Paul R Jones

Saxophone Survival Guide Paul R Jones

Welcome to the Saxophone Survival Guide! Yaaaaayyy! What is the Survival Guide all about? One summer while teaching saxophone at Camp Encore/Coda in Maine, I realized the students there needed a roadmap to focus their saxophone studies for the coming year. The goal for the Guide is to organize the thought processes, techniques, and general topics that beginning band students need to have in order to advance. As a student, I had great difficulty practicing what my teachers suggested because it was all so abstract. Hopefully, the Saxophone Survival Guide can clear up some of the questions you may have and inspire you to practice. So, here it is! For You! Don't Lose it! Learning and performing music requires an incredible depth of knowledge and self-direction. So, it's very important to take your time with whatever topic you are focusing on. Learn things completely and at a pace where you can execute ideas correctly. Speed is easy, control is masterful. I like to tell my students that the only difference between them and the "geniuses" of the world is that the "geniuses" just started practicing with directed goals in mind earlier than everyone else. Start practicing with focus and directed goals today, and the day after that, and the day after that, etc... And if you think music isn't going to be the thing for your life, then it's going to be some other thing where you must learn and practice. Human beings are born with talents and abilities but all of us must develop our skills. Music is a great tool for learning how to learn. Whoooaaaaaaa. Hopefully this Guide can open some doors for you and show you how to learn in a deeper way. And have fun! Because that's one aspect that separates music from other areas of focus: Music makers want to enjoy what they do at all times.