Making Music Matter, Book 1: Tenor Sax

Experience the Joy of Performance from the Very Start

Making Music Matter, Book 1 is a refreshing, performance-focused beginning band method engineered to transform how first-year musicians practice and progress. Written by celebrated composer Frank Ticheli and renowned educator Gregory B. Rudgers, this foundational method book for the B-flat Tenor Saxophone is designed to build critical performance skills, proper habits, and creative expression simultaneously.

Rather than relying solely on dry repetition or isolated drills, this method inspires young players by putting actual composition at the heart of their study. It provides an immersive, engaging classroom or individual studio resource that gets beginner woodwind players excited about creating beautiful sounds from day one.

Key Features & Pedagogical Methods

• Original Frank Ticheli Compositions: Features 24 original works composed exclusively by Frank Ticheli, providing students with world-class, authentic concert material tailored to their exact skill level.
• Solo Repertoire Development: Includes 15 specialized solo pieces complete with optional piano accompaniment, giving student tenor saxophonists early opportunities to practice solo performance and phrasing.
• Comprehensive Instrumental Skills: Strategically organized to introduce proper B-flat Tenor Saxophone posture, technical fingerings, breath control, and foundational notation reading.
• Creative Exploration: Blends exercises, basic warm-ups, and targeted rhythm drills with creative milestones that teach students to experience the artistic joy of music-making at the earliest stages of learning.
• Perfect Ensemble Integration: Fully aligned for school band classroom structures, ensuring the tenor saxophone track seamlessly coordinates with all other student instruments in the method series.

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