Future

Back in April I had my Spring Concert at SLCC with The Pencil Discussion.


The Pencil Discussion ft. Adam Potts
(Jeff, Kyle, Steve, Jonathan, Adam, Payton, Aly, Benito, not pictured Kayin on drums and Alex on Trombone)
(Photo Cred: Joy Tlou)

I was lucky enough to get to present and sing an original song in front of at least 200 people. I've played saxophone in front of a large audience before (Rice Eccles Stadium [Oct 2014], Maverick Center [June 2015] & Abravanel Hall[2012 and 2015]) but singing was a completely different experience. One that I was not ready for, nor expecting.
Sometime around November, I was toying with the idea of writing a song and performing at an open mic. I wrote down some lyrics and set the rhythm with my guitar. Something didn't seem quite right about the song, I guess maybe something was missing. I asked my friend Sierra if she could take a look at it and help me with the words. She did an incredible job and even helped by accompanying me on piano.
The song was about something really personal: my future. I want to go into music performance and I know the road is tough. I can see my end goal and I know the path and the way, yet somehow it feels like I'm not doing enough to be successful. I worry about the clarity and the certainty of this goal. Music is more than just a hobby for me, it's a way of life. I understand that my path doesn't provide stability and there will be times where money is tight, yet I know this is what I want to do. My fears extend beyond my professional path into personal life, going on about  things like possibly settling down, getting married and starting a family. Quite frankly, I'm not sure what I want other than to play music.

(Photo Cred: Joy Tlou)

Fast forward to February 2017, and I told my [now ex] boyfriend I wanted to present a song for the band, since we were both in. I told him about how I had originally written the song for me and my bass and I had no structure. He helped me by putting together a steady, unmoving beat and changed a few words so that the flow was a lot better. He had experience making rap beats, so that's essentially what we did. Musically, the song was very uneventful and a little difficult to play due to the lack of movement and variety.

(Photo Cred: Joy Tlou)

Before I knew it, April 25th had arrived and I was standing there in front of my parents and some of my friends. I opened my mouth and the words began flowing. It was not perfect. I'm not a singer, but I understand music. I got lost at some parts. The rush of energy was intense, the crowd was there. There were no changed to differentiate between the chorus and verse. I got back up and kept going at the next opportunity. Overall, I think that it was a very brave thing to do. I am not a singer, but I do love singing in the car and harmonizing with Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. I think my career in singing is over. I am completely okay with that.

 Overall, the concert was amazing, we played some great tunes and everything seemed great.

To Future Aly: If you are reading this as you look back on your journey of where you started and where you are now, I hope you see how beneficial all of these experiences were. I also hope that you find a better way to look cool while playing the saxophone. Don't ever forget why you do this or why you love music.

Saxidermy Sixteen

I often look back at previous blog posts, published & unpublished, and I wonder why is it that we do not see how blessed we really are. I'm amazed at how we take for granted small moments, details and for a brief second everything doesn't matter. I know I've had downfalls, trials and disappointments. I've been discouraged and almost quit the one thing that really matters to me. I truly see how blessed I am with opportunities, friends and family. I wouldn't be the person I am today, nor where I am now, if it wasn't for each person who touched my life.
I was definitely inspired to continue music performance by watching some of my favorite bands play. Approaching local artists and befriending them, as well as making more connections through school has definitely helped. I know the road is long, and I'm not where I want to be, but opportunities come once in a life time. I can work really hard to do something, and even if I fail, there's always room for improvement.
This opportunity was very unexpected but brought me a ton of joy. I got to play with the local Utah band Fictionist for the release of their new album "Sleep Machine. This was incredibly similar to things I've experienced so far in college at SLCC, though the Commercial Ensemble class, but at the same time it was not something I had done before. The Fictionist's music is very synth oriented, as to where I play saxophone and usually get put in groups that do pop or jazz covers. The idea was to have a 16 saxophone choir backing and doubling different parts to make it sound incredible. This was the first time something like this had ever been done [at Velour]. It was an exciting experience to even be asked to participate. It's been surreal.
June 13, 2015
I look back to the first time I saw The Neon Trees in concert. It was part of their "Intimate Night Tour" in June 2015 where they went and played small venues, similar to Velour which was where they started. Utah, on the other hand, was special and we got more of a music festival in which different bands played. Those included The Strike, Fictionist, Alex Winston, Big Data & Blue Aces. The Neon Trees have been my favorite band since I was in 8th grade and their music has definitely shaped me into the person I am today. I was extremely excited when I finally was able to see them before their long hiatus.


Neon Trees performing June 13, 2015

Tyler Glenn ♥

Branden Campbell & Neon Trees ♥☺

The Strike at UVU on June 13, 2015

They're cool, right?

This was the night I fell in love with The Strike since. I was [still am] obsessed with ska and had made a joke to my aunt (who took me to the show as sort of a graduation present) that if there were any saxophones, trumpets, or trombones my night would be complete. I was shocked when the Strike took the stage and they were exactly what I was looking for. (Not ska).  Since turning 19 I have caught every show I possibly could. On June 2016 they played in my hometown and  I talked to the Saxophonist, Myles Lawrence, and he gave me some pointers and since then he's helped me in different ways to get more confident in my saxophone abilities. I see him at different shows every now and he always gives me advice. The Fictionist recruited him to compose something, and he ended up writing a 16 saxophone choir to their new album, Sleep Machine. After one of the Strike concerts we were talking and he brought up that opportunity and I was ecstatic to be part of it. Once everything was organized and arranged, I ended up playing Bari sax.

Velour Live Music Gallery, Provo UT
(Photo Cred: one of the other tenor saxes)

Myles has been my mentor of some sorts.

Free jazz with the Fictionist (:
(Photo Cred: Kyle N.)

Me, Branden C & Branden
(Photo Cred: Payton R)

Fictionist & Friends, Sleep Machine Release
(Photo Cred: Melanie P) 

Just chillin' before the show. Sixteen Saxophone Choir
(Photo Courtesy of Myles L.)

Meeting Branden Campbell
Rehearsals with the Fictionist were great and productive. The Saxophone harmonies and panning of the parts was incredible. I still can't believe I got to experience this. Branden Campbell, the bassist from Neon Trees was announced as one of the guests who would be joining the Fictionist on stage, and I completely lost my cool. Like I mentioned before, I loved the Neon Trees since I was in 8th grade and never had I ever imagined that I would be playing a show with [any of] them. I saw him at one of the rehearsals and we talked a little. I fan-girled, of course, and got a picture with him. He was pretty cool, and very talented. We talked a few times, and he's really nice and encouraging and excited to play with so many saxophones. He gave me a bass pick that has his name on it and the Neon Trees logo. I completely lost it. I think that it's important to keep a balance between people you meet professionally and people you meet because you're a fan. I hope to someday work with Branden (and hopefully the rest of Neon Trees).

The back to back shows
Friday and Saturday.
I had the opportunity to play on stage with all of these talented people, while the rest of the saxes were on the risers on each side of the venue. It was incredible how pumped the crowd was. It was definitely a sight to see. The Fictionist are all talented dudes in many different aspects, and I feel extremely honored and grateful to have this experience. I hit all the right notes and had fun while doing so. The energy on stage was incredible compared to what I normally experience in the crowd. The commercial ensemble class at SLCC had definitely prepared me for this experience. Fictionist have played with Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons and Vampire Weekend, to name a few. Bari sax is not my main instrument, and to be quite fair I've spent the least time playing Bari. This experience taught me that Bari sax is a useful tool. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

Robbie from Fictionist
(Photo Cred: Melanie P.)

(Photo Cred: Kyle N.)

Taking the stage with Fictionist, Branden Campbell, and Myles Lawrence was something I never imagined. These two shows are definitely what dreams are made of. I don't think I can condense into words what I felt in the moment or how I feel now, remembering that it happened. If it wasn't for the pictures, I wouldn't believe that I was on stage with them.

The significance in this gig, for me was that it was the biggest gig I've done so far. The biggest crowd I've played for was my graduating class and the people that came to support us. It was my senior year jazz combo and I got to do a tenor sax solo. It was about half of the Maverick Center, but this is a lot closer to what I want to do with my life. The whole experience was surreal. I never thought about playing at one of my favorite venues or even to be playing along side some of the people I look up to.
It really is incredible what we take for granted. I'm so lucky and so blessed to have good influences in my life. I love meeting musicians. I think the most important thing I still need to learn is that even though I may think someone is the most amazing human being in the world, they may not be to everyone else. You gotta keep it professional with people that you meet. People are people no matter how extraordinary they seem. After a while of knowing someone they lose their magic and are just as normal and extraordinary as you! (: Because you may not see it but you are special too!
"be the change you want to see in the world" -ghandi