From the beginning of my saxophone career, the works of Sigurd Rascher’s and the Rascher Saxophone Quartet have been a great influence on me.
I grew up in Cambridge, NY which is only 15 min away from Shushan, NY, where Sigurd Rascher retired. Schools in my area were hip to the Rascher style of playing and the Rascher Saxophone Mouthpieces, and luckily, so was I, and I soaked up every recording of the Rascher Saxophone Quartet I could find.
When I was studying saxophone at Fredonia State, I heard RSQ live for the first time during a Rascher Saxophone Camp, and it changed my life. I was entranced by their tone and technique and I knew at that moment that my life’s course would be led by the saxophone. It was at this camp that I met Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz and heard him play, a very influential meeting as I later studied under Dr. Gwozdz while obtaining my Masters in Music at University of Southern Mississippi, in addition to working directly as his teaching assistant.
Since then, I changed my career path from player to technician, and have now had the distinct honor to work on Sigurd Rascher’s personal alto saxophone, his Adolph Sax model which was used to design the Buescher line of Saxophones, and many members of RSQ current and past, such as Carina Rascher (soprano), Ken Coon (baritone), Bruce Weinberger (tenor), and Elliot Riley (alto). Equally humbling was the honor to work on the saxophones of my former teachers, Dr. Wyman and Dr. Gwozdz who both studied directly with Sigurd Rascher.
Knowing that attending a Rascher Saxophone Camp can change a player’s life, my business, the Sax ProShop at MusicMedic, is pleased to offer two scholarships to cover the tuition for attending Rascher Saxophone Workshop at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS from June 22-29, 2019.
More info here: https://www.usm.edu/music/southern-saxophone-workshop
To apply, please write an essay explaining how the saxophone has changed your life and send to the submission portal at www.southernsax.com. The application deadline will be Sunday May 19th. Winners will be selected by Dr. Gwozdz and Jeff Humphrey and notified on May 21. Good luck!