David Loy Song

David Allan Loy Song began playing the alto saxophone at age 10 when he was presented the opportunity to join the elementary school band in 4th grade. At that time, his biggest influence was Clarence Clemons, who he heard on all of his mother's Bruce Springsteen vinyls. This led to private lessons the following year with local college professor Ted Levine. Dave stayed with lessons all the way until his graduation from high school in 1994 when he entered the music department and saxophone class of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.It was there that his musiciality began to blossom, studying saxophone with Lynn Klock; jazz improvisation with Chris Merz, Adam Kolker, and the legend Yusef Lateef; jazz arranging with Jeff Holmes; and playing in jazz ensembles under the directions of Chris Merz, David Sporny, and Jeff Holmes.After his third year at UMASS, Dave took a short break from school to tour with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (in 1997), under the direction of Buddy Morrow, which took him all over the US as well as Portugal and a cruise across the Atlantic. David then returned to school and finished his bachelor's degree.Just 2 short weeks after graduation, he headed for Barcelona for his first gig aboard a cruise ship where he stayed around Spain, Africa, and Gibraltar for 8 months. He did cruise work off and on for the next two years aboard ships from Princess and Holland America Line that took him to countries such as Finland, Holland, Russia, Denmark, Canada, South America, Mexico, Sweden, Germany, and France to name some. Dave also, on one of his cruise ship breaks, rejoined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra for a short 6 week stint in 2000.In 2002, Dave went on to do a tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, which led him across the United States and to a glorious 5 1/2 week tour in Japan where they gave 29 concerts to sell out crowds. He left the GMO in March of 2003.David is now the lead tenor player of the United States Military Academy Band's Jazz Knights stationed at West Point just north of NYC. He joined in August of 2003.