This Seat Is Reserved for The Saxophone - An Interview With Gabi Rose
Gabi Rose - Photography by Sam San Román
New York City is the entertainment capital of the world, with budding talent ready to burst in every corner of the metropolitan area, but from underground showrooms to jazz room stages, Gabi Rose is an artist bursting in her own uniqueness.
Red hair comes first. Rose’s bright red locks make her memorable while she’s on stage. She’s got the look of a rockstar – the kind you’d challenge to play the hardest song imaginable and she’d be able to do it without batting an eye. The catch, however, is that she isn’t your typical rockstar. Gabi Rose is one of New York’s best saxophone players to date, and she’s doing it with class, style, and soul.
Influenced by artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, and Amy Winehouse, Rose’s unique talent for saxophone playing stems from her childhood love for music. Beyond performing professionally with bands and companies nationwide, she takes her skill and applies it to social media, using it as a tool for independent artistry, where no label or pop radio executive can tell her that saxophone doesn’t belong.
Her viral saxophone solo that the placed in the bridge of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver License,” went viral online, catching the attention of audiences beyond NYC that had yet to be enchanted by how unique, enchanting, and diverse a saxophone implemented into pop songs can be. Her saxophone playing has caught the attention of country duo Dan + Shay when Rose also inserted an original solo into their latest single “Glad You Exist.” They shared it on their Instagram, fueling more of Rose’s deserved online success.
While radiating fun, carefree and exhilarating energy, there’s also an authenticity to Rose’s saxophone playing. Her passion for performing is rivalled by her passion for songwriting and has led to the creation of her band, Enrose, who she formed with fellow musicians and friends. Their latest single, “Comatose,” is Rose’s first original release, and injects her signature sax-infused sound into today’s beloved R&B-pop energy.
Gabi Rose opened up to Amplify Her Voice to talk about instrument diversity, how she came to choose the saxophone, Grace Kelly, Billie Eilish, and how her unique musical talent has inspired other women.
What got you started in music?
My dad used to play music in the car and around the house – things like Steely Dan, Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, CD 101.9 Smooth Jazz Radio Station. I started playing the violin when I was nine, then picked up saxophone a year later, probably because I had that sound in my head from growing up. I remember being particularly drawn to the voices of Donny Hathaway and Monica. I also listened to the artists that a typical young girl would at that time – Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, NSYNC! I started singing in high school when my parents bought me my first guitar.
Can you remember your earliest musical memory?
I doubt this was my earliest, but it certainly was an indicator to my parents of how interested in music I was. I asked for my first keyboard around the time that I started playing violin and saxophone. It was a Yamaha digital keyboard that had some built-in songs that you could learn by watching the keys light up on the screen as it played. I remember learning “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones and playing that repeatedly every day. I also wrote the note name letters on pieces of tape and put them all over the keyboard so that I could learn. Music came really naturally to me and my mom was always so proud of the calls she’d get from my music teachers.
You’re a multi-instrumentalist! Why did you choose the saxophone to be your “signature” thing?
I didn’t really have a “main instrument” for a while. I just enjoyed dabbling in singing, saxophone, violin, bass clarinet, and guitar in high school, but I'd say saxophone really took a lead in college when I unexpectedly immersed myself in music. My peers and teachers showed me the cool ways I could use it, which I had never tried before. I began building a song repertoire, learning how to improvise, writing music, and playing in bands for the first time.
Did you ever have any female saxophone players to study or look up to?
Grace Kelly was the first female saxophone player I ever saw live. She came to play downtown where I went to school at State University College at Oneonta in Upstate NY at the Oneonta Theater. The place was packed and the show was incredible. I’ve been following her journey since then, watching her weave in and out of genres, appealing to both the older and younger generations. Aside from Grace, sometimes people compare me to Mindi Abair and Candy Dulfer and that’s so flattering. Thank goodness for YouTube! I’ve never seen them live but watching their live videos online opened up worlds for me.
I know you love playing live, especially around New York. What’s your favorite thing about performing?
I absolutely love the spontaneity of gigging around New York. There’s always somebody new to meet, a fresh crowd to play to, and absolutely incredible players to learn from. My favorite shows are the ones where I really feel like we (as performers) just gave the audience the best night of their life. I can just feel the energy, we’re feeding off each other, and I’m having just as much fun as they are. That’s what live music is all about. I also frequently get off stage after a performance and have people coming up to me saying things like “I’ve never seen a female saxophone player before, you blew my mind!” or “You’ve just inspired me to start playing an instrument.” As a bandleader, I want to inspire other women to make those choices and step into unfamiliar roles.
You make a lot of TikTok videos of you playing the saxophone and placing them into today’s biggest pop songs. Why do you think there’s such a lack of instrument diversity in popular music, and do you think that could change someday?
I think there’s a lack of risk-taking in pop, and I don’t mean on the artists’ front. I mean what the major labels and popular media choose to showcase. Then every now and again, somebody comes along doing something unique and the world loves it (like Billie Eilish) but it doesn’t seem to happen often. That’s why I’m so optimistic about the independent music business because in today’s world ,I don’t need to be subject to what’s “popular.” I can just do my thing and work on finding the right audience for it. I really enjoy TikTok because my videos playing saxophone get put in front of the eyes of so many different people, some of whom admit to never having seen somebody play saxophone before. I love seeing so many different types of artists challenging what’s “common.” I think pop music has already begun to change because of this.
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in music, and if so, how do you choose to keep going despite it all?
While I’ve embraced my role as a woman in a predominantly male industry, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I’ve managed to navigate by working with people who I know respect me as a musician and don’t just see me as a “sexy prop,” but every now and then, I do run into somebody who sees things that way and I do my best to challenge that misconception with grace. I hold a lot of power and responsibility as a female-saxophonist, bandleader, entrepreneur, etc. and I aim to use that to my own advantage and that of other aspiring female musicians to pave the way to more open-mindedness and opportunity. It’s 2021 and misogynists won’t stop this train from moving!
Enrose: Jake Navarro, Kit Benz, Mikey Rotunno, Gabi Rose, and Billy Joe Harden - Photography by Sam San Román
I know you do a lot of song covers so it must be thrilling to make original music! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind writing “Comatose”?
I love the entire process of doing covers – from listening to learning, memorizing, and finally performing live, it’s really special to me to interpret some of my favorite artists and try to understand their process. That’s why writing a song like “Comatose” feels so good- because I know it’s the result of all the best music that I’ve absorbed coming together.
I wrote “Comatose” while I was starting to catch feelings for my now boyfriend/drummer! It was during this awkward time when I’m realizing how quickly these romantic feelings were coming on, but I’m an independent lady and wasn’t ready to surrender to them yet. Once I finally let go, it was like I was going into comatose and couldn’t control anything anymore. My pleasant conclusion is that these things happen fast sometimes, but then again so does a good song. It was written just about as quickly as I fell in love.
What’s the mission behind starting a group like Enrose?
This project started because my now producer, Anthony Lopardo, convinced me that my songs were good and that he wanted to help me. It was insanely flattering, coming from somebody with so much talent and experience, and this wouldn’t have happened without him. He helped decide which demos of mine were the best to record, so I put together a band of some of my favorite musicians and best friends. It was originally intended to be a solo project for the studio but turned into a real group after playing our first live show together. I’m grateful to Jake Navarro (drums), Kit Benz (keys), Mikey Rotunno (bass) and Billy Joe Harden (guitar) for coming on board and wanting to be a part of this. They learned my songs perfectly and really got down with the music. Most of my favorite R&B artists are solo artists. My goal is to infuse saxophone with R&B and pop music and put an R&B band on the map. I have a lot of visions and this group helps me see that through.
Do you have any advice for aspiring women artists?
I truly believe this is the best time to be a woman in the arts. Sounds easier said than done but my advice is to just start. Here’s the thing- I started my career in music on a loose foundation. I don’t come from a family of musicians, I hardly practiced in school, and I had limiting beliefs about myself. However, people really liked what I did and it took me saying “yes” and challenging myself time after time to realize that I could actually do this. People wanted to see me succeed- now, I’m putting the work in to prove that they were right. The world is ready for more female artists to go against the grain and its eyes are open because of the internet. We are the underdogs, and people love rooting for the underdog.
“Comatose” by Enrose is available for streaming now on all music platforms.