Interview with Dr Nathan Henshaw
Hi Dr Henshaw, welcome to the first interview of the Notus Winds interview series! Thanks for your time today. I'd love to use this time to introduce you to some people who may not have come across you before. Can you give us a quick run down of your past musical education and experiences?
Well I've been playing professionally for the last 25 years and have had the privilege to work with some awesome musicians/groups in my time (both in Australia and overseas). There's too many to list! I currently regularly preform with the Nexas Quartet - we've just celebrated our 20th anniversary last year. Other groups I work with are Ironbark Ensemble (reed quintet), Wes Pudsey & The Sonic Aces (rockabilly), Rarefied Air (jazz) and The Sax Summit (commercial). I also do freelance performing and recording. My day job is Tenor Saxophonist with the NSW Police Band which is a full time band. Teaching wise, I've taught and conducted at various schools/institutions across Sydney over the years and have given masterclasses/workshops at Griffith University (QLD), AIM and various regional Conservatoriums. These days I have a private teaching studio in the Inner West (Henshaw Sax Studio) where I teach students of all levels and I'm also the classical saxophone teacher for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Open Academy Rising Stars Program. I also do the occasional workshop/masterclass from time to time.
What excites you the most about playing saxophone?
Everything! The saxophone is one of the most exciting and versatile instruments out there. It has the capacity to do so much and be involved in a diverse range of musical settings. Practicing the instrument I find exciting as I feel like I'm continually evolving as a player and discovery new things. Listening to the saxophone, I'm always continually amazed to hear great performances and recordings - gets me inspired to head straight to the practice room.
You're a saxophonist who plays wide range of styles, what did you find was the most difficult musical style for you to start performing?
I was pretty fortunate to have a holistic education on the saxophone when I was a student (learning jazz and classical concurrently), so this helped me be able to "switch gears". But even today, I still find switching between different styles is not an instantaneous process. If I'm playing classical music for a while then have a jazz gig come up, I need to spend some time to re-adjust embouchure, sound concept and stylistic approach. Like any skill, you need to be using it regularly to maintain it. It's a juggling act musically to keep everything up equally so I tend to prioritise what I need to work on and plan ahead with my practice.
You started up the Sydney Saxophone Network about 3 years ago, which now has close to 1,000 members on the Facebook group. What was your aim for the SSN group when you first created it?
For those who may not be aware there was a NSW Clarinet & Saxophone Society here in Sydney up until the early 2000s which was spear headed by Mark Walton. The society held a meeting once a month (and some mini festivals) and as a student I really enjoyed going to these. They really opened my eyes in terms of saxophone playing and I got to hear some amazing performances, hear about concerts and, most importantly, meet and play with members of the saxophone community.
Since the society disappeared, NSW wasn't completely devoid of saxophone activities. There are some wonderful events put on by Saxophone Academy of Sydney each year (summer schools, short courses, masterclasses) and there are many other wonderful things happening in both metropolitan and regional NSW with tours, concerts, workshops and masterclasses. A notable event in recent memory was the Australasian Saxophone & Clarinet Conference in 2013. But I've always missed the regular interactions and wanted to find a way to keep the community regularly engaged with what's happening. An easy way to start was with a FB page.
I didn't actually start the Sydney Saxophone Network initially. A friend and colleague of mine, Andrew Smith, actually started the FB group several years earlier but the page disappeared. I'd asked him if he would mind if I recreated it and here we are today.
At first it was a means for the Sydney saxophone community to network online and keep everyone in the loop with what was happening in the community - like a classifieds (promoting events, teaching opportunities, selling gear, etc). During Covid, there wasn't much happening obviously but was still keen to think of ways to build and grow and then, with the help of online conferencing technology, I thought "wouldn't it great to chat to some local legends and document their thoughts on saxophone and music in general." And the Q&A series was born and we currently have 27 interviews recorded.
Ultimately I'd like to SSN to grow and morph into a more physical get together on a regular basis and hopefully revamp/restart the society here in NSW. I always see the sax & clarinet societies in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia doing things and think how great it would be to have that here in NSW again - a monthly get together for saxophonists of all levels and ages! Like any love project, I volunteer my free time towards the Q&A series and upkeep of the page and it really needs more than one person to get it to the new phase. There are some colleagues who are equally interested in seeing a group like the society return and we've been chatting so it could be soon.
If we wanted to see you perform, what would be the best way to follow your events?
I've got all the usual outlets you can follow me on:
Social media
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/henshawsax
Website: www.nathanhenshaw.com
Mailing List: https://nathanhenshaw.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e65dbcb2ce0e90d800a83fa02&id=ddad3a0d45
And, of course, the Sydney Saxophone Network page!