A Q&A with Six Student Musician Saxophonists and Their Instructor

Six Student Musician Saxophonists…
…and their instructor, as they get ready to host a huge conference with 400 performers and 130 events

In this conversation, Eric Troiano, saxophone instructor in the Department of Music, talks with six of his student musicians who are gearing up for a big conference, and share their passion for performing give great advice on how to succeed in college, and invite you to come out to hear them play.

Eric: My name is Eric Troiano, and this is my third year as instructor of saxophone in the Department of Music here at the University of Arkansas.

This year, I was chosen to be the conference host for the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Region 4 Conference. As the host, I take care of all programming, scheduling, logistics and execution of the event.

This conference is a fantastic opportunity for the music department. There will be over 400 performers and presenters from all over this region Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas as well as guests from Colorado, Japan and the United Kingdom on campus to present over 130 individual events.

Luckily, I have a great saxophone studio crew that has been incredibly helpful at every step along the way to plan for and host NASA. Let’s meet them:

• Landon Cole, first-year master’s student majoring in saxophone performance
• Grant Hollis, sophomore double-majoring in music education and saxophone performance
• Mikhail Silcox, freshman double-majoring in music and business information systems
• Bailey Ross, freshman double-majoring in saxophone performance and music education with a minor in Spanish
• Ryan Miller, freshman double-majoring in saxophone performance and music education
• Benjamin Turner, senior majoring in music education

Q: Tell us a little about your academic passions, research and/or what you’re studying within the college. What excites you about this?

Landon: My academic passions are playing and teaching the saxophone. I love getting to hone my performance skills while also honing my teaching skills here at the University of Arkansas. I am getting ready to start researching the effect of Arnold Schoenberg’s private music society on art music.

Grant: My primary academic passions all focus around music. Even in my other classes I find a way to roll music into whatever I am studying. Much of my education at the moment focuses around the science and theory of music education. I love the field of music education because it is very hands-on, and we are given the opportunity to interact in classrooms outside the university in various grade levels.

Mikhail: On the business side, I am studying business analytics as far as working on a team, international relations, and working with data to improve efficiencies and overall business mechanics. However, the exciting thing about college is that I have the opportunity to study this along with my other passion, music, at the same time as a double major.

Bailey: I am studying saxophone and how to improve my performing abilities. After just one year in Fulbright College, I can tell I am improving constantly. I am excited to see where the next four years go.

Benjamin: I am studying music education at the University of Arkansas. I am excited to educate students in music and encourage an appreciation and passion for music in the next generation.

Ryan: I have always loved music, everything from humming nursery rhymes to listening to symphonies. The most exciting thing about being at the university for me is the amount of time I get to interact with music.

Q: Tell us about the NASA conference and your role in it. What do you enjoy the most about participating?

Landon: NASA stands for North American Saxophone Alliance. It is a conference in which hundreds of saxophonists of all ages, cultures, genders, and universities get to together to do everything saxophone. We perform new works, play for each other for critique, and present our scholarly research on various saxophone topics. My role in organizing this conference has been mainly logistic. I helped run the social media accounts, helped schedule volunteer helpers, and helped with any other small logistical details that Dr. Troiano needed done. It has been long and tedious, but it has been worth it!

Grant: The NASA conference is a massive undertaking, but a great opportunity for our studio and the students of the music department. My primary role is to help oversee the various performance spaces used throughout the conference. I am most excited about the masterclasses, and the chance to receive feedback from someone outside the university.

Mikhail: At NASA, I’ll be spending my time working a few hours a day, and also performing with the Saxophone Studio, the Wind Ensemble, the Obstreperous Sextet, and the large saxophone ensemble. I really enjoy being able to showcase the music I, and all the other performing musicians, have been working on since the semester started in front of hundreds of other saxophonists from all around the region.

Bailey: The NASA regional conference is full of saxophonists of all levels, professional to student. It gives members a chance to meet people, gain experience, and to expose themselves to new saxophone music. I will be working and performing at NASA, but I am most excited to perform. We will be collaborating with high school musicians in the large saxophone ensemble, and I think that will be a great experience for both parties.

Benjamin: I will be assisting in various ways for the upcoming NASA conference. This includes setting up and tearing down stage sets for performances, assisting vendors with their equipment and supplies, as well as other ways I can help. I am excited to help out with many of the performances and to have the opportunity to have some time up close with great professional artists and teachers.

Ryan: The NASA conference is an opportunity for saxophonists to meet each other and collaborate in one place. The saxophone community always seems so segmented, with so much distance between groups, it is so difficult to communicate.

Q: How long have you been at Fulbright College? What has your favorite class or experience been so far and why?

Landon: This is my second semester in the Fulbright College. My favorite course so far has been Research and Bibliography with Dr. Kim Teal. I enjoyed it because it taught me how to conduct scholarly research and present my ideas in a clear and organized manner.

Grant: I have been in the Fulbright College for two years. My favorite class so far was probably my music history course. I never knew I could enjoy learning about history until it was applied to the subject I love.

Mikhail: This is my second semester at Fulbright College. My favorite class so far has been my private lessons because I have improved as a saxophonist exponentially since I began school here. It really opened my eyes up to how much room I have to grow as a musician.

Bailey: This is my first year at Fulbright College. It is definitely difficult to pick just one experience, but I would say I most enjoyed attending the Wind Ensemble Tour in the fall. We traveled to Memphis and performed at a few high schools to honor those victimized during the civil rights movement. It was a very eye-opening and enlightening experience.

Benjamin: This is my third year at Fulbright College. My favorite experience since being in Fulbright College is being a part of the saxophone studio and learning from Dr. Troiano. I had never been a part of something like that before coming here. I have learned a tremendous amount of saxophone and general life skills from Dr. Troiano and I have greatly enjoyed creating music with players of this caliber.

Ryan: This is my second semester at the Fulbright College. My favorite experience in the college has been rehearsing with my quartet, even though we are all freshman, we learn from one another every time we meet. It is one of the coolest things about being a musician.

Q: How can other people on campus support you as student musicians and hear you play?

Landon: Other people on campus can support me and my fellow musicians mainly by coming to our concerts, being an active supporter to the music department, and contribute to the Friends of Music here at U of A.

Grant: The biggest support we can receive from students outside the music department is increased attendance at concerts and recitals. Many have a preconceived notion that when they sit down to hear a performance, they’ll be left listening to classical music. This could not be farther from the truth. I believe there is a bit of music for every individual, and coming and listening is the only way for you to find it.

Mikhail: Most performances that the student musicians here play are public and most of them are free, so anyone who wants to support us student musicians can come to our concerts. Students and faculty put on concerts and recitals just about every week, so there are many opportunities to attend one.

Bailey: The best way to give support is to attend performances. All musicians in the department work hard throughout the year to prepare several concerts, and there are many that are free. Performances are held in the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center and Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. Calendars are available on the Fulbright College and Department of Music websites.

Benjamin: Other people on campus can support me as a student musician by attending the concerts and recitals that I take part in.

Ryan: Go to performances! Check in with the schedules released by Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall and the Faulkner Center, there are performances happening all the time, and there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Q: What advice would you give to new students about to join the college?

Landon: I advise future students to come on in and join the music department! Your talents will be nurtured and fostered by a progressive set of faculty and they will help you reach your goals!

Grant: My biggest piece of advice can be summed into three words: Have A Plan! While college can be overwhelming, a plan can save you in the long run. I have seen too many people be unable to graduate on time because they never figured out how to get all their courses taken.

Mikhail: College is the perfect place to find out what your passion is. No matter where you are in your education, you will always have the opportunity to switch majors or even add another major or minor, so there are always opportunities to try new things. My advice is you don’t need to feel like what you begin in college is what you will have to do for the rest of your life.

Bailey: Always take time for yourself. It is great to tend to responsibilities, but constantly working will burn anyone out. Make sure to give yourself a mental break and find a hobby.

Benjamin: The advice I would give to new students is that this college is competitive and challenging, but the payoff is well worth it. We are given many great opportunities to learn from great professors and push ourselves out of our comfort zones and excel in our field.

Ryan: Find your people. If you can build a support network on campus, you will be able to survive everything this college throws at you.

Q: What do you like to do during your time outside of the university?

Landon: I enjoy spending my free time outdoors by golfing and hiking. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family.

Grant: Outside of college, I like to be outside and active. I enjoy rock climbing, bouldering, hiking and mountain climbing.

Mikhail: Aside from playing my instrument, I love to hang out with my friends as well as attend the public concerts. I also enjoy writing music and exercising when I have free time.

Bailey: When I’m not practicing, I generally spend my time just hanging out with my friends in the saxophone studio. I also have enjoyed hiking in this area a lot.

Benjamin: I have made great friends here since I have joined Fulbright College, and I enjoy spending time with them inside and outside of the university.

Ryan: I really enjoy photography, I haven’t had much time to actually go out and take many photos, but it is on my to-do list.

Q: When do you anticipate graduating, and what’s up next on the horizon for you?

Landon: I anticipate graduating in the spring of 2020. After graduation, I plan on continuing my pursuit of higher education by pursuing a doctorate in musical arts in hopes of becoming a university professor.

Grant: I hope to graduate in the fall of 2021 with both of my degrees, and to continue my education into graduate school. My primary school of choice is Michigan State University. Long term, I hope to one day teach at a university as a saxophone professor.

Mikhail: I expect to graduate in the spring of 2022. I plan to go to graduate school to get my master’s degree in information systems, and then pursue a Ph.D. in the same field, unless a solid job opening appears after I complete my master’s degree.

Bailey: Eventually, I hope to receive a doctorate of music in saxophone performance and to become a saxophone professor at a university. I plan on graduating in 2022 with my bachelor’s, and I will then attend graduate school.

Benjamin: I intend on graduating next spring with my music education degree, and I plan on getting a job as a band director after that.

Ryan: When I graduate, I want to move into a high school band director position, I want to bring music to students.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add or let readers know?

Grant: A general rule in college; don’t be afraid to fail. You will encounter unexpected problems in areas you’ve never experienced them before, however take from them what you can and apply it to the next challenge ahead. Failure is simply an opportunity to get better.

Mikhail: Being a musician at the U of A is a great experience.

Bailey: As cliché as it may sound, take advantage of the opportunities you have. This >university is full of resources and experiences. Make sure to make the most out of your time on campus.