Teacher Profile

The following is a profile for my saxophone teacher, Allen Rippe:

Allen Rippe was born in Danville, Virginia. His father played violin and piano and it was he who had inspired Allen to become a musician. He originally wanted to play the sax, but his parents insisted that he learn how to play the clarinet because the clarinet was cheaper than many other types of instruments. Allen bought two clarinets: one to use for practice at home and another to use at school. Although he did enjoy playing the clarinet he desired to learn the saxophone. After several months the band director had encouraged Allen to take up the saxophone. The band director had told Allen’s parents that “he was a saxophonist playing the wrong instrument”.

            Allen could not yet afford to buy his own saxophone, so for several months he would borrow other people’s saxophone to go home and practice, but eventually he saved enough to buy his own. He made his first public appearance when he played a performance with the Junior Walkers and the All-stars at Motown, VA. He had played a piece entitled “Hot Cha”, the first piece he ever played onstage.

             In 1967 he began to attend Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and studied there until he graduated in 1971. Afterwards, he went on to attend Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford at Hartford. While he was there he won the concerto contest to play a solo. As he performed he was noticed by a conductor for the Hartford Chamber Orchestra; Allen performed with them twice. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance in 1974. Immediately after he went on to get his Masters in Music from the University of Michigan in 1976and was selected to be in their wind ensemble. From 1976 to 1978 he worked as a visiting artist in Statesville, North Carolina until he applied to work on staff at the University of Memphis. Allen has been at Memphis for thirty-five years( during his fourth year he went to go teach saxophone in Israel).

            Allen Rippe is a man dedicated to music and is very influential to those he teaches. Any of his students can agree that he is passionate about his instrument and strives for his students to succeed.