Name: Dave Sewelson

From: Oakland, California

Few people know that… my beard’s birthday is July 24, 2005.

I play and teach: Flute, clarinet, saxophone, bass, electric bass, recorder

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Smooth FreeJazz, Sewelsonics, Two Sisters Inc, Music for a Free World Quartet

Personal Teaching Statement: I love finding the beautiful sound in any instrument and the music in any situation. I believe that everyone has the ability within them to pull wonderful sounds out of the air around them.

Biography: Dave was born in Oakland, California in 1952. There was a half-size violin kept in the closet in case he wanted to be a concert violinist. He played trumpet at the age of nine, moving to baritone horn at the age of eleven, followed by a stint on drums until settling on electric bass at thirteen, adding upright bass to the mix until the switch to saxophone at the age of twenty-one. He has specialized in the baritone saxophone since the early seventies.

Dave arrived in New York City in the summer of 1977 becoming an active member of the Downtown Scene and since then has played, performed and recorded music all over the world with 25 O’Clock Band, Jemeel Moondoc’s Jus Grew Orchestra, William Parker’s Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and Saheb Sarbib’s Multinational Big Band and the Microscopic Septet. He has played with many wonderful musicians, including, Billy Bang, John Zorn, Peter Kuhn, Alex Cline, Roy Campbell, Sonny Murray, Kidd Jordan, Daniel Carter, Will Connell and Stephanie Stone. Dave’s current projects include, Two Sisters Inc. with David Hofstra and Claire Daly, Smooth Freejazz, Sewelsonics, and The Daves.

Dave has been teaching music since 1971. Some highlights include:

-Teaches private instrumental classes with focus on improvisation and runs workshops for young people.
-Conducted music classes in the Newark, New Jersey High School system.
-Improvised Music at New School NYC.
-Taught children using Orff Approach at Turtle Bay Music School in NYC.
-Woodwind section workshops through the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra program.
-Youth Band Director and music theory and instrumental instruction at Campos Plaza Community Center in New York City