Unlocked by Emma McPhilemy & Jenni Watson

Unlocked

#lockthesaxdown

Fully funded through Kickstarter, this album blurs composer/ performer lines and pushes the boundaries of cross-genre performance

#lockthesaxdown - A social media challenge series created in response to the pandemic of 2020

Due to the restrictions of live performance, the inability to rehearse with others, and the sudden cancellation of almost all work within the arts, we felt an abrupt loss of purpose. Realising that many players felt the same way, we started an online challenge series called #lockthesaxdown, aiming to provide routine and motivation for saxophonists with regular performance challenges.

Given the lack of chamber music-making, we reimagined Jenni’s pre-existing repertoire with multi-layered backing tracks and made them freely available to download, with a weekly demo performed by Emma. With the opportunity to play exciting new music over full tracks, saxophonists jumped onboard and eagerly shared their performances online.

The project became hugely popular on a global scale and the response from all participants was inspiring. We are thrilled to have been able to help saxophonists find momentum and drive through a difficult time. Thank you to everyone who has taken part and become involved in our growing community.

This disc is a seamless blend of selected #lockthesaxdown works alongside a more expansive, explorative and creative style of collaborative writing. Our backgrounds are mostly in classical training, however the music we have recorded blurs the boundaries between our mutual interests of classical, contemporary, jazz, foik, improvisation and minimalism.

We aimed to create music outside the box of classical saxophone, whilst respecting the legacy of our instrument.

Music that expresses the glorious versatility of the instrument, and strives to push technique. We have loved working together on this album and are so proud of what we have created.

Saxophonist (UK)

Working with:

Selmer
Vandoren
KeyLeaves
Riverdance
#lockthesaxdown

Facebook
Twitter
emmamcphilemy.com