Dr. Jay C. Easton is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 multi-instrumentalist

Multi-instrumentalist

A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...

 who plays all sizes of saxophone

Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

 as well as a variety of other woodwind instruments from around the world. He is known as a specialist in very large (low pitched) saxophones. He is based in Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

.

Education

Easton studied with Michael Brockman, Kelley Hart-Jenkins, Dennis Michel, Marian Liebowitz, Lewis Peterman, F. Dane Teter, and Ernie DelFante. He holds a Doctorate

Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance from the University of Washington

University of Washington

University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 and Master of Music

Master of Music

The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...

 and Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...

 degrees in Woodwinds Performance from San Diego State University

San Diego State University

San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

.

Teaching career

Easton has served on the music faculty at San Diego State University

San Diego State University

San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

, the University of San Diego

University of San Diego

The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...

, and the Bishops' School in La Jolla, California. He has taught students of all ages and has given many educational outreach concerts.

Performing career

Easton performs and records on more than thirty woodwind instruments. His solo performances feature unusual reed instruments, with emphasis on larger (lower) instruments, especially the saxophone family.

He has performed with the Seattle Symphony

Seattle Symphony

The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra's season runs from September through July, and serves as the pit orchestra for most productions of the Seattle Opera in addition to its own concerts...

 Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony

San Diego Symphony

The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Diego, California. On 6 December 1910, it gave its first concert as the San Diego Civic Orchestra.Currently, the Symphony performs over 100 concerts each season...

 Orchestra, Lyric Opera San Diego

Lyric opera san diego

Lyric Opera San Diego is a San Diego, California based theatre company specialising in Comic opera, Operetta, and Musical theatre. The company was founded in 1979, primarily for the purpose of performing Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. At the time it was known as the San Diego Gilbert and Sullivan...

, the Spectrum Saxophone Quartet, and numerous professional musical theater productions.

He founded the Brass Dragon Saxophone Band, Northstar Saxophone Quartet, and Crosswinds Duo, and co-founded the San Diego Saxophone Orchestra.

Recordings

Easton's CD So Low was the first album ever dedicated solely to the largest saxophones.

On June 13 Easton released an instructional book with CD called Writing for Saxophones. The book features extended techniques and writing tips as well as sound samples of various saxophone ensembles.

See also

• Bass saxophone
  Bass saxophone
  The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
  
  
• Contrabass saxophone
  Contrabass saxophone
  The contrabass saxophone is the lowest-pitched extant member of the saxophone family proper. It is extremely large and heavy , and is pitched in the key of E, one octave below the baritone.-History:The contrabass...
  
  
• Subcontrabass saxophone
  Subcontrabass saxophone
  The subcontrabass saxophone is a type of saxophone that Adolphe Sax patented and planned to build but never constructed. Sax called this imagined instrument saxophone bourdon...
  
  
• Contrabass clarinet
  Contrabass clarinet
  The contrabass clarinet is the largest member of the clarinet family that has ever been in regular production or significant use. Modern contrabass clarinets are pitched in BB, sounding two octaves lower than the common B soprano clarinet and one octave lower than the B bass clarinet...
  
  
• Contrabass
  Contrabass
  Contrabass refers to a musical instrument of very low pitch; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register...
  
  
• Tubax
  Tubax
  The tubax is a modified saxophone developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim. It is available in both E contrabass and B or C subcontrabass sizes...
  
  

External links

• Jay Easton official site
• List of tracks on "So Low" album
• MP3 sound recording of the first movement of "Duet for Basses" by Walter Hartley
  Walter Hartley
  Walter Sinclair Hartley is an American composer of contemporary music.-Biography and education:He was born in Washington, D.C., began composing at age five and became seriously dedicated to it at sixteen. All his college degrees are from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester....
  
  , played as a B♭ Tubax duet (one instrument, overdubbed), performed by Jay Easton