OK, I give

OK, I cannot keep this thing up until my crazy rehearsal/performance/class/work/travel/symphony business schedule lets up ... but I am PLAYING EVERY SINGLE DAY!

first two movements

Have to head out to the play now, but I just worked the first two movements of the Brahms, and played Alaska Flag song (I admit I don't love the arrangement) and the first page of West Side Story for Concert Band.

And I practiced my notes, and a little pedals.

Blog off hold

I am a new woman and my blog is arising from its brief hiatus. That was not even two weeks off, but I needed it. Now, the student symphony concert is done and I am practicing and rehearsing hot and heavy for the Brahms in April and the concert band concert on May 1.

I played for hours today - probably about 3 1/2. Two of those were concert band rehearsal and there is a little rest there for measure counts, but one of the things I love so much about playing that kind of music is that we on low brass get to play so much of it.

Lots of this concert band music needs work by me. I worked tonight on one tricky rhythm part in Hindemith's March from Symphonic Metamorphosis, figuring it out and working it very slowly - it goes fast when we play it!

Earlier today, I played through all of the Brahms. For the most part, this is easy music to play, which is wonderful because it allows me to focus hard on how it sounds, my legato where needed, cleanness of note separation, my tuning. This is in tenor clef and I pretty much have that clef now. That feels good. I worked last night on the Brahms as well, playing through all of it. I'll miss next Tuesday's rehearsal so I want to get in the best shape possible for Thursday's.

Time just goes rushing by. I traveled a week ago and I'll travel again next week and that always makes keeping on track worse. I like to be in different places but I just don't like the havoc it wreaks on my schedule and life left behind.

I went out after work last night and had a couple of martinis - mercy. I crashed on the couch when I came home (after eating some dinner - I'm not that bad) and was sorely tempted to not buzz the mouthpiece when I woke up after my 9 pm music cutoff ... but I did, so I have not blown my play-every-day track record. March 9 was 171 so today is 183 = 1/2 a year! Just like that.

Blog on hold

I'll be putting this blog on hold for a while - with class, work, playing, etc. it is difficult to maintain these days.

My goal of playing every day has been met: Today is Day 171 of playing every single day. It's gotten to be like brushing my teeth - can't go a day without playing.

broke down and bought a new mouthpiece

:)

Ha, they say you should not go seeking mouthpieces to cure your playing ills, but I broke down and got a new one, a Bach 6 1/2 AL.

I like it, it feels different. It sounds fuller.

I worked on the Sinfonietta tonight for maybe 25 minutes ... after a long, long week. It was a small practice but I just feel good about it, loving the music. Now weekend's coming and I get to RELAX a little bit!

early off comes to fruition

oooh, sore hand. I just played a lot. It feels very good. I actually didn't get off that early, but I meditated earlier, warmed up on scales, studied some, ate dinner, and now just played a BUNCH of the Beethoven runs. I'm getting a little tired now so I'll give the chops a break ... I'd like to see if I can squeeze in a little bit on the Sinfionetta tonight. We'll see if there's still time before 9 when my chops feel recovered.

I'm conflicted about the brace. I took it off yesterday because the instrument was sounding tinny. The instrument sounds better today but my middle finger is numb again.

I wonder if I need to think about going with a straight horn and forego the F-attachment. It weighs less and I was able to use a strap to help ease the pressure, which I'm not able to do with this horn. Maybe I'll give this a little time and then try the brace again. I'm taking it with me when I travel next week and I didn't know if the TSA would have a problem with the allen wrench anyway (I have to loosen the brace to get it into the case), so I'll go without it now until after the student symphony concert, then assess trying it again.

tinny

Last night in my lesson the horn sounded tinny enough that Jack commented on it, and it did again today while I was practicing. I took the brace off, examined every possible moving part ... I think it is me but I don't know why.

I only practiced for about 45 minutes as I hit my 9 pm shut-off time. That was OK, though, it was about the right amount of practice. I had some trouble with my G in the Beethoven, but I don't want to try too hard every day. I worked a lot on the Lament movement of the Sinfionetta, working over and over again the mute change ... and I think I may be able to pull that off! It was exciting to do it enough that I am starting to feel comfortable with it.

From my trombone lesson yesterday: I need to start doing my pedal exercise (where I go down by partials to the pedal) LOUDLY. It will get my lips more exercise - and I need to be able to play more loudly than I can now. I should start playing my scales with the tuner - which I did tonight, playing slow scales, finding the note first and then looking at the tuner to calibrate myself better. I surprised myself at how often I was sharp or flat when I thought I was right on.

The work on the Beethoven was not long but it was good practice. I am really coming along with those runs.

I have to go to San Francisco for work next week, for the last two rehearsals before our performance. I find it very strange to wish I did not have to go to San Francisco, but the timing is not good. I was strategizing with Rick about whether I should take my mouthpiece and he suggested taking the trombone, and that the Harmon mute without the stem will make a great mute in the hotel room ... so I tried it tonight and it does make a good practice mute. Perfect.

Beethoven & Brahms

Lesson tonight, we worked on the Beethoven bassoon part (on trombone, of course), the Brahms, and one duet ... I didn't play well on the duet.

I'm tired tonight - it's late, and I've been getting up very early these days.

Now, you can't do much more than that

I worked and worked and worked on the Beethoven. Aside from warming up and working on my G, I did nothing else, not even my pedals.

Ok, I just ran over to the trombone and blew a few pedals, because I think I said I'd do pedals every day in March, and it is March already. That's the way this trombone playing works for me, make it play, make it a game, change my targets all the time and it keeps me going.

Anyway, back to the Beethoven, I feel great about the work I did. It's a bassoon part, after all! There are a ton of fast passages!

Edit P.S. Oh, and when I first started working on the Beethoven, I almost started crying because my G was giving me such fits. I decided to eat dinner instead and when I came back to it, the G was much better and I felt no need to cry. Lesson: When you feel like crying, it is probably not the trombone playing that is the reason. :)

Blog remiss

Ah! Life has such a way of intervening in the routine of a daily blog.

Friday: Student symphony sectional rehearsal. I must practice the Beethoven more, I must, I must. I actually did not play very well but had a fine time anyway. I was simply exhausted from a long week of hard work.

Saturday: Community band in the morning - sight reading! I love the opportunity to do it but I want to be better at it. And the only way to get better at it is to do it! I am so lucky to have the opportunity to do this. I cannot believe how lucky I am.

I had Jim & Salty over for dinner Saturdy night, a lovely dinner and evening. Juneau is so fortunate to have them in our midst. BUT, before they arrived, I squeaked in a little time on the Beethoven, 2nd page, and that was very good practice.

Among all my other commitments, here's my commitment to myself and to Rick & the student symphony: I will work some on the Beethoven every single day until our concert.

Now, off to study. Today's a full day, too. I have a tricky assignment to do this morning for my class, and then my brother Jim and I are going out to Herb's to do some historical digging (he's got treasure troves of pictures and memorabilia and memories, that Jim is just longing to tap). So, I probably won't get in two practices today unless the stars align somehow, but tonight you can bet I'll work on that Beethoven. :)