Back to the Grindstone

Posted by Andre Harness

09/18/2025

Hey everyone,

It has been over a month since my last post. Maybe no one is reading these, and that’s fine. Writing here gives me a chance to reflect, keep myself grounded, and leave a little trail of where I’ve been. So here we go again.

First things first: I still haven’t heard back about the John Stites Jazz Award. Winners were supposed to be notified on September 15, so the silence doesn’t feel promising. Maybe they’re just behind. Either way, I’ll know soon. As I shared before, this award would have given me the resources to put more time into mentorship, composition, and practice. But as I think more deeply about what I need, I’ve decided that lessons are the next step regardless. Even if it’s out of my own pocket, I’m ready to invest in mentorship to keep moving forward.

While I wait on the verdict, I’m putting my focus back on structured practice. Right now my routine is built around three pillars:

1. Fundamentals – Intervallic scales. Back in college I only got to tackling thirds, but working through fourths, fifths, sixths, and sevenths will stretch my ears in the best way.

2. Improvisation – Pentatonic scales in all 12 keys. I’ve never fully internalized them, so this is about making those shapes fall naturally under my fingers across the horn (yes, even into the altissimo) and also various pentatonic patterns.

3. Standards – Listen first, sing it, learn the melody by ear, transcribe a solo, learn the changes, outline the chords, and if time allows, write an etude. This step takes the most time, but it’s where I feel the most growth.

I’m motivated, which is a good place to be!

Outside of jazz, I’ve been back on some classical playing. I just started working on Ibert’s Concertino da Camera—something I skipped in college. It’s such a fun, lively piece. On top of that, I was recently invited to perform with the Galveston Symphony Orchestra on soprano saxophone. A bit of a “manifest moment” for me. (Details on that concert can be found here.)

Another exciting development: I applied for an adjunct saxophone professor position at a local community college. With some encouragement from Dr. Banister at Lamar, I jumped on the opportunity. I’m eager to hear back. The chance to mentor young musicians and engage with academia feels like a natural next step, especially as I’ve been battling some feelings of “irrelevance” lately.

And speaking of mentorship, The Golden Triangle Big Band has been busy too! Dr. Banister recently represented the GTBB as a guest clinician for the West Brook High School jazz ensemble. From what I heard, it was a very positive experience. Their director shared, “Having someone specialized in saxophone provide instruction helped improve our overall sax tone, intonation, and technique [was an invaluable part of the experience].” They rated the experience as “Very Satisfied” and expressed excitement about partnering with GTBB clinicians again.

This clinic was presented as part of our first-ever joint concert with a high school ensemble in just two weeks! GTBB and the West Brook Bruin Big Band will share the stage, and we couldn’t be prouder to give back to our community in this way. Check out the Golden Triangle Big Band’s Facebook page for more info, or head to the Events page on this website.

On the personal side, I feel motivated at work, I’m pushing myself toward a healthier lifestyle, and I’m welcoming the shift into cooler weather. Despite hurdles, I’m staying optimistic, hopeful, and ambitious.

Thanks for reading if you are out there! I hope my next update will bring good news, whether it’s the award, a new teaching opportunity, or something I carve out on my own.

Till next time,
Andre