ORONO – University of Maine alumnus David Demsey will return to his alma mater to play the saxophone with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, Feb. 1 and host a master class with six UMaine School of Performing Arts saxoDD6phone students on Jan. 31. During his visit, Demsey will also work with the UMaine Jazz Ensemble.
Demsey is professor of music and coordinator of jazz studies at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education from UMaine in 1977, he received a master’s in music in saxophone from the Juilliard School and earned a doctorate at the Eastman School of Music.
“Working with a world class visiting artist and teacher is a great gift; no matter the experience and training of the regular instructor, the experience and training of the visiting teacher will be different,” says Glen Sargent, an adjunct faculty member in the School of Performing Arts. “These differences can open new understanding in the students just from their different viewpoint.”
Demsey’s master class is being offered from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 in room 100 of the Class of 1944 Hall.
The students — all music education majors — taking part in the class are:
  • Ethan Manning of Vernon, Vt.
  • Michael Milazzo of Williamstown, Mass.
  • Jenny Fletcher of South Portland, Maine
  • Will Martin, of York, Maine
  • Dustin Levesque of Greenfield, Maine
  • Ben McNaboe of Yarmouth, Maine 

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