Trombone Analog

Today: 1 hr 57 min (btsw), slurs to 16th at 74 bpm

I don’t like how much junk I’m getting in my slurs. I’ll rack that up remaining tension, lack of focus, lack of practice [sigh]. But it’s getting better, so I can’t complain. I noticed two other, new things with my playing today.

First, I think I found a new meaning for ‘overbreathing.’ Remington repeatedly warned against overbreathing (Remington/Hunsberger, Warm Ups). I still only kind of get that, but I clearly understand what he means when encouraging the player to stay as relaxed as possible.

Today, though, I caught myself inhaling so much that I would put negative pressure against my lungs. I imagine it like closing my mouth (aperture) and getting ready to play, but continuing to expand the lungs just a moment too long … so the air in the chest is no longer dense, but … thin. And it puts the most uncomfortable, nervous feeling in my chest. I think this may be one form of ‘overbreathing,’ and now I can do something to avoid it.

Once I started thinking about the air and timing … then I started thinking about coordination and audiation. During dinner, I was thinking a phrase of music and tapping my finger. I noticed that, when thinking or humming a phrase, I could keep the time (and the numbers) clearly in mind. But when playing, that is very difficult.

When I continued practicing, I aimed to keep the time clearly in mind. Loudly, accurately, with numbers and letters (mentally yelling 1 & 2 &, etc). By prioritizing the mental time, my body was much more relaxed and the final product was much better. (Or at least I couldn’t hear it as well because I was mentally yelling so loud …).

I do like that my range is increasing, stability and control are improving. I have a long way to go before I’ll have an audition disc ready, though. Much junk, little consistency on the music. General technique improving, consistency not so much [sigh]. So I’ll keep at it tomorrow.

Quote for the day comes from Marty Dow’s Positive Thought Service. I don’t know when it was that I signed up … but there are some good thoughts out there. Last week:

Think about what you want, not about what you do not want.

I think this is good advice. I’ll think more often about playing well … and you think about getting the most fulfilling results out of your work, too. We’ll have to meet up and compare notes.

For quite awhile, Wordpress 2.6.3 has been available. I don’t know why I put off the upgrade, but I finally finished that this morning. Glad to have it done.

I’m afraid I only found time to do it because I’m at home sick. Sort through, coughy, sneezy, etc etc. Lame. Hope to be much better before tomorrow, or it will be a long week.

And, I would be amiss if I didn’t acknowledge that some of my students have found my blog. Greetings to you all! Check out the download page for recordings. Mind that the comment boxes are moderated … so keep your comments parent-appropriate. I’ll do the same with the content. Oh …

And go practice! We have a concert soon!

I never did define ‘analogy’ in my About page. Google tells me that Princeton tells me that an analogy is:

Web definitions for analogy
	an inference that if things agree in some respects they probably agree in others wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn - Definition in context

Believe it or not, I’m trying to reduce the amount of time I spend online. At work I’m spending more time on the computer than I would like. Getting home and getting away from the laptop is kind of nice.

I still like cramming in a bit of work on the train, though. It sure helps pass the time.

Last week, I gave a short recital at Carey Baptist Grammar School. I made a recording, and will post snippets when I make time to get it done. I extend many thanks to pianist Marta Majka, whose assistance made it possible. My co-workers at Carey were also very supportive, and I appreciate it. I hope that it was a good experience for the students and staff who were able to attend. I’ll dust off, start practicing, and do it again in the fall (February/March down here).

After the recital (Thursday 30 October), I decided to take some well-deserved time off the horn. I previously haven’t believed much in long periods of rest. A day or two at most, but three … scary! This weekend, Cindy and I took a trip out of town to see some family, and I left my trombone at home. It was a good feeling. After Friday through Monday off, I got in a reasonable session today (45 min btsw). I also set goals for the month ahead, and picked repertoire to help work on some ongoing playing challenges.

Every time I give a recital, I am reminded that I need to do it more often. I don’t think I perform solo, or in a soloist capacity, often enough to get my head clear in performance. I’ve just got to do it more often. One of my goals this month is to get more friends and family into the practice room to hear me play snippets.

I hope Cindy will oblige.

During the last 10 days, I learned a lot about performing and a lot about life. I’m not perfect behind the instrument yet, but it sure is getting better. I’m enjoying it more, too. That’s a big plus.

Life is no fun if it’s no fun playing my instrument. I think I’m fortunate that I have music for a career. When work is fun … it’s no work.

1 hr 54 min btsw, slurs to 70 bpm

Today I covered a lot of ground. I like that my tone is increasingly reliable and centered below the staff. I also have more stability and ease in my embouchure and airstream. I’m not sure if one of these came first, but I know that sound, stability, and relaxation all go together.

The holidays end today and work starts tomorrow. I will face the old challenge of practicing when I’m tired from working/teaching. I feel more prepared for this than earlier in the year. “Making time for practice” … the universal challenge.

My current practice goal is a mini-recital at Carey Baptist Grammar School, date tentatively 23 October 2008. Repertoire hasn’t changed in the last six weeks:

Wagner - Two Songs (The Angel, Stand Thou Still)
Galliard - Sonata II in G Major
White - Tetra Ergon (i, iv)
Guilmant - Morceau Symphonique

The target audience is high school students, so the repertoire reflects that. The Guilmant and Galliard are typical works for that age group.

Next rehearsal with piano is tomorrow. Lots of work to do!

Just started practicing today. I can hear that my sound, accuracy, and ease have improved this month. It’s good to notice growth, but I don’t want to leave it at that. I’ve stopped and thought about what things I did differently this month to make improvement.

I’ll blame a few controllable factors:

• Improved consistency of practice routine and practice time. Nothing comes without good practice - quantity and quality. The stopwatch has been keeping me really honest. I can connect results, good or poor, to specific days of practice.

• I’ve spent significant time this month replacing tension with ease. I’ve reviewed the Remington/Hunsberger book, the Kleinhammer Art of Trombone, etc., and have been following the former daily. Friday I also started Bai Lin’s Lip Flexibilities (kudos to Bertoncello for the loan).

• The same texts suggested a change in my visualization of the embouchure. I’m using less vertical motion, focusing more around “one point” of vibration (as Michael Bertoncello marked down in one of his etude books). I think this is similar to the advice given by Phillip Teele in his Advanced Embouchure Studies (play straight down the tube). This may also starts to explain what Michael McLemore meant when he told me to try and get a grasp of playing “under the horn”. I think he meant that the air stream aims slightly just below dead center. (This last connection is rather abstract … I’ll come back another day.)

• I’m learning what the signs of fatigue are for my playing. Early in the day, it’s easier for me to control the valve register. I almost never feel ‘tired’ per se, but my tone and accuracy down low suffer tremendously. Those are the big signs for me. After taking a day rest for a holiday with my wife, I came back on Thursday feeling and sounding refreshed. I need to try a few different practice:rest ratios and see what works for me - one day rest in seven, one day in ten or fourteen? I’ll have to find out.

Finally … I’ve got to keep at it. So off I go.

So the Australian school system provides four holidays a year: Term 1, holiday, Term 2, holiday, Term 3, holiday, Term 4, long-ish holiday. We’re just finishing up the third one now.

It’s been a busy but relaxing break from work & teaching. I could pretend that it’s been more ‘balanced’ than this year’s other vacations, but I don’t actually know that.

I do know that moving house had a big effect on the rest of the holiday. Moving made me spend more time doing things around the house instead of sitting on the computer. The laptop was, more or less, put away during the move and the week in which I had no network. I really enjoyed being away from the internet. Cindy probably wouldn’t believe me if I told her, but … yep. It was good.

The utilities were all moved over about a week ago. With the phone line came the ADSL connection. I was definitely cheery about receiving a week of email, but now I’m more aware of how much time I spend online.

With that knowledge, I’ve been avoiding spending time online. I’ve kept my practice journal on my Palm Tungsten E, and I’ll eventually port those back to the Trombone Analog. I can’t get away from ‘information’ as a way to unwind, but I’m trying not to make the computer into a social outlet. That’s what people are for!

So I learned that being off the information grid is good. Lots of good books I’ve been meaning to read, and the world didn’t end while I was gone. That was a lot to learn this holiday. I’ll make good on that knowledge by finishing up Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel.

But I may want to check my mail first. And I’ll make a posting about that book, and …

stuff.

(transferred from practice journal on Palm Tungsten E)

Rehearsal with Marta Majka this morning (9.30a-11.30a, solid). Rehearsal was productive, but I can feel the tension and fatigue in my sound … perhaps coming back from Daylesford and suddenly doing full days wasn’t a great idea. Gotta get the time in, but it will be smart to manage things better in the days ahead.

Taking it easy this afternoon. Tonight, Cindy and I are off to see Wayne Bergeron, Wycliff Gordon, and the B# Big Band as part of the Melbourne International Festival of Brass 2008. Looking forward to it!

(transferred from practice journal on Palm Tungsten E)

2 hr 5 min btsw, slurs to 70 bpm

Started doing Bai Lin’s Lip Flexibilities. Thanks to Michael Bertoncello for the loan - that’s a great book. I’ve ordered a copy from California - I hope it gets here.

I’m starting to feel some changes in my playing - accuracy, how I move between the notes, ease in the air stream. Just gotta keep practicing to make it habitual.

(transferred from practice journal on Palm Tungsten E)

1 hr 52 min btsw, slurs to 70 bpm

Good day today. Taking a few days off and resting helped a lot. Still have my junk, but sounding and feeling refreshed.

Today I was going to have a rehearsal w/ Marta in the late morning, but that has been postponed to Saturday b/c of the day off in Daylesford. I’m glad it worked out this way - I’ll have a couple days to practice between rehearsals.