Meet Alex Loran | Jazz Composer, Saxophonist, and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Loran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Music has always been a big passion of mine. When I was thinking about and applying for colleges I initially planned to double major in music and something like bio-chemical engineering because I was always naturally pretty good at math and science. I felt like having more of a stable career would be better than focusing on music. After taking some tours I realized that I didn’t want to make music my side-project and pursue an engineering degree that I knew I wouldn’t enjoy. It was definitely a scary choice as I knew that being a jazz musician wasn’t going to be easy but I also knew that it was the right one because it would bring me the most fulfillment and I’d rather have a career that I love than a traditionally stable one. So, I ended up getting a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies and I think it was the best decision I could have made! I love all of the performance, composition, and education experiences I have gotten so far and I look forward to continuing down this path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The most important thing to know about my music is that it is story-driven. All of the pieces that I compose and perform are written with a particular narrative in mind. For example, my debut album “The Quest” was written with the classic Hero’s Journey as inspiration. I also composed and performed a 6-movement jazz big band suite entitled the “New Beginnings Suite” when I was a senior in college. This entire suite was built around the idea of having a brand new start and each movement details a step in that process. For me, individual, unique voices and stories are the most important part of creating music.

I began playing music at around 3 years old when my parents signed me up for piano lessons. My piano teacher was mainly a jazz saxophonist and he inspired me to want to learn. When I was 10, I was able to try out the saxophone for the first time and I fell in love with it. Since then, I have picked up soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones as well as flute and voice. I love trying new instruments so I’ve also played some clarinet and trombone as well. I began composing when I was in high school. Most of my composition techniques have been self-taught, so a lot has been trial and error based. I studied jazz performance at the University of Colorado Boulder, where I graduated from in 2024. One of my favorite parts of performance has always been how collaborative it is. Making music with people is like learning all about who they are and getting to be a part of their story. I absolutely love the community aspect and I appreciate that I have the ability to create with so many amazing people.

One of the biggest challenges for me has been the fact that I am a woman in a very male-dominated field. While this is starting to change, it was really hard for me to find many mentors as a young woman because there are not very many women in the field. I was lucky to learn from Anisha Rush and Annie Booth, who are two amazing jazz musicians from Colorado. There were many times when I considered quitting because I felt judged and ostracized by many of my peers, but these two women as well as the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts and many of the teachers I met through that program helped encourage me to keep going. I am so grateful for all of the love and support that all of the amazing musicians here in Colorado have given me. I would not be where I am today without them believing in me. It has also inspired me to want to become a mentor for students, and especially young women who want to learn this music. Teaching has become a big and very important part of my career as well.

Overall I would say the most important things to know about me as an artist is that storytelling is at the heart of all of my music, community and collaboration are very important to me, and education and empowerment have helped me to get to where I am. I look forward to furthering my career and being able to explore all that music and in particular jazz have to offer me as a composer, performer, and educator. If you are interested in checking out my stories, you can find my album, “The Quest” on all streaming platforms.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I was raised in Boulder so I would start out by taking them around there. We would get brunch at Parkway Cafe, where I’ve been going since I was a child. Then we could walk around the Pearl Street Mall and check out some of the fun stores there, like Into the Wind and Paradise Found. I would also take them to Chautauqua as the scenery there is stunning. For dinner we could stop by the Hungry Toad for British pub fare or Jungle for tiki drinks. In Denver, I would take a friend to Dazzle, which is a fantastic jazz club located in the Denver Performing Arts Center. We could see one of the many great local musicians or a touring artist. Casa Bonita is a must in Denver as well. I grew up going with my family and it truly is one-of-a-kind. For food I would take them to Tacos Selene, African Bar and Grill, Work and Class, Blue Pan Pizza, and Aloy Thai throughout the week. I would also take them to Tí Cafe, a great neighborhood Vietnamese coffee shop. I personally really enjoy visiting antique stores, so I would take them to some of my favorites in the area, like the Brass Armadillo and Old Crows Antiques. Red Rocks is also in the vicinity and I think everyone needs to visit it at least once! If there’s time for a day trip, we could go to some of the interesting mountain towns such as Leadville, Glenwood Springs, or Vail. There are also a lot of great museums around like the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Art Museum, and many different history museums like the Molly Brown House and the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. I enjoy driving around in the mountains as well as there are many places to stop and take short hikes and look at wildlife.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my parents. They were the people to first introduce me to music when I was young and they have always been there to support me. Even though they were also a little nervous about me pursuing music full-time they’ve always been behind me cheering me on. I truly would not be where I am today without all of their love and support.

Website: https://alexloranmusic.com

Instagram: @alexloranmusic

Other: “The Quest” by Alex Loran is on all streaming services