Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cory Barnfield. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Cory thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Learning the craft has been a very exciting part of my life. I’ve studied with several different teachers/artists from different backgrounds and those experiences have allowed me to develop into a teacher and artist in my own right. Each professional saxophonist I studied with offered me something and I added that to my own playing. Some offered me more technique. Others helped develop my high range, phrasing, tone and playing at a professional level. From learning the saxophone I have set goals for myself, both short term and long term. I think it’s very important that you do this, because pursuit of your goals help keep you moving ahead. At first, my short term goals might have been performing certain repertoire or winning top chair within the band or all-state ensemble. Longer-term goals were becoming a Selmer-Paris artist, recording several albums, being on call with a professional orchestra and having great students to mentor. Through vision and perseverance all of these goals were met!!!

After certain goals are met you have to set new ones and even higher ones. If you don’t set those goals you can start to become stagnant. It’s also important to learn from your colleagues and peers in the field. You can always learn something from somebody. I have found that people sometimes have experiences that you never had and can be a valuable resource when your learning something new. My recording engineer Adam Copeland has taught so much about the recording industry, mic placement, and using different venues for recording. I want my students, colleagues and friends to all be successful in whatever they want to do in life. Lastly, I’ve found that practicing and playing saxophone has taught me discipline, and that hard work eventually pays off.

Cory , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Grammy-nominated music educator and professional musician on the saxophone. I teach public school, do adjunct work at the college level when needed and have my own private saxophone studio. I am a proud Selmer Paris artist. Selmer Paris makes the best saxophones in the world and has for over 125 years. It’s like a Stradivarius violin or Heckel bassoon. Selmer Paris is known for their incredible tone. I have recorded three albums so far and have another one in the planning stages. My first album had a track, Pequena Czarda by Pedro Iturralde, that made the BBC’s Best of the Saxophone, described as “a collection of the top pieces and players of the classical saxophone”. My second album,Out of This World, won a silver medal for outstanding achievement from Global Music Awards and my third album, Song and Dance, won silver for best new album release from Global Music Awards and won Platinum (their highest award) for best instrumental collaboration from LIT Talent Awards. I’ve had the honor of soloing with several bands and orchestras, performing throughout the US and Europe. To most people, the saxophone is a jazz instrument, but there is another side to the saxophone where it plays with orchestras, bands, chamber ensembles and solos with piano. Compared to jazz it has a very pure sound, a controlled sound, rich, smooth and even throughout the range. From the time I heard Dale Underwood play Fantasia by Claude T. Smith for alto saxophone and band, in early 1994, I was sold on that style of playing. I’ve had a lot of success with my music programs and my private students.

Though I’m now very accomplished, I wasn’t always great at the saxophone, I was really bad actually! It wasn’t until my 7th and 8th grade years that I started practicing more and taking private lessons. By the time I was in high school I had begun practicing three hours everyday. I started to love music and that fire started on the inside of me. After I started college I couldn’t decide if I was going to be a teacher or performer. My sophomore year I went on tour with the wind ensemble in Europe and was living on and off the bus for a week and I really didn’t care for it and I missed the teaching aspect in my life. Furthermore, in my sophomore year I taught a music camp for a few weeks and didn’t get a chance to play my sax and realized that I was happiest when I had a balance between the two. My senior year in college, there was a saxophone spot open in the Pershing’s Own United States Army military band and I decided to apply. I sent a few recordings in and became one of the four finalists for the spot. However, I still had a semester left of student teaching to finish and had to make a choice whether I would finish student teaching or move to Washington D.C! I decided to finish student teaching and pursue a life of teaching and performing. I’ve taught from kindergarten through high school and throughout the college programs and given masterclasses on various topics in high schools and colleges. I find it rare that someone in my line of education is recording, performing and teaching and that sets me apart from others.

I was told by colleagues many years ago that I could not be a great teacher and performer that I had to choose. Of course I didn’t listen and I made my own way. When I first came to Louisville, Kentucky I endured a lot of rejection from local professional groups. This included my first contact with the Louisville Orchestra. Regardless, when auditions were held I went for it and was among the very top. After this, I got a call from the Kentucky Opera to play solo saxophone for Massenet’s Werther with the Louisville Orchestra under the direction of John Mechavich. It was the first time I’d played with the orchestra as a soloist. Furthermore, when I showed up no one knew me and I was given little regard. When I played the first major solo the conductor cut the orchestra off and said “bravo saxophone, your tone will fit perfectly with our soprano soloist”. Since then, I have been soloist on numerous performances.

So I have had a successful career as a performing artist, and of course throughout it all I have maintained my position as a successful music educator. Never let small minded people tell you what you can and cannot do! My dad always told me if there is a will you will find a way to make it happen. When i’m teaching my students I want them to love music as I have loved music. When I’m teaching my private students I want to help them achieve their musical goals and dreams and when I’m performing I want to inspire the audience. I am available to solo with any bands or ensemble or give masterclasses and clinics regarding saxophone, music, and education.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is working with other artists. Whether it’s new projects, professional ensembles, community groups etc. All of these different artistic groups create networks and friendships that will last a lifetime.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

What I think society can do to support artists is encourage support for professional orchestras, ensembles and other artistic groups. People who appreciate music can go to live performances in their communities and provide financial support for local artistic projects. The arts help make us better people and in having better people we have a better society.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.corybarnfield.com
• Instagram: Cory S. Barnfield
• Facebook: CoryBarnfield
• Youtube: Cory Barnfield. @jamrightthen

Image Credits
Photo 1 & 5 by Vic Maddox and all other photo’s by Ashley Barnfield