At the start of the year, we ran a competition to win a whole year’s membership of Sax School. We caught up with one of our winners to find out more.
Juhani is from Finland and plays alto saxophone. He’s delighted to have won our Sax School giveaway. “This is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time,” he says.
Starting on saxophone
Juhani has always wanted to play the saxophone, and a year ago he took the plunge and bought his first alto sax.
Winning membership in Sax School has come at just the right time. After playing on his own for 12 months, Juhani wasn’t satisfied with his sound.“I want to learn to play the saxophone so it sounds good – which isn’t just about playing the right notes,” says Juhani. “I can’t play nice vibrato, and I can’t fill between the notes with great improvisation. Everything I play is boring, lifeless!”
Gigging career
Music is not a new interest for Juhani, in fact, he played keyboards professionally in a quartet for over 13 years. “We played Finnish dance music. We toured all over Finland and played on some cruises too,” he explains.
After taking a break for a few years to follow his profession as a surveyor, Juhani came back to music. “On weekdays I work as a surveyor, and at weekends I play keyboards with my friends in three different groups.” But then the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Finland. “Over the last year, there haven’t been many live performances here,” he explains.
Saxophone Goals
Juhani’s dream is to play saxophone solos with his bands. “I want my playing to sound nice, and interesting,” he says, “I don’t want the audience to be wishing that the end will come after 15 seconds!”
By winning a year’s membership in Sax School, Juhani is hoping to make some real progress with his saxophone. “For the first time, I think I’ll have a chance to learn to play my saxophone the right way,” he says. “I believe I’ll spend a long time here!’
We can’t wait to share your saxophone journey Juhani! Congratulations on winning our giveaway.
If you would like to find out more about how Sax School can help you reach your saxophone goals, Start today with Sax School!