Steighner Podcasts

Erik tests the new Backun Vocalise TM2 against his current Selmer Claude Delangle (and older Selmer S90-180) mouthpieces. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik treats himself to a new mouthpiece and listens to John Corigliano's new saxophone concerto. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

A wild celebration followed by a little metronome talk. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik shares some brief updates and a recording of "Whither Must I Wander" by Vaughan Williams from his recital in February. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik plugs his upcoming recital with pianist Oksana Ejokina, to be held at 3 p.m. PST on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Pacific Lutheran University (streamed live via this link). The program includes works by Djupstrom, Maurice, Vaughan Williams, and Yoshimatsu. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com…

Does the episode title describe the show itself or something profound? Listen and find out. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com

The annual tradition continues. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik checks out The Richtmeyer Method for Saxophone Mastery (you should, too!) and reflects on how much emotion he conveys as a performer. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik discovered a site called "YouTube"! He watched: 1. Fantasia by Claude T.Smith [Rock Version by Siam Rock] 2. The Saxophone Standard, US Army Field Band 3. Steven Banks – Marcel Tabuteau’s Number System as an Approach to Phrase and Nuance 4. SIGURD RASCHER - THE SAXOPHONE | 1950's Buescher Promotional Video (original B&W version) 5. PLU Music W…

Erik recorded this instead of practicing. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

It's been a busy start to the school year, but Erik takes a little time to check in with an update. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik checks in during an extended vacation break to talk about scale practice approaches for the umpteenth time and plug a couple new books by Dan Graser and Robert Musser. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik reflects on his priorities as in-person lessons resume and plugs the Seattle Sax Institute Online Community Lesson Series. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik continue to read from the Avery Combs saxophone mystery series. It's time for Book 3, Chapter 9...this one gets tense! Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com

Erik premieres a celebratory piece by Mark Steighner for solo alto saxophone. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik basks in the glow of accomplishment after finishing 100 episodes. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com

Erik shares a mental trick to make interval leaps feel easier and sound better. Speaking of leaps, why don't YOU leap over to this anonymous listener survey and take two minutes to fill it out before episode #100 drops in two weeks? https://forms.gle/AGP47RSJbBJhfMRNABy Erik Steighner

Three years of this stuff. Can you believe it? Please take two minutes to fill out this anonymous listener survey! https://forms.gle/AGP47RSJbBJhfMRNABy Erik Steighner

In an episode accomplishing very little, Erik ranks his beloved saxophone children. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik shares a recording of his new work for solo alto saxophone, Volatility Index (2021). Let him know if you're interested in obtaining a copy! Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Holy moly, brace yourselves for a bonus episode! Erik decompresses a bit after finishing his first live recital in over a year. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik presents an encore performance of From Stillness (2021) for solo saxophone by Gregory Youtz, premiered last weekend at the NASA Region 1 Conference. Hear the piece again at Erik's PLU faculty recital this Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m. PDT. Livestream link. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com…

A few weeks prior to his next recital, Erik reviews rehearsal audio of Eugene Bozza's classic Improvisation and Caprice. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com Bozza excerpts used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.By Erik Steighner

The show continues flying in a holding pattern until we get closer to the NASA Region 1 Conference and Erik can release some episodes about those world premieres. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik gives a quick overview of how he structures his practice in the months prior to a solo recital. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

After spending hours frolicking in the snow, Erik uses his leftover energy to plug upcoming spring events and share a bonus tip from a masterclass he attended 17 years ago. Visit the NASA Region 1 Conference website Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik shares his thoughts on an excellent new method book for saxophone. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com

Erik compares the D'Addario's relatively new VENN synthetic reed with other synthetic and cane options. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik kicks off 2021 with a masterclass on one of the most well-known works from the saxophone repertoire. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

More mouthpiece trials, this time on soprano. Erik pits his Selmer S90-170 and S80 C* against the Concept. Main playtests begin at 6'00". Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

It's a good old-fashioned alto mouthpiece shootout! Erik pits his Selmer S90-180 against the Concept and the new Claude Delangle. Main playtests begin at 11'38". Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik revisits another work from Made in Tacoma in this last-minute commentary on Deborah Anderson's As a Lily among Brambles for baritone saxophone and piano (available from Dorn Publications). Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik washes away the stress of election week with C.P.E. Bach's Sonata for Solo Flute in A Minor, Wq. 132, H 562, arranged by Sunil Gadgil. Check him out at sunilgadgil.com! Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

On the tenth anniversary of its premiere, Erik presents a live recording from 2010 of Jeff Tecca's work for solo alto saxophone, the Light is filled with birds. Interested in ordering it? Contact Jeff at jefftecca@protonmail.com. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

In a scattershot episode, Erik talks about temptation bundling to increase your motivation to practice, when it might be okay to skip your warm-ups, and plays a bonus game of "Who Said It: Saxophone Edition" with his father, Mark! Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

While Erik is by no means a Baroque music specialist, he shares his general approach to playing Bach. Afterwards, he amps up the excitement and delves into the controversy over whether one must always approach Baroque and Classical trills from the upper neighbor. BRACE YOURSELF! Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com…

Erik follows up Part 1 with a shocker -- Part 2! This one covers general etudes and altissimo method books. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik begins a tremendously entertaining overview of instructional material for the saxophone, the first part of which focuses on method books and scale books. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Taking a little break from music-talkin' and doing some book-talkin' instead. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Could the mouthpiece pitch targets you've been taught be a LIE?! Enjoy the beauty of not one but four different mouthpieces (SATB) being played by themselves. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

A midsummer episode that's about as exciting as its title! Erik gives a brief overview of his favorite DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), MIDI controllers, etc. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik eases up on the high register a bit. (Stay until the end for some bonus advice from your favorite host!) Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik avoids using any consonants in an episode all about air attacks for fun and profit. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Featuring a very special guest host. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik unearths and records yet another arrangement. This time it's Absalon, fili mi by Josquin des Prez (or Pierre de la Rue), scored for either the traditional SATB quartet or the much more exciting TTBB. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Two years of shows, y'all. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

Erik pits his "Slow-Medium-Fast" approach to learning a technical etude against the method described here: https://youtu.be/5_g-VmEjF6o Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

In what will probably be the last arrangement-focused episode for a while, Erik positively shreds on the piano as he accompanies himself on another lyrical selection, Agathe’s Cavatina from Der Freischütz by Weber. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner

In a mild bummer of an episode, Erik crunches some numbers for Jane Q. Springreed, who just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance. If you still want to major in music performance after listening to this, then perhaps you were meant to do so after all. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.com…

Erik features his arrangement of Mozart’s lovely “Abendempfindung,” clucking his tongue at an old recording and then giving it another go-round. Get in touch at lttcapshow@gmail.com or eriksteighner.comBy Erik Steighner