Adolphe Sax was a determined innovator. Before he revolutionized music with the invention of the saxophone, he successfully patented a series of valved brass instruments known as saxhorns. These instruments came in various sizes and configurations including an over-the shoulder model that played a significant role during the American Civil War. Imagine an instrument slightly larger than a trumpet, designed to curve around so that it pointed behind the player while they performed. This unique...

As if it wasn't enough to create an entirely new instrument, Adolphe Sax's childhood could be the quintessential case for surviving, thriving, or both, having cheated death on numerous occasions. Let us count the ways, shall we? From the age of three, our great innovator faced a string of misfortunes, starting with a fall down the stairs that left him in a coma for several days, which could be seen as either clumsiness or sheer defiance of fate. Sure, a fall down the stairs is fairly common...