A few of Scott Devlin’s students hold their saxophones as they watch their teacher perform a myriad of classical pieces at the Rehearsal Hall during the Central Florida Saxfest on Saturday.
Fabio Braggion
The rehearsal hall hummed with the sounds of saxophones as Dr. George Weremchuk, professor of saxophone at UCF, kicked off the 25th annual Central Florida SaxFest.
To commemorate the anniversary, Weremchuk invited his former student, fellow music educator and UCF alumnus Scott Devlin, along with Devlin’s son — another former Knight and professional saxophonist — Ryan Devlin.
“The goal is to bring in internationally known saxophonists, saxophone teachers and performers to share their knowledge with our students, and also to saxophonists in the community,” said Weremchuk.
The festival began in the early 2000s, funded by UCF’s Student Government and the university’s Saxophone Club. Weremchuk then invites professional guests to teach attendees.
At 9 a.m., the event began with local businesses setting up tables just outside the performance room, showcasing saxophones, mouthpieces and accessories.
This year, Music Man, Music & Arts and CE Winds presented a variety of items to attending students.
One notable piece was saxophones dotted with Swarovski crystals, presented by CE Winds. These glistening instruments, still playable, drew the attention of many students.
Following the showcase was a performance by Weremchuk and his saxophone quartet titled “Dolce Quatro.” The band is made up of different saxophonists from across Central Florida.
The four-piece ensemble had different types of saxophones playing at the same time. Frank Mazzeo played the soprano, while Eddie Marshall played alto, Weremchuk played tenor and Brian Smithers played baritone.
Professor George Weremchuk conducts a saxophone choir composed of high school students from UCF alumni, and a former student, Scott Devlin. The recital took place halfway through the 25th Annual Central Florida SaxFest on Saturday.
Fabio Braggion
After Weremchuk’s performance, UCF alumnus Scott Devlin taught a masterclass. While usually a private tutor for high school saxophone players around Orange County, Scott Devlin helped a mixture of UCF students and his own during the festival.
“A masterclass is really for somebody that has the tune pretty much down; it’s not like a private lesson where we’re breaking down the basic elements,” Scott Devlin said. “They put months of work into it, and now they’re kind of getting it tweaked.”
The masterclass involves a student playing the piece on stage, while Scott Devlin gives advice or instructions on how to play the song better. He calls it a private lesson in front of everybody, where most students know the piece and are internalizing the lesson as if they were on stage.
“It’s for students that are here that wouldn’t have the opportunity to fly to New York,” said Weremchuk. “It brings them on campus so students can benefit from seeing them, learning from them, meeting them, and they like to get selfies with them.”
Many of the students from the masterclass stay after to watch Scott Devlin take the stage and perform a suite of classical pieces both as a performance and another lesson to his students.
Scott Devlin took the SaxFest stage for the first time as a graduate student at UCF. While he studied, he played at Walt Disney World as a live musician, then moved on to be a private tutor for high schoolers and, eventually, his son.
“When my son was old enough, we brought him in here,” Scott Devlin said. “He was the young guy back then, and played in a master class; I wanted to expose him to that.”
Ryan Devlin was in middle school when his father brought him to SaxFest. During this year’s festival, he stood on stage as a UCF alumnus, graduating with his bachelor’s in music performance.
UCF alumnus Ryan Devlin caps off the 25th Anniversary of the Central Florida SaxFest in the Rehearsal Hall on Saturday with his saxophone.
Fabio Braggion
As the day wound to a close, the event held its last two concerts. The first, a saxophone choir made up of as many volunteers as possible on stage, created the sound of one large instrument performing the same piece.
The second, Ryan Devlin’s concert with UCF professors Per Danielsson on piano and Richard Drexler on bass, along with UCF alumnus Gerald Law II on drums, brought to life a song written by Ryan Devlin, titled “The Hardest Part is Starting” — a reference to what his father always said about playing music.
“This was his first time that he’s featured here, so that’s pretty cool; really a full circle,” Scott Devlin said.
The festival itself can sometimes fall at an inconvenient time for the Central Florida saxophone community.
Orange County Public Schools All-County Band Honors Festival, where many of Scott Devlin’s students perform, took place the same day as SaxFest.
Still, Ryan Devlin performed for those who could make it in the same place he performed decades ago — and the same place his father got his master’s in music education.
“Regardless of what your major is, keep playing your instrument, because it’s something you enjoy doing,” Weremchuk said. “It’s a nice change of pace.”