Saxophone Competition - PRIZE!

Alright everyone so here is a pretty good contest I think! There are a lot of options for how the piece will be written, but the winner will be awarded with a recording of the piece that I will make.

Piece guidelines:

I have a soprano and alto saxophone available to me at the moment.

The piece may be written as a solo for either instrument OR

for either instrument with recorded sounds/effects/acoustic recording/etc.

for either or both instruments recorded over multiple tracks which the performer (me) would also record.

you could even write for guitar with one of the instruments as I also have some guitar skills.

saxophone and piano will also be acceptable as I have a friend that could accompany me

Things to consider:

I am a college music graduate as a music education major with sax as my primary instrument. While I was NOT a performance major, I have pretty strong technical skills on the saxophone.. The written standard range of the saxophone is Bb-F# but including some altissimo range in your piece will be fine, I would prefer it not be excessive if you choose to do so. I can play classical or jazz styles or something in between if you choose.

I am looking for creative pieces. I have allowed a pretty nice range of possible styles of composition. All parts to be played by a performer should be included and cleanly notated. Any electronic/backing track of any kind should be included in submission. If submitting a piece with recorded sounds and sax you should provide both the backing track without a sax part and a demo version with midi sax.

I will be the lone judge. While I will choose whichever piece is the best as the winner, I am pretty interested to hear someone do a piece with an accompaniment track of some kind. Be creative!

Let me know of any questions you may have.

Some cool Saxo music to check out if you don't know much and want some inspiration:

John Mackey-"Sax Concerto"(soprano) or Strange Humors (quartet)

Leonard Bernstein-"Fugue for the Saxes" from "Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs" (jazz sax section)

Claude Debussy- "Rapsodie pour orchestre et saxophone"(alto)

Darius Milhaud - "Scaramouche"(alto)

Jean Matitia - "The Devil's Rag"(alto)

Russell Peck - "The Upward Stream"(tenor) or "Drastic Measures" (quartet)

Eugene Bozza - "Aria" (alto)

Paule Maurice - "Tableaux de Provence" (alto)

Paul Creston - "Sonata" (alto)

Pedro Itturalde - "Pequena Czarda" (alto)

Michael Torke - "July" (quartet)

..should be a good start..

Feel free to send me passages of your music as your write to ask technical questions as well!

DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2010

Entrants:

jawoodruff

jrcramer

Gamma

Jimmyjuicin

Michael P.

whateverfin

Count me in Ben! I'll pull some serious rows for this one!!!

I am in too. Currently working already on a sonata for alto and piano.

nice initiative!

Eugene Bozza's Aria is sooo beautiful. Nice choice.

'tis indeed...So are you in Doovongeman??

Unlikely. But we'll see. I can't commit to anything for the next 3 weeks.

Peace on Earth,

-John

Let's go people! Only 3 contestants and a guaranteed recording to the winner..

I'll enter this!

Great!

How do you feel about improvising? The piece isn't jazz, but it would allow for a kind of free flowing improvised like type solo. I could write some stuff out, but I could also leave some space open for whatever you can come up with on the spot. It would be kind of a Keith Jarrett Koeln Concert-esque improvisation.

is a high G# possible?

and what are possible trills?

(should I compare the sax to a clarinet or an oboe?)

Including improvisation in a piece is totally fine..just make sure you are controlling enough to be your own..but of course you know that..

High G# is possible..

There are no impossible trills on saxophone. The only really awkward one would be between B or Bb below the staff to C# below the staff. I would not write those two unless they are crucial for some reason.. Perhaps trills above F# above the staff can be difficult too depending on the circumstance..

you shouldn't compare sax to clarinet or oboe because it is much more awesome than both of those..

Feel free to pm me pdf's for feedback on your progress. This doesn't have to be a super secret contest...I want people to think about the saxophone and learn more than anything..

Hey is it to late to sign up for this? if it isn't count me in

How high can you play (concert pitch) on soprano saxophone?

I looked up the range as google described it, but since i'm writing this for YOU, how high can you play, comfortably, on soprano including altissimo?

You are in Michael P.!

Jimmy,

While I can probably play up to about a written D above the D above the staff on soprano (concert C), I would suggest not writing above written A, (concert G) as in the second A/G above the staff, not the one just above the staff...let me know if you don't understand...In other words, the entire standard range plus two whole steps.. I wouldn't go higher unless completely necessary as pitch and tone on soprano that high is not pretty.

That's plenty high for me!

I think I'll give this a go :D

There is still time if you sign up now!

8 days until submission is due! Hope everyone is finishing up!

Here's my finished composition!

http://www.box.net/shared/m0oe1s2las

http://www.box.net/shared/cu0m7tyau0

While the deadline is closing I want to give a little preview (http://www.box.net/shared/nll710ol9f). Movement 1 and 4 of the sonata for sax and piano. The final result will be posted in the chamber forum, and I'll give a notice here. But I wanted to share this sofar.

I am really excited about this, and very curious what others did!

Jaap

How late should the entries be in?

ill give until the start of May 2 at 12 am..the second May 2 starts EST

my entry is at http://www.youngcomposers.com/pg/Music/jrcramer/composition?entry=37904

have fun!

Since I only received 2 of the 6 entrants, I will give until May 7 for others to turn in entries..