Our first Legend for 2022 has been learning with Sax School for just 7 months, and overcome loads of challenges to make a great start on saxophone.
Our legend for January 2022 is Sue Rouse Ottonelli from France. As a beginner player, Sue has made a great start on saxophone. She gets involved with our Sax School community and she’s a massive inspiration to other Sax School students.
Getting Started on Saxophone
Back in June 2021, Sue rented a saxophone from a local music store. However, once Sue picked up her hired Yamaha 280, getting started playing her saxophone wasn’t plain sailing. “They just handed me the box and I left – there were no reeds, there was no explanation, or anything,” explains Sue. “So I spent the first week understanding how to put the thing together, buying reeds that would be the right size for a beginner, and for somebody who doesn’t have a lot of air like myself – I have asthma.”
Luckily, Sue discovered Sax School early on. “I joined more or less when I started playing my first notes,” she says.
Learning saxophone at home was the perfect solution for Sue as her health conditions mean that she is vulnerable to COVID-19.
Buying a saxophone
Sax School helped Sue get off to a great start on saxophone, and she soon decided to take the plunge and buy a saxophone of her own. “I decided that I was able to do it physically, because I have some issues and it wasn’t certain that I would be able to play [saxophone]. And so I bought a Yamaha 62.”
Sue quickly noticed the difference between her new sax and the sax she had been renting. “I found that my new sax was just fantastic to play… because the other [rented instrument] one had such a vibration. It had been rented to hundreds of people, and it had such a vibration that it hurt my teeth. So until I got my own saxophone I played by just placing my lips and not my teeth [on the mouthpiece]. So I created a really strong embouchure!”
The rented sax also created some challenges for Sue when it came to playing low notes. “It had very clunky keys that didn’t always press properly. Then, of course, I didn’t know any better so I thought it was normal.”
Sue’s new Yamaha 62 alto is a great, well built saxophone that should see her making great progress for a long time to come.
Getting Involved with Sax School
It’s so inspiring to see how Sue has got stuck into everything that Sax School has to offer, to make a great start on saxophone. Since joining in June 2021, Sue has submitted a video to every one of our Spotlight sessions. In these sessions, members can get personal feedback on their playing from our tutor team.
As well, Sue has really got involved with our worldwide Sax School community, and posting videos for our monthly challenges. “I’m sure there’s some I haven’t discovered yet, but I use [the resources in Sax School] as much as I can”, says Sue. “I often listen to a theory lesson when I’m in bed just before I go to sleep, or to the students playing – it’s nice and relaxing!”
A Musical Family
Music runs in Sue’s family and she heard lots of music as a child. “My grandmother was a concert singer… and my father used to play the piano for her during the war, for the troops. On the other side, my grandfather played the piano at cinemas, accompanying silent films….I think I’m interested in the blues because I must’ve listened to so much blues on the piano from him,” Sue explains.
As a student, Sue played both piano and recorder. “ I was particularly good at the recorder, particularly the descant recorder, and at secondary school, I was part of the orchestra. I had piano lessons from quite a young age, but I had a relatively old teacher who did mainly classical stuff, which I’m sure was great for me because I love classical too.”
Now with Sax School, Sue is coming back to her love of music and making great progress.
Sue’s Approach to Saxophone Practice
Sue makes great use of all the resources in Sax School to support her saxophone learning, and gets great advice from other members. “As soon as I had a question as a beginner, I’d post systematically in the Sax School community,” says Sue.
Like most beginner players, Sue started with our Starter Pathway. “A lot of [Nigel’s] advice was to do the warmups. So I started with the Easy Warmup, and then I did the Five-Minute Warmup and then the Classical Warmup. And I did them every day. And more recently, I’ve been able to get through to the end without fainting, due to lack of breath or exhaustion!”
Sue tries to practice her saxophone every day. “I fit in a couple of hours in the late afternoon. At the moment I’m working on overtones and the Pentatonic Workout… and then scales. …That part is the nitty-gritty technical bits. And then In the evening after dinner, …I come up and play. And that’s what I work on the pieces of music, and often with the ones that I can already play, just having fun.”
Advice for A Great Start on Saxophone
Determination: Sue shows real determination in overcoming her own challenges. “My grandmother’s motto was “there’s no such expression as can’t,”and I used that all my life. So if you want to be an astronaut… you’ve just got to work at it. Then maybe you could! So it’s a bit the same with music. Initially, when I picked up [the saxophone], I didn’t think I’d be able to play because of my health issues. I had to play sitting down and things like that.”
Listening: Sue has great tips on listening and recording to improve your sound. “At the beginning I spent a lot of time listening to [Nigel] or Chris. I would listen in detail, for the tone to start with. Because when you’re a beginner, it’s not easy to know if what you’re playing is coming out anything like it should do. So I would listen very carefully, and try and imitate it. Sometimes I’d sing it. And then I would play it.
And then I would press the record button on my phone and I’d record [the tutor], and I’d record me just after it. Just small parts, sometimes even just one or two notes. When I was recording on the phone, I could be sure that it was the same quality of sound. So I could listen back and try to perfect it.”
Use a tuner: Sue recommends using a tuner in practice sessions. “I have quite a good ear, but even so it’s good practice to check [your tuning].
Saxophone Goals for 2022
After COVID-19 has kept her indoors for so long, Sue’s goal is to play outdoors in 2022. “In June in France we have Music Day when anybody can go into the streets and play music. And everybody goes out and listens to them. So I’d like to have a go, just locally”, says Sue.
Sue has this to say about Sax School. “It’s an excellent structure… And I was just over the moon when I came across it because everything I would have imagined to be in a good school was there.”
We can’t wait to see what Sue achieves in the next six months with Sax School!
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