In this episode of The Louis Dowdeswell Podcast, I sit down with the phenomenal saxophone player and fellow music school alum, Sean Payne. We go deep—from our early gigs and pub chats to intense topics like perfect pitch, internalising music, composition philosophies, circular breathing, and the psychology of practice. Sean shares what it means to be a "serial learner" and why musical breakthroughs often come from reducing things to their simplest forms. You'll hear us talk about: The myth of perfect pitch and how it can actually be developed Writing jazz melodies without rhythmic crutches The emotional reason most people don’t improve How listening habits shape your entire sound Why Sean refuses to slow solos down when transcribing And what Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Joey Calderazzo & Cannibal Adderley all taught him indirectly This one's a goldmine for sax players, jazz musicians, teachers, and anyone obsessed with getting better at their craft—no fluff, just real talk from the trenches.   Join the Trumpet Academy: https://www.skool.com/louis-trumpet-academy-6100     🧠 Real musicianship. Real learning. Real stories.Come join us inside the mind of one of the UK’s most exciting young jazz voices.     📍 Timestamps / Highlights: 00:00 – Welcome & intro to Sean Payne03:14 – Internalising music: “If you can’t hear it, you can’t play it”08:45 – Perfect pitch: Myth, memory & training15:20 – Developing pitch through singing in unfamiliar keys20:33 – Altissimo register & limiting beliefs28:40 – Circular breathing story from the pub33:12 – What Sean’s learning now: melody-rhythm39:50 – The art of leaving space in writing47:10 – Does prescription kill creativity in large ensembles?56:45 – Minimalism in writing: what Miles, Wayne & Coltrane taught us1:02:10 – Transcribing vs understanding: deeper than just notes1:08:02 – Pattern playing, originality & Joey Calderazzo’s brutal honesty1:20:15 – Practicing without your instrument1:24:40 – Tonguing, tempo, and mental “sloppiness”1:30:11 – Deep listening: why 3 albums are better than 3001:37:33 – Music vs lawnmowers: finding your sound in an age of overwhelm1:44:00 – What people really mean when they “don’t have time to practice”1:51:18 – Why Sean won't copy Brecker anymore1:57:20 – The difference between wanting an outcome & doing the work2:04:00 – Wrap-up: the mental game of mastery