Marybeth Kurnat - Saxophonist
Teen Jazz Hosting
By Shannon Kennedy
Name: Marybeth Kurnat
Instrument: Bari Saxophone
Years Playing: 7 years
Email: JazzedTacoMK@msn.com
Why she began playing the saxophone:
I made a nice four horn jumps in three school years. I started on violin in the
fourth grade because that seemed like a nice idea at the time. I tried to
swing band and orchestra going into 5th grade, and that was a bust, so I
dropped the violin. Since the sax section filled up uber fast, I had to start off
on the clarinet.... (shudder). A few months later, someone dropped out of
the
sax section, so I begged my director for the switch, and he got me a
wonderful student alto. In the May of sixth grade, I asked my director what
kinds of saxes are included in a full concert band. He told me alto and tenor,
and then he mentioned bari.
"Hmmm... we don't have one of those yet... HEY PICK ME!"
I've always been one to stand out, and I think a 4'11", 98-pound girl with a
sax that's almost bigger than her is quite the sight. So once my hand got big
enough to wrap around the left hand keys without setting off the palm keys,
I've been happily playing bari ever since.
What she is doing musically right now:
Right now, I'm a serious performer and composer, and I'm a music theory
junkie. I've got the whole perfect pitch thing goin', it's kinda cool. I made
Illinois All-State '05, so that's one of my big goals down. I'm also playing
tenor
sax, and working on jazz flute, clarinet and piano. For scholarship purposes,
I'm also studying bassoon... very very slowly. I live ten minutes from
Northern
Illinois University, so I do a lot of lessons and clinics and camps there.
What she plans on doing in the future:
I'm getting ready to start doing college auditions, and my heart is set on
Northern Illinois University. I'm hoping to do either jazz studies or music
education. All I know is that Professor Carter and Professor Duke will kill me if
I don't come. Anyway, after school's over, I want to be a university jazz
ensemble director as well as a performer.
