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(U.S.A.) |
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| Mark Watkins received his baccalaureate from Brigham Young University and his masters and doctorate in five woodwind instruments from Indiana University's School of Music with secondary areas in music history and jazz studies. He has studied saxophone with C. Raymond Smith (BYU), Eugene Rousseau (IU), Daniel Deffayet (of the Paris Conservatory), and Yushi Ishiwata (of the Tokyo Conservatory); clarinet with David Randall, Earl Bates, and Howard Klug; flute with Peter Lloyd and Kathryn Lucas; oboe with Marc Lifschey; and bassoon with Rodney Ackman and Sidney Rosenberg. While at Indiana University, Dr. Watkins was afforded the opportunity to perform and study jazz and composition with David Baker and Dominic Spera.
Dr. Watkins performs regularly on all five woodwinds but prefers tenor and soprano saxophone in both classical and jazz idioms. He has been a member of several professional ensembles including the ER Big Band, the Jazz Arts Group Big Band, and the Hard-Bop Saxophone Quartet and has participated in a number CD recording projects including a recent release with the Hard-Bop Saxophone Quartet on the Sea Breeze Jazz label. Dr. Watkins is active as a composer publishing with Walrus Music and Hard-Bop Publications and writing commissions for concert band, jazz ensemble, solo, and chamber ensembles. He has been and is active across the United States as a clinician and adjudicator on all five woodwinds and in the classical and jazz styles. His research into saxophone tone production has lead to regional and national presentations and clinics at such events as the 1998 Minnesota Music Educators Association Conference in Minneapolis, the 1998 Biennial Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in Chicago, the 1999 National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors' National Symposium at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, the Idaho Music Educators Association, and the present World Saxophone Congress in Montreal. This research will soon be released in the format of an educational CD-ROM. Dr. Watkins has been an Associate Instructor at Indiana University, an Instructor at Brigham Young University, An Assistant Professor of Music at North Dakota State University, and is currently Director of Woodwind Studies at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. |
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| Within the past 30 years there have been a number of studies conducted in the area of woodwind tone production. The majority of this research has been on clarinet with some investigation into the other woodwinds including saxophone. Results from this research have shown discrepancies with some traditional concepts of tone production and confirmation of others. With the ability to see what is occurring within the oral cavity and vocal tract, sound pedagogical concepts may be developed and existing practices refined.
This researcher proposes to present and demonstrate his recent findings in regards to mouthpiece pitch, international phonetic alphabet pronunciation, pitch singing, and other tangible methods of teaching saxophone tone production. Data demonstrating the acoustical and air pressure consequences of various tongue position theories will also be presented. Some emphasis will be given to physical differences between alto and tenor saxophone tone production factors. This researcher's most recent project is assisted by Dr. Crow of the Dakota Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota and Dr. Worman of the Moorhead State University physics department, Moorhead, Minnesota. |
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