Kadrian taught himself to play saxophone – but now that he’s living far from home, Sax School is keeping him motivated.
The sound of Kenny G
Kadrian fell in love with the saxophone through the music of Kenny G. “I didn’t even know what a saxophone was till I was 22!” explains Kadrian. “I grew up in Jamaica, and I always loved music, and I loved to sing.”
At college, Kadrian had the chance to try playing a sax. “The music department had a few different saxophones so that was my first opportunity to play one,” he says, “but it was another year before I owned a saxophone of my own.”
Kadrian went to the USA for the summer to visit a friend. “He was a huge Kenny G fan,” he says, “he had all his albums and we would listen to them all the time in the car. In fact he loved Kenny G’s music so much, he gave me a soprano sax so I could play like him!”
I was just noodling around a lot of the time
Starting to play saxophone
Back in Jamaica, Kadrian started to teach himself on the soprano. He admits it was a challenge. “Everything is difficult at the beginning!” he says, “but after a while I got going and playing saxophone helped me through college, doing paid performances at weddings, or funerals.”
Kadrian also took every opportunity to do unpaid performances. “I did it for the experience, and for the exposure,” he says.
However, teaching himself, Kadrian wasn’t learning to play saxophone in a very structured way. “I was just noodling around a lot of the time,” he says, “I didn’t have anyone to teach me how to practice – I wish I’d had guidance early on.”
Two years ago, Kadrian moved to China to work as a teacher.
Since then he has worked at his sax practice more consistently. “I started practicing every day and it’s really effective,” he says.
Finding Sax School
“I had known about Nigel’s lessons for a long time,” explains Kadrian, “I had followed him for a while on YouTube but I wasn’t consistent.”
Then a couple of months ago Kadrian took the plunge and joined Sax School. “Finding a sax teacher in China is very difficult, so online lessons are great for me, and they are so diverse,” he says.
The Sax School Community keeps me motivated – it’s good when I’ve far from home
It’s not just sax teachers that are difficult to find in China. “I haven’t found any opportunities to perform with my sax,” says Kadrian, “and I don’t have other musicians to join with, so the Sax School community keeps me motivated. It’s good when I’m so far from home.”
Saxophone Goals
Kadrian is planning to move back to the West in a year or so, and his saxophone goals are focussed on this. “I want to be ready to take my sax out and perform live when I move back,” he says.
With Sax School, Kadrian is learning new skills with his sax. “I love to play contemporary gospel, and R’n’B”, he says. And with Sax School I’m learning jazz standards and I’ve started looking at the lessons on improvisation. I want to take these new skills outperforming when I move back.”
We are so pleased that Sax School is keeping you learning and motivated Kadrian! Congratulations on being our Student of the Week!
Check out Kadrian’s YouTube Channel here:
Want to learn saxophone like Kadrian?
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! Start today with Sax School!