Student artist of the month: Jonathan Ji ’26

Ever since picking up the tenor saxophone in elementary school, Jonathan Ji ’26 has always been captivated by music. As a member of PHS Studio Band, he leads the saxophone section, bringing energy to every performance. He plans to continue playing the tenor saxophone in college, where he will use music to further connect with his community.

How did you start playing the saxophone? What inspired you to start?

I started playing in Cranbury. We got to choose two instruments for band, and Mr. Pollack was my director back then, so I chose the clarinet and the saxophone. And then in fifth grade, I joined Cranbury’s Jazz Band, and then went from there. I got into Nassau Band II [in freshman year and] I made Studio Band in sophomore year.

What is your favorite part or memory of being in Studio Band?

I think being in the room backstage at Abbey Road, since we went to Abbey Road for our recording twice during sophomore year. And just sitting there, being right next to all these incredible technicians [was amazing].

Who’s your favorite jazz artist?

I’m going to be a bit controversial here and say Laufey because I know a lot of people say, “Oh Laufey isn’t jazz,” or whatever ... But I think that’s kind of missing [the] point [of jazz] because, for one, jazz has developed so much that we can’t really just put it in a box, like, “Oh, this is jazz, and this isn’t.” I think the fact that [Laufey is] making minor two-five-ones cool again to the younger generation is already enough, even if she’s not strictly jazz in that sense.

What is the most challenging part of your instrument or playing with the band?

The most challenging part of the saxophone is that we are infamous for having bad intonation, which is everyone playing in tune together. [It’s because of ] the way the saxophone is made. Even if you move your mouthpiece slightly in and out, [it] will make the entire section [sound] out of tune. I would [also] say playing as a band is just like blending our sounds together, and sounding like a unit [is challenging].

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start tenor saxophone or join an ensemble?

If you want to join Studio Band, just get good at sight reading. Because as a band, the band director will tell you. It’s very transparent. It’s just two scales and two sight reading pieces to make up your score. If you want to get into playing [the] tenor saxophone, I would say listen to Sonny Rollins and [John] Coltrane. You should also listen to all types of saxophone players, not just tenor players. You can gain ideas from any saxophone [players].

What is your experience on the school trips with Studio Band?

Every other year, we have a trip, so sophomore year was my first trip. We’re also going to five countries in December before our second tour. Besides that, we also go to different places for competitions. There’s always a state prelims and state finals. And state finals are [at PHS], and prelims is at some schools nearby. We also go to the National Jazz Festival, which is in Philadelphia every year. I’ve been there three times, once in middle school and twice in high school.