1 full hour, post 101

I just noticed that this is my 101st post in this blog. I must say that keeping this practice blog has indeed been a productive motivator.

Though I wish my motivation had magically created hours and hours more of practice time earlier! Oh, that I could play as well as I want to.

I just spent a full hour on the trombone, warmup (I think I'll quit saying that since I always do it), E major scale in two octaves starting with the trigger, finished working through the Berlioz (ow) and got through Batman to measure 340. It was a very good practice but I wish I knew this material better. There is just so much material to play for this concert!

I had to completely reconsider the tuning of my F-attachment for the Batman. There is a rapid A-B-C, then an F (at the bottom of the staff, bass clef) -E. I have been tuning my F-attachment so my B natural is right in line with the A just below it, for ease of playing the B natural. But this means that the F at the bottom of the staff doesn't come in with the F-attachment (ironic I suppose considering its name) ... anyway, to get this quick run, I tuned the F-attach so the F plays true in first position with the F-attachment ... it works, I just now need to retune my brain for the B natural. I might try this for a while and see if I like it better tuned to the low F.

Best news though of this overall good practice is that Squirmo handled it just fine. He got up and turned around in his little basket a few times when I started, but then settled in and slept like a baby. I was thinking about it in the context of a friend's newborn baby ... she brought the baby in to work and someone said, "She's hearing us like she has been all along, but without the buffer!" Which we all chuckled at - but as for Squirmo the cat, he has heard me practice every single day one floor up ... so it makes sense that he would not be too phased by a trombone playing 3 feet away from him. The sweet sense of community.