Episode 28: Sheng - The Instrument That Changed It All (Alex's Story)

Alex is a clarinet player who happened upon the Sheng, a traditional Chinese mouth organ, and fell into a world of opportunity he didn't know was there! Listen to his story to learn more about the Sheng, and his approaches to pushing past the Westernized standard of music.Google Form: https://forms.gle/vBveqMNjgjtKv5oK8Alex's Bio:Alexander Strader is a freelance clarinet and sheng player who has appearedas a featured soloist in the Soundwaves music festival at Texas A&M CorpusChristi. In addition to performing abroad in China at Shanghai Conservatory ofMusic and Huaqiao University, he has had the honor of presenting shengsolos to government officials of the Chinese Embassy. He, along with AaronPergram, forms the Silkwind Mundi ensemble, presenting global musicalstories in a contemporary context. Recently, he was appointed as an adjunctfaculty member at the University of North Texas, leading the ChineseEnsemble. In the recording studio, he was part of the Dragon Dream project,an album slated for release in 2026.Holding a Master of Music Performance from the University of North Texas,Alexander brings new ideas to the next generation of musicians through histeaching of clarinet in public and private schools within the Dallas-Fort Worthmetroplex.