Playing the saxophone for 6 years, junior Nathan Brooks began his music career in 2nd grade on the piano.
Nathan Brooks
Grade: 11th
Instrument: Alto Saxophone
Future college: The college that gives me the most scholarship money
Future Job: Not sure yet
Years playing: 6
Inspiration: Doesn’t have one
Favorite musician: Cannonball Adderley
Wingspan: What made you chose the saxophone?
Brooks: “When I tried out the instrument it came pretty naturally to me, I liked the tone and I could just see myself doing jazz.”
Wingspan: When did you learn of your interest in music?
Brooks: “I’ve been playing piano since 2nd grade and I’ve built upon that by playing saxophone and maintaining my piano abilities, so I would say 2nd grade.”
Wingspan: When did you discover your talent? How has that changed you?
Brooks: “When I started playing saxophone in 6th grade I just started working as hard as I could, got far, and then I realized that I could do a lot with it.”
Wingspan: How do you prepare for an audition?
Brooks: “For auditions I just play the music until I can play it in my sleep. Basically I make sure that no matter what, I can play my music as perfectly as possible and to the best of my ability. I also have a lucky outfit. I wear a black Astros shirt and red Nike shorts, and that gives me good luck.”
Wingspan: How do you handle your mistakes during a performance?
Brooks: “I have to just force it out of my brain and keep on going because I don’t want a mistake to cause even more mistakes. I just let it pass and let people forget about it.”
Wingspan: How does band affect your everyday life?
Brooks: “I can’t imagine my life without band because practicing after school and doing band class, marching band season, rehearsals after school, games, concerts, jazz and gigs and stuff like that has totally changed everything I do on a daily basis.”
Wingspan: Do you view music as a way to express yourself? How?
Brooks: “To be honest, not really. It’s hard because I view music in an objective way when I’m playing it, because if you get too emotional then you’ll start to sound bad.”
Wingspan: Are you considering this as a career? Why or why not?
Brooks: “I’m kind of on the fence about that. As I get better and I get more skills and develop those things I’m kind of leading more towards music but I really just don’t know. It’s something I’ll have to decide in the next couple years.”
Wingspan: What’s been your most rewarding memory in band?
Brooks: “Anytime that my huge amounts of work pay off and I get a good placement in band or a good audition placement, that’s when it’s all totally worth it.”
Wingspan: If you had to pick another instrument to play, what would it be? Why?
Brooks: “I would probably go with trombone just because I like the sound and I would pick a jazz instrument because that’s what I’m into. Also trumpet’s pretty difficult so I think it would be a little bit more manageable.”
Wingspan: How do you balance band and your other extracurriculars?
Brooks: “You just have to be like a time ninja. You’ve gotta be okay with working all the time and having a really busy day. There’s no slacking off and you’ve just gotta keep going.”
Sarp Sahin
In this week’s edition of Artistic Expressions, Wingspan sits down with Sarp Sahin as he talks about his passion for playing the cello.
Name: Sarp Sahin
Grade: senior
Instrument: cello
Future College: TBD
Future Job: biomedical engineer/surgeon
Years in Orchestra: 7
Favorite Musician: Jacqueline du Pré
Wingspan: What made you choose your instrument?
Sahin: “I chose the cello at my 5th grade Fowler Middle School Fiddle Fair because of its rich tone and wide musical range. I really enjoy playing the cello because of its deep, powerful sounds, classical repertoire solos, and its role in string quartets, ensembles, and full orchestras.”
Wingspan: What made you want to choose to do orchestra?
Sahin: “I’ve always enjoyed music, and the prospect of performing classical music literature in addition to the lasting relationships I would make made orchestra seem like the best fit for me. 7 years on, I can certainly say it was the right choice!”
Wingspan: Are you considering continuing the orchestra beyond? Why?
Sahin: “Yes, definitely. I plan on playing in the non-major Orchestra at my university. Orchestra has really shaped who I am today, and I’m excited to be part of a similar community next year.”
Wingspan: What are your personal goals for this year?
Sahin: “After an exciting 3rd quarter of rigourous classical repertoire for our UIL performance, I want to cap off my senior year with a great spring concert.”
Wingspan: What is your favorite thing about orchestra?
Sahin: “My favorite aspect about orchestra is the community experience of making music together. I like the way music bonds us all together, which became even more important during this pandemic. I feel privileged to be part of a team of such talented, caring and hardworking musicians in my orchestra.”
Wingspan: How do you balance orchestra, school, and any other extracurriculars?
Sahin: “It’s all about advanced planning. Planning ahead to combine curricular work with extracurricular activities helps me achieve a healthy school-life balance.”
Wingspan: What’s your favorite memory of the orchestra?
Sahin: “In my sophomore year, our orchestra performed Beethoven’s Finale for UIL. Our performance was flawless, the atmosphere was electric, and in retrospect, it was quite an