From jazz band to concert choir, KO offers a wide variety of performing arts courses—one of which led Musician of the Month, senior Anna Ollenschleger, to discover her passion for the saxophone.
Anna originally played the clarinet, a woodwind instrument. She picked up the clarinet in sixth grade and has been immersed in music ever since. Anna played in KO’s concert band until sophomore year, when she switched to jazz band.
Anna reflected on the differences between concert band and jazz band. “It [jazz band] is a lot more individual-based,” Anna noted. “In concert band, for example, all of the trumpets are doing the same thing all at once, but in jazz band, everyone’s doing something different.” Anna decided to switch to a jazz band because she felt overwhelmed playing with four other clarinets.
After her move to jazz band, Anna made another big decision: swapping the clarinet for the saxophone. “I decided to switch over because, honestly, we needed another saxophone,” Anna explained. Anna had little trouble with the change because of the similarities between the two instruments; both are woodwinds and have similar keys. She also took saxophone lessons over the summer at a small, family-owned music shop, which assisted the transition.
Anna highlighted a key aspect of jazz, improvisations, also known as improvs. Improvs are when musicians create their own unique melody during a performance. There are really no rules for improvs, except that they usually must fit with the key the music is in. Musicians explore and experiment with the music to invent a unique solo section, where individuals get the opportunity to shine. The process of improvising varies depending on the musician: some prefer to make it up on the spot, some like to prepare, and others like to do a little bit of both. For Anna, learning the chords and what is happening in each measure helps lay a foundation for her eventual improv. “I kind of mess around with it, then get used to what I want to play, and what I think sounds good,” She explained.
Anna works hard to improve her musicianship. She practices about two hours every week, which is a commitment that she thinks pays off. “I work on scales and music,” Anna commented. “I’ll pull up a backing track and sometimes improvise over it, just to get that in as well.”
Anna credits Band and Orchestra Director Todd Millen as an impactful person in her musical journey. Mr. Millen has been Anna’s band teacher since seventh grade, when she first attended KO. “He’s really helped me with improvising,” Anna remarked. “He’s also really encouraging, which creates a comfortable environment.”
Anna plans on joining a jazz group in college next fall in hopes to continue her musical journey. We are so proud of all that Anna has accomplished as a musician and we cannot wait to see where the saxophone will take her!
