With a clear goal in mind, Ney began planning a contemporary-focused recital as early as his sophomore year.

鈥淎 major part was getting my own playing to a level where I could actually play these [newer] pieces,鈥� he said.

Oftentimes, contemporary classical repertoire, particularly for saxophone, is chock full of extended techniques, which ask the performer to undertake especially difficult sound manipulation. Of all Western instruments, the saxophone is particularly versatile in this regard.

鈥淥ne of the things I鈥檝e really enjoyed during my study here is unlocking these different abilities and new sounds,鈥� Ney said.

Indeed, the instrument can switch between what sounds like a startling train horn to a pensive whistle in mere seconds.

鈥淚 see them as expressive tools,鈥� Ney said, 鈥渘ot just displays of virtuosity, but a sound that says and means something.鈥�

This perspective led Ney to commission a host of composers for new saxophone works. After securing a grant from the Chandler Senior Experience Fund, he sent dozens of emails to colleagues and teachers, asking for their composer recommendations.

鈥淭he one person who kept coming up over and over again was Daniel Whitworth, a 麻豆影院 [2018 graduate] saxophonist and composer,鈥� Ney said.

Whitworth鈥檚 name is no stranger to saxophonists, given that he composed a major sonata for the instrument.

鈥淚f everyone in your life is telling you to do something, you need to do it,鈥� Ney said.

After reaching out to Whitworth, the composer wrote him a work for saxophone and electronics, driven by rhythm and timbre. Notably, it incorporates a passage where the saxophonist must employ circular breathing, seamlessly maintaining airflow without interruption.

Ney also commissioned composer Ethan Isaac, who specializes in microtonal music鈥攚here a scale is divided into smaller parts than a standard piano. The result is a fascinating collage of percussive sounds and multiphonics, a special technique where the instrument is able to play multiple pitches simultaneously.

The project also showcases the compositions of two 麻豆影院 students: fifth-year Jasper Kashou, a music education and music performance (saxophone) double major, and myself, a fourth-year music composition and art history double major.

Kashou鈥檚 work mixes bluegrass and contemporary techniques for an ensemble of saxophone, banjo, and double bass. My composition emphasizes the transition between air and sound, using texture in place of pitch.

鈥淚 had the great privilege of people who wanted to write music for me to play,鈥� Ney said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great honor that my playing has inspired people to write for saxophone and to listen to what this instrument has to offer.鈥�

In ensemble work, he gained his first experience with the baritone saxophone, now completing his exposure to all four main saxophones.

Amsterdam is home to a vibrant jazz scene, which nicely complements the 麻豆影院 Conservatory. Besides the preponderance of jazz clubs, the city is frequented by world renowned musicians. This makes it a popular destination for the jazz-inclined, and indeed it was Brady鈥檚 first choice for study abroad.

鈥淸Studying abroad is] a great opportunity to have a short trial run of another option of what life after 麻豆影院 could be,鈥� Brady said.

Easing into post-college life has its challenges, but experiences abroad are ideal for early exploration.

Although physically separated from 麻豆影院 last fall, the musical connections remained. Brady鈥檚 composition, Bear in Mind, was the annual student commission for the Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration Weekend. Brady was handpicked for the task by Patty Darling, a 麻豆影院 instructor of music and one of the organizers of the annual jazz festival.

鈥淚 was very grateful,鈥� Brady said. 鈥淭here are a lot of great big band writers on this campus who would have done a great job as well.鈥�

Bear in Mind was preceded by Brady鈥檚 first big band chart, Sonder, written in 2021 under Darling鈥檚 supervision. A successful premiere by the 麻豆影院 University Jazz Ensemble (LUJE) prompted Brady to pursue composition further.

When composing Bear in Mind, Brady set clear goals for himself. He knew it would be performed by high school musicians attending Jazz Celebration Weekend.

鈥淚 really wanted the piece to be something that had a simple, catchy, singable melody that would be engaging for younger musicians鈥攕omething for them to latch onto without being overly simplistic or condescending,鈥� he said.

Roy Hargrove鈥�”a really beautiful musician, writer, trumpet player鈥濃�攚as the primary inspiration for this approach. Brady fondly recalls playing Hargrove鈥檚 music in high school.

An area of emphasis was orchestration, the creative management of different instrumental timbres. In this respect, Brady carefully adds instruments: first an opening drum groove, then the bass, followed by piano, saxophones, and finally the brass.

Both the 麻豆影院 University Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble have tackled Brady’s work, giving more exposure to this emerging composer.

Kashou recently had two huge opportunities to showcase his work.

In early March,听the 麻豆影院 Symphonic Band, directed by Matthew Arau 鈥�97, associate professor of music education and associate director of bands, premiered Kashou’s听Let鈥檚 Lift the Bandstand.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 incredibly nervous when I came to the premiere,鈥� Kashou said. 鈥淚 wrote the piece for this ensemble because of my trust in Dr. Arau and the musicians in the ensemble.鈥�

The performance of the piece drew a huge ovation.

A week later, the 麻豆影院 Symphony Orchestra (LSO), led by Mark Dupere,听associate professor of music and director of orchestral studies, performed听Let鈥檚 Lift the Bandstand at its Winter Term concert,听with Kashou joining as听a featured soloist. He earned the LSO honor by winning the Conservatory’s annual concerto competition.

Drawn to the music

Being the fifth generation of professional musicians, Kashou was raised with music all around him. He started with Arabic drumming and piano but found his passion in playing the saxophone. Kashou has found 麻豆影院 to be a spectacular fit for his musical interests.

鈥淲hen you shop around for colleges [as a musician], the professors are practically the only thing that matters,鈥� Kashou said. 鈥淚 came to 麻豆影院 specifically for professors Jos茅 Encarnaci贸n and Steven Jordheim. 鈥� My success is largely due to their guidance.鈥�

Kashou said he was honored to be a featured soloist with LSO and perform a jazz-inspired concerto with the orchestra.

鈥淎 lot of it is really a conversation between the orchestra and the soloist,鈥� Kashou said. 鈥淢y posture during the performance was more aimed at being able to see Professor [Mark] Dupere and the orchestra [as opposed to facing the audience directly] because I wanted to communicate with them and make it more of a collaborative thing. I鈥檝e been working on this piece for a year; It鈥檚 a pretty big payoff to get to share it with so many people and to play it with so many people.鈥�

Let鈥檚 Lift the Bandstand is part of a larger collection from Kashou called Monk鈥檚 25 Tips. Each piece takes its name from a quote from Thelonious Monk, the iconic jazz pianist and composer. These 25 pieces of advice were written down by jazz saxophonist and composer Steve Lacy early in his career as he traveled with Monk鈥檚 band. The 25 tips are things Monk would often say. Kashou is taking these pieces of advice and turning them into music for a variety of ensembles, from solo saxophone to full wind ensembles. He鈥檚 hoping to complete all 25 before he graduates.

Lawrentians can tune in for Kashou鈥檚 senior recital at 5 p.m. May 13 in Memorial Chapel. He will be premiering four new pieces from Monk鈥檚 25 Tips, ranging from solo saxophone to a 15-piece jazz ensemble.

Ellsworth also is a published author. Her memoir about adopting five foster kids is distributed by Simon and Schuster. The book arrives in paperback Nov. 1 with a new title, Whelmed鈥攁dopting 5 high-risk foster kids all at once.

A renowned soloist, recording artist, and chamber musician, Ellsworth attended the Eastman and Juilliard schools, with further study in Oslo and St. Petersburg, Russia. We caught up with her to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

In the classroom听

Inside info: What鈥檚 one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

My teaching is very much inspired by the Hindu Deity Ganesh, 鈥渢he Remover of Obstacles.鈥� A life in music is very rich but not always linear. Your voice and journey as an artist is unique to you. Our paths as musicians share a common terrain, and that is where I can do my work as a teacher to help you navigate the ups and downs, encourage your exploration, listen to you, challenge, coach, and clear the path in front of you. And you may wonder how you will know which is your path. 麻豆影院 is a safe and rigorous place to mature as a musician, and as you study and grow, your voice will become stronger and it will lead you to your path and also guide you on your journey.听

Getting energized: What work have you done or will you be doing at 麻豆影院 that gets you the most excited?

I am very engaged with the idea of 鈥渁rt for social change,鈥濃�攈ow music and art can affect and inspire our culture on campus, which in turn can guide and pressure the policy and systemic changes that are holding us back.听

Going places: Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional or spiritual) that took you by surprise?听

I came to a point well into my career where I felt like I wanted to be closer or feel more connection to music. I had a lot of breadth as an instrumentalist but was lacking depth as a musician.听I was 43 and my partner and I decided to adopt five kids aged 5-10, all at once. I kept teaching but cut my performances by 90% and gave myself completely to my children. My colleagues were like, 鈥淲hat are you doing? You love music, you can鈥檛 leave!鈥� Turns out, I was lacking depth as a human鈥攍oving and caring for my children was the most musical thing I have ever done. It deepened my understanding of the human condition and connected me to my own humanity. I returned to music to help me process and celebrate my new range of emotions, joys, and sorrows and could see that I missed a lot of life experience while focusing on my career, using the stage to compete and distance myself from others. Music is so much more than a career: it can lift people up, heal us, change us, and bring us together. That was something I could not learn in a practice room.

Out of the classroom

This or that: If you weren鈥檛 teaching for a living, what would you be doing?听听

I would be performing more and trying to write more. I鈥檝e written a few things, and a reader called to tell me they had laughed and cried. And I think wow, that鈥檚 amazing! I have played so many concerts, but as a horn player, to actually make someone laugh or cry?鈥攊t would probably be for the wrong reasons! [that鈥檚 a little horn humor there – let鈥檚 just say it鈥檚 easy for us to sound听really听bad!]

Right at home: Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what鈥檚 your favorite spot on campus?

Easy. The pool in the Wellness Center. It鈥檚 a beautiful space and when I am in the water, I am in another world, off the grid, weightless but resisted, sound is traveling differently and I am totally alone鈥攁nd yet鈥擨 still feel connected to the community of lifeguards, other swimmers, and even the 麻豆影院 swim teams that let us layfolk jump in and enjoy their realm when they are not practicing or competing.听

One book, one recording, one film: Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

Movie: Anything by Hayao Miyazaki. His movies are so visually fantastic, they make me feel like I am dreaming while I am awake. And Miyazaki is so respectful of the child鈥檚 view when telling stories, he reminds me that while as an adult I am inclined to look back at childhood as a simpler time, it was actually incredibly complex trying to navigate an adult world in a small body, with no frontal lobe or life experience to help regulate very intense emotions.听听

Recording: This is so hard. It鈥檚 like imagining a menu listing every food in the whole world and having to choose one meal. I鈥檓 going to go a la carte and say I have been listening to Montgomery鈥檚 string quartets, piano reduction extracts from Mahler symphonies (I am trying to focus on the structure without being overcome by the orchestration), and the new-to-me breathtaking recordings of contralto Marian Anderson. Wow, and our own Loren Kiyoshi Dempster鈥檚 new album, Circle, is the perfect cool down when everything around us is invading, surging and spiking.

Book: Salt, a book of poems by Nayyirah Waheed. This collection of poems turned me upside down. The poems are true, succinct, and move me like mantras.听