Saxophonist Dr Scott Litroff - How to Be An Effective Performer

Ever wondered how a violinist 🎻 became a master of the saxophone 🎷?

This week on the podcast, Donna sits down with the incredible Dr. Scott Litroff—who shares his journey from picking up the violin to finding his true voice on the sax.

 It all started with a moment of inspiration (and a little nudge from Perry Goldstein), but what truly set Scott apart was his approach to music: letting his ears be his guide, embracing mistakes as stepping stones, and developing a fearless performance philosophy.

Scott also takes us behind the scenes of his latest single, "Never Forget," sharing how it was produced and the creative process behind its powerful sound.

Don't miss these episode highlights:

🎷 Meeting Scott at NAMM 2025
🎷 His introduction to music
🎷 Your ears should be your guide
🎷 How he transitioned his interest from violin to saxophone
🎷 Influence of Perry Goldstein 
🎷 How Scott became lyrical in the altissimo range
🎷 Tips on playing the altissimo 
🎷 Mistakes are a path to the right note
🎷 Opportunities he got while studying at Stony Brook University
🎷 How Scott developed his performance philosophy to not worry about failing
🎷 A powerful quote from Yo Yo Ma
🎷 How studying other instruments helped Scott become a better improviser and musician
🎷 How the legacy of the masters can be a blessing but also a curse
🎷 Social acceptance
🎷 Importance of healthy practice sessions 
🎷 Letting go of this 1 belief will allow you to improvise with more freedom
🎷 Learning an instrument is a journey
🎷 Working with Darren Rahn
🎷 Finding the right mouthpiece and reed
🎷 His gear and recommendations
🎷 What he likes most about P Mauriat 
🎷 His ‘Never Forget’ single with Darren Rahn
🎷 Other projects

Click here to discover more about Dr. Scott Litroff & P Mauriat!

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P. Mauriat is a proud sponsor of the Everything Saxophone Podcast. P. Mauriat saxophones are handmade start to finish in Taiwan by skilled artisans and their families. Each P. Mauriat saxophone features a hand hammered bell; hand-hammering creates a durable alloy that is both aesthetically and sonically beautiful. 

P. Mauriat is the only saxophone manufacturer in the world that manufactures a true, full line saxophone choir: sopranino, soprano saxes with two necks or unibody construction, a curved soprano, alto and tenor saxophones with traditional French bores and drawn tone holes or alto and