What Makes a Saxophone Mouthpiece Easy to Play — And Why Most Players Get It Wrong
Gear

What Makes a Saxophone Mouthpiece Easy to Play — And Why Most Players Get It Wrong

What actually makes a saxophone mouthpiece easy to play? This article breaks down the five key criteria — from response across registers to reed compatibility — and explains why the physics of acoustics matter more than brand reputation or tip opening size.
What Mouthpiece Are You Playing Right Now? 7 Pros Answer Honestly
Gear

What Mouthpiece Are You Playing Right Now? 7 Pros Answer Honestly

Seven working professionals - from Cologne to Lima to Florence - share exactly what they play, the biggest mistakes players make when choosing a mouthpiece, and how they knew it was time to change.
NASA's saxophone-playing astronaut and the solo never recorded

NASA's saxophone-playing astronaut and the solo never recorded

Before his final mission, NASA astronaut and jazz saxophonist Ron McNair was set to record a saxophone solo aboard the Challenger, which would have been the first original music ever recorded in space. Here's the backstory on McNair, his life, and how the recording came to be.
Guillaume Perret's Soundtrack for 16 Sunrises

Guillaume Perret's Soundtrack for 16 Sunrises

A Syos artist scored a documentary about astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
Ten years since David Bowie's final album, Blackstar

Ten years since David Bowie's final album, Blackstar

Three things that stand out from the record to us.
A Tokyo Saxophonist's Honest Verdict on Four Syos Mouthpieces

A Tokyo Saxophonist's Honest Verdict on Four Syos Mouthpieces

A Tokyo-based saxophonist, teacher, and YouTuber sits down with four Syos mouthpieces and gives his unfiltered take on each one.
A Standout Session from Live from Emmet's Place: Patrick Bartley and Tivon Pennicott on "Big P"

A Standout Session from Live from Emmet's Place: Patrick Bartley and Tivon Pennicott on "Big P"

A look at one of the standout sessions from Live from Emmet's Place, featuring Syos artists Patrick Bartley on alto and Tivon Pennicott on tenor. The band performs Jimmy Heath's "Big P," with each saxophonist taking a different approach to the same tune.
Inside the SYOS Titanium Mouthpiece

Inside the SYOS Titanium Mouthpiece

We released a titanium mouthpiece this year. It is called In a SentiMETAL Mood, and it was the first 3D printed titanium mouthpiece SYOS has ever made. Only 100 were produced. This article walks through what the mouthpiece is, how it was made, and what we were chasing in the sound.
The 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States Plays Syos

The 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States Plays Syos

Joy Harjo, the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States, talks about her path to the saxophone, her love of Syos mouthpieces, and her new spoken-word jazz album INSOMNIA AND SEVEN STEPS TO GRACE.