IntellectualMusician.com relies on it’s dynamic group of authors to make this site into the wonderful resource that it is. Among the best is this month’s featured author Brien Henderson.
About Brien:
My real goal in music is to be a Renaissance musician, or at least highly multi-disciplinary. As a performer, I play the saxophone in most any style, clarinet, flute, and piano. As a composer, I write both Jazz and Classical style pieces for standard and non-standard ensembles. I teach saxophone and clarinet privately. I also provide music services, such as transcription and music copying. And now I have been able to take all my knowledge and experience in music and revisit an old love of mine (writing), and put it all to use in one place here at Intellectual Musician.
Relocating to San Francisco in 2005 was one of the most fortunate things that ever happened for my musical development. There is a truly vibrant music scene in San Francisco, spanning all genres and styles, and some really wonderful players. I’m actively performing in a Funk/Soul group, a Jazz quartet, and an experimental duo with a fantastic violist, and I’m always up for something else. Though I fancy myself a composer first, the fact is I love to play.
My compositions have recently started to take off as well. In late April 2007, I had the chance to hear my first piece for sting quartet performed live before a great audience. In that same week, I received my first commission, for a piece currently in the works for saxophone and trumpet. I’m continuing to work on the string quartet, intending to add three more movements to have a full string quartet under my belt. Other projects include saxophone quartets and a duet for saxophone and cello. If you couldn’t guess, one of my major interests is generating more repertoire for the saxophone in the Classical idiom.
I am also in the process of forming a saxophone quartet to play all the pieces I’m writing for that instrumentation. Once again, my hope is to spread the idea that the saxophone can be a Classical instrument, not just a Jazz instrument. After all, when Adolphe Sax invented it, Jazz didn’t exist. Sax hoped for it to be incorporated into the orchestra. There have been a handful of concertos for saxophone with orchestra (and I’ll probably write one myself), but it hasn’t been incorporated into the body of the standard orchestra yet. Maybe one day.
I’m incredibly pleased to be a part of Intellectual Musician. It’s so nice to have a forum to provide people with genuinely useful, free information. I’m always open to article suggestions, and hope my contributions to this site will be of assistance to many musicians out there.
More info:
Brien’s website
Compositions by Brien
The Vibro Music Center where Brien teaches
Musical Projects Brien’s involved with:
Quixote Modern Jazz Quartet
Her Grace The Duchess
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