Classical Saxophone

CLASSICAL SAXOPHONE

We look forward to getting to know you and talking with you about the classical saxophone studio at the University of Tennessee. The best way to get a feel for a school is to visit. Walk around the campus. Sit in on a band rehearsal. Take a lesson. The faculty at UT love to get to know prospective students and help them navigate the tough decision of which college to choose.

The classical saxophone studio at the University of Tennessee is a supportive environment in which students are challenged to play a wide variety of repertoire and excel in saxophone pedagogy. In addition to solo performances, chamber music is a highly regarded part of the curriculum. Several saxophone quartets are formed each year, and these groups perform at studio recitals, outreach performances in the community, and high school visits. Future plans include local and national competitions. The students also participate in the studio saxophone ensemble each semester.

Please feel free to set up a visit and complimentary lesson by emailing Associate Professor of Saxophone Allison Adams (aadams63@utk.edu). She is also happy to answer questions about the saxophone studio, the College of Music, and the audition requirements. In addition, the College of Music has a Director of Admissions and Student Success who enjoys answering question about the school, helping prospective students navigate through the admission process, and setting up campus visits. Her name is Sara Carroll, and please do not hesitate to contact her at scarro33@utk.edu if you have any questions.

Private Lessons

Each student pursuing a music major receives a lesson with Professor Adams each week These lessons are taught in the classical style and focus on developing fundamental, technical, and performance skills. Fundamental skills include development of tone, vibrato, articulation, breathing, and alternate fingerings. Students also learn technical skills such as major/minor scales, major/minor/diminished/augmented arpeggios, interval patterns on scales, the chromatic scale, and whole tone/diminished scales. Technique requirements are clearly defined by level at the beginning of the semester, and students will be tested at the end of each semester. Students also focus on learning a variety of etudes and repertoire.

Repertoire

The repertoire taught at the University of Tennessee follows the basic tradition of standard literature for the classical saxophone, while also expanding to music by composers with diverse backgrounds. Students will be exposed to works from every genre, from the Baroque period to today’s new music. Since the bulk of classical saxophone literature has been written for alto saxophone, students will be required to own a professional level alto saxophone, and usually would not major exclusively in soprano, tenor, or baritone saxophone. However, in addition to learning alto saxophone literature, students are highly encouraged to learn repertoire for the soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophones.

Solo Class

Each week, the saxophone studio meets together for Solo Class, held on Tuesdays from 12:55-2:10 p.m. This class provides an opportunity for student performances, student presentations, guest artist appearances, and lectures on pedagogy and history by Allison Adams. Each student is required to present one or two solo performances each semester. The performances are recorded on video for further study, and the rest of the class provides written and verbal comments. Duet and chamber music performances may also be included in Solo Class throughout the semester.

Recitals

Undergraduate students are highly encouraged to present recitals in their junior and senior years. Music education majors are required to give one 30-minute recital, while performance majors give both a 30-minute and 60-minute recital. Students are welcome to speak with Allison Adams about additional recitals, whether it is a chamber music recital, elective recital with a friend, or additional solo recital. Music majors in disciplines apart from music education and performance are also encouraged to present an elective recital in their senior year. Repertoire for each recital will be chosen together by Professor Adams and the student.

College-Owned Saxophones

The University of Tennessee owns many professional-level instruments that can be used for university bands, saxophone quartets, and occasionally in private lessons. These include Selmer and Yamaha sopranos, tenors, and baritones, which can be signed out for no charge with the approval of Professor Adams. The school also owns many professional mouthpieces and ligatures that may be signed out for use with these instruments. However, students are responsible for purchasing their own reeds.

Students are expected to own their own professional-level alto saxophone for use in private lessons.

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Meet Our Faculty

Allison Adams

Interim Director of Undergraduate Studies, Associate Professor of Saxophone | aadams63@utk.edu

Allison Adams, DMA, is Associate Professor of Saxophone at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where she shares her excitement for music with the next generation of music educators and performers.

To this end, Adams is currently co-authoring a saxophone method, titled Playing and Teaching the Saxophone: A Modern Approach, with saxophonist Brian Horner. This book focuses on saxophone pedagogy for collegiate method class students and band directors. Its expected release date is July 2023, through Oxford University Press.

A versatile performer in addition to a pedagogue, Adams will be a featured concerto soloist at The International Saxophone Festival Bellas Artes Cali in Cali, Colombia this summer.

She has also been a featured soloist at venues across the country, from the Dallas Latino Cultural Center, to San Diego’s Athenaeum Music and Arts Library. She has also a frequent performer at conferences such as The World Saxophone Congress, The International Saxophone Symposium, and The North American Saxophone Biennial Conference, and the International Clarinet Association Conference.

In addition to her solo work, Adams is the tenor player for theEstrella Consort, a saxophone quartet that has toured both locally and abroad. In May 2022, the quartet was featured as the ensemble-in-residence for the Alba Music Festival Composition Program in Italy. They have also held a residency at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ and toured Ecuador as part of a cultural exchange. While the Estrella Consort has performed and worked with students at many high-profile schools around the country (including Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and Arizona State University), they also take pleasure in exposing audiences outside the academic community to contemporary music in an approachable way.

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Saxophone Quartets at UT

At the University of Tennessee, all students in the classical saxophone studio are encouraged to participate in a saxophone quartet. These quartets rehearse together for at least two hours a week and meet with Dr. Adams for a coaching every other week. The groups present performances at saxophone studio recitals, are encouraged to schedule elective quartet recitals, and also perform off-campus at high schools, retirement homes, community events, conferences, and competitions. Each saxophone quartet is unique, and every ensemble is encouraged to choose performance venues that fit the personality of the group.

A chamber group such as the saxophone quartet is a great opportunity to grow as a musician, developing nuanced listening skills and independence within an ensemble. Playing in a quartet challenges musical and technical skills while building confidence, and rehearsing without a director also creates an environment in which each participant has some measure of both artistic and administrative control. Plus, it’s just alot of fun!

The UT Saxophone Ensemble

Performing at studio recitals and special events, the UT saxophone ensemble consists of the entire classical saxophone studio. Directed by Professor Adams, this ensemble presents an eclectic mix of original and transcribed works for saxophone ensemble.

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UT Bands

The University of Tennessee also has three concert bands, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Symphonic Band. With only four saxophone players in each group, these selective ensembles have auditions at the beginning of every semester. Click here for more information.

Pride of the Southland Marching Band

The University of Tennessee’s renowned “Pride of the Southland Band” boasts over 300 players and a long list of public appearances. Click here for more information.