SMI Super Sax Camp
“The camp helped me grow as a musician by giving me the chance to spend a week concentrating on my instrument and playing challenging music.”
June 22–27, 2008
Download a copy of the PDF Application form.
The Super Sax Camp offers a challenging atmosphere for aspiring high school saxophonists interested in classical and jazz performance. Exciting musical and social activities are planned for players of all backgrounds and ability levels.
Professional guidance for less advanced performers will be offered, along with preparatory experiences for future college students. Camp offerings include private lessons, master classes, student and faculty recitals and a special emphasis on jazz style and classical chamber ensembles.
Special guest clinician for the camp will be Dr. John Sampen, BGSU’s Distinguished Artist Professor.
Questions? Contact Michael Holmes at mh.michaelholmes@gmail.com.
Camp Schedule
The super sax camp schedule is available in PDF format.
Meet the Faculty
J. Michael Holmes is a talented solo and chamber musician who has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Taiwan. Holmes has completed course work for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in saxophone performance. Holmes holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from BGSU where he was a student of Distinguished Artist Professor John Sampen and a master’s degree in saxophone performance from the University of Illinois where he was the graduate saxophone teaching assistant for Professor Debra Richtmeyer. He has had additional studies with Jean-Marie Londeix, Claude Delangle, Griffin Campbell, Daniel Kientzy and Eugene Rousseau. Holmes is a Vandoren Artist and plays Vandoren reeds, ligatures and mouthpieces exclusively. For more information see www.michaelholmesmusic.com.
Saxophonist and clarinetist Shannon Ford has been active as a freelancer and private teacher of both classical and jazz styles in the Toledo area since 1991. As a saxophonist she has performed throughout the Midwest and recorded with the saxophone quartet Sax 4th Avenue, recorded two Suites for Tenor Saxophone and Strings with the Alec Wilder Project, worked with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony, the Toledo Concert Band and is a member of the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra. As a clarinetist she holds the principal clarinet position with the Lima Symphony Orchestra (featured as soloist with that orchestra on clarinet, saxophone and with Sax 4th Avenue); has enjoyed additional engagements with the Adrian Symphony, Toledo Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre, and performs often with the Toledo Symphony. As a woodwind doubler she has worked shows with national tours of Chicago, Evita, Hairspray, and The Producers, as well as with such notable artists as Harry Connick Jr., Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, J. J. Johnson, Joel Grey and Ray Charles. Ford also is part of a flute, clarinet and piano trio known as Mirepoix, and has recently finished a recording project with the Toledo Clarinets.
Ford teaches saxophone at Oakland University (Mich.) and both clarinet and saxophone at Adrian College, having earned performance degrees from Indiana State University and Bowling Green State University. She has held positions as saxophone instructor at Muskingum College, clarinet instructor at Ohio Northern University and Siena Heights University (Mich.) and saxophone ensembles coach at Bowling Green State University. Her teachers include John Sampen, Ron Samuels, Gene Parker and Mark Kieswetter.
Distinguished Artist Professor John Sampen, guest clinician.