English teacher on the sax
Stephanie Shin
Issue date: 6/22/09 Section: Features
De Anza College received yet another compliment about its well-rounded excellence in many of its educational departments - in this case, music.
Part-time musician Ryan Johnson, 21, is a De Anza student working full-time as an English teacher to support himself. Johnson moved from Shasta College in Redding to Campbell in fall 2007. He says that De Anza has a great comprehensive music program.
Johnson has been in big bands since high school, but said he did not learn about what jazz really was until he came to De Anza and took an improvisational class which allows students to freely play what they feel within a small group, rather than sticking strictly to playing the composed notes in a piece of music.
"We did a lot of big band tunes, not the kind of jazz I'm into now, which is more mainstream or straight-ahead jazz, what I am gravitating toward," Johnson said.
He started music in the fifth grade, learning how to blow into his saxophone and how to set his fingers to make each note. But other than that, Johnson said, he didn't learn much else from his sax teacher.
Johnson grew up hearing what his mother listened to, country and classic rock, so when he heard a live jazz band in middle school, he was impressed. When he moved to De Anza 10 years later, he discovered that he had apparently been doing everything wrong.
According to Johnson, music instructor Bob Farrington tried to teach Johnson how to play the saxophone the "right" way when he first came to De Anza. But there were so many errors to fix, both mentor and student became frustrated to the breaking point and gave up after two weeks as tension lingered.
Johnson said he took what Farrington had to say to heart, and continued to work on his music. Recently, almost two years later, Farrington heard Johnson play.
"He was my harshest critic, but he had such positive things to say," Johnson said. "My tone, note choices, entire style, comparing me to professional musicians…this is the guy who couldn't stand me and now he's giving me compliments, so I feel like sticking with this class at De Anza has done a lot for me. I've seen a lot of musicians come here from very far away…there is no other class like it. You get close together and get to perform."
Part-time musician Ryan Johnson, 21, is a De Anza student working full-time as an English teacher to support himself. Johnson moved from Shasta College in Redding to Campbell in fall 2007. He says that De Anza has a great comprehensive music program.
Johnson has been in big bands since high school, but said he did not learn about what jazz really was until he came to De Anza and took an improvisational class which allows students to freely play what they feel within a small group, rather than sticking strictly to playing the composed notes in a piece of music.
"We did a lot of big band tunes, not the kind of jazz I'm into now, which is more mainstream or straight-ahead jazz, what I am gravitating toward," Johnson said.
He started music in the fifth grade, learning how to blow into his saxophone and how to set his fingers to make each note. But other than that, Johnson said, he didn't learn much else from his sax teacher.
Johnson grew up hearing what his mother listened to, country and classic rock, so when he heard a live jazz band in middle school, he was impressed. When he moved to De Anza 10 years later, he discovered that he had apparently been doing everything wrong.
According to Johnson, music instructor Bob Farrington tried to teach Johnson how to play the saxophone the "right" way when he first came to De Anza. But there were so many errors to fix, both mentor and student became frustrated to the breaking point and gave up after two weeks as tension lingered.
Johnson said he took what Farrington had to say to heart, and continued to work on his music. Recently, almost two years later, Farrington heard Johnson play.
"He was my harshest critic, but he had such positive things to say," Johnson said. "My tone, note choices, entire style, comparing me to professional musicians…this is the guy who couldn't stand me and now he's giving me compliments, so I feel like sticking with this class at De Anza has done a lot for me. I've seen a lot of musicians come here from very far away…there is no other class like it. You get close together and get to perform."
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