The School is home to over 400 diverse high school students, each bringing their own unique spark to the campus community. Some shine as stellar athletes. Others lead ambitious community initiatives. For Max Roston-Saul, music is his mission.
A current senior who entered the School in 9th grade, Roston-Saul has received national recognition for his contributions to jazz. Whether playing regular gigs at restaurants or composing his own music, he has made his mark living and breathing music.
Last year, his musical fortunes took a sharp turn when he joined the prestigious California Jazz Conservatory as part of their Advanced Combo Number Two.
“Honestly, I think this is one of the biggest life-changing moments of my whole life,” Roston-Saul commented on the experience. “Once I got on this combo, I was able to play with really high-level players, and I started composing and arranging at a much higher level.” This year, he moved up to their Advanced Combo Number One—a combo that has been voted top five in America for 17 of the past 19 years.
To those unfamiliar with making music, composing and arranging from scratch can be quite challenging. One must juggle and account for the different harmonies, rhythms, and instruments present in a complex ensemble. However, for Roston-Saul, this challenge is where his passion shines. Shortly after joining this combo, one of the songs he composed and arranged won Downbeat Magazine’s Best Student Composition in America for a jazz small combo.
His secret to writing such stellar compositions lies not just in technique, but in the feeling of music. “A lot of the time, the key is not about a specific rhythm or harmony — it’s more just a vibe.” Roston-Saul described. “I hear this vibe in the song and think, what kind of chords and atmosphere is the composer creating that makes it feel like this?”
In his music, Roston-Saul lives up to the notion that good artists imitate, but great artists create. “I’ve studied a lot of different composers’ styles, which has helped expand my musical vocabulary and imagine what is possible in my music,” Roston-Saul comments, noting how his music process requires experimentation with different existing pieces and adapting them to make his own. “Once I learned all these different ways of getting to a specific chord, I have all those options going through my head when I’m composing.”
Although many of Roston-Saul’s achievements are outside of school, he has also brought his artistic creativity to the School’s jazz ensemble, Caravan. “The Head-Royce band has really atypical instrumentation, but it was a stepping stone for me to write a big band arrangement,” Roston-Saul said. From this experience, he was able to arrange his new composition “The Blues Can Sneak Up on You” for a 21-piece big band at the California Jazz Conservatory, which will be premiered on December 7th.
The School is home to many aspiring musicians and composers who can take a page out of Roston-Saul’s experience.“It’s really important to listen attentively to music all the time, music you love, and you need to put in the time every day with your instrument so you have its full spectrum at your fingertips.” Max advised others who may one day want to pursue music in the future. Looking ahead, the School can expect more melodies and music by this amazing maestro. Listen closely for this next performance!