Department of Music
Welcome to the Saxophone Performance Institute
The Saxophone Performance Institute (SPI) is a five-day program presented each summer for saxophonists in Grades 8 through undergraduate college/university students. All activities are held on the historic UD main campus, and instruction is provided by Department of Music faculty member and Director of Bands Dr. Willie Morris, III, as well as UD alumnus Mr. Adam Uhlenhake. The institute is an intensive study of the saxophone in concert and jazz styles.
Date: June 17-21, 2024 (deadline to register is June 1)
Location: University of Dayton
For more information, please contact Dr. Willie Morris, III
Non-UD faculty members
Adam Uhlenhake is a 2007 graduate of the University of Dayton and a 2009 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music with degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance. He has studied saxophone with Willie Morris, Tim Timmons and Bobby Watson. Adam has been the Director of Bands at Oakwood since 2015, after spending the previous six years at West Carrollton City Schools. In addition to his career as a teacher, Adam also maintains an active performance schedule in the Dayton and Cincinnati area. Adam is a member of the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, Unity Sax Quartet, and performs regularly with the Kim Kelly Orchestra and Tom Daugherty Orchestra. He has also had the honor of performing with Grammy-winning artists such as The Temptations and The O’Jays. Adam maintains his connection with UD by penning musical arrangements for the infamous Flyer Pep Band. Adam has also released several EPs of original music that are available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services.
The Saxophone Performance Institute offers a curriculum that is perfect for young wind players seeking to prepare for college auditions or for those who simply love to perform and wish to learn more. SPI sessions and events are geared toward learning and fun. SPI participants enjoy these activities in a college setting, utilizing several facilities throughout campus. Below are just some typical institute activities.
SPI Masterclasses and Workshops include:
- Tone Production
- Choosing the right mouthpiece and Reed
- Proper Mechanics
- Building Technique
- Improving your articulation
- History of the Saxophone
- Saxophone pitch tendencies
- Concert and Jazz styling
- Understanding jazz and concert performance styles
- Your role in big band saxophone section playing
- Your role in concert band playing
- Listening
Performance opportunities:
- Sax quartet/quintet
- Big band section playing
- Solos, duets and trios
- $450 for commuting campers
- $675 for overnight campers