The so-called feminine sensibility is often ascribed to the way women perceive and express everything that has to do with feelings. But is there really feminine sensibility in music? Do men and women have a different touch? Anastasia, a female saxophonist, has trained long and hard in order to reach the proficiency she has with her instrument. Without a doubt, it is this training and the hard work behind it that have given her such amazing control of her saxophone. A man could surely do that, too, if he put in a comparable amount of work. Perhaps the feminine sensibility comes out in the way music gets interpreted and presented upon the stage. Anastasia’s connection to the audience and her stage presence are very feminine in both substance and form. And here we don’t just mean that her sax show is damn sexy; her way of reaching out to the audience is very special, too. She knows very well how to work the stage and own it completely, even if she is standing up there all alone. And when she shares the spotlight, Anastasia masterfully holds her own without a hint of imposing or overbearing. Her stage presence ensures all eyes are on her when they have to be. She knows exactly when it’s time to take centre stage or to step back graciously.

DOES THE FEMALE SENSITIVITY MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE?

The fact that Anastasia is a female saxophonist sets her apart in more ways than one. Her show’s sensuousness is punctuated by her femininity and her special way of commanding the stage. But does that have more to do with her as a person and what makes her special as a musician, or is it just about her being a woman? It is very possible that sensitivity does not care for gender and is something that one either has or does not have, period. It is also possible that the famous saying is true and we are all different and that’s what makes us the same, meaning that, although both sexes have sensitivity, it may come in different nuances. We invite you to see an Anastasia sax show and tell us whether you notice anything different or special about the fact that she is a woman. Does Anastasia demonstrate female sensitivity to you, or is it just sensitivity without further qualifications? The debate is open.