VERONIKA MASON

MORE ABOUT VERONIKA

who am I?

Veronika Mason is a recent high school graduate and first year entrant into the Ara Bachelor of Music Arts programme in Christchurch, New Zealand.
She has played saxophone for five years and has performed many concerts inside and outside of high school. These include gigs for Harcourts Real Estate, Swingtown Rebels, Speights Alehouse, the NZ Airforce and Southern Jam Jazz Festival.
In 2016, Veronika was the recipient of the Ara Jazz Quest award for Best Saxophonist and the Lorraine White Music Trophy. She was also the recipient of an Ara LIFT scholarship.
Veronika specialises in tenor saxophone, however enjoys the soprano and plays the baritone for Sideline Swing in Christchurch.
Musicians that influence Veronika include Avishai Cohen (bass), Shai Maistro, Wayne Shorter, Archie Shepp and classical Arabian composers such as M. Abdel Wahab. This produces a stylistic mix of swing, free jazz and middle eastern flavour in Veronika’s music.
Veronika plays a 1986 Selmer Series II Super Action 80 tenor. She uses a size 7 Ottolink Tone Edge mouth piece and Rovner Van Gough ligature, accompanied by size 2 Vandoren ZZ jazz reeds. 
Veronika also enjoys making her own electronic music and beat samples for small video projects.