Last updated on September 4, 2024
And now I am retired after seventeen years in Croatian Army Band (1992-2009), and I have to a make a living as a full freelance musician (quite a challenge in this small country). Now I will have more time to concentrate at my own music to learn and study things I missed before because of lack of time. My new album (Free Fall) is already on its way and should be released early next year (2010). This is my second solo album and fourth counting two with Donna Lee Saxophone Quartet. This will be full jazz quartet album recorded live (no overdubs) in a vintage manner for Zivaldo Records. After this CD I will probably try to explore some other settings and more modern genres. Next thing I would consider more is saxophone education.
Generally saxophone education in this country (Croatia) is quite questionable. Of course, there is a lot of music schools and saxophone class at the academy, but it is hard to find a usable and versatile sax player, and believe me most of them have basic problems regarding sound, embouchure, technique, etc. Education in this country is strictly classically based and suffers from a lot of disadvantages which I will explain in a separate post. The worst thing above all, there is no doubling discipline in educational system at all, which is unforgivable, it is is even forbidden to double on other reed instrument, which is insane, but more on that in a next post.
All those things I told I experienced myself, because I went through all of it at some point of my education, because after I graduate at Zagreb Music Academy I realized that I do not sound good and I’m not versatile enough to survive as a sax player, so I once again begin it from the scratch, and I made it thanks to a great deal to a few books and especially David Liebman’s “Developing a Personal Saxophone Sound“. After that I was lucky to spend some time, hang out and play with great saxophone players and such as Dick Oatts and Don Menza and even David Liebman to learn some more. So my next goal will be to educate younger generation how to play saxophone and all interested may go here for more info.
Pozdrav Zdenko! 17 je ocito magicna brojka! U mom ulazu postoji snajderaj cija je vlasnica dipl.ing. kemijske tehnologije. Kaze da se 17 godina patila u struci a uvijek je htjela biti snajderica. Ja se patim tek 5 godina ali drago mi je da ce ocito doci taj dan kada cu moci dati otkaz, makar i nakon 17 godina. Koliko te ja znam uvijek si bio veliki radnik i nemam sumnje da ces kao freelancer naci svoje mjesto pod suncem. Ako otvoris skolu imas i prvog ucenika! Od srca ti zelim svu srecu! Pozdrav, Dinko
well i must say i’m inclined to agree with you on pretty much everything there. With Croatians size it makes things pretty musically non existent or 1 dimensional. Unfortunately todays potentially “up and coming” heros don’t seem to have the hunger that certainly almost all generations before the 2000s had,therefor they wont be around very long. I was born in the late 70s and since then I watched formats ,die , Mp3’s strip the personality that music once had and people become just straight friggin lazy. However it goes belief , hunger, creativity ,and old fashioned “hard work” unfortunately cant be downloaded from the internet or taught.. Its either there or its not so the people that fit that bill will enjoy a longer shelf life. Without making this into a mammoth rant, Zdenko I am looking forward to the new flavours you will cook in the soul kitchen and be sure to shout for any help you may need regarding, scratching, arrangement, drum programming, bass guitar, bongo, percussion…
Sounds like it is time to open your own school. you should definitely reform the curriculum to include doubles and have a jazz performance and production emphasis for all instruments. starting a youth jazz program and ensemble could be a way to start.