January Update

What's in this Update:

• President’s Message: Updates from the NASA President on recent initiatives and the organization's vision.
• Call for Expressions of Interest: Director of Scholarly Publications, Marketing Director, and Director of Development: Seeking passionate members to fill key leadership roles.
• Call for Expressions of Interest: Jazz and Popular Music Ad-Hoc Committee: Inviting members to join a new committee focused on jazz and popular music initiatives.
• Committee on Gender Equity Mentorship Program: A mentorship program aimed at fostering inclusivity and supporting underrepresented groups in the saxophone community.
• Regional Conferences: Upcoming opportunities to connect with fellow saxophonists at regional events.
• Extended Submission Deadline for The Saxophone Symposium: Additional time to submit scholarly work to NASA’s flagship publication.
• Member Benefits: Highlights of the exclusive perks available to NASA members.
• NASA Community Calendar: A central hub for saxophone-related events and activities.

President's Message

Dear Fellow Saxtronauts,

January is a time for new beginnings and resolutions, and you’ll find plenty of both in this month’s NASA Update! It is my distinct pleasure to be writing to you as the new President of our wonderful Alliance. I have been a proud member of this organization for nearly twenty-five years. In the earliest days of my membership, the Update and The Saxophone Symposium gave me my first glimpses of the world of the saxophone. As we look into the future together, I’m thinking of those young saxophonists of today and tomorrow. How can we bring them into the fold, serve them, and support them? You can rest assured that that will be my focus in the coming two years, along with taking care of our current membership, serving saxophonists of all backgrounds and musical persuasions.

To that end, I want to share a few items that you’ll be hearing much more about in the coming months. First, our Communications Ad-Hoc Committee, led by Austin McFarland and Alexia McLean, has been busy for more than a year laying the groundwork for a new NASA website. We are currently in initial meetings with a developer, so be prepared for a wonderful new resource that more fully meets the needs of all of our membership later this year!

Later on in this issue of the Update, you’ll see a number of calls for participation: Whether for applications for positions as NASA Director of Scholarly Publications, Marketing Director or Development Director, or participation in our new Jazz and Popular Music Ad-Hoc Committee. I hope that, as appropriate, you’ll consider throwing your own hat in the ring. We are an organization of volunteers. Think something needs to change? Then stand up in our noble little democracy of saxophonists, put your shoulder to the plow, and help us move forward together!

As mentioned in last month’s Update, we’re so thankful to Jessica Voigt-Page, Noa Even, and Bobbi Thompson for their dedicated years of service to the Alliance, and we’re excited to welcome Myles Boothroyd, Jordan VanHemert, and Nathan Mertens to the new Executive Committee. We’re very happy that Bobbi Thompson will still be doing great work for our Alliance as interim editor of The Saxophone Symposium. In addition, I would like to thank Julia Nolan, who will soon be stepping down from her position of Director of Scholarly Publications after many years of faithful service. Of course, I am deeply indebted to Kim Goddard Loeffert and her excellent work as President these past two years, and I look forward to leaning on her experience and wisdom as she assumes the role of Immediate Past President. This organization wouldn’t exist without the time and efforts of those willing to stand up to serve.

Finally, if you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding NASA, I hope that you’ll join me for what I hope will be the first of a regular series of “Coffee Hours with the President” on Sunday, January 26th from 3:00 to 4:00pm EST. We’ll meet at this link with the warm beverage of your choice for a little free-form conversation about your Alliance: https://gcsu.zoom.us/j/97301833560?pwd=ogGy2Advto5kVByH54KhW1rMu1tLpE.1

I wish you all nothing but the best to begin this new year. May all of your reeds play well and may every gig pay decently! Please reach out early and often. This Alliance belongs to all of us, and I’m always here to help us (and, of course, the saxophone) succeed together.

All the best,

Andrew

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST:

DIRECTOR OF SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS, MARKETING DIRECTOR, AND DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

The North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) invites expressions of interest from individuals passionate about advancing the saxophone community to fill three key appointed leadership roles: Director of Scholarly Publications, Marketing Director, and the newly established position of Director of Development. These positions offer an exciting opportunity to contribute to NASA's mission and make a significant impact within the saxophone community.

Director of Scholarly Publications

The Director of Scholarly Publications shall be a member of the Executive Committee, representing the general membership as one of the appointed officers making up the minority of that committee.

• The Director of Scholarly Publications shall be responsible for the preparation, editing, and production of special publications resulting from scholarly research and writing related to the saxophone, to be published under the auspices of the North American Saxophone Alliance, as approved by two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Director of Scholarly Publications shall have primary responsibility for proposing and/or soliciting projects for publication. The Director of Scholarly Publications may seek assistance from other members of the Editorial Board, or other recognized experts in the field, in the course of evaluating materials or preparing them for publication. Actual publication of the materials processed by the Director of Scholarly Publications shall be scheduled with the approval of two-thirds of the Executive Committee, and publication schedules shall be governed in part by funds available to the Alliance for such projects.
• The Director of Scholarly Publications shall be responsible for establishing copyrights for special publications of the North American Saxophone Alliance, and shall register all such publications with the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA in the manner and timing prescribed by that office.
• The Director of Scholarly Publications shall have possession of all copies of special publications of the North American Saxophone Alliance, as well as copies of past issues of the journal. The Director of Scholarly Publications shall oversee distribution of these publications.
• The Director of Scholarly Publications shall serve as permanent member of the Editorial Board of the North American Saxophone Alliance.

Term: The Director of Scholarly Publications serves a three-year term that is renewable for up to three consecutive terms total.

Marketing Director

The Marketing Director works closely with the Director of Development to secure advertising, coordinate vendor participation, and support NASA’s outreach and mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• Secure advertising for The Saxophone Symposium, Biennial Conference program books/applications, and Regional Meeting materials from industry vendors.
• Recruit and coordinate vendors for booth spaces at NASA’s Biennial and Regional conferences.
• Collaborate with conference hosts to organize vendor booth layouts and ensure optimal space utilization.
• Foster strong, positive relationships between NASA and industry partners.
• Recommend advertising rates to the Executive Committee’s approval.

Term: The Marketing Director serves a three-year term, renewable for up to three consecutive terms.

Director of Development

The Director of Development is responsible for advancing fundraising initiatives and building relationships to sustain and expand NASA’s programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Chair the Development Committee to achieve NASA’s fundraising goals.
• Secure donations and apply for grants to support NASA’s conferences, publications, and educational initiatives.
• Build and maintain relationships with donors, industry partners, and other funding sources.
• Collaborate with the Marketing Director and Treasurer to ensure alignment with NASA’s financial goals.

Term: The Director of Development serves a renewable three-year term.

How to Apply

Expressions of interest for any of the three positions should include:

1. A brief statement (1–2 pages) describing your qualifications, relevant experience, and vision for the role.
2. A current resume or CV.

Please send your materials or any questions to Andrew J. Allen at president@saxophonealliance.org by February 1, 2025.

Selection Process

The NASA Executive Committee will review applications and may request additional information or an interview.

We encourage all individuals with relevant skills and a passion for supporting the saxophone community to apply. Join us in advancing NASA’s mission and shaping the future of saxophone education and performance.

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST:

JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC AD-HOC COMMITTEE

The North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) invites expressions of interest from individuals who desire to explore how the Alliance can better serve saxophonists performing in the jazz tradition and popular music contexts. The committee will serve for a finite time and will draft a list of recommendations to the NASA Executive Committee.



Those interested in service on this ad-hoc committee should email a statement to president@saxophonealliance.org, including a brief statement of personal impact, no later than February 15, 2025. 

COMMITTEE ON GENDER EQUITY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Happy New Year from the Committee on Gender Equity! After a difficult selection process, we have finalized our 2024-2025 mentorship program cohort. Please join us in congratulating this year's mentees: Wynne BruBaker, Chaitravi Kulkarni, Riona Kumazaki, Alyce Newman, Haley Smith, and Sarah Sun. Congratulations to these fine musicians! We look forward to a dynamic program this year.

REGIONAL CONFERENCES

Dates and locations for conferences have now been announced for all of our ten NASA regions! Keep an eye out here for more information as it becomes available! We look forward to seeing you at one or more of these events!

As a reminder, all NASA members can propose events for and attend any of our regional conferences!

EXTENDED SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR THE SAXOPHONE SYMPOSIUM

The 2024 issue of The Saxophone Symposium, NASA’s peer-reviewed journal of saxophone scholarship, will be released this month to all members. Meanwhile, we are still seeking articles to populate the 2025 issue of the Symposium, and we are asking for your submissions!

To publish an article in the next issue of the Symposium, the deadline has been extended to April 1, 2025. Please send manuscripts to symposiumeditor@saxophonealliance.org. Further details about manuscript submissions and requirements can be found on our website at https://www.saxophonealliance.org/saxophone-symposium.asp.

This is a fantastic opportunity to secure a professional, peer-reviewed publication in an international academic journal. Papers based on doctoral dissertations and master’s theses are encouraged, as well as articles that share research on saxophone history, repertoire, pedagogy, and various other topics in our field. If you have any questions about the submission process or eligible content, please reach out to the Editor at symposiumeditor@saxophonealliance.org.

MEMBER BENEFITS

NASA is excited to re-introduce partnerships with a select group of companies that will extend benefits and/or discounts to our members. The first company is Clarion Associates Inc., musical instrument insurance provider. Below is a quote from the company welcoming our membership with a discounted rate. More information will be available on the website soon after the new year.

“Clarion is the leader in musical instrument insurance with over 40 years of experience. Clarion covers all types of musical instruments and equipment for individuals, collectors, symphony orchestras, recording studios, musical instrument dealers/makers/repairers, and more. We are proud to offer a discounted rate for NASA members.” - Jack Schoenfeld, Clarion Associates Inc.

Members are immediately eligible for this discounted rate, so be sure to tell them you are a NASA member when enrolling!

NASA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Have an upcoming performance that you’d like to share with fellow NASA members in a future edition of the Update? Then give us details at the link below! Please note that no commercial events or endeavors will be promoted, but remember that advertising rates are available through NASA upon request for such cases!

Tell us about your upcoming performance here! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpv0ZHiC2CXg8OkohU9XmCryvMKiFREHSleKXqYLCOhKTmiA/viewform?usp=header