By this time those of you who are interested in the last contemplation have considered what you like to practice and why. Now, to complete this contemplation, ask yourself this;
What do you avoid practicing?
This usually becomes apparent pretty quickly in most cases. Let's face it, it can be more fun and immediately more satisfying to practice things we are good at. But, is it serving to improve our ability on the instrument and musical expression? Is it helping us to develop discipline?
We are all prone to doing certain things better than other things. But depending on our goals and aspirations, avoiding aspects that need work will limit us as players, musicians and people too. It is not always easy to confront the difficulties but the rewards on many levels can be huge. It certainly will make us better teachers as well having gone through processes that are not naturally easy for us. Because we will have had to find our way through trial and error to make it happen. This brings appreciation and understanding about the nature of hard work and development.
Even if we never develop our difficult areas as fully as other aspects of our playing, working on them broadens our awareness of the craft and strengthens other areas that are related or that seem to not be related to what we are working on. It has been my experience that working on one area has a multi- level result throughout our systems.
We can't have growth and progress without hard work and the love and desire to keep at it.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Much In Little
Question
What are your favorite things to practice? Why?
This is a very telling question to ask yourself. In this seemingly small question, much can be discovered about why you do what you do. Spend some time with it. Ask it to yourself nonstop for at least a week or two. See what answers you get.
What are your favorite things to practice? Why?
This is a very telling question to ask yourself. In this seemingly small question, much can be discovered about why you do what you do. Spend some time with it. Ask it to yourself nonstop for at least a week or two. See what answers you get.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Much In Little
Many of you who spend time with music either listening, playing or practicing, start to build a value for the small things. The so called 'small' things are most often the building blocks for the so called 'bigger' things. For example, how could our 'big' bodies exist without the 'small' atoms? The power is in the small or often times 'unseen' worlds.
So I was thinking of putting out a series of posts called "Much In Little". This will be the first of such posts. They will consist of a tip, clue, exercise or contemplation all of which are 'small' but with practice will yield 'big' results if they are taken up and of course furthered.
This exercise is for brass players. On trombone if you want to trill, it most often needs to be a lip trill. A great builder of the corners of our embouchures can be cultivated in practicing lip trills a certain way. Many trill exercises have the player start with a natural slur and rhythmically speeding up until it gets fast enough to sound like a trill. I have found that the greater control comes from getting out of the trill, in other words gradually getting slower and slower from the fastest point of the trill. The mental image I have is of a fan being shut off. How smoothly the blade gets slower until it stops. A smooth gradual slow down. No sudden changes in the speed. This I have found to be an excellent corner builder. You might discover that certain ranges target the corners even more during the exercise.
A few minutes a day is all it takes. You might need to take some small breaks in between the different trills if your corners are really feeling it. Take a try if you are interested and leave a comment on the blog. I'd love to hear about your discoveries.
So I was thinking of putting out a series of posts called "Much In Little". This will be the first of such posts. They will consist of a tip, clue, exercise or contemplation all of which are 'small' but with practice will yield 'big' results if they are taken up and of course furthered.
This exercise is for brass players. On trombone if you want to trill, it most often needs to be a lip trill. A great builder of the corners of our embouchures can be cultivated in practicing lip trills a certain way. Many trill exercises have the player start with a natural slur and rhythmically speeding up until it gets fast enough to sound like a trill. I have found that the greater control comes from getting out of the trill, in other words gradually getting slower and slower from the fastest point of the trill. The mental image I have is of a fan being shut off. How smoothly the blade gets slower until it stops. A smooth gradual slow down. No sudden changes in the speed. This I have found to be an excellent corner builder. You might discover that certain ranges target the corners even more during the exercise.
A few minutes a day is all it takes. You might need to take some small breaks in between the different trills if your corners are really feeling it. Take a try if you are interested and leave a comment on the blog. I'd love to hear about your discoveries.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Birthday Reflection and Gratitude
When your birthday comes around what do you think about?
I generally have a day of reflection and thanks for my life. I try to spend it with my wife and other close family if they are around.
When I pick up my horn I say, here you are still playing a year later. What is different? What is the same?
The difference in ages 16 and 56 is huge, but what is the same? Physically big changes have happened. Emotionally and mentally as well. What are those changes? Are they beneficial to my life and to others? That is my big concern and contemplation.
As far as my trombone playing goes, there are things I cannot do like I could when I was 19 or 20 years old. Especially with volume power and overall endurance. Now it is different on that level. The 'power' expresses itself in another form. The reason for playing is the same but much more refined and 'highly' tuned.
Do you ever ask yourself, who or what you play for in your mind's eye? Is it your teachers, parents, mentor's or artists you look up to and respect? I realized who I have always played for. Regardless of the many cloaks it took over the years. I used to play for my grandma, mother, father or some teachers and performers I looked up too. I always played the best for my close relatives. They believed in me and loved me. Playing for my wife Carol is truly an experience of a profound kind. Her 'acoustic' resonates with whatever is coming out of me in a pure and truthful way. With great support for my life wanting it to be as good as it can be.
All these people represent the One behind all life. That is who I play for and have always played for whether I consciously knew it or not. I always wanted to express what was in me with a purpose. I never needed a big audience to feel satisfied. I never feel 'alone'. For I believe you are never alone.
For that living reality, for all the close people in my life from the beginning to now including , parents, grandparents, siblings, wife, son, uncles, aunts, life guides, teachers, band directors, friends, pets, and students too!, I have the deepest gratitude for you all for making my life richer, more honest and fulfilling.
Music is no different to life. The One sound in all sounds. The One life in the many!
I generally have a day of reflection and thanks for my life. I try to spend it with my wife and other close family if they are around.
When I pick up my horn I say, here you are still playing a year later. What is different? What is the same?
The difference in ages 16 and 56 is huge, but what is the same? Physically big changes have happened. Emotionally and mentally as well. What are those changes? Are they beneficial to my life and to others? That is my big concern and contemplation.
As far as my trombone playing goes, there are things I cannot do like I could when I was 19 or 20 years old. Especially with volume power and overall endurance. Now it is different on that level. The 'power' expresses itself in another form. The reason for playing is the same but much more refined and 'highly' tuned.
Do you ever ask yourself, who or what you play for in your mind's eye? Is it your teachers, parents, mentor's or artists you look up to and respect? I realized who I have always played for. Regardless of the many cloaks it took over the years. I used to play for my grandma, mother, father or some teachers and performers I looked up too. I always played the best for my close relatives. They believed in me and loved me. Playing for my wife Carol is truly an experience of a profound kind. Her 'acoustic' resonates with whatever is coming out of me in a pure and truthful way. With great support for my life wanting it to be as good as it can be.
All these people represent the One behind all life. That is who I play for and have always played for whether I consciously knew it or not. I always wanted to express what was in me with a purpose. I never needed a big audience to feel satisfied. I never feel 'alone'. For I believe you are never alone.
For that living reality, for all the close people in my life from the beginning to now including , parents, grandparents, siblings, wife, son, uncles, aunts, life guides, teachers, band directors, friends, pets, and students too!, I have the deepest gratitude for you all for making my life richer, more honest and fulfilling.
Music is no different to life. The One sound in all sounds. The One life in the many!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
No Rest For the Determined
Holiday time is a wonderful time to visit with family and friends. It can also be great to have time away from our usual schedule to reconnect to ourselves and get refreshed. But, it can also be a time during these winter, spring or summer breaks to get a lot of good solid practice in.
This past summer, the topic for the Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection was about what is improvement and truly making the most out of our practice time when on summer vacation. If you plan it right, you can have a good three hour practice session and still be with family, friends and getting some good rest.
Some people seem to have a hard time with planning their own practice time without a schedule to work around like a summer music festival or school activities. But if you need motivation outside yourself, remember that lots of festival auditions take place not that much after school gets back in session in January. Plus there are school auditions and some competitions as well.
I used to love school vacations because I could practice all day if I wanted to and did many times! I would go outside when I lived on a farm in southern Minnesota and practice projection in three dimensions. That is how I developed my 3D sound exercises. Plus being with the trees and huge Minnesotan sky, I felt like a part of nature and the feeling of my sound and overall music making would take on different characteristics.
Practicing can be enjoyable and so constructive even when we are not planning for any particular event. Just for our own development and love of playing music through our instruments. Vacation time doesn't mean you need to go vacant in your mind and playing. Make the most out of your time by setting all kinds of short term, mid term and long term goals.
Why take lots of time off when you are young and still in school? If you really love and want something, keep at it with rest periods of course. I am not anti rest! Rest is vital but one must learn to tell the difference between rest and neglect born of laziness or lack of motivation. When you really are determined, you don't even think in terms of taking time off. You think, when can I get at it again?
One excellent thing to do this time of year is to reflect on what we did this past year. Ask yourself what you would like to improve on and acknowledge what progress you did make. Reflection and keeping a journal is a wonderful way to chart our development and see where we are at. You can also detect your patterns and cycles.
Happy New Year! May your practicing be bright, merry and connected!
This past summer, the topic for the Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection was about what is improvement and truly making the most out of our practice time when on summer vacation. If you plan it right, you can have a good three hour practice session and still be with family, friends and getting some good rest.
Some people seem to have a hard time with planning their own practice time without a schedule to work around like a summer music festival or school activities. But if you need motivation outside yourself, remember that lots of festival auditions take place not that much after school gets back in session in January. Plus there are school auditions and some competitions as well.
I used to love school vacations because I could practice all day if I wanted to and did many times! I would go outside when I lived on a farm in southern Minnesota and practice projection in three dimensions. That is how I developed my 3D sound exercises. Plus being with the trees and huge Minnesotan sky, I felt like a part of nature and the feeling of my sound and overall music making would take on different characteristics.
Practicing can be enjoyable and so constructive even when we are not planning for any particular event. Just for our own development and love of playing music through our instruments. Vacation time doesn't mean you need to go vacant in your mind and playing. Make the most out of your time by setting all kinds of short term, mid term and long term goals.
Why take lots of time off when you are young and still in school? If you really love and want something, keep at it with rest periods of course. I am not anti rest! Rest is vital but one must learn to tell the difference between rest and neglect born of laziness or lack of motivation. When you really are determined, you don't even think in terms of taking time off. You think, when can I get at it again?
One excellent thing to do this time of year is to reflect on what we did this past year. Ask yourself what you would like to improve on and acknowledge what progress you did make. Reflection and keeping a journal is a wonderful way to chart our development and see where we are at. You can also detect your patterns and cycles.
Happy New Year! May your practicing be bright, merry and connected!
Friday, December 10, 2010
A Trio of Seconds
Yesterday I attended a BSO retiree get together which happens about three times a year. It was my first time doing this since I left the orchestra in December of 2007, exactly three years ago. It was really nice to see everyone who was there. When I joined the BSO in 1975 I was the youngest member at 20 years old. Now at 55 years old, I'm the youngest retiree! Life is funny....
In this picture, there are three former BSO second trombonists. From left to right: William Moyer, Ronald Barron and myself. William 'BIll' Moyer had to play one of the most intense Mozart Requiems. It was for the internationally televised broadcast of the JKF funeral with the Boston Symphony playing. There is an old recording of it and Bill played wonderfully! I think the whole world, especially the US, was in such a state of mourning that it was an actual 'requiem' atmosphere. It was not a concert situation with the usual judgements or newspaper critics. Bill totally rose to the occasion. He was also the BSO personnel manager for many years after serving for 15 years as second trombone. Ron became 2nd trombone in 1970 and I replaced him as 2nd trombone in 1975 after he won the principal position.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Seventeen years ago today....
Seventeen years ago today, starting at 10pm, in the chorus room in Symphony Hall and lasting until 2am, fourteen trombonists gathered to go where few have gone before, and never in this way, entered the domain of the Frequency Band….taking a journey into color, ancient places, well being and noble human qualities. The music was living, breathing and pulsating through us and around us creating tangle atmospheres and deep feelings. The Frequency Band was born!
Since this time the Frequency Band has been on an incredible journey of discovery and development. Ever growing in the core of it's arising, 'A Unity Born of Humanity'. A path leading to the essence of the music where the human instrument is the most important instrument. A place where your mistakes cost you nothing. A real sanctuary for music as a living thing.
I wish to thank all who have been in the Frequency Band over the past seventeen years and for those who have been supporters of it's arising. I personally want to thank my dear wife and co-director of the Frequency Band, Carol Viera, for her unstoppable will, depth of thought and perception and humanity she brings to this endeavor. The Frequency Band would not be what it is without her powerful connections and insight.
I wish you all the greatest happiness, connection and well being! It has been such an honor to be a part of this undertaking. May it live on and on for generations to come.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREQUENCY BAND!
Please visit the Frequency Band on Facebook too!
Since this time the Frequency Band has been on an incredible journey of discovery and development. Ever growing in the core of it's arising, 'A Unity Born of Humanity'. A path leading to the essence of the music where the human instrument is the most important instrument. A place where your mistakes cost you nothing. A real sanctuary for music as a living thing.
I wish to thank all who have been in the Frequency Band over the past seventeen years and for those who have been supporters of it's arising. I personally want to thank my dear wife and co-director of the Frequency Band, Carol Viera, for her unstoppable will, depth of thought and perception and humanity she brings to this endeavor. The Frequency Band would not be what it is without her powerful connections and insight.
I wish you all the greatest happiness, connection and well being! It has been such an honor to be a part of this undertaking. May it live on and on for generations to come.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREQUENCY BAND!
Please visit the Frequency Band on Facebook too!
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