Classical saxophone icon Dale Underwood joins us for Episode 269 of the Saxophone Podcast.
A frequent guest soloist with major orchestras including the Boston Pops Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, Dale Underwood has built one of the most respected careers in the saxophone world.
From Carnegie Hall performances to decades with the United States Navy Band, his influence on classical saxophone performance and education continues to inspire generations of musicians.
In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 Musical beginnings
04:34 Dale Underwood's beginning teachers
05:45 Fun fact about Dale's high school performance
10:42 Horns he used through the years
19:07 What Dale's teacher said that changed his playing forever
20:15 The #1 way Donald Sinta motivated Dale during lessons
23:12 Exercises from Sinta that Dale still does today
29:11 Pete Christlieb quote
32:47 Fondest memories from touring the Western states
34:47 How he started getting commissioned works
46:16 Setup when it comes to reeds
53:53 Navy band symposium
01:01:27 Exercise he does with his students
01:03:27 Mouthpiece he has used for the last 30 years
01:09:50 Upcoming project
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