.664-05:00

Hey guys! I recently found this cool app for the iPad/iPhone/iPod touch called the Rhythm Sight Reading Trainer. It cost $2.99, but I think it's worth it. This app is jam packed with tons of exercises plus a feature to randomly generate rhythms. There is a built in metronome that you set to a tempo. Then you try to tap along to the beat. At the end, it gives you feedback and a percent correct

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-31097782901398208012011-04-09T19:31:00.005-05:002011-04-09T19:52:12.766-05:00

After receiving a soprano saxophone as a gift for Christmas, I have been searching for the perfect beginner mouthpiece for it. I originally purchased a Bari soprano sax piece which played well, but gave the saxophone an "airy" tone with a Vandoren strength 2.5 reed. I decided to try a Runyon Custom, a mouthpiece that has received many positive reviews. The nice people at Runyon kindly sent me a

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-14542945791959830972011-04-09T17:41:00.001-05:002011-04-10T13:18:10.124-05:00

In late 2010/early 2011, Vibrato Co. released their highly anticipated saxophone known as the Vibratosax. For those of you unfamiliar with this product, the Vibratosax is the first polycarbonate saxophone available on market. The Vibratosax is being compared to the Grafton saxophone because of the white plastic body look. Unlike the Grafton, the Vibratosax features a body made out of ABS and

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-589628473955928772011-04-03T18:52:00.001-05:002011-04-09T19:55:39.259-05:00

Hey guys, After being MIA for a long time, I have finally returned to my blog! School has been overwhelming this entire semester and haw given me little time to breath. Luckily, we are in the last six weeks, so my workload will be much lighter (I hope). Last week was the first time I had free time, so I've been playing my sax (my Charlie Parker Omnibook arrived recently) and my new iPad. Yup,

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-71388705627689491652011-03-01T21:29:00.000-06:002011-03-01T21:29:29.689-06:00

I'm sure that many of my dedicated subscribers have been wondering why there has been a period without any blog posts. Have I lost internet connection? Did I quit saxophone? Did I abandon my website? Fortunately, the answer to all of those questions are, "No." I have been spending countless hours of the past few weeks on a big Physics project. The goal of this project is to build a Rube Goldberg

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-89209669455876337032010-12-26T20:52:00.000-06:002011-04-09T19:48:55.717-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great holiday! This may be a day late, but I wanted to share with you some of the awesome gifts my dad got my for Christmas. First of all, he purchased me a Legacy soprano saxophone. Unfortunately, it was damaged in transit due to no protection whatsoever, so we had to send it back. However, my dad, being the awesome dad he is, bought me a Vienna by Woodwind soprano

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-67184797123147462882010-11-20T15:59:00.004-06:002011-04-09T19:56:35.855-05:00

These days, there are tons of saxophone brands, there are the eBay saxophones for $199.99 and free shipping that fall apart in one week and the better known brands like Selmer Paris and Yamaha. I was recently sent an Asian made horn from the company Aquilasax.com. Do Aquilasax saxophones stand up to the well established brands, or do they fall at par with the bad eBay saxes? Specs: Imitation

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-51421400693917469312010-11-06T15:45:00.000-05:002010-11-06T15:45:20.073-05:00

Watch the video below to see if you won! Thanks for everyone who entered (I had 40 entries!!!).

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-79789829875046400022010-10-13T19:57:00.001-05:002011-04-09T19:57:06.088-05:00

First Impressions: Many saxophonists play for prolonged hours because of concerts, gigs or just practicing. I know that even after an hour of playing or marching, I get a stiff neck. Most people would say that you should use a harness, but they are constricting and can look silly with an alto. Well this long time problem has now been solved by the BA Sling, the harness-neckstrap-all-in-one!

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-63708360442430010152010-10-11T20:44:00.000-05:002010-10-11T20:44:43.263-05:00

These days, you can find everything on the Internet. While searching, I stumbled across the site PracticeSightReading.com. This great site does what is in it's name, it helps you practice your sight reading. Well, to a certain extent. This site helps you with the rhythm aspect of sight reading. Using the green bar at the top of the page, you can choose a different meter (time signature), then

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-23499112073384990282010-10-11T09:28:00.000-05:002010-10-11T09:28:51.849-05:00

As you may or may not know, I am in my high school's marching band. Yesterday, I was at Pre-UIL, a marching competition to prepare us for UIL Region marching contest. At Pre-UIL, we competed against 15 other bands. From all the 16 bands, they chose 6 to advance to finals. Our band was lucky enough to advance to finals. At finals, we played our guts out and ended up winning Grand Champion! Below

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-16995484323876063922010-10-02T11:13:00.003-05:002011-04-09T19:57:54.948-05:00

Below is an article courtesy of howtopractice.com on purchasing a metronome, the musician's best friend. In practise rooms around the world a strange "tick, tick, tick" can be heard. Open the door and you will find curious little boxes producing a rhythmic click with vexed musicians trailing in their wake. These curious boxes are of course metronomes, but why do we as musicians need them and

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-19548360114772088272010-10-02T10:54:00.000-05:002010-10-02T10:54:47.095-05:00

For all of the Texas high school students who are working on the All-State Etudes for this year, here is a great FREE practice kit from James Barger for Alto, Tenor, and Bari. It features midi recordings at different tempos, tuning notes, and other practice tools. Download the kit here. Good luck practicing!

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-87947507479809580192010-09-19T10:48:00.001-05:002011-04-09T19:58:18.382-05:00

Forestone Reeds is a great synthetic reed company that combines the traditional cane with a more modern synthetic. If you have read my previous review on the original Forestone Reeds, you would have seen that these are great pro-quality synthetic reeds. Well Forestone has come out with the 2nd generation of their amazing synthetics. Check out this updated review to see what has been improved.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-74315467652888951872010-08-29T19:34:00.001-05:002011-11-17T09:16:09.730-06:00

In the world of saxophones, new technology doesn't come often. We might get something like a high g key on the alto or some new neck design that is supposed to radically change your sound, but what about a totally new fingering system? Well, Jim Schmidt did just that by inventing a tenor saxophone that implements an easier fingering system. Since the saxophone is based around the concept where

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-2076468758345381282010-08-21T22:00:00.002-05:002011-04-09T19:59:12.928-05:00

You might remember that I recently reviewed Theo Wanne's Enlightened ligature. Well, if you would like one at a cheaper rate or want to purchase any other Theo Wanne product, then you will want to enter this giveaway! The nice people at TheoWanne.com have decided to sponsor a $25 gift certificate giveaway! So how can you win? 1. Comment on this post with the correct answer to this question (2

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-45742401326850641092010-08-16T14:11:00.001-05:002011-04-09T19:59:33.335-05:00

Have you ever popped that reed in your mouth wishing it tasted like something other than cane? Do you want an easy way to tell when your reeds need to be replaced? Do you need some incentive for young beginners to practice? If you answered, "Yes," to any of the above questions, you may want to read this review and see if Flavoreeds are for you. First Impressions: Flavoreeds makes flavored reeds

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-22402574521771958592010-08-15T21:27:00.002-05:002011-07-12T19:47:43.501-05:00

First Impressions: The packaging of the Theo Wanne Enlightened ligature was very nice. Each piece and a spot and fit nicely. When you order the Enlightened ligature, you receive the reed replacer (a unique twist on the traditional mouthpiece cap), two pressure plates (alive gold and heavy copper), an extra screw, a screwdriver for changing pressure plates, and of course the Enlightened ligature.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-91964803951479920972010-08-15T15:10:00.001-05:002011-04-10T14:51:49.796-05:00

I was recently given the opportunity to try the Saxotone SuperStak ligature, a wooden ligature that is handmade. The Saxotone SuperStak Wooden Ligature is a ligature made for all "common" saxes (see below) and bass clarinet and clarinet. It is handmade and totally customized depending on what your mouthpiece's make and model is. This make this ligature unique to other ligatures since they are

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-28027137448627279842010-07-27T15:27:00.005-05:002011-04-10T14:53:04.315-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating in a while, I just finished band camp (and had a blast), so I haven't updated my site in a while. Anyways, On Board Research (the creators of the CenterPitch metronome/tuners and the Beatnik) sent me the newest metronome/tuner in the CenterPitch series, the CP 10 mini! Read the review below to see if this metronome/tuner combo is for you! First Impressions:

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-4543162109901838092010-07-26T01:00:00.001-05:002011-04-10T14:50:31.919-05:00

Keeping your saxophone in good condition is crucial to making every performance the best it could be. If you are restoring an old horn or need to give a new one a good clean, follow the instructions in this article from SH Woodwind in order to get your sax neck back to it's shiny state it once was in. Whilst the craft of sax repair undoubtedly consists of a motely collection of arcane

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-53938357307999412932010-07-24T17:40:00.000-05:002010-07-24T17:40:23.162-05:00

If only we could play this for Solo and Ensemble Contest (if we were talented enough...)

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-88170862793951834332010-07-23T21:31:00.002-05:002010-07-23T21:33:41.439-05:00

Have you ever wondered how your instrument came to be? Saxophones (and every other instrument) take a while to manufacture in order to provide a quality instrument. Selmer Paris created the video below to show how that convert a piece of sheet metal into a true work of art. Be sure to watch this video, it is quite amazing what process it has to go to in order to be able to be found in bands

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-27649721632924157052010-07-18T20:51:00.001-05:002010-07-18T20:52:52.076-05:00

Hello everyone! If you are wondering why I haven't been posting in a while, it is because I have been out of the country and only came back last Sunday. It was an awesome vacation, but I did not have time to update my site. Also, since I have been back, I have been at band camp (which has been hard work but very fun) which has also prevented me from posting much. I just wanted to make this post

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-77138690402525158292010-06-23T12:20:00.002-05:002010-08-21T21:39:40.760-05:00

Recently, I reviewed Forestone Reeds (if you haven't read the review, you can read it here). The nice people at Forestone have agreed to give me one of their professional-quality reeds to give away for FREE! That's right, you can get a $25 reed for free! How cool is that? If you are the lucky person chosen to get a free reed, you can choose any of their strengths (they range from F2-F5), and they

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-68771980222373411822010-06-22T14:14:00.001-05:002011-04-10T14:54:48.697-05:00

First Impressions: Hodge Products sent me a black faux leather reed case that holds six alto sax reeds or seven clarinet reeds. The centered logo on the top of the case gives the case an elegant yet simple look. Opening the case, I saw a sloped acrylic table that holds your reeds. I also noticed messy glue work on the foam insert. Near the bottom left corner was a small yet noticeable glue

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-22383230960719571442010-06-14T20:54:00.045-05:002011-04-10T14:55:04.111-05:00

Hey everyone! Recently, Hodge Products kindly sent me an alto sax silk swab and a reed case. If you have never heard of them, be sure to read this review and the upcoming one on the reed case. They are a great company and have great prices. First Impressions: Silk is a very absorbent material and a great choice for an alto saxophone swab. The weight on the end of the string helps to easily

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-7162107963138121842010-06-12T11:36:00.010-05:002011-04-10T14:55:10.943-05:00

These days, synthetic reeds are a love-hate relationship. You either love 'em or hate 'em. But with advancing technology in our every growing society, companies like Forestone Reeds (pronounced "forest-tone") can help produce better synthetics and hopefully get more musicians to like synthetics. Read the review below on how Forestone is the future of reed production. First Impressions: When I

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-24174910187221708742010-06-10T14:46:00.002-05:002011-04-10T14:55:49.709-05:00

Have you ever bought a mouthpiece and wanted it refaced, replated or just fully customized? Well, Mr. Jary at JaryCustom.com can do just what you need plus more. He offers refacings, adding a baffle, replacing or repairing a bite plate, and many other services. His prices are reasonable and he is a really nice person. Plus, if you want a fully customized mouthpiece, he can purchase the mouthpiece

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-55917664207028972072010-06-04T11:47:00.004-05:002010-08-21T21:41:02.263-05:00

Hello everybody! I decided I need to give some incentive to join my site, so I came up with a giveaway. I will be giving away items related to the saxophone as well as money! So how can you get in on these future giveaways? It's very simple. All you have to do is click this link, click "Join Site" and fill out the form. It only takes a few seconds and it will make you eligible to win some pretty

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-32037842164295750292010-06-01T14:02:00.001-05:002011-04-10T14:57:42.398-05:00

Hello everybody! Recently, Manhasset sent me a really cool red music stand. If you aren't familiar with Manhasset, they are one of the oldest music stand makers and very well known among the music community for the well made products. Their stands are found in schools and concert halls as well as homes of musicians who won't settle for anything less. First Impressions: This stand can packed in a

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-35227073293760149252010-05-19T20:17:00.000-05:002010-05-19T20:17:20.801-05:00

Tuners.com is the website to turn to for all tuning needs. They are the makers of the IntelliTouch and CenterPitch tuners as well as the Beatnik electronic practice pad. Many of their tuners are clip on in order to provide the most accurate feedback. Plus, all of their tuners are under $55! My personal favorite is the CenterPitch 10 with a large, easy-to-read screen, auto-transposing and a built

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-48520757260372917062010-05-15T15:21:00.001-05:002011-04-10T14:58:04.700-05:00

First Impressions: Bois Ligatures are awesome ligatures that don't screw on. These ligatures were easy to put on and take off so that I could easily change reeds. However, it does take some skill to put these on. For example, apply too little pressure and your reed moves. Also, it can be difficult to do with one hand, but after messing with it for a while, I got down to where I could put it on in

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-81074809098439876442010-05-15T11:58:00.002-05:002011-04-10T14:58:10.176-05:00

Ligatures are a very important component of the saxophone and clarinet. It holds our reed and can influence your tone. Consoli Ligatures sent me one of their signature Rampligs to review. Find out if this awesome ligature is right for you by reading the review below. First Impressions: I was sent a custom Bright Ramplig to review. John at Consoli was nice enough to help get a colored strap to

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-6284570043713573322010-05-12T21:00:00.000-05:002010-05-12T21:00:53.112-05:00

Hodge Products is a great manufacturer of products for woodwind instruments. They have reed cases, mouthpieces, reeds and reed making kits (for double reed instruments) just to name a few items. My favorite product will have to be the reed cases. They don't just make them out of boring materials like plastic but also leather, fabric and wood (I personally like the wood cases)! Another plus is

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-11139577438036221112010-05-07T17:07:00.000-05:002010-05-07T17:07:01.908-05:00

Hey everyone! So I recently started playing tennis and found this cool site: http://www.oncourtadvantage.com. It is all about tennis, and to celebrate their one year anniversary they are giving away a free tennis racquet! I think that is pretty cool, so if you like tennis, check out the contest. It ends July 5, and if you win, be sure to thank me :D http://www.oncourtadvantage.com/giveaways/

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-54800568857984479342010-05-02T20:34:00.002-05:002011-04-10T14:59:40.433-05:00

Recently, I was sent a saxophone stand to review on my site. Did I think the list price of $50.99 was too much or just right? Read on to find out. First Impressions: I found this stand to be very durable and easy to set up. The tripod base has rubber plugs on the end of the legs to provide traction and prevent scratching your floors. The base can be separated from the actual part that holds the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-29891634833826861992010-04-30T10:12:00.001-05:002011-04-10T14:59:53.106-05:00

Hello everybody! Today's guide entry will discuss my favorite mouthpiece for beginner saxophone players. I hope you enjoy, and remember, if you have any suggestions for this series, please email me! It (might be) every kid's dream. The chance to join the ranks of musicians and become a prodigy! You have finally convinced your parents to buy you the coolest instrument ever, a saxophone! You love

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-75757994875761578922010-04-25T14:49:00.001-05:002011-04-10T15:00:12.534-05:00

Below is the second installment of the What is the History of...? series. If you have ever wondered how this Italian saxophone maker began, check out this article found directly from their site. Enjoy! 1872. In a small medieval village in Central Italy, Macerata, AUGUSTO BORGANI, driven by his passion for music and not content of just playing the trumpet in the town band, decided to undertake

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-26703429636809228372010-04-25T10:37:00.001-05:002011-04-10T15:00:36.983-05:00

Hello everyone, After searching the internet for interesting new inventions in the world of the saxophone, I present to you something that will blow your mind. It is a keyless saxophone! Yes, you just read that right, it is a saxophone without any keys. This product reminds me of a spin off of the slide saxophone (see it being played here) except it looks more alto saxophone-like. Invented by

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-7957137762608528972010-04-20T19:47:00.002-05:002011-04-10T15:01:47.093-05:00

Recently, a guy named Sonny sent me a mouthpiece case to review. He does not mass-produce these cases but instead hand makes each one. Read this post to find out what I think about his mouthpiece cases: First Impressions: When I first received this case, I noticed the toughness of it. The outer casing is like the plastic cases you get power tools in (think power drills) and is very sturdy. The

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-55446865074032545512010-04-19T20:42:00.001-05:002011-04-10T15:02:27.941-05:00

When I began playing, I was never told about the different type of mouthpieces, the different materials, and how each material could affect the sound. I was just told by my director, "Go buy a C*." If, as a beginner, students were educated in how each material and type of mouthpiece affected the tone, durability, and what style each mouthpiece is used in, they might better understand why we can't

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-20541667815226259562010-04-18T15:09:00.004-05:002011-04-10T15:02:50.518-05:00

So apparently I've been missing something here. No one ever told me that reeds can be flavored! According to Flavoreeds, a company making reeds in flavors other than cane, a student's playing will improve because soaking a reed will no longer be unpleasant (although I do like the taste of cane, different flavors would be nice). Also, this reed has the nice plus side of notifying you when to

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-14789577381418216172010-04-18T14:22:00.003-05:002011-04-10T15:03:03.428-05:00

This is the first post of a mini-series called "What is the History of...?" It will feature the history of famous manufacturers, styles of playing and musicians. If you have any suggestions for this series, feel free to email me This post, written by Steven Knight of eHow.com, talks about the history of the Selmer alto saxes. Since the creation of the Series 22 in 1921, Henri Selmer Paris has

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-64960620986484218622010-04-18T14:13:00.002-05:002011-04-10T15:03:20.527-05:00

Hello everyone! I decided I will try to make a guide on this site about how to become a better player through the eyes of an amateur. As I am only an amateur and do not know everything about the sax, this should be very interesting. So without further ado, here is the first (and possibly only) installment of How to Play Great: A Guide from an Amateur Player. When I first began playing alto, I

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-4045414443994101332010-04-17T20:34:00.002-05:002010-04-17T20:54:01.432-05:00

Clark Fobes agreed to send me a free Debut mouthpiece to review. Read on to find out what I think; plus, band directors and private lesson teachers, visit his site to find out how you can get one for free too! First Impressions: Upon first trying out this mouthpiece, I found it very easy to produce tones, unlike my beginner mouthpiece. At around the same price, I would have opted to use this

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-66737379971562544112010-03-28T14:00:00.000-05:002010-03-28T14:00:18.333-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing great! I know that as I type this, it is currently snowing in my part of the US! Talk about crazy weather! It looks like spring might not be right around the corner for us. Marca Reeds sent me a box of ten reeds to review on here. Were they amazing or horrible??? Read on to find out! First Impressions: Marca Reeds seems to have an imitation Vandoren reed called

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-61792724247854788032010-03-27T13:41:00.002-05:002010-03-27T13:41:28.149-05:00

Here is a great article I found courtesy of http://tamingthesaxophone.com/ : Choosing a reed Saxophone reeds are quite expensive,and to add insult to injury they are often not consistent unless you go for synthetic reeds. They are made from natural products and most manufacturers seem to fall short when it comes to quality control. To be fair to them, it is not always possible to pick out a bad

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196734764732319397.post-50047838466113957812010-03-27T12:58:00.001-05:002010-03-27T13:34:29.159-05:00

Welcome to they new Saxtastic Saxophone blog. You may be wondering why I had to switch. When I created my site, I had a limited amount of memory. It turns out that I only have one gigabyte of memory left, so I had to find another site to host my blog. http://www.saxtasticsaxophone.webs.com will still be active, but this will be where the blog is from now on. Sorry for any inconvenience.  Sara 

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08185839436454546945noreply@blogger.com0