Ora Paul Haar
In 40 years of playing and teaching the saxophone, I cannot remember a series of products that have had such a lasting effect on the longevity and wellbeing of the saxophone than the Key Leaves products. The original Key Leaves sax key props have made messy powders and potions a thing of the past. They are required materials for my applied students in my studio and NOT ONE has complained of having a sticky key. Additionally, I no longer have students with bent low C# keys from the constant tugging at a stuck key. For me personally, they have prolonged the longevity of my overhauls by at least half a decade or more.
The GapCap saxophone end cap is another standard piece of equipment in my case. I have a lot of different cases that I use for various situations. It doesn’t matter the brand or style of case, my saxophone is always secure thanks to the GapCap. Furthermore, it has helped my friends who use the original cases that came with their vintage instruments. Gone are the days of jamming towels and foam to keep the instruments safe. A simple twist of the cap and any case is made secure.
In my five years as Editor-in-Chief of The Saxophonist Magazine, Key Leaves products were named Product of the Year, twice. It was a well earned honor and an easy choice. What other products cost so little, save so much, and last forever?
Ora Paul Haar (Associate Professor of Saxophone The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Former Editor-In-Chief of The Saxophonist Magazine)
Acclaimed saxophonist Ora Paul Haar has contributed his notable talent to numerous projects in both the jazz and classical genres and is recognized “one of the rare saxophonists who is equally gifted as a classical and jazz musician.” (Gary Foster).
He has performed throughout the world including the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. He has given performances at such noted venues as Carnegie Hall, Spivey Hall, The Shanghai Conservatory, The Theatro da Paz (Brazil), the Tanglewood Institute and the Sichuan Conservatory of Music Haar has commissioned and performed works by Stacy Garrop, Jack Cooper, David von Kampen, Leslie Hogan, Ben Boone, Kenneth Fuchs, Randal Snyder and has premiered works with wind ensembles from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Tennessee, Pacific Lutheran University and The University of South Carolina.
In addition to his solo performances, he has performed with such ensembles as The Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship Orchestra, The Arapahoe Philharmonic, The Austin Symphony, The Asheville Symphony, Lincoln Symphony and the Omaha Symphony. In the jazz idiom he has performed with such artists as Gary Foster, Dave Brubeck, James Moody, Bobby Shew, Jerry Berzonzi, The Manhattan Transfer, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Phil Woods, and has backed such personalities as Lou Rawls, The Chiffons, Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Glades Knight and the Temptations, Kristin Chenoweth.
He has recorded on the Sea Breeze label as a member of the Boulevard Big Band (with saxophonist Eric Marienthal and vocalist Kevin Mahogany), the Osland Saxophone Quartet and on the Centaur Label (the Chamber Music of Jack Cooper.) In addition to his solo work, Dr. Haar is active in such groups as The Heartland Duo, The TCB Saxophone Quartet, Group Sax, and The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra.
As an educator, he has presented featured clinics and master classes The Sichuan Conservatory of Music, The Bejing Conservatory of Contemporary Music, The Shanghai Conservatory, The Carlos Gomes Music Conservatory (Brazil) at The 31st and 32nd Annual International Association for Jazz Education Conferences, The 59th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, IAJE Teacher’s Training Institute, Tennessee Music Educators Association, Arizona Music Educators Association, Nebraska Music Educators Association, The Jazz Education Network international conference, The U.S. Navy Band Saxophone Symposium, and numerous regional and national conventions of the North American Saxophone Alliance. He has published articles in the Tennessee Musician, The Instrumentalist, Jazz Times Magazine, Jazz Times Jazz Education Editions (2003, 2004, 2005), and the Saxophone Journal (where he was a featured columnist for nearly ten years. In 2017-2022 he was the editor in chief of THE SAXOPHONIST Magazine (www.thesaxphonist.org). This unique saxophone-centered publication is viewed in over 40 countries around the world.
A native of Fremont, Nebraska, Dr. Haar received the B.M. and M.M. from The University of Kansas and received a D.M.A. in Saxophone Performance with an Emphasis in Jazz Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as the Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.