“Music is too much fun, not to do it at your utmost! If you know you’ve put in your best effort it takes the pressure off and you can just let things happen” – Steve Owen

Steve Owen is a saxophonist, composer, and the Director of Jazz Studies at University of Oregon. He is the founder and co-director of the Oregon Jazz Festival, an annual workshop for college, junior high, and high school jazz ensembles, the University of Oregon Summer Jazz Improvisation Camp, and is on the faculty of the University of Kansas’ jazz camp.

Steve is the original playful musician and was a big inspiration for this podcast. He joins The Playful Musician to chat about how music has been his playground his entire life. Steve shares about how he loves practicing and how he recently took a huge hiatus from playing the saxophone. We discuss his practice routine, writing process, and the evolution of jazz pedagogy. Steve shares his current favorite tunes, who inspires him, and about his plans for the future.

In this episode we touch on the following topics:

• Keeping it fun!
• Steve’s first ensemble as a leader
• His first writing and arrangements
• The influence of Gene Aiken at UNC
• How Covid Impacted Steve’s Music Making
• Current Practice Routine
• How His Compositions are Influencing His Practicing
• Working Pitch Sets
• Approach to Composing and Arranging
• Theory as a Reflection of What is Happening in Music
• Great Music as a Result of a Community
• Current Listening
• Upcoming Projects
• Univeristy Community Enduring Covid

Links from the episode:

• Blood Sweat and Tears
• Cincinnati Symphony
• Whiplash
• University of Northern Colorado
• University of North Texas State
• Jazz Education Abroad
• iJazz Tunes
• Smatter – Kenny Wheeler
• High Life – Wayne Shorter
• Weather Report
• Schizophrenia – Wayne Shorter
• Adams Apple – Wayne Shorter
• Infant Eyes – Wayne Shorter

Show Notes:

People Mentioned:

• Stevie Wonder
• Aaron Copeland
• Ludwig van Beethoven
• Chuck Owen
• Dorothy Payne
• Sam Pilafian
• Gene Aiken
• Donny McCaslin
• Rich Perry
• David Baker
• Paul Kruger
• Booker Little
• Kenny Dorham
• Clark Terry
• Tim Hagans
• Walter Smith III
• Ben Wendel
• Dave Glenn
• Kenny Wheeler
• Wayne Shorter
• Vince Mendoza
• Paul Desmond
• Cannonball Adderley
• Bobby McFerrin
• Charlie Parker
• John Coltrane
• Brad Mehldau
• Keith Jarrett
• Sarah Vaughan
• Theo Bleckmann
• Mark Murphy
• Gian Slater