The Most Optimized Sax Ever? - NASA Vlog

I went to NASA! … for saxophonists! This event is called the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference. If you like saxophone, education, and meeting like-minded people, I think you’d definitely enjoy this event. I hope to go to the next one!
Table of Contents:
0:00 - What is NASA?
0:31 - Arrival
1:06 - Meeting heroes
1:55 - No expectations
2:23 - So many performances!
4:07 - Winners’ Concert
5:08 - Meeting GianCarlo Lay
6:21 - UMKC Workshop Announcement
7:40 - Throat Presentation
7:56 - SVPI (someone plz help)
8:42 - Sax Equipment Nerd Time!!!
9:13 - Breathtaking Neck Strap
9:55 - Ishimori DREAMLAND
11:10 - Metal Classical MP?
11:30 - Eddie Rivera
11:59 - Will Peak
12:23 - The Weirdest Best Horn…
13:12 - Meeting Chance Stine
14:24 - Jazz Philosophy with Alex Upton
16:33 - My Presentation!
16:53 - Gratitude for Meeting You!
17:19 - Outro + Ritual
Register for the 2023 UMKC Workshop here! (Using this link will get you $75 off!):
apm.activecommunities.com/umkc...
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‼️ My eBook PDF Download on Daily Sax Fundamentals for Technical Agility (138 pages!) (Over 1.7K sales, thank you!!!):
linktr.ee/saxologic
- Saxophones I'd Recommend For Your First Purchase:
jeanpaulusa.com/r?id=med166
- Boston Sax Shop Products (use code GOODMAN for 10% off anything!):
www.bostonsaxshop.com/​
- Saxologic Signature SYOS mouthpiece:
syos.co/en/products/alto-sign...
- NEW Saxologic Merch:
saxologic-shop.fourthwall.com
- My Instagram:
/ tgnathan​
- My Practicing Instagram:
/ sheddbro​
- My Gaming Channel LOL:
/ @smashologic8710
- My Gmail:
[e-mail]
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⬇️ Gear I Use :D ⬇️
🔷 SAXOPHONES:
• Alto: imp.i114863.net/yR3kOB (My other horn is a Mark VI)
• Soprano: imp.i114863.net/DVg3qG
• Tenor: www.nexussaxophones.com (Use code SAXOLOGIC10 for 10% off Nexus reeds, mouthpieces, and ligatures, or SAXOLOGIC150 for $150 off the Nexus saxophone!!)
🔷 MOUTHPIECES:
• Jazz Alto: imp.i114863.net/oe3OGe
• Classical Alto: imp.i114863.net/b3zVqm
• Soprano (Classical & Jazz): imp.i114863.net/vn3V0W
🔷 REEDS:
• Jazz Alto & Tenor: www.bostonsaxshop.com/shop/p/... (My coupon codes are "YESSIR" or "GOODMAN")
• Classical Alto: imp.i114863.net/a1mePq
• Soprano (Classical & Jazz): imp.i114863.net/DVg3q5
🔷 RECORDING & TECHNOLOGY:
• Sax Microphone: imp.i114863.net/rn3XRd
• iPad: imp.i114863.net/P09bYj
• Video Editing Laptop: imp.i114863.net/a1meYN
• Camera: tinyurl.com/2p9fcn9d
This video was a curse to edit. Really, VLOGS are easily the most difficult kind of video to pull off. They can be incredibly boring if not done correctly. I don’t even know if I pulled this one off well. I guess we will see, lol. But finally it’s finished, and I learned some new video editing tricks along the way that have made me more efficient. So even if I didn’t pull it off, it was still worth something. Hopefully it will make the next one less cumbersome and time-consuming to put together. Either way, I had a great time at the event.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

The saxophone scene must be very healthy -- literally, all doctors were in that event. "Dr. this, Dr. that … ". Incredible.

[@AkkiLad]

I like to think that saxophonists are all nerds who can fake being cool very well. 😄

[@pgroove163]

Dr.woo

[@TAM-10]

Likely not medical doctors, but have a doctorate in music.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

@@TAM-10 Doctorate in music: how to resuscitate your reed after drowning; how to measure pad pressure; immobilising the bent key; … and the list goes on.

[@VA_BP-KN]

@@zvonimirtosic6171 yes

[@calkig]

Never thought I could get so jazzed up for classical saxophone...

[@ultimawerewolfbluephoenix9670]

Welcome to the club

[@bettersax]

Great video Nathan, thanks for sharing!

[@zoulekSAX]

Just so everyone knows, Saxologic's presentation was truly excellent. Thanks so much for this vlog, Nathan! I love this community, and you captured so much of the joy that comes along with the event.

[@Saxologic]

Thank you man!! 🙏🏽

[@Chad.Lilley]

Always happy to lend a horn - nice meeting you! Can’t wait to link up soon.

[@Saxologic]

🙏🏽🙏🏽 Great meeting you as well, will setup our hang soon!

[@YoPaulieMusic]

Thanks so much for sharing this! NASA has grown so much... I won the jazz competition in 1990, I drove from Denton, TX to Washington DC to attend, first prize was $350, which basically paid for my travel expenses. I remember practicing while driving some of those long highway stretches in Arkansas and Tennessee. I had a CB Radio in my little red Mazda B2200 pickup, had fun talking to truckers on the trip. Fun times, so long ago. Thanks again for sharing!

[@Ofairley_Music]

Hi everyone! I am in the Saxophone studio at USM and I hope everyone had a great time. It was a thrill to help host!

[@noahguajardo2775]

meeting giancarlo is amazing i watched him his senior year at state marching band

[@chancestine2659]

A big thanks for the shoutout! Great to finally meet you in person too. And what a great idea to make this NASA vlog, I don't think anyone has ever made one like this before for NASA. The only thing you left out about the Hattiesburg experience is how much money all us saxophonists put into Raising Cane's that weekend...

[@shaggy.patches]

Of all the sax players I recognized, I knew I was going to see Liz Ames at some point. Lol, great playing!

[@lyntedrockley7295]

I got that SVI in my teens, (in the 1970s) went to hospital doctors to investigate. Couldn't get anywhere with a diagnosis. It would be brought on by tonguing practice, and would come on sooner and sooner until meaningful practice was impossible. It felt exactly as in that line diagram. Loss of the seal to prevent air coming out of the nose. When it was bad I could barely talk. It was ok if I didn't play much, which was ok for me, but obviously not for a student or pro. I see little progress has been made in understanding it. I've never until now seen any other reference to it, yet alone a name for it. I thought it was just me. I play much more now and have so far only encountered it if I really stress the palate with trying to develop double tongue. And that figures. So I'm careful. I really sympathise with you Nathan. And yes there NEEDS to be serious research into this.

[@jimmymiller6068]

I have ishimori ligatures for my alto and tenor. After 25ish years of playing I am convinced what makes a ligature great is how well it is designed to fit the mouthpiece you are using, not so much what it's made out of.

[@neonx6568]

I attended the UNC Jazz workshop last year, at which both Rahsaan Barber and Alex Upton were instructors. I had Alex as a combo instructor Really nice to see them getting the recognition they deserve!

[@eddierivera7197]

Hey Nathan! Great to meet you finally! Some great sounds all around at Hattiesburg. Hope you enjoyed my fuzzy bird excerpt haha. You’re goated 🐐

[@Saxman_sam]

Hi Eddie!! You’re goated

[@andrewstine1227]

Love the video! Super cool to see the world I love broadcast like this! Thanks for the shoutout too!

[@eliwyatt2292]

Hi

[@andrewstine1227]

@@eliwyatt2292 shalom

[@maskedfox1728]

I moved from clarinet to learning the tenor sax and I had to get used to the looser embouchure if you are supposed to call it looser and I love how two woodwinds can be so similar and different at the same time

[@benjordan3565]

10:00 Matt Hess!!! Love him

[@supergmony6938]

Chad actually came to my high school with a local sax quartet playing a saprano sax, which was super cool. Very talented musician.

[@beth7467]

Mind. Blown. Some of those classical ensembles gave me a whole new perspective on what can be done on saxophone. Thanks for sharing your conference experiences!

[@johnnysalinas]

Excellent Vlog! Sorry I missed meeting you in Mississippi, but I am hosting the next NASA Biennial Conference at Oklahoma State University, March 14-17, 2024... Hope to meet you there!

[@pgroove163]

always into jazz but seriously getting into classical saxophone just love it.. just discovering so many incredible players in that genre past & present

[@ryank09]

HAHAAAAA the guy walking up to the front at 3:31 is the director at spokane falls community college where i played in a community band! hes cool

[@WorldoftheWoods]

Nick Zoulek was a grad student and was an assistant to the marching band at BGSU when I went there. I am primarily a flautist, but play sax and clarinet for jazz and pit orchestras, and I had no idea that he had risen in fame in the saxophone community. That’s awesome!!

[@alanhirayama4592]

Thank you for sharing your NASA experience, Nathan! Incredible players incredible Music!

[@luisthehippo]

A comment that'll probably get lost, but anyways him coming to Kansas and teaching is AWESOME. I started sax 2 years ago and man it's been an adventure. When I was first starting out I stumbled across this channel, and the stuff that he taught in his videos has helped me get to where im at now. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I picked it up faster then ever with his help. I'm thinking about signing up if I don't get hooked on the ukulele. I hope I get to see you there saxologic. Thank you so much for making helpful and entertaining videos, they helped me alot. :)

[@tjeffersonb]

Ah, Giancarlo is my idol. He’s only a few years older than me, but I swear he’s so much better than I could ever be. It’s astounding!

[@racehoglund7251]

Man Chance sounds truly phenomenal! I got to hear him and meet him when we both auditioned for pershing's own and I was blown away by his sound!

[@williampeak7617]

Awesome video, and it was a great conference! A lot of sax nerds were definitely hungry for some NASA after two years of covid cancellations. Also, wow, thanks for the shoutout and kind words! “…he’s got all the math and the science of it down…” I hope nobody asks me about the math!😅 Looking forward to having you visit KC in June for the sax workshop!

[@Saxologic]

Thanks for letting me try the horn and for all the awesome innovations you continue to make! You’re the man!

[@wyndhl8309]

Nathan, certainly you are a man with a mission; so unselfish and honest you are. In the future, you may want to discuss and/or write a comparative analysis of European Classical Music and (Authentic) Jazz Music. Very informative 👏 Thanks, sir.

[@Sue20022010]

Thank you for service, Sgt Stine

[@DNS0875]

I’m a classical saxophonist and I enjoy every second of it 🎉

[@jonathanmunoz2449]

8:11 my hero Big Man McHann holding it down back there.

[@StephenPageSax]

Great to meet you, and thanks for the kind words! Can’t wait to see what’s next for you!!

[@Saxologic]

Great meeting you as well!!

[@giovannifranzetti6214]

So much life in the classical/contemoporary saxophone world there, it's inspiring! Nice!

[@sitarnut]

One of your best episodes... so happy to see a thriving environment for Reed Men and Women.

[@KleinkMusic]

3:32 Hey! I know Kyle! He's an adjunct professor at FAU, a local university around where I live! Super cool dude, got to have a mini-lesson with him once. He also taught some early-season technique for my marching band. Fantastic player!

[@FranckWolf]

Fascinating video, thank you for this report! 👍🎷🙏

[@bunkerz5326]

Brilliant and breathtaking to watch.

[@shishbish9489]

i love sound session dude, so much fun to watch them play.

[@paddylandreville8501]

Awesome video Mr. Bro, thanks for posting and sharing so many top-notch saxophonists with us.

[@jamescps8799]

Super great Vlog, so many saxophone super stars, all are my idols.

[@danielbowerly9111]

This was great. I haven't been to one of those events for years... life, and teaching has gotten in the way. Thank you so much for bringing this video to us so we could share the experience. The art of saxophone playing has come so far!

[@lakawaithaka3778]

This is amazing, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for telling us about SVPI!!! I've experienced it a couple of times and was so confused as to what was happening. I honestly hope we learn more on this soon.

[@Dannelophone]

Thank you for coming to the conference this year and doing an awesome job with this video!

[@denny8886]

As always, great content! I so appreciate what you do!

[@lukeserrano62]

“True to the music, but also true to ourselves” ❤

[@emmarawiczsax]

Yep.

[@CodySirkSax]

So many of my friends featured in this video! 🤩 Nice shoutout to my professors in h2 and Capitol! Wish I would’ve gotten to go this year. Great video!!

[@VeggiesbyEos]

Hi Cody! :)

[@Jasparniewboer]

Love you man! Thanx for sharing!

[@inspir.edmusic]

I went to go compete with my saxophone quartet years ago... I went the year that Donny McCaslin was the guest artist. It was awesome!

[@Arsaxophone]

This guy is so humble a súper cool. God bless you… thank you for the video.

[@cheknfaks]

Wow what an amazing experience that must have been. Now i see why i need that classical in my life.

[@rosstones1]

Fascinating event!

[@francistaylor5097]

Great video. Love that Vandoren lanyard. You've recommended so many great players to me in this video; that's my viewing sorted for a while.

[@BassFunMusic]

The tunes on this channel are straight bangers! 🔥💓🎵 Keep 'em coming!

[@EricTorreborre]

So much talent, wow

[@DoctorEngrish]

I had no idea this was a thing 😮. What an awesome video. Thanks for bringing us along.

[@gusmarrero]

How awesome, meeting people is one of my favorite things because it creates networks..... awesome! congrats!

[@SAXCCENT]

Thanks for the feature! Humbled out of all the things going on, you were able to make it to my performance. Nice to meet you, hope to again soon!

[@Saxologic]

Hey man you gave me the time and date and I said I’ll be there! Haha, sounded awesome. I wish got footage of the other piece as well. Some of those arpeggios you did in that one were crazy

[@braidenmesserschmidt3626]

I'm glad to have made an appearance in one of your videos! I was playing one of the duets with Stine!

[@Saxologic]

Ah there you are! Sorry I did not catch your name! Next time

[@kaedenparks9111]

NASA was such an amazing conference. The performers were amazing, highly recommend to anyone if you can make it

[@FoolishFrankie]

Woah I was in the 8 O'clock with Brandon Kelley!! And Clint Bleil who wrote that quartet piece is a good friend of mine. Great vlog man I hope I get to go one of these soon!

[@Jonathanhsax]

Great to meet you dude!! Best of luck with your DMA. I'll see you around I'm sure. Also, pink gold ishimori on alto gang 😉

[@Sue20022010]

Welcome back, my Dude-io! Sic with a hard S and C

[@kodokuxx]

yoooo i got to meet you at the breathtaking booth! glad to see some of my pics ended up in the video :)

[@VeggiesbyEos]

It was so nice meeting you at nasa and seeing your presentation!! Also glad I made the background of this video at 13:06 🤣🤣. I'm glad you saw sound session, they are amazing people and saxophone players!

[@arcticflames]

your reaction at 12:33 was very relatable lol

[@joewilson9361]

I'm so happy we have the North American Saxophone Alliance! Somebody has to fight back against the Galactic Saxophone Empire.

[@ScarRach]

There's an article about SVPI by Julianne Kirk Doyle actually refering to clarinet, but probably is still interesting for you. It's called "Eliminating the soft palatal air leak" published in "The clarinet". Also an exercise I was given by an incredible trumpet professor was to lay the tongue on the mouthpiece, at first without a reed attached, getting the tongue inside the mouth without letting it get all the way back into the throat, and trying to breath in and out through the mouthpiece and the nose at the same time. Closing one nostril helps a lot at first. Then doing the same thing with the reed attached and playing some (4 or so) notes with tonguing while breathing out through the nostril and then breathing in again through both instrument and nostril while still tonguing. It's a great breathing exercise, helps to have a relaxed throat and face and to build awareness of the soft palate. Maybe that helps ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[@SedonaMTB]

Saxophone is the greatest of all woodwinds. Great ligature.

[@iconictea4066]

outro gets me every time

[@DavidHallidayMusic]

Great video! Thank you!

[@acow1239]

The humble masterrrr

[@DynamixWarePro]

Great video! Loved hearing the different players. I have Ishimori solid silver and brass ligatures for alto my sax and I stopped using the brass ligature as it was raw brass and tarnished a lot, has green spots and started to have that metallic and didn't like that. I like the solid silver, feels freeblowing and adds a little brightness to the sound.

[@elijahfreeman6940]

Alex is the best part of this video 🔥 love you homie! Crazy to see you here

[@masonthomassax]

Man Rahsaan is so good, one of my favorite modern players for sure

[@EdgarByars]

yes sir!

[@hoyvintagecycles2936]

The answer that Alex gave to your question was so good. You could apply that answer to anything!! great job. Sorry, i found you through your brother LOL you are both hilarious!! and talented!!

[@817slbav]

As a trumpeter, I can relate a lot.

[@mitchparker6319]

I also got to hold Will Peak's horn. That thing felt so good.

[@clementbrely846]

Hey, I am a french oboist and teacher and the same soft palate problem happened to me when I was studying. Appart from the side that we should manage to blow in a way that doesn't over pressurize the "face", a professor of mine gave me an advice that at first I found weird (like not music related) but actually worked. He told me to yawn with the mouth close in order to build up muscle around the soft palate. You can even "fake yawn", juste make sure that your lips touch. The problem was actually resolved pretty quickly after that, like a few months (for something that was happening since 10 years...) Hope this can help, thank you for your vidéos and great talent!!

[@Saxologic]

Thank you! I will try this!!

[@clementbrely846]

Hey! So have you tried it ? Am I winning anything ? 😌💥

[@JamesLee-yn4wj]

Dr. Shults shredding as always

[@McGillMusicSaxSchool]

Wow Nathan, that sounds like an awesome event. Would love to come along next time.

[@Saxologic]

Hey man! Thanks for checking it out! Yes, please do!

[@davjpeg]

also next NASA event will be next year at the Oklahoma State University McKnight Center in Stillwater, OK!!

[@DocBree13]

My Alma Mater! I was in the Cowboy Marching Band - will definitely have to go to that one - thanks for the info!

[@natedowney3300]

Nice meeting you there!

[@GeeMannn]

I didn't even know this existed. Would love to show up some day!

[@Luisxpro10]

It’s incredible seeing appreciation for the classical arts from a predominately jazz player. I’m a trumpet player, and the trend tends to be the other way around haha. Start off doing the classical stuff and branch off into jazz

[@aaclar]

Y’all I went to a NASA even in Lubbock pre pandemic and it really was as amazing as he did and the convos and love they showed me even as a hack hobbyist was so cool so willing to help and some of the old cats had amazing stories

[@jaysax90]

Ayyy! Rahsaan! Miss that dude!

[@gengee21]

Chance Stine is a good buddy of mine! Great video!

[@hwynne]

I've had issues with the soft palate fatigue/collapse and doing longtones everyday has really helped. I'm not sure what else can be done to fix it, but they warm me up and I can play for way longer without issues

[@BHAKTIBROPHY]

Adam Larson and his entire band were *on fire* in the little live clip; glorious rhythm section. Can you recommend an album or link to more live footage with *that* particular trio? Thank you, kindly. A guitarist, drummer, keys, mandolin, etc, since the mid '70s, a drum set was my first *real* instrument at age 5, but I did *"play"* a $13 plastic sax before that. Guitar is my main instrument, but the last concert I saw before spine injury 18 years ago was one of my first favorite jazz musicians, Sonny Rollins. I love listening to sax players. I'm grateful YT recommended your videos. You are so talented. Keep following your passions and make your dreams come true. Big smile, and much gratitude for the joy you bring to world. PS *Mingus* is such a cool name for a cool little pup! Cheers

[@brucebruchler4047]

Dude the greg fishman duets are so good

[@dunaldpumpbase]

Miss ya brah

[@Saxologic]

Miss you too brother

[@emusqueak]

Wow! I wish there was something like this in the uk - so many doctors of saxophone!!

[@tidnid1869]

I guess the RNCM saxophone day would be the closest thing

[@lilygrace15]

BROOO i’m in 8th going into 9th and i auditioned for the hs band. i got 1st chair in the top band 🎉 i came back here because this channel motivates me to try flavored reeds 😊 lmaoo

[@spikesandcurles961]

I live in the KC area and when he said kc i was like "WHAT DID HE JUST SAY THAT. OMG"

[@MHsax]

Great meeting you! And NICE ligature ;)

[@jim6929]

I had the soft palate collapse problem - it was bad bad bad! I didn’t get any professional advice but went back to basics / really thinking about the diaphragm breath support, etc and so far so good it seems to have gone away

[@krazymatt285]

Nathan:Can I have it? Him: NO

[@bobblues1158]

Thanks Nathan.

[@jopeckproductions782]

I just heard Adam Larson last week at Smalls!

[@iitsspicy5643]

Dang I was there too. With my college studio I wish I had been able to meet you. The conference was just a great experience though