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In this episode of The Louis Dowdeswell Podcast, I sit down with the phenomenal saxophone player and fellow music school alum, Sean Payne.
We go deep—from our early gigs and pub chats to intense topics like perfect pitch, internalising music, composition philosophies, circular breathing, and the psychology of practice. Sean shares what it means to be a "serial learner" and why musical breakthroughs often come from reducing things to their simplest forms.
You'll hear us talk about:
The myth of perfect pitch and how it can actually be developed
Writing jazz melodies without rhythmic crutches
The emotional reason most people don’t improve
How listening habits shape your entire sound
Why Sean refuses to slow solos down when transcribing
And what Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Joey Calderazzo & Cannibal Adderley all taught him indirectly
This one's a goldmine for sax players, jazz musicians, teachers, and anyone obsessed with getting better at their craft—no fluff, just real talk from the trenches.
🧠 Real musicianship. Real learning. Real stories.
📍 Timestamps / Highlights:
00:00 – Welcome & intro to Sean Payne
In this episode of The Louis Dowdeswell Podcast, I sit down with the phenomenal saxophone player and fellow music school alum, Sean Payne.
We go deep—from our early gigs and pub chats to intense topics like perfect pitch, internalising music, composition philosophies, circular breathing, and the psychology of practice. Sean shares what it means to be a "serial learner" and why musical breakthroughs often come from reducing things to their simplest forms.
You'll hear us talk about:
The myth of perfect pitch and how it can actually be developed
Writing jazz melodies without rhythmic crutches
The emotional reason most people don’t improve
How listening habits shape your entire sound
Why Sean refuses to slow solos down when transcribing
And what Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Joey Calderazzo & Cannibal Adderley all taught him indirectly
This one's a goldmine for sax players, jazz musicians, teachers, and anyone obsessed with getting better at their craft—no fluff, just real talk from the trenches.
🧠 Real musicianship. Real learning. Real stories.
📍 Timestamps / Highlights:
00:00 – Welcome & intro to Sean Payne