New Saxophone Player Design
Before I start a new drawing, I try to look for images to help me determine the pose or the details of objects I want to use in the design. Typically, I try to Google action photos of real women. That’s an easy task when you can think of a famous name to search for, but in the case of the saxophone player, I have to admit I couldn’t think of any famous women saxophone players. Hmmm….shame on me and I was a music major in college.
Not wanting to be ignorant of this field, I decided to see what I could find to help me with this drawing. A quick Google search for “female saxophone player” gave me names like Jane Ira Bloom, Claire Daly, Karolina Strassmayer, Laura Dreyer, Mary Fettig, Vi Redd, Jessica Jones, Ingrid Laubrock, Barbara Thompson, Christine Jensen, Anat Cohen, Virginia Mayhew, Matana Roberts, Frøy Aagre, Bodil Niska, Candy Dulfer, Ivy Benson, Jessica Lurie, Kathy Stobart, Karolina Strassmeyer, Sandy Evans, Fiona Burnett, Tia Fuller, Sarah Manning, Tinika Postma, Kristen Strom, Shannon Kennedy and Mindi Abair. *whew* There sure are a lot of women playing the saxophone out there!
So here she is… (by popular request I might add) the Girls Can’t WHAT? saxophone player. She is available in both light and dark skin tones on a variety of gift items and apparel in the Girls Can’t WHAT? Gift Shop.
And I couldn’t resist looking for some of these artists on Youtube: Check out this fantastic video from Candy Dulfer:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXv0jiWKLSA]
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Paula The Surf Mom | February 22nd, 2007 9:58 pm
Very cute
gretchen | February 22nd, 2007 11:26 pm
Thanks!
I have a surfer girl on deck. It will probably be ready in the next week or so… 
Lisa | February 23rd, 2007 7:39 pm
Awesome!! THANKS! I will be ordering one soon…just have to wait until I have the money…
gretchen | February 23rd, 2007 11:07 pm
Cool – glad you like it!
Rita | February 27th, 2007 1:35 pm
*-*
OMG
that is so amazing!
I would have one of those if I could. o/
you need to make you merchandising able in europe. xD
gretchen | February 27th, 2007 1:39 pm
Hey Rita – my products are set up through cafepress and they do deliver to Europe. I have had many International sales including to European nations. Check the “shipping and returns” links at the bottom of the shopping pages.
Colin Negrych | April 11th, 2007 12:19 am
Hi. You can find a video of Anat Cohen playing tenor on “Nature Boy” (and more) with Waverly Seven live at the Jazz Standard in NYC on YouTube. Enjoy!
Alana | July 5th, 2007 10:06 pm
I going 2 play the sax and just loved what the shirt says!
Bell | August 30th, 2007 4:27 am
I love this , i play the sax n that rocks!!!:P
Jessica | October 14th, 2007 10:28 am
Hey… I love the saxophone design…. I play Alto myself, and I have heard my section leader (a male) tell me that Girls can’t play… so It really hits home with me… I love that design
Shannon Kennedy | November 11th, 2007 3:29 am
Hey – my name is Shannon Kennedy, I am one of the female saxophone players you mentioned. I think that your saxophone player shirt is a pretty cool idea. I love the design.
gretchen | November 12th, 2007 12:03 pm
Glad you like it. I’ll be working on more instrumentalists soon.
Keeley Reinhardt | November 29th, 2007 3:47 am
Hi, my name is Keeley Reinhardt and I play Sax and I am in Year 6. I just passed my Grade 3 exam with an A. I think that the new top you have designed is AWESOME!:)
P.S I play alto sax and baritone sax!!!!
gretchen | November 29th, 2007 8:56 am
Cool – thanks!
>-
natalie | November 29th, 2007 5:47 pm
ok ok ok, how can i get it. play it love it and adore it. i have to have that shirt. plz tell me how much it is and how we can buy it. then my mom will by it. by the way i am only twelve and i just started playing the sax!
bye
gretchen | November 29th, 2007 5:50 pm
Thanks Natalie! Just click on the design image and it will take you to the shop.
Rachel | January 14th, 2008 9:41 pm
I’m fifteen and I’ve been playing tenor sax since I was twelve. I am in two school bands (concert and jazz) and I heart this!
Thanks
Alexandria | February 4th, 2008 2:52 pm
Great site!
I’m 18, been playing alto/tenor sax for 5 years, self taught and I do alot of shows and travel in Canada. They call me Saxygurl.
Currently studying music in college and hoping to get a scholarship in Berkely, New York.
I’m glad I found this site, I’ll sign up!
www/myspace.com/saxygurl8
-Saxygurl
Gabriella | February 11th, 2008 2:05 pm
It’s just perfect! I’m a girl who wants to play the sax, and one of my reasons is there are just a few girls who play saxophone, and I really want to be one of them! So I loved this T-shirt! One day I’ll be a “female saxophone player” too, I mean, I hope…
gretchen | February 11th, 2008 9:58 pm
You don’t need to say “I hope”… Keep saying “I will”.
wendy | February 26th, 2008 7:59 pm
Ive been playing the saxophone for almost five years in school. As an 8th grader i auditioned for the highschool advanced concert band, and made it! I played with the pep band, auditioned for and made the jazz band, I am also in the marching band and this summer i will be traveling around europe to play with another jazz band!(I am the only female sax player)Im even taking a jazz combo course at a near by college…with college students!i love playing the saxophone and I love your t-shirt design!
gretchen | February 26th, 2008 8:07 pm
Thanks Wendy! Glad you enjoy it. I played a little myself when I was in high school.
courtney | February 27th, 2008 6:00 pm
i m in 6th grade and i hav been playing alto 4 about a yr now and i ♥♥♥ it!
Zoe | February 29th, 2008 11:21 pm
I love this Design it is so amazing the first time i saw it which was like yesterday i fell in love with it! I was in my tech tools class and looking for pics. of saxophones and I saw this Design wish was perfect timing because that same day the other 2 sax’s (both boys)were not being vary nice to me and they aren’t really ever vary nice to me but I saw this Design and I fell in love with it it was just what i needed thanks!it amazing
sax rooks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bob saget | April 3rd, 2008 10:32 pm
i play… i’m a guy… still looks good on me though
Cristina | April 15th, 2008 7:57 pm
OMG I love this one! I’m 13 years old and I’ve been playing alto sax for 4 years and I’m first chair! right now we’re playing a blues brothers revue and I have a solo in soul finger. this is awesome and so tru- GIRLS ROK! 8D
Leela | May 14th, 2008 3:51 pm
Hey! I play sax, too. My best-friend and I have played for 2 1/2 years now. School got us started
sarah | May 29th, 2008 4:42 pm
well hi i am sarah and i love how if said girls cant what i i say tht i love something i maen that i love it i like love how so said i love it like OMG
i love this so muck that i am going to give onr to everyone that i know…. i love it like i wont to go and like OMG so if i give it so someone they will keep it because like they love me (not) not everyone 
so like ya byebye send me back
sara i love you all that is my line
:):):):):):):):):):):)
byebye
Whitness | May 30th, 2008 9:04 pm
Love it.
I need to buy these for my sax section girls for next year.
And thus, I will. Yay for neat shirts!
Deanna | June 17th, 2008 6:29 pm
Gretchen, you are a nerd. You’re really ugly, and just to let you know, nobody in their right mind would wear ugly clothes like that. (Or, at least, no one in my hometown of South Hampton would.) Get some fashion sense, some plastic surgery, a haircut, and a straight iron, and then I might (just might) like you.
? Deanna ?
gretchen | June 18th, 2008 2:05 pm
Wow – thanks for the pick-me-up. 8-|
klc100 | June 22nd, 2008 8:10 pm
Wow I totally could have used this inspiration years ago!! It makes me sad to think I stopped playing the Saxophone because it was dominated by boys, and I always felt like an outcast. But I found this site now and I’m so happy–I’m just going to look to the future! Really, girls can do whatever they want!! Thanks so much Gretchen for being so brave and bold and standing up for all of us girls out there! You rock!!!!!!
Keeley Reinhardt | August 3rd, 2008 1:22 am
Hi,
I love the top.
I started sax when I was in year 5. Now I am in year 7. I also play the baritone sax as well as the alto. both the teachers of sax at my school are guys and I want to teach saxophone. for all the girl saxophone players out there, I think it is really cool to play saxophone and a lot of girls at my school play sax and think it is cool to.
keep up the great work
Alisha | August 22nd, 2008 3:17 am
Wow, post #32. You are so stupid. To give up your dream of playing the saxophone because you are the only girl is so pathetic. Don’t let it get to you. I played the saxophone for many years alongside boys, and I never let it deter me. Hell, I never even noticed women saxophonists felt oppressed until i found this page. My advice to all is to not let it get to you. It’s really not a big deal. And if a shirt displaying girl power with a saxophone inspires you, you really have your ideals messed up.
Kelsey | August 23rd, 2008 3:34 pm
Wow Alisha. Thanks for ruining the integrity of the site. You would make a great inspirational speaker. Don’t judge people.
“Encourage one another, and build each other up.” Thessalonians 5:11.
Zoe | August 23rd, 2008 9:30 pm
I know gosh Alisha, Kelsey’s right you really shouldn’t judge people. i use to do it a lot and i found that judging people didn’t make me any happier so whats the point of making others unhappy, even if it makes you more happy you shouldn’t do it. post 32 don’t fell bad i strongly considered switching instruments just so i wouldn’t have to sit next to the other to saxophones in my band.
itachi | September 6th, 2008 1:42 pm
AWESOME STUFF!! i totally agree!!
SaxophoneLuvr | September 16th, 2008 6:14 pm
i just started playing sax today!!!
soo cool whether you are a boy or a girl!!!
ashley baritonist | September 22nd, 2008 5:55 pm
hey so i’m a bari player and i’m supposed to write a report on a female bari player
and wow
it was hard googling and not getting anything, so this page has really been alot of help,
also,
you have Karolina Strassmayer on your list twice!
Noam | September 30th, 2008 1:02 am
:-\”:-\” like the idea….
anyway, I think Alisha is right, I play alto sax with many other boys at my band and i Never felt like they looked at me differently. we’re all musicians, boys or girls what the hell makes the difference?
cool stuff!:d
Hannah | November 10th, 2008 9:35 pm
wow.
im sorry.
but i never EVER felt like i shouldnt be playing the saxophone.
if it is something you really like and want to do yo dont need somebody telling you girls can play it to.
girls have always played sax an i believe that i am better then all the guy saxophone players i know.
so i know you may think this sight helps but..
i dont.
sorry
@};-
Ashley | February 8th, 2009 10:19 pm
I love this shirt!! I play alto, and being the section leader in both jazz and concert band, I feel the need to buy this shirt!
Liz | February 25th, 2009 3:31 am
This is very cute. And in response to the player who never felt slighted by the guys for being a female sax player, congrats for being raised in the “New Age” thinking. I too, was a strong player, but in my era, the girls were not invited to the after-school “guy” theory/Improv. class. Nor were we ever given the chance to even practice chord changes.
I’m so glad to hear things have changed – although if you REALLY want to hit a nerve, change it to a Female Trumpet player!!!
Member of – The ALL-Women’s Jazz Band – THE MOODSWINGS
gretchen | February 25th, 2009 12:38 pm
Thanks Liz. I’m one step ahead of ya…I already have a trumpet player.
http://girlscantwhat.com/2008/04/16/girls-cant-play-trumpet/
1 | May 1st, 2009 2:23 pm
%-(=))>:d<:-\”:))
a | May 2nd, 2009 6:30 am
I love the girls can’t do what picture with the sax. I’m setting it as my desktop wallpaper right now because I am a saxophonist also. I’m first chair in concert band and tied for fist chair in jazz band, and I think as girls we should do whatever we want to do and do it to our best ability. I never been treated diferently than the other boy saxophonists in fact there is one other girl in our section.
yasmin | August 7th, 2009 11:06 am
i love you girls cant what
Teria Lyons | December 16th, 2009 2:17 pm
This hits home with me because I play baritone sax and all the guys thought that I couldn’t do it. Now I’ve been playing for 3 years (I started in 6th grade and now I’m in 9th) and I’ve shown up all those dumb guy bari players.
I just love the design a lot cuz of that. 