Everything Saxophone Podcast Host, Donna Schwartz, spoke with Dr. Scott Litroff, Saxophonist, Educator, about how to be an effective performer.

This week on the podcast, Donna sits down with the incredible Dr. Scott Litroff—who shares his journey from picking up the violin to finding his true voice on the sax. It all started with a moment of inspiration (and a little nudge from Perry Goldstein), but what truly set Scott apart was his approach to music: letting his ears be his guide, embracing mistakes as stepping stones, and developing a fearless performance philosophy. Scott also takes us behind the scenes of his latest single, “Never Forget,” sharing how it was produced and the creative process behind its powerful sound.

Dr. Scott Litroff is an internationally acclaimed saxophonist known for his versatility across classical, jazz, and pop styles. Since his solo debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, he has performed at prestigious venues worldwide and collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Koh Mr. Saxman, Ray Anderson, and Nellie McKay. As principal saxophonist for the New York Wind Orchestra and a sought-after clinician, he has premiered over 20 commissioned works, with several featured on his debut album Global Saxophone (2021), which received critical acclaim. His recent smooth jazz single, “Never Forget,” was released in November 2023 and was composed, mixed, and produced by the world-renowned Smooth Jazz producer and Billboard #1 chart topper, Darren Rahn, and an upcoming fusion album incorporating jazz and Indian classical music, highlight his genre-crossing creativity.

Beyond performance, Scott is a dedicated educator and Associate Professor at Queensborough Community College, where he leads the jazz program and serves as Chairperson of the Academic Senate’s Steering Committee. Under his leadership, the department achieved NASM accreditation in 2024. He also teaches at Adelphi University and has been recognized with numerous awards for both performance and pedagogy, including the Samuel Baron Prize and multiple PSC-CUNY Research Awards.

Watch the full episode here:

Here’s what we’ve talked about:

🎷 Meeting Scott at NAMM 2025
🎷 His introduction to music
🎷 Your ears should be your guide
🎷 How he transitioned his interest from violin to saxophone
🎷 Influence of Perry Goldstein
🎷 How Scott became lyrical in the altissimo range
🎷 Tips on playing the altissimo
🎷 Mistakes are a path to the right note
🎷 Opportunities he got while studying at Stony Brook University
🎷 How Scott developed his performance philosophy to not worry about failing
🎷 A powerful quote from Yo Yo Ma
🎷 How studying other instruments helped Scott become a better improviser and musician
🎷 How the legacy of the masters can be a blessing but also a curse
🎷 Social acceptance
🎷 Importance of healthy practice sessions
🎷 Letting go of this 1 belief will allow you to improvise with more freedom
🎷 Learning an instrument is a journey
🎷 Working with Darren Rahn
🎷 Finding the right mouthpiece and reed
🎷 His gear and recommendations
🎷 What he likes most about P Mauriat
🎷 His ‘Never Forget’ single with Darren Rahn
🎷 Other projects

Dr. Scott’s Links:

• Dr. Scott’s Facebook Page
• Dr. Scott’s Instagram
• Never Forget
• Crazy Rag for Saxophone and Piano
• P Mauriat Saxophones website

P. Mauriat is a proud sponsor of the Everything Saxophone Podcast. P. Mauriat saxophones are handmade start to finish in Taiwan by skilled artisans and their families. Each P. Mauriat saxophone features a hand hammered bell; hand-hammering creates a durable alloy that is both aesthetically and sonically beautiful.

P. Mauriat is the only saxophone manufacturer in the world that manufactures a true, full line saxophone choir: sopranino, soprano saxes with two necks or unibody construction, a curved soprano, alto and tenor saxophones with traditional French bores and drawn tone holes or alto and tenor saxophones with rolled tone holes and Germanic style bores, a tenor sax without a high F# key, Low A AND Low Bb baritone saxes, a professional bass saxophone, and entry level, intermediate, and pro lines all voiced SATB.

P. Mauriat also makes entry level, intermediate, and professional clarinets, intermediate and professional flutes, and entry level through pre-professional trumpets. P. Mauriat is also fully product-supported, with an actual human being brand manager and an ever-growing parts pipeline.

Check out the new P. Mauriat Venus Alto and Tenor saxophones, made of a 95% copper alloy with silver key work and Black Pearl key touches. Great artists such as Kirk Whalum, Derek Brown, Roxy Coss, Adam Larson, Jason Marshall, Khari Allen Lee, Laura Dreyer, Dan White, and Terell Stafford have trusted their sound to P. Mauriat Musical Instruments.

Whether you’re a beginning musician, an advancing student, or a working professional, P. Mauriat has an instrument that will fit both your musical tastes and your budget. See your local dealer for details!

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