Everything Saxophone Podcast Everything Saxophone Podcast, Donna Schwartz

After seeing a saxophonist busking in the streets in her hometown, a very young Heidi Radtke knew she wanted to play saxophone. 
She got her wish at age 11, and from that moment on, has studied with some of the best classical saxophonists around to become one of the most well-regarded contemporary saxophonists on the scene today.
Her mentors included Timothy McCallister, Donald Sinta, Debra Richtmeyer, Dale Underwood, and Otis Murphy.
She has become a passionate teacher and clinician, teaching at Butler University and currently at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
As a solo artist, Heidi has performed with the University of North Carolina Symphony Band and Wind Ensemble. 
She gave a premiere performance of Stacy Garrop’s concerto Alpenglow with tubist Anthony Kniffen and the Butler University Wind Ensemble at the 2022 American Bandmasters Association Convention and performed Garrop’s concerto Quicksilver at Butler University in the spring of 2018. 
An avid chamber musician, Heidi has performed throughout the United States with fellow saxophonist Henning Schröder as part of the Hiding Duo. She is the tenor saxophonist with the Iovi Saxophone Quartet and performs with oboist Pam Ajango as part of the oboe-saxophone duo, Metalloboe. 
Heidi has performed as a section player with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. 
She has also done studio recording work for Hal Leonard, Carl Fischer, and KJOS Music Publishing.
"CONVERGENCE" is her debut album, and it presents an elegant meshing of the heartbeats behind the sounds of eight living composers, strung together by the saxophone’s ability to explore these soundscapes, especially in the format of saxophone with fixed media.
Heidi Radtke is a Vandoren Artist/Clinician and Conn-Selmer Artist. She performs on a Selmer Paris Supreme alto saxophone, Selmer Paris Supreme tenor saxophone, and a solid-silver Selmer Paris Series III soprano saxophone.
She is a member of NASA’s Gender Equity Women’s Peer Mentoring Program.
The link to her full biography, along with more Resources for this episode, is on our website.
We talked about:
🎷 Her early saxophone listening memory at the oddest place
🎷 How studying jazz improvisation influenced her melodic approach
🎷 Line building in jazz and contemporary music
🎷 How to absorb what you listen to
🎷 How she guides students’ listening
🎷 And much more!
Did you know you can get a complete listing of all our shows, as well as Bonus videos and searchable transcripts? All you need to do is become a Patron!
Patrons play a huge role in helping to defray the costs of storing each episode’s video and audio, and producing and hosting the show.
And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming.
If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our Patreon site.
 

Born in a very small town in Denmark (Vejle) in 1982, Jeppe took a keen interest in the drums at a young age.
Jeppe Zacho also started playing saxophone at 15 years old, upon his father’s advice. 
As a teenager, Jeppe traveled to Cuba to study the intricate Cuban rhythms he so loved.
This monumental experience influenced his future compositions and performances.
Since 2008, he has been a saxophone teacher at Frederiksberg music college, where he teaches bands, saxophone and clarinet classes.
Jeppe has been on the Danish music scene for many years and performs in groups such as Jazz Five, The Counterfictionals, Jack Street, and various Big Bands.
Jeppe has received a Danish Music Award twice in the "Jazz for Children of the Year" category, first in 2013 and 2016 with the band Jazz Five.
Furthermore, he has been nominated in the main prize category "Best Danish Jazz Release of the Year" with the band The Counterfictionals in 2019.
His newest eponymous release, Introducing Jeppe Zacho, is his first as a bandleader.
The album highlights the influence of his father, also a jazz saxophonist, and his teacher and mentor at the Rhythmic Conservatory, Christina von Bulow.
You can learn more about Jeppe, and buy his new album on his website, listed below under Resources.
In this episode, we talked about:
🎷 Discussion on his new album
🎷 Jeppe's heroes
🎷 What influenced his style in music
🎷 What made him stick into playing saxophone instead of doing drums
🎷 Next album in line
🎷 And many more!
You can catch his Bio, and all of his links in my website.
Did you know you can get a complete listing of all our shows, as well as Bonus videos and searchable transcripts? All you need to do is become a Patron!
Patrons play a huge role in helping to defray the costs of storing each episode’s video and audio, and producing and hosting the show.
And, with their small monthly donation of $2 or more, they help keep the great interviews coming.
If you want to become a patron and support the show, head on over to our Patreon site.

You may not have heard about the new, patented design of the EMEO Digital Practice Saxophone. They started 8 years ago, and have been on the market for 3 years.
At the NAMM Show 2024, it was a big hit – their booth was crowded every single day.
This isn't your conventional saxophone. It features a special patented design incorporating original springs, brass, and other unique elements. Instead of producing sound on its own, it functions as a wind MIDI controller. To generate sounds, it relies on external programs such as Respiro, Audio Modeling, SWAM, or digital audio workstations (DAWs). Moreover, it's compatible with Windows or MAC operating systems, as well as iOS.
I spoke with Oleg Raskin from EMEO, and we talked about:
🎷 Inspiration for creating EMEO instruments
🎷 New mouthpieces for the EMEO
🎷 Random people testing EMEO at the NAMM Show
🎷 Matthias Kuhn showing latest developments  with EMEO software & how  it works
🎷 Saxophonist Carly Stock trying out the EMEO
You can catch their Bio, and the link to their website on our site.
This episode was proudly sponsored by Rovner Products, creators of fine ligatures for saxophone and clarinet for almost 50 years.
If you perform in Rock, Blues, Marching Band, Military ensembles, and are tired of getting drowned out by all the other instruments, you need to try Rovner’s latest offering, the LGX Ligature. Pure power without losing the quality of your tone. Just go to www.rovnerproducts.com for more info and to purchase.
Want to support the show? Patrons who have shown their love and support for the show get a special bonus clip from this episode.
If you want in on this and so much more Bonus content not available anywhere else, head on over to our Patreon site to sign up!

Established in 1974 by Phil Rovner, Rovner® began its journey with the creation of one ligature, the original Dark. Since then, it has expanded its range to encompass four "Classic" models and four "NextGeneration" models. Distributed globally, Rovner® products are cherished by musicians of all levels, from novices to top-tier professionals. Despite numerous imitators, the name "Rovner" commands profound respect and trust within the music community. Musicians consistently turn to Rovner® for its unwavering reliability, exceptional quality, and ongoing commitment to innovation.
Since George Reeder assumed the role of President and Co-Owner of Rovner Products in 2014, the ligature catalog has significantly expanded. Introducing the Next Generation ligatures, including The Versa X, the Star Series, The Legacy, The Platinum, Platinum Gold, and the Van Gogh, Rovner Products has continued to innovate under his leadership. Alongside his wife and Co-Owner, Lynn, they've spearheaded the development of new products, such as the LGX Saxophone Ligature. This innovative ligature was recently unveiled at the NAMM Show 2024, marking a special milestone—the celebration of Rovner's 50th anniversary. 
The LGX ligature is a combination of the Rovner Legacy and Rovner Van Gogh ligatures.
We talked about:
🎷 Celebrating Rovner's 50th Anniversary
🎷 What's new with LGX ligature
🎷 Ligature close-up
🎷 Where can you buy Rovner products
You can catch their Bio, and the link to their website on our site.
This episode was proudly sponsored by Rovner Products, creators of fine ligatures for saxophone and clarinet for almost 50 years.
If you perform in Rock, Blues, Marching Band, Military ensembles, and are tired of getting drowned out by all the other instruments, you need to try Rovner’s latest offering, the LGX Ligature. Pure power without losing the quality of your tone. Just go to www.rovnerproducts.com for more info and to purchase.
You are never too late to support the show! Unlock the benefits of becoming a Patron, gaining early access to all future NAMM Show episodes. Plus Everything Saxophone Podcast videos, searchable transcripts, and an array of bonus content not available anywhere else.
If you want access to those videos, sign up now by clicking HERE.

There was a ton of action going on at the P. Mauriat booth during the NAMM Show 2024. Despite that, I still had the privilege of speaking with Jeremiah True, Brand Manager at P. Mauriat, who is a really special guy.
Jeremiah True is a versatile woodwind performer proficient in all saxophones, clarinets, flutes, and bassoon. With a rich background spanning orchestral, jazz, theatre pits, and rock 'n roll, he brings extensive experience to every performance. Recently, he concluded a distinguished 21-year tenure in the US Air Force Band Program, marking a celebrated chapter in his musical journey.
P. Mauriat instruments are crafted with unparalleled attention to detail. Each saxophone body undergoes extensive hand-hammering, up to 400 times, ensuring exceptional resonance. Precision is paramount, with each tone hole drawn individually for consistent response and intonation. Their lacquer process, applied in three stages, creates a timeless vintage finish. Hand engraving, done with a simple tool and years of expertise, adds a final touch of mastery. Every instrument is meticulously inspected by their quality control team to guarantee excellence.
In this episode, we talked about:
🎷 20th anniversary alto and tenor saxophones
🎷 P. Mauriat touring case
🎷 How his ability to double changed his life
🎷 How he managed practicing and mastering his craft with an extremely busy schedule
🎷 And much more!
You can catch their Bio, and the link to their website on our site.
This episode was proudly sponsored by Rovner Products, creators of fine ligatures for saxophone and clarinet for almost 50 years.
If you perform in Rock, Blues, Marching Band, Military ensembles, and are tired of getting drowned out by all the other instruments, you need to try Rovner’s latest offering, the LGX Ligature. Pure power without losing the quality of your tone. Just go to www.rovnerproducts.com for more info and to purchase.
You are never too late to support the show! Unlock the benefits of becoming a Patron, gaining early access to all NAMM Show 2024 episodes. Plus Everything Saxophone Podcast videos, searchable transcripts, and an array of bonus content not available anywhere else.
If you want access to those videos, sign up now by clicking HERE.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Teeters and Tyler Rogers of Claude Lakey Woodwinds at the NAMM Show 2024 to discuss their amazing saxophone mouthpieces.
For over fifty years, Claude Lakey's enduring legacy has thrived within the company he established, evolving from its modest inception in a corner of a music shop in 1962 to its esteemed stature today. Today, as a family-owned enterprise, the company continues Lakey's tradition, offering premium, American-made mouthpieces, compass ligatures, and music accessories of exceptional quality.
Claude Lakey Mouthpieces has a tradition of responding to their customers' needs to give musicians complete diversity in the genre to suit any gig they might play.
Claude Lakey mouthpieces come bundled with Rovner Products ligatures.
We talked about:
🎷 The History of Claude Lakey Mouthpieces
🎷 How Banda Music influenced Lakey Mouthpieces to create a new Clarinet mouthpiece
🎷 Apollo, Ebony, and Rhodium models
You can catch their Bio, and the link to their website on our site.
This episode was proudly sponsored by Rovner Products, creators of fine ligatures for saxophone and clarinet for almost 50 years.
If you perform in Rock, Blues, Marching Band, Military ensembles, and are tired of getting drowned out by all the other instruments, you need to try Rovner's latest offering, the LGX Ligature. Pure power without losing the quality of your tone. Just go to www.rovnerproducts.com for more info and to purchase.
Support the show and get early access to all NAMM Show 2024 episodes! Plus Bonus episodes and searchable transcripts.
Go to www.patreon.com/everythingsaxophone for details