The Solitary Saxophone

Claude Delangle - The Solitary Saxophone

The coming weeks I will post some of my main musical influences and inspirations. This is the album cover of Claude Delangle’s ‘The Solitary Saxophone’. Especially the Berio Soprano/Oboe ‘Sequenza’s’ inspired me as a teenager. The sound world of these pieces, and the way Delangle played this piece are something else! Both of the Berio pieces still represent the ‘contemporary’ saxophone to me. When the CD was released I remember already noticing the heavy acoustics. In spite of this, I tried to listen through the acoustics and to really hear the saxophone. How could Delangle play like this? This sounded unlike I whatever I heard on the sax before, even classical. If this is possible on a sax, what else was!?
Arno Bornkamp also released a Berio alto Sequenza on ‘Reed my Mind’ (not available anymore, in the future Bornkamp might put the audio for download again here: http://www.arnobornkamp.nl/#disco). Both recordings are extremely different, not only in acoustics. Delangle’s recording has more distance and is more objective. His sound is clear and transparent. This interpretation gives room for the listener to have his own musical association while at the same time conveying the musical thoughts of the composer.

Also the way a composer can make two completely different pieces, using a contrasting style is astonishing. The oboe Sequenza is quite avant-gardistisch and conceptual, the alto one is more melodic and much lengthier. But both pieces go beyond style. This is characteristic for true artists. Sometimes art is just so strong that within whichever style it becomes ‘music’, or even more.

It is difficult for me to explain, but together with the Stockhausen and the other repertoire, this CD represents something very dear to me. There are no concessions on this album. This is what it is. There’s no doubt in the repertoire and the way it’s played. And that’s something that gave me inspiration to pursue a career in music and especially the saxophone. Apparently this music was possible on the sax. I did not get it 100%, but this album provided me with a path to follow. I wanted to ‘understand’ this music and learn how to play it, to find other pieces like this and to learn how to play them.

And of course the saxophone technique is pure mastery. I remember listening very closely to the album while trying to analyse the sound, the intonation (I even put a tuner in front of the speaker!), the even registers, phrasing, articulation…

Here’s the Spotify link to ‘The Solitary Saxophone’: https://open.spotify.com/album/0pzbtxim3lVmSj4Y1L2KoQ…


I will receive an Amsterdam Fund For the Arts subsidy!

Today I heard that that the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts will grant me a subsidy to help me develop  into a creating musician with the saxophone, improvisation and electronics. I put a lot of effort in the application. It means that the restart of my career is going to take more concrete forms. I want to start creating my own music, somehow. I set up to trajectory in three phases of which I will present the the first phase in Paradox Tilburg. On the evening I will present my new collective: 'RIOT' with Maarten Ornstein and Bart de Vrees. My students of the Fontys AMPA Conservatory will also participate. This concert is part of the 'Nederlands Saxofoonfestival'. I will post updates about what I am doing on this blog.

My new group premiers this year in Paradox!

January 15 is the official premier of my new group RIOT in Paradox Tilburg during the Fontys Academy of Music & Performing Arts Nederlands Saxofoon Festival with saxophonist/clarinettist/composer Maarten Ornstein and percussionist/composer Bart de Vrees. We are in the process of writing new music as we speak. https://paradoxtilburg.nl/programma/riot-paradox-nls-saxofoonfestival/ It's a very exciting time in which I am rerouting my career to new paths and exploring the edges of styles. ‘RIOT’ is the final concert of the Netherlands Saxophone Festival organized by the AMPA Fontys Conservatory. Saxophonist Ties Mellema, professor of saxophone at AMPA, put together a program that marks the start of a new phase in his career. He will do this together with his new group ‘RIOT’ with saxophonist/clarinettist/composer Maarten Ornstein, percussionist/composer Bart de Vrees and students of the AMPA Conservatory in Tilburg. ‘RIOT’ will premier in jazz club Paradox in Tilburg. Ties, Maarten en Bart are members of the groundbreaking musicians collective ‘Splendor’ in Amsterdam. But their past goes back years. Ties and Bart played together in the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Maarten composed many important solo and ensemble works for Ties. In the mean time the three artists developed themselves, each on their own path. Ties decided to bring them together in a new group called ‘RIOT’ that unites their musical backgrounds into one. In Paradox Tilburg ‘RIOT’ will play new pieces that the trio made together inspired by music of Squarepusher, Boards Of Canada, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Eddie Harris, Johann Sebastian Bach, Aphex Twin, John Coltrane, Claude Debussy, and many others. An evening with soundscapes, sheets of sound, beats, improvisation and above all, everything in between.

What's Next?

Last week I played a solo concert in Splendor Amsterdam. I was quite nervous. I decided I want to go something else with my music after a period of four years of being sick and recuperating.
I played contemporary music: a quarter tone piece by Sander Germanus. An absolutely genius piece. He wrote a saxophone quartet for my former quartet, the Amstel Quartet, which we all loved. Playing this piece is one of my warmest Amstel memories. He also wrote a solo piece, which is written in what he calls micro-modes. My extraordinary Raaf Hekkema recorded the piece and you can hear it here: https://open.spotify.com/track/1QXg8kcxYjFLFpa3MFgQlc?si=sA-U32eETdSwXcvWMfsErQ Sander himself says that you shouldn't do drugs, but listen to his music instead. And it is true. This music creates a sort of surreal atmosphere in which the listener experiences notes he knows on an instrument he knows, but with a completely different sound altogether. Combine that with the nifty tempo variations, that also upset the listener and you get a piece that sounds like no other music I have every heard. And I only need one saxophone to play it.
I also played with drummer Vinsent Planjer. He wrote a piece called "Boeventronie" for baritone saxophone and drums. Vinsent is one of the most creative improvisors I know. He is absolutely open to just about anything.
But the thing I was most nervous about was my own music, for electronics and a bit of saxophone. I used Squarepusher like beats and sampled Donald Trump. I loved making it, thinking about how to build up, what sounds to use... It was an adventure.
To close off I played with Ivo Bol, an electronic musician who doesn't know boundaries. He was the one who introduced me to electronic music as a performer.

And what is next?

Not sure. I will have some meetings with fellow musicians who appeal to me and whom I want to play with. To be continued!

International Saxophone Masterclass 26/27 March

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES THE AMATEUR WORKSHOP IS CANCELLED ON 27 MARCH

The International Splendor Saxophone Masterclass
for conservatory students and amateurs

FB events here: https://www.facebook.com/events/387810688458490/ (Tuesday); https://www.facebook.com/events/2075680829134341/ (Wednesday); https://www.facebook.com/events/227608594814285/ (presentation concert, Wednesday evening) (application form in Dutch below) On March 26 th and 27th the Amsterdam concert Hall Splendor will be turned into an international saxophone feast. The Axes Saxophone Quartet (Niels Bijl (NL), Fernando Ramos (PT), Jay Byrnes (AUS) and Ties Mellema (NL)) wil be playing and teaching in the Netherlands. A.o. They will teach a masterclass and do a workshop in Splendor. The activities will be open for conservatory students (bachelor and master) and amateurs. 26 March daytime will be the masterclass day for the students. 27 March daytime will be the workshop for amateurs. 27 March evening will be the presentation of a selection of the students, the saxophone ensemble and the Axes Quartet. Costs: 26 March: 75 per lesson (one hour), 50 for the second lesson. (entrance to the evening concert on 27 included) (ex. VAT/BTW) 27 March: 60,- per participant for the day (including the evening concert). (incl. VAT/BTW) 27 March, Concert at 20:15: 10,- Schedule: 26 March, 10:00-1700: Masterclasses for conservatory students by Niels, Fernando, Jay and Ties in separate rooms in Splendor. 27 March, 10:00-17:00: 10:00-11:15 Individual masterclasses in groups 11.15-12.30 - small ensembles. Every teacher will teach an either existing group or a newly formed group (in that case Axes will make sure there is sheet music) 12.30 lunch 13:30-14:30: Axes Saxophone Orchestra made up of participants rehearsal 14:30-16:00: Lectures and Q&A with Axes (how to practice, technique basics, sight reading skills, special saxophone techniques, improvisation) 16:00- 16:30 small ensembles play for each other in the Big Hall of Splendor 16:30-170:00 final Axes Saxophone Orchestra rehearsal 27 March, 20:15 Final presentation concert in Splendor, Amsterdam *A selection of the masterclass students of Tuesday and Wednesday *Axes Quartet *Saxophone Orchestra with participants (Participants fee is including entrance to this concert if you play during the concert. If not the entrance for participants is 3,50)

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About the international Axes Saxophone Quartet Niels Bijl (NL) Niels Bijl centered his musical life around versatility, enthusiasm and making music at a high level. Niels is a driving force behind the development of new repertory for tenor saxophone, the founder of the Axes Quartet, the Baritone institute, co-founder of the Four Baritones, baritone saxophone quartet and an old music specialist with his duo with Ronald Moelker. He is also active in musical theater with actor René Groothof and accordeonist Nico-Jan Beckers (Rood Verlangen). Niels is chamber music coach for the Academia Musica, a private tutor and an esteemed guest teacher at conservatories all over the world. Fernando Ramos (PT) Fernando Ramos is a distinguished Portuguese-based saxophonist. He performs regularly throughout Europe, Latin America and Australasia. As a prominent educator, he tutored a whole a new generation of saxophonists from Portugal and various parts of the globe. He regularly gives workshops and masterclass for all types of sax enthusiasts - from the amateur aficionado to professionals. A graduate from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Fernando is the resident saxophonist of the Oporto Symphony Orchestra and frequently collaborates in projects with the Remix Ensemble and the Casa da Música’s educational department. He teaches at the prestigious Porto Superior School of Music and Performing Arts - (ESMAE) as well as the University of Aveiro. A member of KinetixDuo, QuadQuartet, STP|trio, ~Grain[z] ensembles, he also established the sax ensemble FLUX Collective. Jay Byrnes (AUS) Saxophonist, Arranger and Educator Jay Byrnes, is one of the most pre-eminent faces in the Australian music scene.Jay is acclaimed for his dynamic stage presence and rigorous attention to stylistic performance. His passion is to guide students of all ages and levels in the art of music performance. Saxophone Lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of music and baritone saxophonist of Nexas Quartet. www.jaybyrnessax.com Ties Mellema (NL) Ties Mellema is not only one of Holland's most prominent saxophonists. He is also an arranger, composer and sound creator. Ties is always looking for new directions in his playing and performance. He has been active in the field of music theatre, electronic music, pop music, jazz music, world music and much more. As a saxophonist he won several prizes, as a soloist like the Netherlands Music Prize (the most important prize a Dutch musician can win) the Vriendenkrans van het Concertgebouw, and as a member of the famous Amstel Quartet, like the New York Concert Artists Guild Award and the Gaudeamus Competition. Ties has played and taught all over the world, from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw to Siberia and from Carnegie Hall to Tokyo. www.tiesmellema.nl _______________________________________ Aanmeldingsformulier (stuur dit naar Ties Mellema op Facebook, cut en paste onderstaande tekst) Ik meld me hierbij aan voor de Axes Saxophone Workshop op 26 en 27 maart in Splendor Amsterdam. Naam: ……………………………………………………….. Adres: ……………………………………………………….. Postcode: ……………………………………………….. Stad: ……………………………………………………….. Emailadres:.................................................. Ik ben vakstudent (26 maart)/liefhebber (27 maart): Ik wil graag … lessen. Ik zou in ieder geval graag les hebben van: …………………………………….. Welk repertoire ga je spelen?: Welke saxofoons speel je?: *Indien van toepassing: Ik meld mij aan met een ensemble: Naam ensemble: Leden ensemble: Bezetting: Opmerkingen: (Wij proberen iedereen zoveel mogelijk in te delen bij de docent van hun voorkeur, maar kunnen dat niet garanderen.) Wij sturen je een bevestiging en voordat de workshop begint een factuur voor het verschuldigde bedrag.

Vision on teaching (English text)

For Dutch text here

AMPA - SAXOPHONE TIES MELLEMA

VISION ON TEACHING - GENERAL


The basis of my teaching methods at AMPA are aimed at discovering the uniqueness in each individual student. Every musician has his or her own personal way of expressing themselves through music. It is my job as a teacher to create the circumstances in which this search for individuality can take place as freely as possible. I will help you develop the musical artist within yourself.

TEACHING AT AMPA


I teach at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Tilburg. AMPA distinguishes itself from other conservatories in the Netherlands by not only offering high artistic quality, but also focusing on the following six key skills:

Ensemble
 playing
Self-management
Interdisciplinarity
Practice-based research
Collective entrepreneurship
International connectedness

These key skills are reflected in the way I teach.

A. Craft – top-level artistic quality 


1. Technique

A good technique is essential if you are to function as a musician. Making music is a craft, just as carpentry is. And a craft must be learned. Technique must never get in the way when making music, either alone or with others.
This is why you are given many etudes and scales to study in your first year. These scales basically cover all the material for your future repertoire. In the first year I use the etude books by Klosé. The scales start at B-flat and its parallel, G-minor. The scales are studied in seconds and thirds, the triads are broken long and short.
In the second year you move on to Etudes d’après Terschack & Berbiguier. You repeat the scales if needed and proceed with the chromatic scale. You study it in small seconds, large seconds (challenging!), small thirds, etc., right up and until the octave.
In the third and fourth year you continue with the Ferling etudes & 'Messiaen' études by Guy Lacour. With these etudes the musician no longer has the security of a tonal centre, leaving him or her with no other guidance than the line. It is around this time that we will also begin to study the beautiful caprices by Karg-Elert and we will additionally search for etudes that you require at that moment. Christian Lauba, for example, has a number of avant-garde etudes that help you study circular breathing, multiphonics, slap tongue, and so forth.
In practice the Ferling etudes are most often started too soon. Added to which these etudes always come in pairs: a slow one and a fast one. The fast ones are often skipped. It is however the combination of the two that makes this etude book so good. The slow etudes train several aspects including playing long lines in a free manner, in addition of course to playing sostenuto and uniformity; the fast ones are highly virtuoso and each have their own specific difficulties.

2. Embouchure
My view on embouchure is very straightforward: relaxed, whereby only a small number of muscles are used to ensure the air travels into the mouthpiece. Most students do too much!
The corners of the mouth move forward, the lower jaw comes down and the lower lip fills the space between the reed and the teeth. The back of the tongue is held high and is located between the molars. It is just like when you whistle; you use your tongue to intonate. It works in the same way on a saxophone.

3. Repertoire – technique & performance / solo & ensemble

Besides the technical pieces we will also play performance pieces suited to your needs at that particular moment in your development. Examples are: Aria by Bozza, Fantaisie-Impromptu by Jolivet, Histories by Ibert and La Malinconia by Badings.
I believe that you must at least have tried all the ‘regular’ styles within the world of saxophone. This gives you a broad and solid foundation in technique, musical taste and possibilities. The further you advance in your studies, the more you will develop your own taste and artistic preference. We will venture on this exploration trail together, always working towards the practical side of things. And naturally we will give much thought to how you can express your artistic preferences on the national and international stage.
We shall also explore the ensemble repertoire. There is a broad and varied repertoire for saxophone quartets, but also for various other combinations with strings, other brass players, piano and percussion. AMPA offers extensive opportunities for ensemble.

B. Master classes & Projects


1. Master classes

My colleague, Andreas van Zoelen, and I try to offer our master classes as wide- ranging as possible. We do not exclude any styles, but besides saxophonists we also invite experts on other instruments. There’s always something to be learned from everyone!

2. Projects
Similarly in the projects we try to work with other instruments as much as we can, but the AMPA also stimulates collaboration with other disciplines of art. We have so much to learn from each other, such as the way in which dancers move, or how horn players breathe. And so you learn to make music in versatile ways, enabling you to use your music in many different ways and in an interdisciplinary work field.

C. Independence – self-management

Two vital things I want to teach you are to be self-starting and independent. I want you to be able to fend for yourself once you have graduated and to be confident enough to set out your own artistic and practical line. And the seeds for that are sowed during your time at AMPA.
My teaching style can sometimes be difficult, as I demand great independence of you. I want you to start deciding for yourself early on. We will work on making rehearsal and study schedules and every week we will check and see how you got on with studying and rehearsing to then decide where and how you can improve (further) on that. Your motivation to do this must be intrinsic. I am your coach, trying to help you reach your full potential.
There is an opportunity, for example, to study abroad for a term through the Erasmus exchange programme.

D. Final exam
The final exam consists of two parts: midway through your final year you play a recital in which you demonstrate how you have progressed and developed as a saxophonist both technically and musically. It is your calling card regarding your technical and musical abilities and preferences. In the second half of the fourth year you also work on an interdisciplinary production, entirely your own. During your training you will have been confronted with other music genres and artistic disciplines. The production is centred around ‘musical interaction’; playing together with other musicians, but first and foremost, with other artists.
http://tiesmellema.nl/#!/blog/10-november-2018-2

I did it!

After yesterday's concert with the uncomparable Rembrandt Frerichs Trio and Benjamin Glorieux during The Hague's Crossing Border Festival I finally get to rest again. I had such a great and inspiring three weeks with this group. It was fantastic to come back from another year of illness and immediately have such a series of concerts ready for me to play. It also was a test, a physical and mental one. Can I play three to four concerts a week already? Can my body deal with that? Can I mentally handle the stress? Yes and no. I am writing this while I am sick, the common cold, but it still hits me harder and more often than a couple of years ago. My body is saying 'Enough! Please sit down and breath.' On the other hand I did play the concerts, and I played well. The performances gave me so much energy and inspiration. My chops are back (on all saxes! I had the quartet on stage :-), but more importantly, this kind of music making is what I need and want from music. This is it. These guys, this way of handling music, improvisation, playing composed notes the best we can, finding the right balance between being constructively critical and positive remarks, this was just perfect. Thanks guys! Rembrandt Frerichs Vinsent Planjer Tony Overwater Benjamin Glorieux And also Hugo Ticciati Klaartje van Veldhoven

Deep Purple and autumn is coming!

I was cooking with my son yesterday. And while we were cooking we were listening to music. I always play either jazz, classical or soul/funk for him. But he wanted to hear AC/DC. Why not? So we did. Then I started listening to more music like this. And I stumbled upon Deep Purple's Live in Japan (https://open.spotify.com/album/5dheIlcMhUWRnYTCz1Xexn?si=JdS0vJW7RgGjo-kW4plCvQ ). Wow, what a great album. I didn't listen to this music in 25 years or so. And I was blown away. The musicality of these guys. Jon Lord's organ playing is magnificent. He even quotes a bit of Ellington! It's obvious these guys have had musical influences coming from all sides. And also, I felt I needed to hear this album on an excellent sound system. Nowadays music is compressed and fit to sound well on little earplugs and small BT speakers. But this is something else!
Check this album. It is really worth it.

This is my 6th week of working 'normally' again. Until this summer I was rehabilitating. At least I gave myself the time to do so. I am an independent musician so I basically determine my own hours. I still have to take care and sleep enough. I already had yet another bacterial infection some weeks ago. This time I was more in time with antibiotics. I also have to sleep enough. At least 9 hours per night seems to be working for me. I can sleep less, but I have to take care afterwards.

Autumn is finally on its way. We had a great summer with high temperatures. But the farmers weren't happy about the rain: there was none.

Coming weekend some concerts with Rembrandt Frerichs: https://www.songkick.com/artists/1270577-ties-mellema/calendar

Really looking forward to these concerts with these fantastic musicians! We will play some jazz, classical, renaissance music... Basically just anything!

Round one of the second level

Dear friends,

I am at home right now. Watching the worst movie ever probably 'Ghost in a shell'. I figured while I have the time I might as well watch some movies and catch up. I wasn't going to write. I wanted to share my thoughts when I had something positive. A new reason for all of this. But this movie is just so bad that I wanted to do something worthwhile.

The first time I got lymphoma I used this period of chemo and recovery to go into new directions, to think about what I had been doing and if I wanted to continue on this path.

Last Wednesday I started immunotherapy, and until Saturday I had chemotherapy. Now I am recovering and waiting for my body to get into a good enough shape for the next chemo. In the mean time I have been on the look out for a new reason. But I can't find one. I have to wait until this is all finished and keep an open mind. Even more than before. Because my body might change too much because of the chemo. Or not... I can't tell.

All I know is that I have to deal with this treatment day by day. Deal with the nerve and ear damage that might take place. Deal with the overwhelming nausea, the muscle loss and cramps. Trying to exercise, eat and sleep.

I will try to keep playing the saxophone. But at the same time, I am not sure whether I will still play sax in one year.

To be continued....

All the best,
Ties

I cancelled 40 concerts last week: What happened?

Dear friends,

Right now I am in the hospital. The cancer is back. After some really tense weeks I was diagnosed again with lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic system. This is relatively favorable. My chances for the first time in 2015 were 90%. For the remaining 10% they are 70%-80% after a relapse.

D,

At the time I am writing this I am in the oncology section of the OLVG West Hospital in Amsterdam West for four days to give me immuno- and chemotherapy. The first time, in 2015, I never thought about being part of the 10% that has a relapse. I saw the cancer as a sort of super flue, with a compulsory sabbatical. I turned the situation around in my head and made it into something positive. A chance to purge myself. And that is what I did. I thought a lot about the stuff I did. I made choices and tried to go on in a different way. The coming year reflected these choices. I had concerts with my good friends Rembrandt Frerichs, The Four Baritones, Ernst Daniel Smid, Remy van Kesteren, Martin Fondse, and much more!
I have the biggest class at the conservatory in Tilburg I have had since I started, with really good musicians from all over the world. I was looking forward to working with them so much. Luckily I found an excellent substitute, Juani Palop.

But during summer holiday I found a bump on my chest. After some tense weeks it turned out to Hodgkin's disease again. Which was relatively good news. The old cancer could also have developed into a less favorably form of for example non-Hodgkin.

Of course it is a big disappointment. I can hardly start to describe what I and my family and friends feel at this time. I will get three times three weeks of chemo- and immunotherapy, of which the first four days I will be hospitalized. Then, if all goes well, in the second half of November I will get a stem cell transplant. They will give me back my own stem cells that they will harvest after the second chemotherapy. If there are no complications I will be done before Christmas. Then recovery. And trying to get back in the game.

I will keep playing the sax during the therapy, like last time. And again I will be on the look out for stuff that I like to play even more. But this time I can't attach a reason to all of this, yet. I will keep you posted.

Thanks and stay safe, Ties

I left the Amstel Quartet. What's next?

I just gave my first concert after leaving my quartet. I felt liberated. Not because my quartet held me as a prisoner, but because I gave up something I worked on for twenty years. Sometimes life is about letting go. I let the quartet go. Although it is one of the best ensembles I know., I had to let go and search for new ways and inspirations. We made eight cd's, traveled everywhere and shared everything.
Now the time has come to enter the next phase.
The next phase is about letting go. Not only of the quartet. But of things that I always thought were important. I played quartet every week. At least every Wednesday we had a rehearsal. In the weekends we had concerts. Everywhere, Siberia, Japan, China, The US, Canada, Germany, the UK, etc. It was something steady in my life. For twenty years....!
Tonight I played more freely than I have ever played. Maybe not the best. But with a free spirit. It felt good.
I'll see what happens next. I have some plans. But I want to let them ripen. Think, meditate and just do.
Exciting.

John Coltrane

Last Friday I went to Splendor Concerthall with somewhat mixed feelings. Last year I needed music that stimulated me to keep playing, because one of the medicine I took could harm my nerves and thus damage the motorics in my fingers. I found the music of John Coltrane. Back then I thought it was a good idea to try this out on a stage. And so we did, Rembrandt Frerichs, Vincent Planjer, Jos Machtel and me. Not only risking the harsh criticism of our own artistic hearts, but also that of colleagues and jazz lovers. Playing the notes of John Coltrane is not jazz... In the end we didn't and don't care. My mixed feelings were gone at the end of the concert. Everything came together. Music is music, and the music of John Coltrane is divine, magnificent.... And needs to be heard on a stage. We are the only ones who are doing this, and we will continue.

Listen here why:

https://soundcloud.com/info-1446/transition-ties-mellema-rembrandt-jos-machtel-vinsent

Quite proud of this.

https://www.facebook.com/tiesmellema/posts/10155193992789688

My lessons with Arno Bornkamp

I studied with Arno Bornkamp. To this day I think he is one of the best saxophonists out there. He is always spot on. So much drive and passion. He keeps going with more youthful enthusiasm than many 20 year olds. 

These are five things I learned from him:

1) Play sustained.

Arno most important lesson is to always connect the notes. To always let the air be the basis of your phrases and to not let the fingers determine the direction of the phrase. 

2) Always play a tune. 

Arno taught me always find a tune in everything I play. Even in the most avant-garde pieces. I always needed to play towards a certain note, even is there was no tonality to help me point out the obvious.

3) Play in tune.

Always take care of intonation. And correct with embouchure, but if it's too much, correct with fingering. There are saxophonists who are against this way of correcting and say you should correct only with embouchure. Arno taught me to use every means necessary to play in tune.

4) Eliminate technical problems.

To be truly free one should eliminate technical problems. Firstly by studying exudes and scales. The first year in the conservatoryI almost only studied technique to take away as many technical barriers as possible. The technique that is left one can solve by finding musical solutions to technical problems.

5) Colours

Arno taught me to look for colours, by using vibrato and changing the sound by using the cavities in the throat and chest. He also taught me that my basic saxophone sound is not that important. What is most important is what I do with it.

Intonation, how?

Dear saxophone lover,

I have been trying out some tenor saxes today. I was looking for a new one. I say 'was', because I concluded I gave priority to intonation over sound. I tried two mark VII's, an early Mark VI, my own Series II and a Reference.

The Mark VI was incredible. The intonation was absolutely perfect. I could hardly believe it. The octave between B and B with octave key was right in the middle. Perfect. And the sound was so warm, powerful and above all, flexible. I tried all of the saxes with a C* (classical music) and a Robusto by 10Mfan. The intonation reacted the same on the two mouthpieces, which I didn't expect. On the Robusto the sound was warm, soulful and flexible. On the C* the sound was slender, varied and dynamic.

The Mark VI is an early one, and has a mature price tag. But this horn is not for me. I cannot deal with perfect intonation. If the middle b is the standard, then the high one should be a bit too high so I can drop the intonation when I press the octave key. This way I can give more body to the high notes. This is not possible on this Mark VI. Because the high notes are perfect. Jazz players tune their saxes too high and always drop the intonation on all notes, on some notes a bit more than others.

The Mark VII were terrific as well. Also with a very soulful and warm sound. With a much bigger sonority than the VI. Especially for classical music this sonority works extremely well. This may be why so many classical saxophonists play VII's, like Arno Bornkamp (Aurelia Saxophone Quartet) and Bas Apswoude (Amstel Quartet). The VII can sing like no other. But the intonation on both VII was way out there. Between the middle B and B with octave key there was a difference of almost 25 cents, a quarter tone. The saxophone shop (Saxomania) told me that this typical for VII's. Probably students can study and learn how to play on a horn like this. But I have learned to play tenor on a Series II, with the ideal intonation. The difference between the two B's is a little less than10 cents. Enough to drop the intonation with octave key and give a bit more body to the sound. Especially when playing the C* the sound has something warm and deep. Although it definitely lacks 'soul', whatever it may mean.

Because jazz music speaks more an it sings, it's a bit more problematic. The Mark VI was the best for jazz music, because the sound is more slender and more sensitive to colour differences.

The Reference was nice. But it did not give me a 'click'. This sax lacked 'soul', the sound seemed superficial. It's hard to explain, but it just didn't challenge me...

In the end I chose my own sax from the five in total. Although three of the five sounded much better than the sax I play, I could not justify a change of sax because of the intonation. And thus also because of the effect of intonation on the sound.

The Saxcraft ligature - an intuitive review

"The Saxcraft Ligature made me realize how important the ligature actually should be."

Hi everyone,

I haven't written many reviews on my blogs yet. There was a time when I was at the conservatory when material and new saxophone nerdy stuff was important to me. Anything to play better without having to put the hours in. Since then I have learned to play the saxophone. I know more or less what I want and I can get it, with some practice.  Without having to buy a new saxophone, mouthpiece or ligature. 

I have been playing my Selmer Reference and AL3 mouthpiece for 11 years now. And I see no reason to switch. This setup is great for me. It gives me flexibility and ease of playing. It allows me to grow and doesn't impose a typical sound on me. The sound has to come from me. 

Now about the ligature. 

Pieter van Kessel wrote me an email some months ago already. He had something new. A ligature. And to be honest, I did not care for ligatures too much. Priority number one and two are that it presses the reed against the mouthpiece and that it has one screw that tightens on both ends. In short, it has to be practical and not give me trouble during the concert. I usually have enough to worry about. 

Pieter wanted me to try his ligature. And he was quite persistent. Some weeks ago he told me he was doing a tour to have different Dutch sax players try out the ligature. He already told me that David Kweksilber was extremely enthusiastic about it. And although I have very high regards for David, this meant near to nothing to me. Ligatures did not interest me so much. 

Then Pieter came by and I put out my saxes. We tried several on several mouthpieces. One of the typical things about this ligature is that is has to fit the mouthpiece exactly. It is not flexible material at all. You put it over the mouthpiece and it stays where it is. The screw is on the underside and fixes the reed to the mouthpiece with one small copper pressure plate. This is different from most ligatures that cover the reed for like a centimeter or have several pressure points. The tightening of the reed is easy and a single movement. That was the first good thing about this ligature. It is easy and fast. The reed is also easy to align with the mouthpiece. So far so good. 

The Saxcraft ligature. 

According to the maker of the ligature, the pressure plate is designed to stimulate the vibration of the reed and let it pass through the the mouthpiece.

He thought that the ligature development was looking for the wrong things to change. He completely changed around the ligature. 

I told him that there are theories that when you attach weight to the mouthpiece, the sound changes, at least for the player himself. This is exactly what he did. The ligature is quite heavy and is fixed to the mouthpiece. 

And what did all of this do for me?

At first, when we tried the ligatures (I tried them on my alto with an AL3 mouthpiece and my baritone with a BL3 mouthpiece), to be honest, I did not notice much difference. I am not sure if this was because of the acoustics. Pieter did notice difference. He said the sound became deeper on the bari and cleaner on the alto.

To be honest, I was not convinced.

The days after I decided to keep the ligatures on my mouthpieces. And something happened. On alto I played for my students in a different space. They asked about my funny looking ligature and I told them that I promised someone to try them out. I then played for them a piece I played many times before (Glazounow Concerto) and all of a sudden the sound difference was so obvious to me. All of the cliches come to my mind, but especially: better legato, more depth in the sound and more control. The ligature seems to add the finishing touch to the sound. Even with a bad reed (which stays a bad reed, it's not a magic ligature!), this is noticeable. 

In short: I haven't gone back to my old ligatures. I haven't compared. And I won't. This is it. This ligature is the first one that makes me notice a big difference. I never cared much for ligatures but the Saxcraft seems to be the missing link between mouthpiece and reed. 

I highly recommend it. 

Update chemo therapy: 3 months of recovery

Three months now. More than three actually. Without chemotherapy. My last chemo pill was on December 21st 2015. It feels like a long time ago. I have hair again, I lost most of the weight. I look normal. But I don't feel normal. My biggest complaint is the tiredness. My energy is like the battery of my phone. It works fine until it's empty, then it goes off. Before the chemo I would feel my energy level going down slowly. The moment that that energy is gone I can hardly predict. I know it's earlier when I had a late night or a bad night. It varies from around 13:00 to around 18:00. I had a very busy week last week and I still have to regain my energy. 

It's costing me effort to write about this period. I want to be normal again. But I am not. I am sliding back into my 'normal' life and this causes friction with the way I am now. I've changed. Personally and musically. One of my fellow patients who is one year ahead of me told me that is effect wore off after half a year with him. But I don't want it to wear off. Besides all the shit this chemo and the cancer gave me, it also gave me an opportunity. A chance to stop, to look around, to contemplate at an age where I should be running around. I've had a sort of sabbatical. Let me stress this 'a sort off'! Because if I could choose, well, you know. I had the chance to reevaluate everything. And it seems that so far my life is ok. I have a wonderful family, great friends, who take care of me, I have enough fun work (playing the sax)... But what I need to learn is how to focus: what do I really want? And how can I get there? When I was younger, at the conservatory I had an attitude that covered up my insecurity. Now I am insecure and full of (self) doubt, and I feel this covers up yet another layer. The layer that is real, that is me. The layer that wants something very clear and has a passion.

I keep a journal nowadays to write down what I feel, want, experience, etc. I try to stop myself several times a day to feel how I feel, what is going on. I chose a small number of projects that I want to work on the coming year and I try to stick with those. I need to do things that give me energy, instead of only take energy. Things that stimulate me and keep me going. Otherwise I will be too tired to work. A good way to get myself to limit myself and to do things that are worth my while.

Yeah, that chemo has some upsides.

Photographed today at Sloterdijk Station

Embouchure

I change my embouchure about every year to two years. I am not sure why. I am always looking for something better and more flexible. After my chemotherapy I play with more under lip out. This was inspired by playing jazz on tenor during the chemo. I noticed when playing jazz I did this and decided to try it when playing classical. And it worked very well. I have more good reeds and the quality of sound and flexibility is more constant. It seems to work on every horn. 

The biggest change I underwent so far was when I started playing my Selmer Series III and a c* mouthpiece. At that time my embouchure was pretty tight. I imagined a slender sound with a lot of projection. My phrases were also very sustained with a lot of compressed air. Then I changed. I wanted to be more flexible. Ease of playing became more important than sound. I got an AL3 mouthpiece by Vandoren. But it didn't work on my Series III. The tuning was terribly off. So I looked  for a horn that was compatible with the AL3. It was a Reference by Selmer. For years this was already a very popular set-up in Holland with conservatory students. And I understand why. It's easy to play. The AL3 seems to be a sort of almost Buescher like mouthpiece with a small tip and short facing. The legato is very easy and sound production hardly requires air. It's a dream. But of course, every mouthpiece and set-up has its disadvantages. This one as well. It needs more input, more personality from the player. It's very easy to produce a sound that is average and to play with a little air support. It needs more conscious artistic investment. Yes, apparently a mouthpiece can play too easy!

So I had to change embouchure with this set-up. More relaxed. Less compressed air. Supported, but with less effort. I had more energy left to focuss on the music.

The last step (for now) in this personal development was to have the under lip more outward. Somehow it changes the relation I have with the reed. It becomes less important. Still essential, of course! But I can still have an ok sound on reeds that are less good. I am not sure what happens with more under-lip outward. But it seems to give more control. And the reed needs less air to vibrate. 

My view of embouchure as I explain it my students at the Fontys conservatory:

The upper teeth go on the mouthpiece. The under-lip goes over the teeth and the lip goes on the reed. Then you push the muscles around the mouth forward, like saying 'ooh'. That's it. Everything else you do is too much. The rest is relaxing. Well, more or less. 

Also the position of the tongue is very important. It should not be flat in the mouth but the back should go up almost in between the molars. The tip of the tongue stays as close to the reed as possible. This is the basic position of the tongue. 

The intonation is done with the tongue, not the lips. This is a much heard misunderstanding. The lips hardly have influence on the intonation. 

And as I have found out, the amount of under lip that is out or in is of great importance. 

For classical saxophone, many sax teachers will tell you that your chin needs to be flat. Although I agree, I don't think it's good have this as a basis for practicing. Firs of all, it is non musical.  The basis of practicing needs to be sound conception. Not mechanics. In the end I find that most students (if not all) play with a flat chin. 

Cannonball Adderley, one of my idols, did not play with a flat chin. 

My horns

I love my horns. I found good ones. Now I still have to learn to play them ;-)

My Bari mark VI sounds great and the quartet can tune very well to the rich sound.

My series II tenor is very flexible and an all-round instrument. I don't play it so much but it's actually my favorite sax. I hope to play it more during my project with Rembrandt Frerichs

My alto is a reference. I started out on a Musica beginners horn, then my parents gave my a Series II for my 11th birthday. Then I got a super balanced action in the mid 90's, on which I played the beginning of my conservatory studies. After that I switched to a somewhat newer instrument, the Buffet Super Dynaction on which I payed my first end exam in 2000. I sold this horn and I regret it until today. I got a series III millennium edition because I changed embouchure: more focused and tight, almost contemporary French school. After I learned that I wanted a horn that just worked when I blow on it and I switched to the reference. 

The soprano is a yanagisawa. Which is very out of tune but has such a creamy sound!

Advice for young music professionals and conservatory students

I would have never written a blog with this title before I got cancer. But now I feel I have some things I want to share. I had time to think. About myself, music, life....

1) Do what you like.

Sounds obvious, right? But for me it was hard to even find out what I like and how to choose. It still is. Right now I feel I do not want to go back to the way I lived my life. This may sound dramatic, but the changes can be little. Hardly noticeable even for someone who is not me. I recently read an article online that said that busy people are people who cannot choose. And I think that's true for a lot of people. I do so much different stuff, I was always behind with administration, studying, contacting people. It's very frustrating.

The first thing you have to do is find out what you want to do, what you like to do. And that's not so easy. Especially as a classical musician. We have all of this tradition, composers, musicians, recordings, concert etiquette. A lot of people choose something they go for because people before them did it successfully. Or play music because it is great music. Sounds like a good reason? It's not! There's so much great music out there, but you have to find music that awakens passion in you. And it might not be Bach, and that's ok. You can listen to Bach, but you don't have to play it because he or she did it and recorded it and it became a huge success. Horowitz is great, the Royal Concertgebouw is as well, but it's not the basis of music, it's a road you can go, but you don't have to.

As a saxophonist I wanted to make my life work out of playing the Creston and Denisow Sonatas with my pianist. And they are great pieces, but in retrospect, I like playing with a pianist, but I love to come up with my own ensembles and experiment, do cross-over. My teacher was Arno Bornkamp and he played those sonatas many times per year with Ivo Janssen. And he was my example. So I wanted to do what he did. But there's so much more. Music is art. Is about creativity. Also as a performer.

2) Take composition classes at the conservatory.

As early as you can, learn to play with notes, make up your own, compose, improvise, even as a classical musician. You never know what is going to happen. My buddy Remy van Kesteren is a composer now, he became one in half a year and recorded a cd for Deutsche Grammaphone with his own music. Reall, you never know. And if you don't do anything with it, it at least gives you insight in the composing process.

I do think that classical musicians should start writing their own notes at least partly. We are influenced by Stravinsky and Bach, we see and hear their notes and know we can't do better. Sure, for most of us this is true. But Stravinsky is not you. We've heard what Bach is about, and it's great, but I would love to hear your contemporary comment on it for example.

I found Spotify, despite the obvious criticism of the medium, to be a great tool to find out what I like to listen to.

3) Don't go with the obvious flow.

A conservatory is called that because it wants to conserve music. So what we learn (and what we should learn!) is the stuff people before us did. Like Creston and Denisov. Learn that stuff and in the mean time think about what you want to do. In the last year of your bachelor I think you can have a basic idea of how you want to spend the coming couple of years. Stick with it, and on the other hand, give yourself time to adapt to new developments:

4) Allow yourself to change.

When students come to the conservatory to inquire about the study., they often say (influenced by their parents) that they might study something more 'useful' first and that after that they can always still study music. I would say it's much more logical to do it the other way around.

Motoric development is very important for conservatory and it's just much more flexible when your around 20.

My point is, after conservatory you do not have to stick with it (despite what I wrote earlier). We all develop. In those four years of study you might find out that you have talents in other areas. Meanwhile you did a study which develops the brain and body in a certain way. You learn to be the ultimate multi-tasker, you have spend numerous hours by yourself and with your instrument in a lonely studio, studying and learning about your music and yourself. It's a form of therapy. Those traits always come in handy at some point in your life.

Also within the music area: you can learn about music theatre and decide you want to pursue that. (See number 5) or maybe you wanted to be a soloist and find out that you are really more of a chamber musician.

But in the end it is very important you finish what you were doing. If possible, finish that bachelor study, study the basics, scales, some traditional pieces, different styles, etcetera. It's never for nothing.

5) Be a sponge.

Absorp as much as you can, not only music, but also fine arts, literature, concerts by others, interact with other people, philosophize, etcetera. Because your music has to be about something. In the end we are story tellers. We need a story to tell, experiences in our life.

This is very important: absorp as much as you can and, especially I the beginning of your studies, do not try to form an opinion just yet. Just listen to what's out there and let your taste develop by itself, without your head telling you what to do and feel.

But you also need to find out what's out there. You don't want to rely on releases by the biggest labels and concerts in the largest concert halls to know what's going on in the music world. There's so much more. There are underground concert halls, musicians who work with music theatre, chamber music in so many forms, ... Find out about initiatives like Splendor (splendoramsterdam.com), zaal 100, OT301, about musicians who go their own way, like Remy van Kesteren, Raaf Hekkema, Ralph van Raat, ...

(Picture by Co Broerse)

Done. Now I go on.

I just finished the two performances of the Denisov Concert for alto saxophone and orchestra, the Dutch premier. I felt satisfied about them. I played well and felt good on stage. Also some colleagues commented that they liked my playing. Which is the best test case. A concert is always a bit more exciting with a colleague in the hall.

Right now I am still full of adrenaline. Probably I will crash tonight or tomorrow. But it was certainly worth it. The piece and the people I worked with gave me so much energy. 

Arjan Tien, the conductor, became a good friend of mine while working together. The orchestra was fantastic. They tried so hard to do the Denisov and succeeded! Not only musically (bravo!!) but also production-whise: raise the extra money for the percussion and the rent of the scores. And to programme something  avant-garde-ish like this takes a lot of courage. 

It all came together perfectly!

(Sometimes the best moments for

pictures are right in front of my house)

It was probably a show of a bit too much hubris to undertake this project. But I felt I had to do it. I practiced this piece during my chemo therapy and I wanted to close something off, or rather, start a new period. Not that I am better yet. I still lack muscle power and the fatigue can be quite overwhelming. But not this weekend! I played, and played well, even if I don't count that I had a chemo some weeks ago I can say this. 

Now reset and rest, train, and try to get back in my daily rhythm. Because one the reasons I could do this was that I hardly do anything else yet. But I could never work a week of 50 hours like seven months ago. And maybe I shouldn't anymore. 

Well, that's something I do not want to worry about yet. I want to enjoy this victory. Because although I did not experience the chemo as a fight against cancer, finishing this project successfully feels like a victory.