May Musician of the Month: Sunand Vasudev Anand Kumar
Photos submitted by Vasudev Anand Kumar.
Sunand Vasudev Anand Kumar is selected as May’s musician of the month! Vasudev Anand Kumar is currently a freshman at Hamilton. He is the fourth chair alto saxophone player in the Wind Ensemble, and plays the saxophone in the jazz band. Recently, at WSMA state in UW-Milwaukee, Vasudev Anand Kumar scored a 1 on his Class A alto saxophone solo (highest point in the highest division). He even earned the Exemplary Performance Award, which is selected by judges in which they select a limited number of recipients for the award. His outstanding performance stood out amongst the other group of performers. Only around 400 performances out of around 1,000 received this award. Congratulations to Vasudev Anand Kumar!
Freshman baritone saxophone player Julian Daniels shares how he is inspired by Vasudev Anand Kumar. “When I met Sunand in seventh grade, I was like ‘Wow, he’s a really good saxophone player!’ He motivates me to want to improve at my instrument by practicing as much as I can.”
Congrats again to Vasudev Anand Kumar! Read more about him below:
How long have you been in band and why do you continue to do it?
I’ve been in band for four years (since 6th grade), and I continue to do it because it's a great way to play high level music and have fun while I’m at it.
What is your solo piece that you played in solo and ensemble this year? What do you like best about it?
The solo that I played this year was the “Eccles Sonata,” by Henri Eccles, arranged by Sigurd Rascher. I like the stylistic contrast between all three movements and how they each have their own way of showing energy. The first movement is the slow one, where I can add vibrato and really emphasize those dynamics. The 2nd movement has a lot of octave jumps and is moderately fast, giving me a technical challenge. Finally, the last movement is the fastest one, where I had to focus on the speed of my tonguing and articulation in order to make it sound smooth.
What are some goals for yourself musically?
One goal I have for myself is to build my vibrato speed and endurance and hone my sound so I can consistently produce a balanced, higher frequency vibrato. Another goal I have is developing a warmer tone and improving my breathing technique, because when you have a good tone, everything else falls into place.
What is a piece of advice for anyone wanting to play the alto saxophone?
One piece of advice I would give to anyone is to start with the basics. Start with learning your 12 major scales, and their arpeggios. For me, learning these 12 scales has greatly improved my overall playing ability, because not only was I familiar with almost every key signature thrown my way, but I was also able to practice my vibrato, fingerwork, and tone.
What are other activities that you are involved in outside of band? What kinds of hobbies do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Other than regular school band, I also play the Alto for the UW-Milwaukee Youth Ensemble and learn privately. Other than music in general, I am in HOSA, DECA, Forensics, and volunteer as a math instructor. In my free time, I enjoy playing music, singing, playing chess, and biking.
Who inspired you to be an alto saxophone player?
Nobody in particular really inspired me to become an alto saxophone player. When I picked the instrument in 6th grade, it honestly just looked cool because of all the buttons. But after I started getting good, I just got more and more attached to it.
Do you have any future plans ahead in your next few years of high school?
I still don’t know where I want to go or what I want to do in the future, but I know I want to keep music in my life and continue to explore music with my saxophone.
