Saxophone Technique

Word Crimes

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This is the fourth blog post in a projected series reviewing The Legacy of Elise Hall: Contemporary Perspectives on Gender and the Saxophone, edited by Kurt Bertels and Adrianne Honnold, published by Leuven University Press, 2024. This post focuses on the third chapter, or the first of two chapters in Part II labelled Critical Organology […]

Enigma Variations

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This is the third blog post in a projected series reviewing The Legacy of Elise Hall: Contemporary Perspectives on Gender and the Saxophone, edited by Kurt Bertels and Adrianne Honnold, published by Leuven University Press, 2024. This post focuses on the second chapter by Kurt Bertels titled: Paying and Playing? Elise Hall and Patronage in […]

It Ain’t Necessarily So

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This is the second blog post in a projected series reviewing The Legacy of Elise Hall: Contemporary Perspectives on Gender and the Saxophone, edited by Kurt Bertels and Adrianne Honnold, published by Leuven University Press, 2024. This post focuses on the first chapter by Andrew J. Allen titled: “Incomparable Virtuoso” A Reevaluation of the Performance […]

Simple Gifts

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“But Mrs Hall does not care and blows imperturbably into her copper pipe, like a man.” (page 42) Mrs Hall is Elise Hall, and it’s been 100 years since the death of this early twentieth century saxophonist. Her name is back in the Zeitgeist, and this, “…old bat who dresses like an umbrella.” (attributed to […]

Everybody Hurts

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Pain, pain, go away, DON’T come again another day. All of us just want to play! Moaning Student: “My back. My legs. My arms. My NECK, for Pete’s sake. It all hurts. It all aches. I just can’t do this. I just can’t go on—” “—râlâlâ!” Teacher Interjects. “Remember the Quote of the Month? ‘Complaints […]

Old Souls

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YAPPA BABA: Those were the Ukrainian words, hand-drawn in large letters on the front of the card. Translation: OLD WOMAN. Me, an old lady? It was my birthday, you see, and I was turning the grand old age of…23. In the moment, I laughed. On further reflection I realized—it’s true! Old souls…wise beyond their years […]