Name: Nelson Devereaux
Nationality: American
Occupation: Composer, saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, teacher, improviser
Recent release: Nelson Devereaux's new album, infinity, is out November 7th 2024 via Youngbloods. Stream "The Holidays" here.
Recommendations on the topic of sound: A truly fascinating book is Fundamentals Of Guitar by Miles Okazaki. It gets into the science of sound and goes from there. Also cool if you play guitar. I kind of do.
For aspiring engineers, check out The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook by Bobby Owsinski.
For human-animal dialogue check out Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami.
Every person should read Breath by James Nestor.

If you enjoyed this Nelson Devereaux interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you’re listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

When I listen to music I tend to do it with my eyes closed.

Unless I’m running, which might lead to some problems. I listen very deeply when I am running. Scenery is mostly what my imagination leads me to when I let myself slip away with the music.

I find that in my own music I am inspired to take others with me to a scene of my own curation (like “garden” or “shosha gate”), giving the listener an emotional tour of a place, if not an emotional description of it. This is a way to experience this place in a deeper more intimate way, using sound to drive feeling. Typically these places are real, however a few have been imagined.

How does listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

Headphones are a way to block it all out. A mainline to your nervous system. A way to isolate. When you are moving air around a space and it is free to blow about, it is another story. In this way it can be shared.

It's also changing depending on the space. If you move those instruments (amp,monitors,etc) to another location, their reactions will change. It’s super fascinating, the way that music can come alive and take over a space and sound unique, as if it is being performed for the first time- the interplay in/with the room. The best case scenario, it can feel like the musicians are right next to you. It’s truly incredible. I’ve had that listening experience only a few times.

I am still getting into the world of monitors and sound treatment, as it is so costly and there is an overwhelming amount of theory involved, but I generally use my ears and go with what sounds best for me. One is not better than another, though I tend to limit my hours making sounds (for the sake of others) as I feel I am already producing more than my fair share.

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

I would say John Coltrane's Om was a revelation to me. It was clearly recorded live and the way the voices blend into the improvisation is so moving.



Also Wayne Shorter’s Moto Grosso Feio. It’s SO up front. That would be a record I would RIP in a million dollar studio.



Also, and I know it’s cliche but Pet Sounds and it’s unsung successor Friends. Just excellent sounding recordings.



Not to continue to ramble but just any Sakamoto solo effort. A great example is the all-time great record Smoochy. Holy smokes. Just listen to it. These musicians REALLY had it going on. It was all from the heart.



Do you experience strong emotional responses towards certain sounds? If so, what kind of sounds are these and do you have an explanation about the reasons for these responses?

Ever since I was a young child I have always had profound reactions to sounds. I remember that my LEAST favorite was the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen. It used to send me into a fury. Complete mess. I’ve gotten better with that. 


On the flip side, I would get moved to tears by the melodies in the Legend Of Zelda, or by hearing Johnny Hodges play over Ellington tunes. I remember discovering how to play major seventh chords in like 4th grade and when I realized that music is literal magic. The mystery and heartbreak of a half diminished chord. The solid, bold statement of dominant. The chillness of the #9. I’ve always tried to help people feel what I feel when I hear music. I think I am very sensitive to it.

Even now when I work on recordings-some for other artists, it's a deep alchemy that if I slip too far in, can severely impact my mood, for better or worse. I am getting better at dealing with that too. It’s all a balance.

There can be sounds which feel highly irritating to us and then there are others we could gladly listen to for hours. Do you have examples for either one or both of these?

Specifically, loud, sudden noises. Yelling. Not super into that.

I really enjoy quiet sounds. Waves on a beach, normal sounds. Echos. A crunchy carrot. People conversing in a cafe. When cats “chirp”.

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

There is a place I go every time I am in Milwaukee. A footbridge on the Menomonee River. I stand there and there are usually a few people around, either exercising or strolling. I stand and listen to the river and take in the level of the water. How it has changed. How I have changed. The sound of that place is super pleasing to me. Energy you can feel. It truly feeds my soul.

As far as any devices, I am generally fascinated by my instruments. Tone is more and more taking over my obsession of technique and little adjustments of the reed or playing with air support or oral space is always going on on any given day.

The way dynamics plays into everything is extremely fascinating to me as well. I am playing around with it all.

Have you ever been in spaces with extreme sonic characteristics, such as anechoic chambers or caves? What was the experience like?

Recently, most notable was the temple and ball court at Chichen Itza. This place, among other more mathematical/astrological elements, was astounding. Albeit manmade. The way that if you clap at the base of the pyramid the sound of the quetzal comes back to you. I would definitely consider that extreme.

Or the natural reverb of the ball court. The most incredible reverb I have ever heard.

As far as caves or chambers I have had less experience but wow would I love to play solo saxophone in a cave.

What are among your favourite spaces to record and play your music?

I really think I tend to like playing in rooms recently that have the capacity to be very dynamic in sound. Treated to be fairly dead so that I might add space with pedals and delays. This is just the period I am in but it is also fair to say that there aren’t many offers from Art Museums to play in their atriums.

I had a really fun time messing around with the space at the Minneapolis Institute of Art recently before a private performance. The notes trailed on for seconds.

In general though, I like making music in new spaces. Places that I haven’t been before. Also playing to nature. I have brought my horn to Joshua Tree and played to the boulders. I have played to the ocean many times. It’s a wonderful duet.

Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you’re sculpting or shaping something?

Music and sound have tended to feel very natural to me but I have come to music through a very organic method.

Sure the saxophone, clarinet, flute are materials in the sense that they are manmade, but the fuel to every one of them is air. In that sense it all seems very natural. I can see coming from a purely produced mindset and having the “natural” aspect be more of something you strive for, but it all starts and ends with air for me.

The material aspect is “how” I take the breath. The air is already there. I ask- how can I interface with it to have it help me produce the results that I am looking for?

How important is sound for our overall well-being and in how far do you feel the “acoustic health” of a society or environment is reflective of its overall health?

This is a very interesting question!! I think that sound can elicit many reactions from people: from comfort to detriment. We came to singing as a form of communication so sound is inherently human. Soundwaves are literal vibes. Some good, some not so good.

I think it is fair to say that we are meant to have sound in our lives. Sound can teach us about ourselves. Do we enjoy white noise? Do we loathe it? My sister has a machine blowing white noise at night, I could personally never do that. We are from the same family and grew up in the same place. What do we make of this? Is there a threshold where societally-speaking, sound is damaging? Is it only the perception of the one writing the answers?

I’m not sure on the science behind it all. I tend to go with a less is more mentality on that at this point.

I would love to ask others this same question. This one has me thinking.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you’ve had with these non-human-made sounds?

When I was about 9 years old, I got a bird. I used to squawk and sing with it for hours. Make little noises with my mouth. The communication that we had was real. I’m not sure what any of it meant, but it helped me learn that we are indeed connected.

Now, many years later I have a specifically dog-like, siamese cat named Olimar. We communicate all day everyday. He tells me how he’s feeling with purrs, growls and meows. It’s incredible and I am grateful we are sharing life together.

On another note, I used samples of the amazing, haunting sound of the cicadas in Himeji, Japan for my song “shosha gate”. Just like midwest summers in Milwaukee growing up, those cicadas were calling out the score of the season for all to hear. The ties between those sounds, thousands of miles apart, bring up intense feelings of nostalgia for me.

Many animals communicate through sound. Based either on experience or intuition, do you feel as though interspecies communication is possible and important? Is there a creative element to it, would you say?

Absolutely, it is possible. There is also certainly a creative element to it. Because you first need to listen and observe to learn. You need to think differently but also spend time and use patience to understand what is being said, and how!

This goes both ways. Olimar needs to somehow register that “no” means no. That “paw” means lift up your paw. That “dinner” means food. Those English sounds are probably pretty idiosyncratic for a cat. Just like it’s idiosyncratic for me to know that a long rub across my ankles while at the back door means “let me outside, dude”.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you’re suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

I have certainly dealt with these issues. I have had many many friends also deal with these issues. Some very seriously. For me, it is about monitoring your sound intake.

I have low grade tinnitus but it gets EXPONENTIALLY worse when I am not taking care of myself. Too much drinking, not enough sleep, caffeine. All of that makes it worse so I just need to be smart and it dies down. Anxiety and stress makes it worse too.

Bottom line: if you are playing out of speakers, monitors, an amp and you do not have complete control of the dynamic situation you need to wear earplugs and learn to navigate with them in your ears. Learn to budget your listening time. Mix music at a low volume first. I usually wear earplugs when practicing, especially when the frequencies are very high and I am playing at full dynamics.

There are times you don’t want to wear them, and that’s fine too but be aware that it all adds up, especially if music is your full time job, so take care of yourself!!

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

For me, silence is necessary. By nature at this point I am guaranteed to make noise for most of the day so I really cherish my quiet time.

The only noise right now are the keys clicking and it’s very satisfying.

Seth S. Horowitz called hearing the “universal sense” and emphasised that it was more precise and faster than any of our other senses, including vision. How would our world be different if we paid less attention to looks and listened more instead?

The world would be an infinitely better place if we all listened more.