“Her students tear it up every morning in rehearsal. Never quite seen or heard the like in 20 years of teaching.”
Ian Farish, Band teacher, St. Michael’s University School, Victoria, BC, Canada
“… now I actually WANT to practice!”
Tevne, student
“Monik has been a major source of inspiration and knowledge in my development as an improviser.”
Julian Mulhall, former student at the Victoria Conservatory of Music
Learn all your major scales and win a badger today just like Gavin. It takes hard work and dedication to learn a musical instrument, but the rewards are wild and furry!
The Secret of the Day is …. Learn the circle of fifths/fourths/dominants!
Check out my YouTube channel for fun instructional videos: http://www.youtube.com/c/MonikNordine
Please download this pdf of all the major scales for saxophone if you haven’t already learned them, here is your chance: scale-book-chapter-1
From the beginning of my career in the 1980’s until the present day, I have always loved teaching. Most of this has been private lessons teaching, but in the past 5 years I have been engaged in more classroom work. At the core of this is a sense of legacy and a desire to pass on my inspiration to the next generation of musicians.
Check out Uncle Stan’s Altissimo Fingerings: Uncle Stan’s Altissimo Fingerings
My sincerest wish is that studying music will make you a happier person 🙂
Student Quartet performance
Private Students
For those of you who are beginners here is a fingering chart to help you learn the notes on the saxophone: Saxophone fingering chart
The following is an exercise that Maestro Allard demonstrates at 11:40 and is vital for tone production. He centers the alto saxophone mouthpiece at C5 (an octave above middle C). I recommend centering the alto mouthpiece on A440. Tenor saxophone at E above middle C, and baritone saxophone at middle C, soprano saxophone at C5. The overtones he demonstrates in the first 10 minutes of this video segment are based on air pressure, not on tightening the embouchure, rather adjusting the air, and he is not using the register key for any of the overtones you will hear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-0N7XETP5M
In this video from Brett Primack, Bob Mintzer expertly demonstrates how classical etudes can be used as a basis for improvisation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6piBHijpHE
My dear friend Seamus Blake is always a source of awe and inspiration. His solo starts at roughly 6:10 into the video segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnSymLWxOFc
This page has many fine solo transcriptions: http://www.remibolduc.com/downloads.php
inspiring interview with Sonny Rollins
Student Recital
Monik Nordine 