What I’ve Learned From International Touring On Sax With Catherine Rannus

Touring can teach you things the practice room never will.

There’s something about hearing from a musician who’s just come back from the real world of gigs, travel, pressure, surprises, and performances that makes you look at your own playing differently.

In this episode of the Sax School Online podcast, I sat down with Sax School tutor Catherine Rannus just after her international tour with Bolden across Europe and North America. On the surface, it’s a story about touring. But underneath that, it’s really about confidence, adaptability, identity as a player, and what happens when your musicianship gets tested outside your comfort zone.

For adult learners especially, there’s a lot to take from this conversation. You may not be heading off on a major tour next month, but the lessons Catherine shared apply whether you’re getting ready for your first jam session, playing local gigs, or simply trying to play saxophone with confidence at home.

What happens when things go wrong

One of the most memorable parts of Catherine’s story came right at the beginning of the tour. After arriving in Europe, the band made it to Stockholm, but their gear didn’t. Instruments, tech equipment, stage essentials, and luggage were all missing after a cybersecurity incident disrupted travel systems.

That kind of situation would be enough to throw anyone off. But they still had a show to play.

What struck me most was not just the chaos of the situation, but the mindset needed to get through it. Catherine and the band had to adapt quickly, source what they could, rethink their setup, and go on stage anyway. It wasn’t the polished version of the show they had planned, but they made it happen.

That’s a brilliant reminder for any sax player. We often think progress depends on the perfect setup, the right reed, the right room, more time, better conditions, or feeling fully ready. But in reality, musicians grow when they learn to keep going, even when conditions are far from ideal.

That applies just as much to adult beginner saxophone lessons as it does to professional touring. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough is learning not to stop just because things feel messy.

You can also explore more ideas around managing nerves and performance mindset here: How to not get nervous when performing .

Confidence Often Comes After You Begin

One of the strongest themes in our conversation was confidence. Catherine said something that I think will resonate with so many players:

“If you’re not feeling like massively confident, it’s fake it till you make it.”

That doesn’t mean pretending to be something you’re not. It means choosing to step forward before you feel completely ready.

This is especially important for adult learners. A lot of people assume that confident players are simply born that way, or that confidence appears once your technique reaches a certain level. But that’s rarely how it works. Confidence is usually built through experience. It grows each time you show up, play the note, take the solo, go to the rehearsal, or perform in front of other people.

Catherine made another great point here too. Most people in the audience are not judging you in the harsh way you imagine. They’re usually just impressed that you’re up there doing it.

That’s why opportunities to play matter so much. If you want to learn saxophone online and make real progress, practice is essential, of course. But sooner or later, you also need moments that ask you to use your playing in the real world. Even if that “real world” is just playing for a friend, joining a workshop, or turning up to a community band.

 

Rehearsing and performing are not the same thing

Another valuable takeaway from the episode was Catherine’s honesty about how different performance life is from normal practice life. Touring meant playing the same material repeatedly, traveling constantly, adjusting to different venues, and spending long stretches away from her usual routines.

As she explained,

“Rehearsing at home is a total different game to playing out.”

That’s such an important idea.

A lot of adult players feel frustrated when they sound good in the practice room but less secure in a lesson, rehearsal, or performance setting. That’s not failure. That’s normal. Playing under pressure is a separate skill. It requires repetition, familiarity, and exposure.

Catherine also talked about how certain parts of her playing routine slipped during the tour. She wasn’t practicing in the same way she normally would. That’s a useful reminder that musicianship is never static. We’re always balancing maintenance, growth, performance, and recovery.

For adult learners, this is why structure matters so much. Random practice can feel productive, but a good pathway helps you keep moving forward even when life gets busy. That’s one reason so many players choose to learn saxophone online with a structured program rather than jumping between disconnected tutorials.

A good next read here would be: 30 Minute Saxophone Practice Routines 

Your stage presence matters more than you think

One of my favourite parts of the episode was hearing Catherine talk about developing her stage persona. What started as a practical problem on tour, with missing luggage and no straighteners, ended up becoming part of her performance identity.

Instead of fighting the situation, she leaned into it. The result was a bigger, bolder stage presence that fit the music and helped unlock more confidence.

There’s a lesson there for all of us.

You don’t need to become someone fake when you perform, but it does help to think about how you present yourself. Performance is not just about notes and technique. It’s also about communication, energy, and presence. If you want to play saxophone with confidence, part of that comes from giving yourself permission to look confident too.

Catherine also mentioned the value of video. Watching yourself back can be uncomfortable, but it’s one of the fastest ways to notice what’s working. You can spot the moments where you look engaged, committed, and expressive. Then you can do more of that.

For adult learners, this can be transformational. Often, the gap between how unsure you feel and how capable you actually look is much bigger than you realise.

Different audiences respond in different ways

Touring also taught Catherine something else that’s easy to forget: audiences don’t all react the same way.

In some cities, the crowd gave plenty back immediately. In others, the reaction felt much more reserved. On stage, that can be confusing. You might think something isn’t landing, only to discover afterwards that the audience loved it.

That’s a really useful perspective for anyone performing, or even just sharing their playing with others. We often use visible reaction as proof of whether we’ve done well. But people respond differently. Some are expressive. Some are quiet. Some need warming up. Some are loving it internally and showing very little on the outside.

As musicians, we can’t rely entirely on audience behaviour to tell us how to feel about our performance. We need some internal steadiness too.

That’s why experience matters. The more situations you put yourself in, the more you understand that one room’s silence is not the same thing as failure.

Building a musical identity helps you grow

Another thread that came through strongly in this conversation was the importance of consistency. Catherine talked about how Bolden’s visual identity, stage image, and branding developed over time. That clarity didn’t just help the audience understand the band. It helped the performers understand themselves.

Even if you’re not building a touring act, there’s something useful here for adult sax players.

What kind of player do you want to be?

Are you drawn to blues, jazz, funk, ska, soul, or smooth groove-based playing? Are you someone who wants to jam socially, perform with a local band, or simply sound better playing your favourite tunes at home? The clearer you are about your musical direction, the easier it becomes to make good decisions in your practice.

This is one reason adult beginner saxophone lessons work best when they connect technique to real musical goals. You don’t just want exercises. You want a sense of where you’re heading.

If Catherine’s style inspires you check out Catherine’s Course Introduction to Jazz House inside the Sax School PRO Member area, and listen to Catherine’s previous Podcast What is Jazz House?

Why this matters for adult sax players

You might listen to a story about international touring and think it’s miles away from your own experience. But actually, the core lessons are very close to home.

They’re about showing up before you feel ready.

They’re about adapting when things don’t go to plan.

They’re about discovering that confidence is often something you build through action.

They’re about finding your sound, your style, and your way of connecting with music.

That’s exactly what we work on at Sax School Online. We help players develop skills in a clear, structured way, but we also help them become more confident, more expressive, and more consistent. Whether you’re returning to sax after years away or just getting started, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s steady, enjoyable progress.

And that matters because playing saxophone should feel rewarding. It should feel possible. It should feel like something you can keep getting better at.

Final thoughts

What I loved about this conversation with Catherine was how honest and practical it was. Touring might sound glamorous from the outside, but the real lessons came from everything that happened around the performances: the setbacks, the adaptation, the identity, and the growth.

For me, the biggest takeaway is simple. You do not have to wait until you feel fully confident to take the next step. Very often, the next step is the thing that creates the confidence.

So whether your version of “touring” is a pub gig, a rehearsal, a jam session, or finally recording yourself at home, keep going. The experience will teach you things no practice room ever can.

If you want a clear path to improve, build confidence, and have more fun as you learn saxophone online, come and see what we’re doing inside Sax School.

Tutor bio

Nigel McGill setup Sax School Online to share his knowledge from decades performing and leading bands all over the world. Over the past 11 years his videos, courses and live education events have reached millions of players worldwide.