Dear ______ ,

Since you’re curious:

I was born to a Canadian family in 1997 in Connecticut, U.S.A. My parents are from the west coast of Newfoundland. My Mom descends from a/the local musical Lebanese Catholic family and my Dad grew up nearby playing basketball in a town that was home to a former WWII air force base. Both of them enjoy OZ.FM on Sunday mornings. We moved a lot – I have a younger brother who was born in Singapore. Bref, we eat everything from jigg’s dinner to kibbeh nayeh to nasi goreng.

We all moved to Montréal when I was 10ish. I grew some roots as a person and musician there, became bilingual, and learned that the boréal island-city was originally called Tio’Tia:ke. Then in August 2020, I moved to Maastricht, the Netherlands and that’s where I live now.

I play the alto saxophone! This is my beloved instrument, which I picked up haphazardly in high school band. It has become my main medium for learning, especially on how to create spaces for people (myself included) to express focused sound without fear.

I play music to search and wander through past, present, and people.

How does it sound?

A silver plated 93 year old alto saxophone is the vessel to the sound which is rooted in an unapologetic melodicism and a deep sound. It’s birthed from a play-full discipline, the result of studies in Black American Music, arts et cetera and what I affectionally call saxophonica.

I bring an honest expression to the bandstand, beats, and experimentalism. This music has been performed on old bridges, artfully obscure hangouts, and in many different kinds of venues and festivals.

These days, you may find me found under the codename 3S-AMI-5A (pron: سامية or sami-a) who prophesizes with winks while weaving a web.

(listen)

As a teacher, I am a music education radicalista, which I learned from dear teachers who work with disciplined honesty and kindness. I believe in self-directed learning via mentorship, group work, and solo study. It must be accessible. Above and below it all, I believe that fear can be separated from judgement. I teach and learn Fearless Music-Making!

This education praxis has led to beginner saxophone orchestras in the park, an intersectional justice marching band, hosting many kinds of jam sessions, and running any-ability workshops using the Soundpainting sign language entitled Guided Fearless Music-Making. It can also sometimes been found in the airwaves…

I especially enjoy working collaboratively, in broader communal creation. Bringing saxophonica wherever it is wanted… and sometimes as something to be stumbled upon.

In multidisciplinary places: composing, performing, and sound designing for the uniquely moving contemporary dancer Emilie van der Waals in the 2018 production I remember how the flowers sound, as a performer and producer for the 2023 A Far Time Ago, Long Long Away, as an early member of the equity & groove seeking Lotus Collective, and producing radio shows on CJLO1690AM and RTV 107.5FM.

The music takes me to any-where wonder-full paths.

J.G. Warren
_{(it’s fluid / be kind / assume nothing.)}