In Episode 248 of the Everything Saxophone Podcast, host Donna Schwartz sits down with saxophonist, educator, and composer Dr. Randal Clark for an inspiring conversation about music, artistry, and education.
Timing is everything, just because something isn’t working right now doesn’t mean that the experience that you gain from it isn’t going to be valuable in the future
His most recent album, Midnight, showcases collaborations with an impressive lineup of musical icons including Jeff Lorber, Jimmy Haslip, Russell Ferrante, Mark Lettieri, Gary Novak, Michael Thompson, David Mann, Scott Kinsey, and many others. This October, Dr. Randal is set to return for his third appearance at the JazzTrax Catalina Island Jazz Festival on October 19, 2025 — a testament to his continued presence on the national jazz stage.
Just because you don’t think you’re going to be a professional musician doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice really (really) hard at your instrument. You don’t know how valuable that’s going to be for you in the future.
Dr. Randal performs with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, is a regular session musician, and appears on YouTube as part of the “Cannonball Band,” sharing the stage with top artists like Gerald Albright and Eric Darius. With over 28 years in music education, he’s earned numerous awards and teaches as adjunct jazz faculty at the University of Utah. Dr. Randal is also the Acoustical Expert and Director of Media and Education At Cannonball Instruments, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
If you want to put in hours a day on or hours on stage, you gotta be putting that time in. Marathon runners don’t go out and run 100 meter dashes and then think that can run a marathon.
Tune in to hear Dr. Randal’s journey, his experience working with jazz legends, and how he balances a full-time performing and teaching career.
Watch the full interview now and dive deeper into Dr. Randal Clark’s insights, stories, and advice.
Here’s a guided timestamp to check out the highlights of this episode with Dr. Randal Clark —perfect if you want to jump straight to the parts that resonate most with you.
- 00:00 – Musical beginnings
- 06:21- The 1 cassette influenced his musical path
- 08:51 – How he made his own records
- 9:21 – How he learned improvisation on his own
- 17:36 – The value in transcribing
- 28:54 – The influences that inspired him to become a music educator
- 32:56 – The sax as a tool
- 33:34 – The 1 concept that affects your time management
- 40:08 – The 1 trait you need to get really good at something
- 41:24 – Think your age is an issue? Listen to Randal’s advice
- 43:36 – How serendipity played a role in his career
- 47:15 – Pros & Cons of emulating others
- 55:04 – The musicians on his new release, Midnight
- 59:53 – Advice for putting yourself out there
- 01:02:32 – Randal’s songwriting process
- 01:17:10 – How working with DAW became a roadblock for him
- 01:21:00 – The funny story how Randal started working for Cannonball Musical Instruments
- 01:25:37 – His Vintage Reborn saxophone
- 01:28:05 – How Cannonball is different than most other instrument companies
- 01:33:21 – Randal’s setup
- 01:43:09 – Where you can find Randal and his CD’s online
Dr. Randal Clark’s Links:
- Website: https://randalclarkmusic.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randalclarkmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randalclarkmusic
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@randalclarkmusic4333
- Midnight: https://open.spotify.com/album/6MZrxtM21VirhGuJcjXffS?si=mu931bU3RA6PW9ojTwvHCA
- With the CannonBall Band: Tower of Power’s What Is Hip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkdzEz86ESU&list=RDKkdzEz86ESU&start_radio=1
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Have You Checked Out The Free Masterclass, How To Improvise With Confidence Yet?
If you’re a saxophonist who feels bored with their solos because you play the same licks over and over again, or takes hours and hours to write or work out solos because you feel you can’t create anything better when you’re playing in the moment, or is afraid to raise your hand to take solos during rehearsals because you feel everyone else is better than you…
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In it, you’ll discover:
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Thousands of saxophone players have gotten tremendous value from watching this masterclass, so check it out now while it’s still available.You’ll find the link in the show’s description for this episode.
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