Mitch started playing saxophone with Sax School just nine months ago, and he’s already playing his sax at local gigs.
Music has been a big part of Mitch’s life for a long time. He has played guitar since he was eighteen, and he used to play mandolin and Irish tenor banjo in an Irish band, back in the UK.
Falling for the saxophone
After retiring and moving to Spain 15 years ago, Mitch played guitar and sang in a 6 piece band that included a sax player. When the band split up, Mitch found he really missed the sound of the saxophone.
“Then, I was in a clothes shop locally, and a Spanish song came over the radio,” Mitch explains. “It had this amazing sax break, and I knew at that moment, that I needed to learn to play the sax!”
Mitch spotted an alto at a great price while shopping on a German music supplies website. So, he decided to buy it.
I fell in love with playing the sax
“It took a few weeks, and some help from my sax player friend, before I could get a sound out of it,” says Mitch. “However, I was excited by it straight away – I fell in love with it.”
Finding Sax School
Now playing guitar and singing in a 2 piece band, Mitch decided to introduce the saxophone. He started out with “Watermelon Man,” but then wanted to learn “Lily was Here.” That’s when he found Sax School.
“I was searching on YouTube, and I found a video of Nigel playing the sax melody, and the solo,” explains Mitch. “I saw that it was all available in Sax School, so I joined straight away!”
Sax School is great value for money
Now that Mitch is a part of Sax School, he’s hooked! “There’s just so much material in there,” he says, “I love all the lessons, and the guest sessions, and the Q & As. It’s great value for money.”
Making Music
Mitch is a big contributor to the Sax School Facebook Community. “I’d never made a video before I joined Sax School, but I love making them to share,” he says.
Mitch has made amazing progress on his saxophone, and as he’s retired, he spends a lot of time playing his sax and making music. “However, I don’t spend enough time on scales, and technique,” he admits, “because I just want to get straight into the tunes. But I know there’s lots of resources in Sax School to help me. “
With his band, Mitch plays regularly in local bars, and even outdoors in the village square or on the beach. “It’s great in the summer when the tourists are here,” he says, “we play for three hours at a time!” The band mainly play covers, such as “Baker Street“, “Your Latest Trick” and “Mustang Sally”. Mitch is introducing more and more saxophone. “I want to get to grips with altissimo,” says Mitch, “audiences love it!”
Jazz Plans
In the coming months, Mitch plans to form a jazz band. “I’m in the process of recording a demo to send to an online magazine. I’m hoping to find some other musicians to focus just on jazz and blues,” he says. “It will give a focus to my learning – especially on improvisation.”
We can’t wait to see what you do next, Mitch! Congratulations on being our Student of the Week!
Want to learn saxophone like Mitch?
Get started with Sax School membership today and see how our Student Pathways, Mini Courses, and huge lesson library will help you make massive progress on your sax, wherever you live! Click Here to Get Started!