Ever since I picked up the baritone in the '90's I wanted to play Vandoren, but it never worked for me.
I have been teaching conservatory level saxophone level now for about 6 years. About once every so many years I write down my current vision on teaching and especially, learning to play the saxophone.
Saxophone Concertos; Repertoire Ties Mellema, with orchestra
Ties Mellema/Hans Eijsackers, recital piano/saxophone
Half Blood, the Music of Prince (with En Accord String Quartet and bassist Wilmar de Visser)
Shadows, solo saxophone with subtle electronics
Minimal Ties, minimal music now and then
De programma's van Nederlandse Muziekprijswinnaar 2010, Ties Mellema zijn nu online.
Op achtjarige leeftijd besloot Ties Mellema dat hij saxofoon wilde spelen. Zijn vader liet hem Charlie Parker horen en die klank beviel hem; bovendien zou de saxofoon hem helpen met zijn astma. De keuze was goed, de veelzijdigheid van het instrument past volledig bij Ties. Nu zoveel jaar verder is hij actief als solist, kamermusicus en docent. In 2010 ontvangt hij als kroon op zijn werk tot zover, de Nederlandse Muziekprijs.
Saxophone teachingMy first three yearsI have been teaching saxophone to young professionals for three years now. Next year my first end exam students -the ones I have I have taught from the beginning of their studies- will play their end recital. Very exciting, for them of course, but surely also for me. I have seen these students grow and develop as a musician and as a person. But they also have witnessed the birth of a teacher. I never taught before. So I am still learning, and I expect I always will.
Saxophone teachingMy first three years
I have been teaching saxophone to young professionals for three years now. Next year my first end exam students -the ones I have I have taught from the beginning of their studies- will play their end recital. Very exciting, for them of course, but surely also for me. I have seen these students grow and develop as a musician and as a person. But they also have witnessed the birth of a teacher. I never taught before. So I am still learning, and I expect I always will.
Ties Mellema writes an article for NRC Next about Hans Abbing's essay 'Van hoge naar nieuwe kunst"
Door Lars Niederstrasser, student aan het Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) – La Création du Monde, opus 81b (1923)
Sometimes I feel I am cursed being a saxophonist. I can never get it right. My core repertoire traditionally consists mainly of French music by composers who never quite made it to the bigger audiences. And for a reason. Although my former teacher Arno Bornkamp used to say that as a rule the a-pieces in our repertoire are often written by b-composers.
Being a classical saxophonist, influences come from all directions. Mellema's most important influence was the French saxophonist Marcel Mule. Hearing a recording of him playing la Création du Monde was one of the most important reasons to start studying saxophone and trying to imitate that sound. Michael Brecker was another important influence, Brecker is one the greatest virtuosos of the saxophone, he demonstrates that everything can be done on the saxophone and that you can truly sing on the instrument.
In this short article I will discuss some aspects of saxophone tone: how to make it and how to use it. Of course it is necessary to bear in mind that this article is written from a very subjective point of view, although I tried to make it helpful for everyone. Because I have had so much trouble getting a good tone, and kept on working on it, I discovered a lot of things that also might be useful to other people.
(Dutch only, N.B. reproduction, even partly, of this document only with permission of the author)