FBSMC7, Summertime Practice Extra

Hopefully the Summertime Practice videos are offering some ideas of ways to approach not just Summertime practice but practice time when you don't have a lot of other commitments. When we are on vacation or are freer from lots of playing in our schedule, we can experiment more because we don't have to worry if our lip is in the best shape for a particular event. This gives us some room to dive into things in our own timing. Most playing careers can have a rigorous schedule of rehearsals and concerts which condition us a certain way to be at the ready for the task at hand. This is an excellent training in itself but it doesn't always offer the space to really 'stir' things up or for example try new equipment or refine or reshape aspects of our embouchure. Another good example is endurance practice. This area needs us to be economical with the use of our time. It is vital in professional, audition and recital situations.

Here is an interesting story of a trombonist at one of the schools I teach at. He emailed me and told me of a situation he was having with a note he was having trouble with staying stable. This talented player does not study with me but has had me as a coach and conductor for several years. When everything else he tried was not working to get this note where he wanted it, he asked himself "What would Mr. Bolter do?"   I was very touched when I heard that because I used to ask myself similar questions when I was younger about great teachers and players I knew of and worked with. That question would connect me to some aspect of them and things would get better if I kept at it. This person knew enough about some of my approaches that he discovered something after being in a real discovery process with the question and he kept fine tuning his efforts and it paid off. The Summertime seemed to offer an opening for him to take that time and trust the process enough to keep going with it for as long as it took to get the results he wanted.

So! Enjoy your time! There is much truth in the phrase "make hay while the sun shines."