and the wind joined me

did warmup
A flat business
Peter and the Wolf, with the mute, very fun, also the stomping part. The grace notes are very difficult as many are more than an octave below the actual note. I need to ask Rick if I should try to play these or not.
Did very nicely on the bottom of Petite Waltz
and, very pleased with the Berlioz. I am doing the fourth movement and have to ask Jack if that is the only movement we are doing.
I stopped at measure 154, almost done, but my mind was getting tired.

CHOPS HELD OUT THOUGH FOR THE WHOLE HOUR!

While I was practicing, the wind blew up, and suddenly there was another musician joining me, the wind vibrating around the bottom edge of the window. Startling, almost eery, but then it made me smile.

BPU Day 12 intent

When I was in college, I hung out a lot with Arabs. There is not a difference between "b" and "p" in Arabic, and they would sometimes confuse the sounds in speech - maybe like calling a puppy a bubby (I can't remember any specific examples; that was so long ago). The moral of the story, though, is that I made fun of my friends when they did this (we were very good friends), and my karmic result is that I often confuse "b" and "p" on the keyboard. Hence, typing BPU sometimes takes me multiple tries before I get it right.

I want to go for my full hour tonight, but I will relent if my chops start to die. I was extremely otherwise engaged today (my class, lunch out for a colleague who is retiring, a sight singing lesson, plus ... oh, I MADE AN OFFER TO BUY A HOUSE). So, I am trying to put the whole practice in one session.

Goal:

• Warmup
• A flat major scales (notice the pattern here?)
  
• Peter and the Wolf (to cement what I learned last night and to work with the mute a bit; my first real experience with the mute)
  
• Petite Waltz bottom part
• Berlioz
  

Broke my hour

Well, I gave myself 10 minutes for student symphony and that estimate is likely low, since I warmed up and played a LITTLE, at least, in the hour the brass was there. It will be a very fun piece and the trombone does get to do a little low stomping around - so I need to be sure to practice this little bit.

Then I came home and practiced for 17 minutes - ha! - for a total of at least 1 hour and 2 minutes. Broke through and right past the hour.

I told myself - just play around, play what you want to play, so I played Red River Valley and worked on a scale exercise ... and now I am contented and made my goal.

I am a fiend!

35 minutes!

did warmup, G major 2 octaves w/vibrato, then worked on Peter and the Wolf since I have rehearsal for that tonight (student symphony), then the Beeler Allegreto bottom line.

1 hour & 18 minutes total, for BPU Day 10

oh-hoh ... I so made it through all of my goals, the Hexenritt, Mahler, into the Beeler exercise ... and thought I was going to make my hour and a half goal. But, my mouth got crabby at the end and I decided to LISTEN to it - or listen to what my mouth was telling me, to STOP. But that was a solid 48 minutes of practicing.

What a great weekend of practice. For tomorrow, as a placeholder because I will be racing home at lunchtime, I want to:

• Warmup
• Key of G major two octaves & vibrato
• Beeler Allegreto
• Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique 4th movement

I am sure that will be my limit due to time.

Off to see Mr. Squirmo the cat upstairs.

witches ride!

As practice motivation, I am listening to YouTubes of Christian Lindberg and Joe Alessi - my, oh my.

Goal tonight:

• Warm up
• Hexenritt - play through what I worked on earlier today, and work through the rest
• Mahler 3rd Movement
  
• Beeler bottom line of Allegretto duet
  
• If I make it that far ... Hexenritt might do me in!

I want to do at least 40 minutes.

Then, I still need to study some more and pay a visit to Squirmo the cat, upstairs.

G flat

40 minutes! Once I got to Hexenritt, the chops work-out calmed down as I had to really work at getting the rhythm (which is actually quite nice and exciting sounding), and interpret the tenor clef. My chops definitely had a workout, though - I think they need a good 6-hour rest now.

My accomplishments in my 40 minutes:

Warmup. I think if I play up to my desired 1 1/2 hours on weekends, 1 hour on weekdays, I will make faster progress on getting my high notes. Also did G flat scale, 2 octaves, vibrato practice on the scale.

Petite Waltz top part. Worked quite a bit on this, finished by playing it through and circling the parts that I need to work on.

Hexenritt. Just made it through the first two and a half lines, but it is an important part and I worked hard on it. When I come back, I need to start with this.

Now, off to study and clean house ... it is raining dreadfully, which is keeping me in.