Rocket Scientist from Huntsville Alabama

[Robert Frederick]

Hello Everyone

I started playing tenor sax in 4th grade in 1968. I played through grade school and High School Jazz and Marching Bands. Bought a Selmer Mark VII in 1976 and played at Purdue in their student Jazz Bands for four years and the Symphonic Band (double Bb Contra Bass Clarinet, i.e. kitchen plumbing). Picked sax back up from time to time over the years playing at New Year’s or church. Got the horn out of the attic and had it rebuilt about 15 years ago and played occasionally.

In 2015 discovered Johnny and picked out a few backtracks and played them for my wife (I Can’t help falling in Love with You, You’re Just Too Good to be True) on Mother’s Day. Built up about 15 songs. Then I found out I had a heart valve problem, so under the direction of my doctor, played my songs three times a week to prepare my lungs for heart surgery in December 2015 (considering a new book called Sax Therapy). Went to music building at my university into a very small practice room with an amp and played wide open for about an hour three times a week. I would pre-apologize to the students sitting on the old sofas outside and say that my playing was for “medicinal purposes only.”

My heart surgery went very well. My nurse woke me up in CICU after surgery at 2:00 AM and said I was singing very loudly. I said, “Was it the Elvis song? He said, “Yes, all the verses.” (“I Can’t help falling in Love with You”). I said, “Wow, I don’t even know all the verses.” So my heart, soul, and lungs were all back online.

I have added to my song list and have done some playing at a local BBQ dive, cardiac rehab Christmas parties, and recently some house parties. I am now 60 and enjoying playing to express my heart and disconnect from my work pressures. I am a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Direct a Propulsion Research Center at the University. Yes, I am a rocket scientist, so you don’t have to be like me to do most things, but I am happy to assist if you need one.

My saxophone hero is Zoot” from the Muppet Show.

So my handle is

“Dr. Zoot”.

[saxomonica]

Stratospherically cool to have you here, Dr Zoot, outta sight. Trust you will pump out a coupla fat saxy books for us to digest, Robert, that is being at your dignified leisure. ‘Sax Therapy’ sounds like it is sure on the money! Looking forward to a great read. And, as you may appreciate, we’d all like to perceive you as more than, say, homo unius libri (L.), a man of one book. 😉
Hey, Sir, would you be so kind as to suggest some exercises forasmuch to develop ones’ ears and sing capably through the saxophone, and, being to good effect?
A kinda spatial development thang, that is to get a handle on gettin’ ones’ ears on. Like, y’know, Professor Goldentone shall be most pleased..
Thanking you for your kind assistance. “Honour nourishes the arts”.
Mark

[brother cavefish]

great dam i wish it was in tenor , great ornamentation

[saxomonica]

goodoh, check out the ornamentation here bro’s

[Anonymous]

Hi Rob,

‘Fly me to the moon…”

i’ve touched the moon rock in kennedy space station,
met an astronaut…thats the closest i’ll get to outer space.

all the best

[saxomonica]

FYI here’s the Chordify thang afterburner 🙂
[push play button arrow top LHS]

https://chordify.net/chords/im-yuli-galmuli-nahun-a-im-yuri-sax-im-yulisaegsopon

[Author]

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