Saxophone Festival draws aspiring middle and high school musicians to Wright State

Hosted by the Wright State School of Music, the Saxophone Festival attracted 40 students from 22 local middle and high schools to Schuster Hall in the Creative Arts Center.

Aspiring middle and high school musicians learned alongside music educators and band directors during Wright State University’s 16th annual Saxophone Festival.

Hosted by the Wright State School of Music, the Saxophone Festival attracted 40 students from 22 local middle and high schools to Schuster Hall in the Creative Arts Center.

The Saxophone Festival included lessons from current Wright State music students and four School of Music alumni now working in music education.

The festival gave students the opportunity to create music in small and large ensembles and attend masterclasses designed to broaden their knowledge of the saxophone. Students worked with members of the Wright State Saxophone Studio in classes specializing in performance on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone.

The day concluded with a performance in Schuster Hall in which the students were able to showcase the skills they had learned.

The Saxophone Festival was led by Frankie Wantuch, saxophone instructor, and organized by the Wright State Saxophone Studio and Shelley Jagow, Ph.D., professor of music and director of bands.

Wantuch said it was amazing to once again host aspiring middle school and high school saxophonist in the Creative Arts Center.

“Events similar to the Saxophone Festival are significant experiences for developing musicians who are exploring the possibilities available in the world of music,” she said. “We at Wright State are happy to lead students in the discovery of these opportunities.”

Providing opportunities for public school students to learn and practice music is an essential goal of the School of Music, Wantuch said.

“We want to give back to the community and help grow students’ musical abilities as well as character,” she said.

Four School of Music alumni returned to Wright State to teach at the festival this year: Alex Welch, 2020 instrumental music education graduate; Zach Greenwalt, 2018 music education graduate; Alex Moore, 2016 music education, saxophone and piano, graduate; and Jon Gaul, 2021 music education graduate.

Greenwalt and Moore both attended the Saxophone Festival as high school and Wright State students.

“When I was in high school, the festival was always an exciting day where I got to meet so many talented musicians my age from all over the state,” said Greenwalt, who is now a band director. “As a Wright State student, I remember the thrill, and slight anxiety, that came with coaching students who had never met how to play a piece they’ve never seen before all within the span of a few hours. And as an alumnus, I now get to watch the current students have that same experience while doing what I can to make it as rewarding as it was for me.”

“I believe this side-by-side experience of alumni, current students, and middle school and high school students is a really special collaboration,” said Moore, who teaches orchestra at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati. “Learning from each other at the Saxophone Festival is an opportunity for us to be inspired and add new tools to our teaching toolbox.”

Gaul, who is director of bands at Preble Shawnee High School, said that participating in the Saxophone Festival as a student inspired him to pursue a teaching career.

“It was a lot of fun to return as an alumnus and coach a group of young saxophonists,” Gaul said. “I hope to bring my own students to this event for many years.”