When asked what he loves most about playing the saxophone, Snitzer responded, “The saxophone gives voice to my musical being. I played a number of instruments as a kid, but the saxophone clearly was the right vehicle for my expression. I love the vocal quality, the combination of power and grace.”
He also performs occasionally with the Billy Joel tribute band, Big Shot, fronted by Mike DelGuidice. “I’ve toured with The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Sting, Billy Joel, and others. And I can tell you for certain that Mike [DelGuidice] possesses one of the most striking vocal instruments I’ve ever encountered. And he’s a super nice guy, and great to work with!” Snitzer exclaimed.
Each day, Snitzer is motivated by his “essential drive to make music, and the notion that I’m feeding my family doing this.”
Regarding his plans for the future, the acclaimed saxophonist said, “To work on my next solo album, and try to keep working in a very competitive business. I’ve been lucky and blessed for 30 years now, hoping to keep that going!”
Snitzer also opened up about the digital transformation of the music business. “Everyone knew that digital audio was coming in the recording process, but I don’t think many people predicted that there would quickly be a user format that allowed recorded music to fly around the world with absolute ease. I don’t think people predicted that the product, the music, would be impossible to protect in such short order.”
On his use of technology in his music routine as a saxophone player, he said, “I’m a geek, been a Pro Tools user since the early 90’s. I write on the computer, record on the computer, and use file transfer to send saxophone parts to my clients. It’s at the center of all of it now.”
For aspiring saxophonists, Snitzer’s advice is as follows: “Practice as much as you can, and become educated about the building blocks of music as much as you can. Knowledge and expertise are powerful, they will always aid you in a very competitive business.”
Snitzer defined the word success as “Getting to spend my life in music; playing the saxophone, recording, writing, and teaching. It’s a gift to be able to spend each day doing something that I love for a living.”
To learn more about internationally recognized saxophonist Andy Snitzer, check out his official website, and his Facebook page.
