tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37179362646427299062024-03-05T22:02:59.080-08:00Brass BlogMirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-62522539079236103312018-09-25T19:18:00.002-07:002019-02-16T10:02:24.668-08:00That Time I Took 211 Days Off <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>Part 1</b><br />
By Sarah Paradis, Trombone<br />
<br />
On January 2, 2018, my doctor told me to stop playing trombone until I was 36 weeks pregnant, which I was to reach in May 2018. Not all pregnant brass players need to stop playing their instruments, but I was a high risk pregnancy, so my doctor was taking extra precautions. <br />
<br />
I effectively got a mandatory doctor’s order to take four months off the horn. And more than that if I’m honest, because I simply did not feel like starting to play again when I was 36 weeks pregnant, and I definitely wasn’t in a place to play for the first 4-8 weeks of my son’s life. As far as I was concerned, it didn’t sound realistic for me to be playing the horn again for seven months. <br />
<br />
Seven months is a long time! The longest break I’ve ever taken since I started playing the trombone in 1992 was about 6 weeks after my first son was born. And the next longest break wouldn’t be longer than two weeks. Seven months is more than half a year!<br />
<br />
Mentally, I didn’t mind too much about this break because I knew it was something I had to do for my health and especially for the health of my baby. It hurt my ego a bit because I couldn’t play with Mirari Brass Quintet, I couldn’t take any gigs, and I missed out on an audition for my local symphony. But again, my family’s health is more important than any gig, so it was clear what I had to do.<br />
<br />
I definitely became a more creative teacher during this time. There were so many times that I knew I could show my students how to play something, if only I could play my horn. Once I picked up the horn and played it for a 6th grade student, and quickly regretted it. I lacked the control that I was used to, and it just didn’t feel good. A few times I buzzed in attempt to demonstrate, and again I kind of wished I hadn’t. Instead, I sang A LOT. And I turned to good recordings A LOT. Also, my ability to verbally describe a sound grew. I created new analogies and visualizations to use to communicate with my students. It was frustrating at times (read: every time), but in retrospect I am sure I grew as a teacher and a musician. <br />
<br />
We welcomed our son Henry on June 1st, 2018. He was healthy and we were all very happy! However, like most babies, he didn’t sleep the way adults like to sleep, so the first 4 weeks were very rocky. “Survival” is a word that comes to mind. After that, we found a rhythm, but coming back to trombone seemed very far from a reality. To be honest, it just wasn’t high on the priority list. My sons needed me and I needed to take care of myself by resting as much as possible.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to mid-July, when I was invited to play in Opera Idaho’s production of West Side Story in September. I took the gig and suddenly my comeback plan needed to be defined. <br />
<br />
For once, I felt like I had a large amount of time to really come back to the horn in an intentional, meditated way. So, I decided that I was going to do it right. I was going to plan it out, follow my plan, keep a journal, and take my time. <br />
<br />
In this blog I will detail my comeback process. I’ll talk about the books I used, the plan I followed, and I’ll include excerpts from my journal. <br />
<br />
Part 2 will cover the first three weeks of my comeback. <br />
<br />
Part 3 will cover the last two weeks and my re-entry into “real life” playing. <br />
<br />
Part 4 will summarize the lessons I learned. <br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me!<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<b>Part 2</b><br />
<br />
After deciding that I would play my first gig in mid September of 2018, my next step was to plan my comeback. I knew exactly which book I needed to buy:<br />
<br />
“Common Sense for COMEBACK CHOPS: A Trombonist’s Guide to Playing After an Extended Time Off” by Ken Ebo<br />
<br />
Kind of like it was written for me, right?<br />
<br />
There are plenty of reasons people take an extended time off the horn. Ken’s experience was that he was in the military and got deployed for a year of non-music work out of the country. He wasn’t allowed to bring his horn. Other people need to take time off for medical reasons, chop injuries, or any array of other life circumstances.<br />
<br />
I think it’s important to make a clear distinction here. I am talking about planned, extended (more than a month) off from the horn. I am NOT talking about randomly taking multiple days off the horn in the middle of a period of time that you are working or in school. I believe the two are very different circumstances. As a brass educator, I think it is very important to play daily, promote healthy playing habits, and perform regularly throughout the school year. As a music student, it was imperative that I play every day, or very close to it. I’m not advocating large amounts of time off in those circumstances. A day off here and there can be good for recovery, but I wouldn’t suggest taking more than 3 days off per month if you are trying to maintain your chops and grow as a brass player.<br />
<br />
Anyway…<br />
<br />
The book arrived in mid July and I began to look into it. I used Ken’s model to help me plan the length and pacing of my comeback. He had a few preset plans, but I made a “custom” plan that took full advantage of the 40 days I had until the gig. I decided to spend 30 days getting back in shape, and then spend 10 days practicing the rep for the gig. It took me a few tries to get my plan so that it felt manageable but still allowed me enough rest and enough time at each stage. <br />
<br />
(You can click on the picture for a clearer view)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2nnJTXznv22MtyIVFQf8C2MEByPG0hNDx7d1o2P-55dKVBqUvy0EsZGEfErkW9wsKMJ_oaWcTyN8k5Ww50ApeFQeopvVLI5twpWSWb6xJFrVBIlL3eCd133Au5w5Dgf7ZiKOkuHtFzs_/s1600/collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2nnJTXznv22MtyIVFQf8C2MEByPG0hNDx7d1o2P-55dKVBqUvy0EsZGEfErkW9wsKMJ_oaWcTyN8k5Ww50ApeFQeopvVLI5twpWSWb6xJFrVBIlL3eCd133Au5w5Dgf7ZiKOkuHtFzs_/s320/collage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
You can probably imagine the content of each stage. I can’t go into it because Ken probably wouldn’t like it, but I was very thankful for his book. If left to my own devices, I would definitely want to A) move too fast, B) not rest enough, and/or C) play things that were too demanding too soon. By following his book, I only allowed myself to play the exercises in each stage. Nothing more, nothing less.<br />
<br />
I started out with one session a day at first. It was only 10-15 minutes of playing, with lots of breaks in between every exercise. I always started with 10 reps of breathing on the incentive spirometer, then 1-2 minutes of buzzing. Then I’d play. Ken advocates buzzing frequently, so I’d go back and forth between playing and buzzing (and resting) for 15 minutes. By then my chops felt really tingly, and my time was up, so I’d pack up the horn until the next day. <br />
<br />
The incentive spirometer: due to my pregnancy, my breathing muscles were all messed up. My lungs/diaphragm/abdomen had been cramped and unused for brass playing for a long time. My lung capacity felt drastically diminished, so I used the incentive spirometer to measure my lung capacity and attempt to improve it. When I started, I was at 2.5 liters, and by day 10 I was getting to 3.25 liters. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwPtUbZkl0miuurQWShetRcLGnd5xWG4LJFk5aHAwHhy1tyw0HMxBh0XD2c6xjstTq_GeHs-h3VMOlQ5Lq__KrpBnCZtUMyI0KYwOmWUVIQcEa5CvWj4M5hMrZFvTOoLKdS4raBxNZyrq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-02-15+at+7.50.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="712" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwPtUbZkl0miuurQWShetRcLGnd5xWG4LJFk5aHAwHhy1tyw0HMxBh0XD2c6xjstTq_GeHs-h3VMOlQ5Lq__KrpBnCZtUMyI0KYwOmWUVIQcEa5CvWj4M5hMrZFvTOoLKdS4raBxNZyrq/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-02-15+at+7.50.34+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I got really detail oriented with my practice sessions so that I could stay focused and complete my tasks without any distraction. I timed my sessions with the timer on my phone, and stopped when my time was up. I turned the phone on to airplane mode so I wasn’t tempted to get distracted by social media or email. I kept a detailed journal and logged everything that I played. These were all great habits that I try to incorporate into my daily practice now.<br />
<br />
In my journal, I had a column for my PLAN for the day, then another column for my ACTION, or what I actually did, and a third column that tracked my daily minutes of practice as well as my max incentive spirometer volume. I wrote notes about my sessions underneath. Over time the PLAN became the same every day: Breathe, Buzz, Play. The ACTION column simply kept track of how many times I did each and for how long. Here is a shot of my journal from days 3, 4, and 5.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQb2AITSAdi70FdSAjbeERS8y_SuX7P0vDRORvf-oMQTdK6GxYnLJchE8GTi2S0Z1Oo_8QYJ3fzM7g2Qoqf9wcIJzH9ZgmBgoX5laR1wyCu2mnAw33EHN9qP5sYGXPSOsfhubjZoSs8zIN/s1600/Scannable+Document+on+Feb+15%252C+2019+at+7_49_36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQb2AITSAdi70FdSAjbeERS8y_SuX7P0vDRORvf-oMQTdK6GxYnLJchE8GTi2S0Z1Oo_8QYJ3fzM7g2Qoqf9wcIJzH9ZgmBgoX5laR1wyCu2mnAw33EHN9qP5sYGXPSOsfhubjZoSs8zIN/s320/Scannable+Document+on+Feb+15%252C+2019+at+7_49_36+PM.png" width="247" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
“What was it like to get back into playing after that long?”<br />
<br />
The greatest thing was: I sounded the same. Day 1, I played my horn and nothing had changed about my sound. What a relief! I suppose that part really was like riding a bike. <br />
<br />
Another great thing was that I hadn’t lost any technique. What I had lost was endurance and control. These took the full 40 days to get back, so I couldn’t access my technique until I was through the program, but it was there. Once I had regained my “fitness,” I could access the articulation, flexibility, and all other technical ability that I had previously had. *whew*<br />
<br />
The not so great, but expected, reality was that I had no endurance. My facial muscles were good for talking and eating, but definitely not good for playing an instrument. Completely gone. In the beginning, I also had no control. I could hold a long note pretty well, but couldn’t manipulate much past that. I remember, around day 4 or so, playing a simple slur exercise that Ken had in stage 1. I played it for my older son, and it was...not good. I was surprised and embarrassed...and worried. “Oh no! This is something I should be able to do!” But I learned soon that thoughts like these will come, and you have to let them go. It’s the great expectation that you have to leave at the door, and just trust the process. For 40 days, in my case. You can have the same standards that you have when you’re in shape, but you have to be OK with not meeting those standards. It takes a lot of patience. A lot.<br />
<br />
It’s almost like meditation. You’re supposed to allow thoughts to enter you mind, see them for what they are, and let them go. <br />
<br />
Allow the substandard sounds to happen, notate what they are, and let it go. Rinse and repeat, day after day, always aiming for the sound you have in your head.<br />
<br />
I hit a bump in the road during week two and came down with a bad cold. This cold, mixed with very inconsistent sleep, left me feeling pretty terrible, but I only had one day where I really was unable to play (day 10). After that, the short practice sessions were manageable.<br />
<br />
At the end of 3 weeks, I was feeling somewhat normal... sometimes. I had regained control of slow slurs, and I played my first “high B-flat.” However, I was still having difficulty playing a steady tone in the second partial (low B-flat), and hitting fatigue after 25-35 minutes of playing. To be honest, I had thought that I would be completely back to normal after three weeks of playing, but I wasn’t. It was important that I didn’t judge myself for this reality. Any guilt or doubt would only hinder the process. So, just like in meditation, I noticed that I wasn’t fully back to normal, and I let it go. I got back to work, following the plan. I had to trust the process. <br />
<br />
This is how many minutes I spent on the horn per day for the first 3 weeks:<br />
<br />
Week 1: 15, 15, 30, 30, 55, 40, 45<br />
Week 2: 0, 55, 0, 55, 60, 65, 70<br />
Week 3: 100, 50, 70, 80, 0, 75, 95<br />
<br />
The fact that I had an 8-week-old baby to care for ultimately helped the process, I think. While I always felt like it was a struggle to find time to play (this baby liked to sleep ON me for his naps), the baby’s frequent sleep schedule actually worked quite well for my short practice spurts. I had to play in a practice mute the majority of the time, which wasn’t ideal, but it worked out. I tried to play on the open horn once a day to make sure I was maintaining a resonant sound. <br />
<br />
If I hadn’t had a baby at home, my comeback would have looked different. Specifically, I think I would have tried to play more each day from the beginning, which probably wouldn’t have been a good idea. I liked the pacing of my plan. I liked it while I was playing it and I like it now, as I look back on it. So I suppose I owe the baby a “thank you” for helping me manage a healthy comeback! :):):)<br />
<br />
Join me in Part 3 for the last 2 weeks of my comeback and my “re-entry” into real life playing!<br />
<br />
And then in Part 4, I will summarize the lessons I learned in the process:)Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-49754645564165334972018-07-06T09:14:00.001-07:002018-07-06T09:14:29.873-07:0010 Lessons I Learned While Hiking<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">10 Lessons I Learned While Hiking</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">By Matt Vangjel</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Recently, my wife, Jena, and I were hiking the Face Trail up to Table Mountain just outside </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Grand </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Teton National Park. This trail had been recommended to us by my fellow Mirari </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">trumpet player, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Alex Noppe. He told us it would be a challenging hike, but that the view </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">made it worth it. When </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Jena and I realized how cloudy it would be by the time we got to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">the top of the mountain, she </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">made a joke about how it parallelled the career of a musician. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">So, thanks to her, on the way </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">down </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">my brain started applying many of our experiences on </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">the hike to being a musician, student, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">teacher, and human. In no particular order, here are </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">some of my thoughts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDwoWuHtwMlqDbF_rG1g93qotrg3eHSPF3IY8ss_of4D5HZHWUQxCMJqHBt8IWteMv3XVwAK_HDIHcEGjQ5byuuq7oHetvQ3bLEv_1TQt4pbTt9FniQWsCcdvcc1XHSzbu1sY7ZfR9Jrr/s1600/IMG_3158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDwoWuHtwMlqDbF_rG1g93qotrg3eHSPF3IY8ss_of4D5HZHWUQxCMJqHBt8IWteMv3XVwAK_HDIHcEGjQ5byuuq7oHetvQ3bLEv_1TQt4pbTt9FniQWsCcdvcc1XHSzbu1sY7ZfR9Jrr/s400/IMG_3158.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">1. You can never be too prepared.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This one seems pretty obvious and easy to apply to ourselves as musicians. The thing I </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">want to </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">stress here is, are you even close to being what some consider “too prepared?” Sometimes we </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">think we are prepared but it turns out there are some very obvious things that we’re missing </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">(like an extra pair of socks). So, what are you missing in your preparation? Are you satisfied </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">with being prepared “enough”? What if you’re wrong about what “enough” is?</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">2. Belief in yourself is more powerful than you know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many of the reviews of the hike I read in preparation, especially the ones posted in May and June, mentioned that the hikers had had to turn around because they lost the trail in the snow. For some reason, though, Jena and I had no doubts. Alex had said </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">we’d be fine, we both had hiking boots and are relatively fit people; “we’ve got this,” we thought. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvJuLHT6VclfskLdJRBDYWZdMmmgo_7RXiOwFi5UTpZBPow4HBnEinGfWi69QveHBl5qZlh88xXJsV913wKnsai1U3ghqVyJg-0cczmwL7lHPTQXNeRGlT4pA5FTanF45kecP6s1EJUkd/s1600/IMG_3144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvJuLHT6VclfskLdJRBDYWZdMmmgo_7RXiOwFi5UTpZBPow4HBnEinGfWi69QveHBl5qZlh88xXJsV913wKnsai1U3ghqVyJg-0cczmwL7lHPTQXNeRGlT4pA5FTanF45kecP6s1EJUkd/s320/IMG_3144.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is possible that if we had known just how hard that hike was going to be, we would’ve said</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">, “you know, maybe not today.” We even had a point where we thought about turning </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">around, but we agreed that neither one of us would be the one to say uncle. We did </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">successfully </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">complete the hike, which means we could do it. But how many times do </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">we just *know* that </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">we can’t do something and so we don’t even try? Sometimes all we </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">have is believing. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Sometimes that’s all you need.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">3. Use the tools at your disposal.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">We talked to someone who had successfully completed the hike and who gave us the </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">confidence to take on the challenge. But the most important tool we had was our </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">phones. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">We had the trail on our map app and a blue dot (thank you, GPS) that kept us </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">heading in the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">right direction and helped us not to stray too far from the trail.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Again, this is an obvious parallel. Your phone is a recorder, metronome, tuner, tone </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">generator, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and more! All of those applications help keep you on track. How many times </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">a week do you </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">ignore the metronome and just tap your foot? How many times do you </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">get a pretty good sound </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and assume that you’re in tune? What if the consequences were </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">as dire as losing your way on a </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">strenuous and dangerous hike? Maybe they are.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">4. Expect snow. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLWJfW6y1BnzLCmWmEZQwGtlxTc7uopJxKvsa59MXATm0jgy5epFUQ36XLAZVC1wksxwu0sVtrQFm3XdOlcjF85ZJaDtK6P7toXSTyhGYXCSEMweqVlUBzfvYPg7gN82YXc9ThI-OGHA8/s1600/IMG_3117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLWJfW6y1BnzLCmWmEZQwGtlxTc7uopJxKvsa59MXATm0jgy5epFUQ36XLAZVC1wksxwu0sVtrQFm3XdOlcjF85ZJaDtK6P7toXSTyhGYXCSEMweqVlUBzfvYPg7gN82YXc9ThI-OGHA8/s320/IMG_3117.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Something you should know about reviews on </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">hiking websites and apps is that </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">some of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">t</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">hese </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">people might as well be professionals. “A bit of </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">snow” to one person is </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">like a blizzard </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">to another </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Minnesota vs. Louisiana). We assumed there </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">would be maybe </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">ankle-high snow. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were very </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">wrong. We could see snow at the top of the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">mountains, so why did we think </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">there would be so </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">little? </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What warnings are you receiving and </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">possibly ignoring? I am aware that I just </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">recently </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">said our blind faith and belief in ourselves was what propelled us forward </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">and helped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">us to be successful. But if we had heeded the warnings, we definitely </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">could have been </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">more prepared (see: Lesson 1).</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">5. Let music inspire you.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">About half a mile from the top, I was sure that I was dying. I had to stop about every ten </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">steps and rest for at least a minute. Every time I rested, up to my knees in snow, I </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">was </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">reminded that I had standing water in my shoes, up to my ankles. Needless to say, for </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">someone who lives at sea level in a very warm climate, 10,000 ft. and 40 degrees was </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">not exactly </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">comfortable. It was at one of these moments where I was gasping for air and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">trying to tell myself </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">I could make it that I turned to Jena and said, “I might need some </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">of that inspirational music now.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/e9mN-XsJNKbGQ-zcD77g9WzsH1kxu3yHJru_tAs2aIdVEc8K4fOUANn2qhYtx1HyXiHDMuFZZjEWjg1WqM0Ffq3TRfx2P3R-RTP9d90HVna7AlIrbJVQUqA7U_BiK6DdIfqqjky_" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/e9mN-XsJNKbGQ-zcD77g9WzsH1kxu3yHJru_tAs2aIdVEc8K4fOUANn2qhYtx1HyXiHDMuFZZjEWjg1WqM0Ffq3TRfx2P3R-RTP9d90HVna7AlIrbJVQUqA7U_BiK6DdIfqqjky_" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Jena has a playlist she uses before races and auditions that helps her feel powerful and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">confident (think </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Summon the Heroes </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Fanfare for the Common Man</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">). Besides beautifully </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> fitting the scenery around us, it helped us push on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"> Sometimes when we’re in the practicing trenches, it’s hard to remember why we do </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"> what we do.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"> Stay inspired every day by listening to great music. It doesn’t always have to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"> be John Williams </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and Aaron Copland, but they do have great trumpet parts.</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">6. You will fall (fail). Fall well.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">At one point on the hike, I slipped on an icy log and fell into the snow. I was inches away </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">from having my leg stuck under this large log and probably broken. I was very lucky, but I </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">did </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">not fall well. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Later, when we were hiking down the mountain, Jena fell. Well, it didn’t look like a fall, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">it was </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">more like, she started to fall and then sat down. She fell well. We do the same thing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">when we’re </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">performing. It may seem like a defeatist mentality, to practice failing, but think </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">of it as practicing </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">recovering. The other part of failing well is not flailing about and getting </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">yourself into an even </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">worse </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">situation. Sometimes the best thing to do is to accept the fall </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">gracefully and artistically </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">recover. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">You’ve heard people do it before, make it part of your </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">preparation as well. </span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">7. The view at the top isn’t always clear.</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It took us five hours of grueling hiking to get to the top of Table Mountain. Once at the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">top, </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">you are so close to Grand Teton that you feel like you could throw a rock and hit it. By all </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">accounts, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">the hike is worth it for the view at the top. Except, when we got there, the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">clouds had </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">rolled in and </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">we couldn’t see the peaks of the three tallest mountains or anything </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">behind them. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">All that work </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and no payoff! We laughed about it and hung around long enough </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">to eat some food </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and wring out </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">our soaking socks, but the clouds only got thicker and the view </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">was more obstructed. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">So, was it worth it?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kyx_QvgtLncpY1L2vWTTgUVbBjNPFNyH0Z7Eycs74MzivO5QlQViQzYMe62ZKNCE4-3WSmJkh935XydHAVw2YlYORVyZPGbCr9ok8WW36kCrzxy9Ekz1GQogjFUWdWHP8cgZoDnw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kyx_QvgtLncpY1L2vWTTgUVbBjNPFNyH0Z7Eycs74MzivO5QlQViQzYMe62ZKNCE4-3WSmJkh935XydHAVw2YlYORVyZPGbCr9ok8WW36kCrzxy9Ekz1GQogjFUWdWHP8cgZoDnw" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="257" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Setting goals is hugely important. Sometimes our goals are visible and tangible, and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">sometimes they’re not. Either way, we have an expectation of how we will feel, what we will </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">sound like, what people will say when we achieve certain long-term goals. This is dangerous </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">because sometimes it’s cloudy at the top. Sometimes it’s not the postcard picture you thought </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">it would be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">Your biggest success may not be as “big” as someone else’s. Does that matter? Does </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">diminish what you’ve done to get there? Of course not. You’ve heard it said a bunch of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">different ways but in this case it’s definitely about the journey. It’s being able to look back </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">and say, “it wasn’t always fun or easy, but I did it.” </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">8. The way down is hard work.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">So what happens when you get to the top? You can’t stay there. You’ve got to come </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">back </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">down. You can either jump off the mountain and plunge to your death or you can hike down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">It’s true that the hike down goes a little faster and it is less strenuous in some ways. But it’s </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">not </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">easy by any stretch. It takes work to get down safely. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">We have to work really hard to achieve anything—it’s like a constant uphill climb </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">(maybe there are a few plateaus but they are small, relatively speaking). Once you achieve </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">your goal there is no coasting, there is no quitting practicing because you’ve made it. You </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">still have to work just to maintain some level of movement and to not tumble down the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">mountain too fast. You don’t want to lose all you’ve worked for so quickly. You could go </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">ahead and not do the work—just don’t be surprised at how quickly you end up back at the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">bottom (with a lot of bumps and bruises too). </span><br />
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/L89PfV2nwXP2Wqj6SCRTMKYVnE2sjNKQG02vJmZt0D8ZDmOgQktxtV2AQoNQTDE64aY5CSm58VRwdT8l-t0rh6QF09qtOv4VC0lEMGppf-L2-x1H0y85WrKpxW-WJbFwimt0x4jI" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/L89PfV2nwXP2Wqj6SCRTMKYVnE2sjNKQG02vJmZt0D8ZDmOgQktxtV2AQoNQTDE64aY5CSm58VRwdT8l-t0rh6QF09qtOv4VC0lEMGppf-L2-x1H0y85WrKpxW-WJbFwimt0x4jI" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="225" /></a><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">9. Get your head up and look around.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were moments where I felt like all I could do was </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">keep my head down and will myself </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">to take another step. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We get like this in our practice and in our journeys to </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">progress. We get so </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">focused on the step right in front of </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">us that we forget to observe the beauty around us on our </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">way to that goal. </span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you are learning a piece, changing the way you play, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">just starting an instrument, it </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">doesn’t </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">matter. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QwY8xnwgqG7CPhjxwn1A-RHJnFEkGYprw3WSkWCWol_GNMRIquLo1eNLp1gobDx8PrIjf9AgI0u5RV9gixAs_yYwczJKMOFxOJ8ieXZOd6aMyI1oBSCzUF1FEOGeQt-1jYrYuH6y" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QwY8xnwgqG7CPhjxwn1A-RHJnFEkGYprw3WSkWCWol_GNMRIquLo1eNLp1gobDx8PrIjf9AgI0u5RV9gixAs_yYwczJKMOFxOJ8ieXZOd6aMyI1oBSCzUF1FEOGeQt-1jYrYuH6y" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="301" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b30a9de-705e-4a2c-8f2c-3772b21f4e74"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pay attention to those beautiful things that happen every day in every practice session. It may be one note that makes your ears perk up, and that’s enough. Appreciate it and store that away in your memory. It’ll help you take that next difficult step and help your potential become your reality.</span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">10. Sometimes you’ll leap, sometimes you’ll crawl, and sometimes you’ll stand still. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Know when to do which.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">This is the hardest thing to do when you are in unfamiliar territory. As musicians we are </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">always striving to get better and pushing to be the best we can be, so standing still and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">crawling seem pretty depressing to us. However, it’s crucial that you do them from time to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">time. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Standing still lets us get our head up, get away from the grind, and appreciate the beauty </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">around </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">us (or check the GPS to make sure we’re still on the right track). Crawling is, at times, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">the only </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">way to continue to move forward because if you jump at the wrong time, you end up </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">stuck in the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">snow, under a tree, with your leg (almost) broken.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">The more you go through uncertain terrain, the more you are able to recognize which </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">rocks </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">are </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">stable enough to put your weight on or where the snow is most shallow. You’ll still be </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">surprised </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">from time to time (fall well and recover) but you will have a better idea of when </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">to jump, crawl, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">or wait and that prevents you from wasting precious time and energy.</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">11. Bonus Lesson!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">Don’t just sit in a practice room and surf the internet and think it’s going to make you an </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre;">interesting musician. Go do things that challenge and inspire you. You will be amazed at </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">the </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">lessons you learn and how they apply to every aspect of your life. We are storytellers! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre;">You can’t tell great stories if you don’t have any. </span><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><img height="344" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M_JyNXEyNy3gP9OCyIQOGsvpXj5X1afIZKUE-EHYZGvaFjRGfFMrO_0H8tyipzdR44jHgLKC6snTB6YmO-CWC1Q2D1JS38Utp6U7uZbc7Rw1uL76MBTPNTV10moOz5kd_IEEnTfI" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="459" /></span></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-90308793087859771412018-01-18T19:04:00.003-08:002018-01-18T19:07:30.315-08:00Auditioning for Music Schools: Tips from the Other Side of the RoomIt’s early January, so for me, that means another season of listening to college auditions. Few things provoke more anxiety in young musicians than the prospect of only having fifteen minutes to (supposedly) secure your future. So from the perspective of someone who’s listened to a lot of auditions over the past decade, here are a few suggestions to help in your preparations:<br />
<br />
1. <u>First Impressions Matter</u>. I’m going to give away a secret here. The vast majority of the time, I can make pretty accurate evaluations about a student’s musical abilities within the first ten seconds of hearing them play. Those ten seconds tell me if you have a good sound, musicality, if you can play in time and in tune, and what your major strengths and weaknesses are. The rest of the audition serves to either confirm or contradict those initial impressions, but the truth is that most of the time, my initial observations prove accurate. <br />
<br />
Here’s the good news: You can practice for this! How many times have you started the first ten seconds of each of your pieces? It’s very easy—you could do it twenty times a day in the practice room and in front of teachers/colleagues/random people. Practice these initial impressions until they become so automatic that you can start your pieces in your sleep. <br />
<br />
If you want to know how your initial impressions come across to others, record yourself. Listen back immediately and ask the following questions:<br />
<ul>
<li>How does it sound? Is my tone full, clear, and resonant? Listen to your most favorite players and ask “how is their sound different from mine?” </li>
<li>Is it musical? Would someone (not your parents!) pay money to hear you play this? Someone that doesn’t know your instrument or the piece? Again, listen to your favorite players and ask “what are they doing differently from me?” </li>
<li>Is it in tune? Put on a tuner or drone pitch and check for reference. </li>
<li>Is it in time? Put on a metronome and see where you rush or drag. </li>
</ul>
2. <u>Sound and Musicianship Are Your Primary Goals</u>. Remember that you’re auditioning to study music—that automatically implies that you have a lot of growth and development ahead of you. I’m not looking for fully-formed prodigies in my studio. If you’re that good coming out of high school, you should be auditioning for jobs, not college! So I’m listening for potential as much as polish. <br />
<br />
Two of the things that often take the longest to develop in young musicians are also the two things which will define you as a player throughout your career: sound and musicianship. These are way, way more important than being able to play the highest, the fastest, or the loudest. Make sure in your audition preparations that you are focusing on always playing with a great sound and always playing with compelling musicality. <br />
<br />
The best way to gain musicianship is to listen to great musicians. Do you have a favorite player? Have you listened to her or him play many times over? Can you hear their sound in your head? If not, you’re not listening enough. Remember to listen to players on other instruments than your own. This can be a part of your practicing—listen for a few minutes in between playing passages. It gives you a chop break and helps to reinforce great concepts of sound or musicianship. <br />
<br />
Finally, one of the best ways to work on these concepts is by playing fundamentals. Fundamental practice should probably be at least 50% of your practice time, right up to the day of your audition. If you need help on developing a great fundamental routine and figuring out how to practice i, ask your teacher. Or contact me—I’m always happy to give suggestions!<br />
<br />
3. <u>Select Repertoire That Makes You Sound Your Best.</u> Really hard music played in a mediocre fashion is not nearly as impressive as anything else played well. Don’t try and game the audition process by picking music that you are “supposed to play” or that the panel “wants to hear”. Pick music that highlights your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses (of course, you are constantly working to shore up weak areas in your practice, but you don’t have to spotlight them in an audition). Make sure that you are always asking yourself “does this make me sound my best?” <br />
<br />
Here’s an example of something I hear a lot. The Hindemith Trumpet Sonata looks easy on the surface—it’s not fast, the notes aren’t difficult, and there aren’t that many of them. But that piece requires tremendous endurance, breath control, and musicianship, traits which many young musicians haven’t yet developed. Virtually every year, someone chooses this piece to play in an audition for me. Most of the time, they don’t have the chops to make it through. Pick your repertoire carefully! <br />
<br />
4. Finally, <u>Ace The Intangibles.</u> Going back to this idea that college teachers are looking for potential over polish, do everything that you can to show in your audition that you are the kind of student that will make their studio better. Here is a partial list of qualities that I love to see in my incoming students. The best students are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Curious</li>
<li>Determined</li>
<li>Hungry</li>
<li>Team players</li>
<li>Confident without being cocky</li>
<li>Thoughtful</li>
<li>Kind towards others</li>
<li>Interesting</li>
<li>Organized</li>
<li>On time</li>
<li>Enthusiastic</li>
</ul>
Without going overboard (or putting on a false persona), how many of these qualities can you show during an audition? There will undoubtedly be time to talk with the panel—this is your chance to show that you are the kind of student that they definitely don’t want to pass on. One further thing with this: you will certainly have an opportunity to ask questions about the program during your audition. Just like in a job interview, have a couple questions in mind to ask. Make them well thought-out, intellectual questions that you can’t find the answers to just by going on the university’s website!<br />
<br />
<br />
Hopefully this is just a bit of useful insight into the other side of the university audition process. It’s not as scary as it might initially seem, and do remember that you are evaluating the school as well. So test out these tips in your preparations, try to enjoy the process a little bit, and as always, <i>remember to breathe!</i><br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alex Noppe </div>
<div>
Trumpet Professor, University of Wisconsin</div>
<div>
miraribrass@gmail.com</div>
</div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-83130329405007406602016-10-02T08:47:00.000-07:002016-10-02T08:47:50.131-07:00What Speaks to You?<b>What Speaks to You?</b><br />
<br />
It’s the beginning of the school year, and I was going to talk about setting goals or organizing<br />
your schedule, but some crazy things have happened in Baton Rouge this summer. You have<br />
probably heard or read about the shooting deaths of both Alton Sterling and law enforcement<br />
officers and the historic flooding that wiped out over one hundred thousand homes.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, I was not involved or even near any of the shootings and my house escaped any<br />
damage from the floods. But I know people, and know people who know people, who have been<br />
affected by these events. Having lent a hand to a couple of households damaged by the floods<br />
and volunteering at church, I can tell you some really amazing stories about the people of<br />
Louisiana. I was floored by how many people came from surrounding areas, and New Orleans<br />
especially, because they knew people needed help. My eyes get watery just typing this. It’s<br />
beautiful to hear people say “y’all had our back during Katrina and now we’ve got yours.” There<br />
is nothing like a natural disaster to bring out the hero in all of us.<br />
<br />
No matter how hard a day I might have had, perhaps even in spite of it, when I see people being<br />
selfless and coming together it helps remind me that there is so much beauty in the world. That<br />
is what speaks to me. That is what moves me. That is why I am drawn to music. All kinds of<br />
music. In order for music to even happen, people have to come together, support each other,<br />
and work toward a common goal. It’s one of the reasons we grow such strong bonds with other<br />
musicians.<br />
<br />
My students and friends can probably tell you that I think there are two things that can save the<br />
world: better education and music (or visual art, literature, film). It is so amazing to me to be an<br />
educator and watch kids from every race, nationality, and economic background get together<br />
and make music. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor or what color you are once you have an<br />
instrument and a common goal. You want people to enjoy what you’re doing, to be entertained<br />
and, most importantly, to feel human. Everything else goes away.<br />
<br />
I know plenty of people who are not moved by music and that is okay. It usually makes me want<br />
to play my favorite recordings for them and see if I can get them to feel what I feel, but it’s okay<br />
if they don’t. They will usually say, “but I really love cooking/reading/film/art.” Great! If you don’t<br />
know or feel like you don’t have anything, find it. It is what keeps us going and helps us to<br />
bounce back from failures or the horrible and depressing things that happen around us. It’s what<br />
helps us see the light and the beauty in the world around us and to not give up hope. So, before<br />
you get swallowed whole by your undoubtedly busy schedule, find the pieces, memories,<br />
movies, or meals that speak to you and enjoy them. Revel in them until you feel recharged and<br />
ready to tackle tomorrow. Your sanity and your humanity depend on it!<br />
<br />
<b>What Speaks to Mirari</b><br />
<br />
Part of what makes Mirari what we are is that we are human and we laugh and cry together and<br />
care about each other. Being in a group where the members are spread across the country is<br />
hard work and it takes so much advance planning and individual sacrifice. We can sometimes<br />
get bogged down in administrative or financial tedium and by the sheer act of attempting to unify<br />
five individual opinions and ideas. Then we play together and everyone remembers why we do<br />
this. Making music is what allows the individuals in the group to come together and share<br />
something truly special. I think I am safe in saying that making music together with people you<br />
care about, for people you care about, is what speaks to Mirari.<br />
<br />
Beyond playing together, we share our passions and ideas with each other. For some of us it’s<br />
running or yoga and for others it’s musicals and singing at the top of our lungs in the car. Each<br />
tour we are all very excited to share new music that we have stumbled across, and our group’s<br />
travel playlist changes ever so slightly each time we’re in the van together. I’d like to make you<br />
part of it and show you the video below. Some will say it’s cheesy, and perhaps that’s true, but<br />
right now this is something that speaks to me and I guarantee you I will make everyone listen to<br />
it on our next tour. Good singing, great production, an interesting arrangement, and, most<br />
importantly for me, a beautiful message.<br />
<br />
Maybe this will speak to you too? If not, good luck on your search!<br />
<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXreNYWtjPQMirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-24395375882248201412016-09-04T10:25:00.002-07:002016-09-04T10:28:07.813-07:0010 Tips for Success [in your First Year] in Music SchoolWhether it's your first year or your fifth year, these tips from trumpeter Alex Noppe will set you up for a great year of exploration, learning, and growth!<br />
<br />
<b>1. Go to class and do your homework </b><br />
Most students that fail classes do so because they don’t show up and they don’t turn in assignments. Too many of those end up paying for 5th and 6th years of college! Don’t let one missed class or assignment spiral into many more.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Use your professors for help </b><br />
That’s why they’re here – they like teaching and helping students!<br />
Never be afraid to ask questions, whether it’s about class material or anything else.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Use your fellow students for help</b><br />
As much time as you spend around the faculty, you’ll spend way more around your peers. Learn from them. Ask questions. Practice with them. Most older student love to help out freshmen with advice and ideas.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Practice. </b><br />
A lot. Every day! This is your job right now – to become great at your craft. Nothing else is nearly as important. You don’t get to take weekends and holiday breaks off from practicing any more. The best thing you can do is actually put your practice times in your calendar, and plan on multiple shorter sessions throughout the day. Mental fatigue leads to poor practice and very few people can remain mentally focused on one thing for hours at a time.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Use the little breaks in your schedule</b><br />
Most music majors have tons of shorter classes and rehearsals, often with 20-40 minute breaks between them. You’d be amazed at how much you can accomplish in those short breaks, whether it’s a hyper-focused practice session, theory homework, or meals.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Be a good person to everyone around you </b><br />
This one is really important. Music school isn’t a competition – it’s collaborative and we all can get better together. Your reputation building begins right now, and many of the connections that you make while in college will be critical to your professional life down the road. Don’t gossip. Don’t cut people down. Assume that anything you say about somebody else will probably get back to them. Both positivity and negativity are extremely contagious, but positive people have happier lives!<br />
<br />
<b>7. Try out new things </b><br />
One of the best things about college is the incredible variety of opportunities and experiences that you will encounter. This is the best time to explore new fields, take new classes, learn new skills, and do things that will challenge you. I can guarantee that you will leave college a different person than when you started, and you never know what unexpected opportunity might set up you on the path towards the rest of your life.<br />
<br />
<b>8. Be smart about money management </b><br />
Remember that you have the rest of your life to work a job. This might be your only chance to be a college student. Save money on the things that don’t matter so much (fancy coffee, expensive cars, the newest cell phone) so that you have it for the stuff that does (extra lessons, a study abroad trip, high quality instruments). Small amounts of student loans are probably worth it if it means that you don’t have to spend your precious practicing/homework time working a minimum wage job.<br />
<br />
<b>9. Be healthy</b><br />
Go outside. Drink more water and fewer energy drinks. Exercise. Don’t eat Taco Bell for every meal. Try to find some time to take care of yourself.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Remember that your worth as a person is not measured by your music </b><br />
In music school, you’ll experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, sometimes within the same 5 minutes! You’ll have successes and failures, but you don’t have to define yourself by either. Every audition or performance is only representative of just your music making at one specific<br />
snapshot in time, not a value judgment of you personally.<br />
<br />
As music majors, you get a tremendous opportunity to spend a few years (or your entire life) doing<br />
something that is deeply meaningful to you and those around you, and making our society a better place to live in. Enjoy it – it’s going to be an exciting ride and tons of fun. Have a GREAT year!!Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-39996792821760033342015-08-14T10:24:00.005-07:002015-08-14T10:24:57.197-07:00Inspiration<div style="text-align: center;">
Every now and then I need a little boost or inspiration to help get me back on track. I thought I'd share some of my favorites:)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrdfl_0B9ytPDWgrdLdTPJn8mlZ-dt-vxcb07C_zdFAHpCdZ3o-iVDYnPbbtmvqyDkkocS5E1jAzOA40MSQo-_gnhV3T6iZDgtMnAsPDAEDZTdUElNpaEt-TWR6SqWYS7edRa1JzrlS3I/s1600/11854066_10153758737181542_83511918_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrdfl_0B9ytPDWgrdLdTPJn8mlZ-dt-vxcb07C_zdFAHpCdZ3o-iVDYnPbbtmvqyDkkocS5E1jAzOA40MSQo-_gnhV3T6iZDgtMnAsPDAEDZTdUElNpaEt-TWR6SqWYS7edRa1JzrlS3I/s320/11854066_10153758737181542_83511918_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always a good reminder:)<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8r8afIk8DbKFqATvJMBvOGB-Jj0WlAQ1FPbqxStxPBhAAc_P7Gz-7lIHvHHCOBvDAljYhMiA44cTMnG8Hl-r8EcRO530jhWF2j-KXZYNXAIvS5IF90kBzIx_otvof6rQZ2ZORUDnocVU/s1600/11855537_10153758737141542_1333693659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8r8afIk8DbKFqATvJMBvOGB-Jj0WlAQ1FPbqxStxPBhAAc_P7Gz-7lIHvHHCOBvDAljYhMiA44cTMnG8Hl-r8EcRO530jhWF2j-KXZYNXAIvS5IF90kBzIx_otvof6rQZ2ZORUDnocVU/s320/11855537_10153758737141542_1333693659_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmcyPwI2HBqdDKNFCpLymR0TxZKaXHHx6Jep3Ta0pUk41X8SdEsBLnLzevqZv7GTfcbaS92LeVyN2B3Pb6LHBh2sbYlnA7n5Gb7AdDspdAwOm6C89mAB1OPMija7io-DsHMNhG7Y-65he/s1600/11857523_10153758737186542_1589258963_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmcyPwI2HBqdDKNFCpLymR0TxZKaXHHx6Jep3Ta0pUk41X8SdEsBLnLzevqZv7GTfcbaS92LeVyN2B3Pb6LHBh2sbYlnA7n5Gb7AdDspdAwOm6C89mAB1OPMija7io-DsHMNhG7Y-65he/s320/11857523_10153758737186542_1589258963_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great way to start a Monday! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb20aQQxlWVmFiaj2AWc7z92R0PzrsD0ZP2F8W4JODKO-yHKBy1EcKiQf-mm0jwsnH_tWxXCElN11smO-MllxKSk2-xKTLb5F0Av2f3NKj-2i-nP5t4C3I6RY9y01dW6_CZml0qipyN6Y/s1600/11872587_10153758737051542_2144816994_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieb20aQQxlWVmFiaj2AWc7z92R0PzrsD0ZP2F8W4JODKO-yHKBy1EcKiQf-mm0jwsnH_tWxXCElN11smO-MllxKSk2-xKTLb5F0Av2f3NKj-2i-nP5t4C3I6RY9y01dW6_CZml0qipyN6Y/s320/11872587_10153758737051542_2144816994_n.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorites...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxcF7I3kzmrCtypTNfKmftSlY_IhU8jDOF7tFf2mlLo5ulriUoHTozgj3f82DAVUDAgSnm-v_so3IeDnIzWc_ii6PKtxpDU3zAcuIsBNgjDkkkWLj8v7EzvQ-siyEzk7DB57oDEQQ3o-U/s1600/11857684_10153758737216542_970406081_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxcF7I3kzmrCtypTNfKmftSlY_IhU8jDOF7tFf2mlLo5ulriUoHTozgj3f82DAVUDAgSnm-v_so3IeDnIzWc_ii6PKtxpDU3zAcuIsBNgjDkkkWLj8v7EzvQ-siyEzk7DB57oDEQQ3o-U/s320/11857684_10153758737216542_970406081_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A decision worth making!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCQeaPszHRDK4a6GF2XmvxGb2s-ZBYQhWgiHL81Nu22k0gQ5yTxyq1Mvz1vEKmAcLLZMt596I2GKDnpUFzuRUvKlOkpCnIBR4C3MFaN-eO9FKtIIx_u8tgptIgTelVuXMhUcqxg4gUT7U/s1600/11857731_10153758737066542_1955719809_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCQeaPszHRDK4a6GF2XmvxGb2s-ZBYQhWgiHL81Nu22k0gQ5yTxyq1Mvz1vEKmAcLLZMt596I2GKDnpUFzuRUvKlOkpCnIBR4C3MFaN-eO9FKtIIx_u8tgptIgTelVuXMhUcqxg4gUT7U/s320/11857731_10153758737066542_1955719809_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New way to look at bravery:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjmkmfPJ0NtxzQayi4GbjceKMZjxiZ6jdKW8_SYZAbe9ZMlVH6GNOP1xzHY1Z0dU8FzL8RJLjRqH68eLUNKcHZJQG1UG11WDrB6-StL8fc7cxQad3qJQ5DgGQKAt0yqweDa-Ccj1MgfCd/s1600/11872613_10153758737136542_1102891860_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjmkmfPJ0NtxzQayi4GbjceKMZjxiZ6jdKW8_SYZAbe9ZMlVH6GNOP1xzHY1Z0dU8FzL8RJLjRqH68eLUNKcHZJQG1UG11WDrB6-StL8fc7cxQad3qJQ5DgGQKAt0yqweDa-Ccj1MgfCd/s320/11872613_10153758737136542_1102891860_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something to be mindful of....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTOtNMMSAxpKiR3FqUeljWOVYwJj8sdR5vFNEcxNZsuQ_JSzcbyklxvh6rN5-HNZxCbeqP9IiWGz8VT0WOa7EjqZElObnZnUO3zNveNn5y1kYd9EUqNC47U_J-Y7R41STfTxa69phBkJt/s1600/11872920_10153758737156542_1147526667_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTOtNMMSAxpKiR3FqUeljWOVYwJj8sdR5vFNEcxNZsuQ_JSzcbyklxvh6rN5-HNZxCbeqP9IiWGz8VT0WOa7EjqZElObnZnUO3zNveNn5y1kYd9EUqNC47U_J-Y7R41STfTxa69phBkJt/s320/11872920_10153758737156542_1147526667_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping Bear Dunes Bay off of Lake Michigan:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg560s-4UwiL1AVRtVlM2aPyCD7yWMNalgj0rJ7VVO-FyW5atuGTJ-p2juLTQRr6MIr4f8IPsXy_GJz2j9Qv7AE23Ig6fxk0ipoT-bVOy7-TUCp8n2accJfvKYrp7cGAsrilNs9peEf6dBi/s1600/11873957_10153758737131542_2099068623_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg560s-4UwiL1AVRtVlM2aPyCD7yWMNalgj0rJ7VVO-FyW5atuGTJ-p2juLTQRr6MIr4f8IPsXy_GJz2j9Qv7AE23Ig6fxk0ipoT-bVOy7-TUCp8n2accJfvKYrp7cGAsrilNs9peEf6dBi/s320/11873957_10153758737131542_2099068623_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This needs no explanation:) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia86fBGc0TWksJAmz8qYu7z5fl48OuI1D4IlWHcZHjLHbTrmOlLpW271TbVZofMV3vQgh68BjrUAHas2byBxzOst1n1zaBtMBM6H8neFD4cUVwIyEeEqur-SCUE75_eKJM_gZTd0zM9iQ5/s1600/11874010_10153758737196542_1158773575_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia86fBGc0TWksJAmz8qYu7z5fl48OuI1D4IlWHcZHjLHbTrmOlLpW271TbVZofMV3vQgh68BjrUAHas2byBxzOst1n1zaBtMBM6H8neFD4cUVwIyEeEqur-SCUE75_eKJM_gZTd0zM9iQ5/s320/11874010_10153758737196542_1158773575_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great quote to remind me what my job is when I'm performing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6FPXSnGt8vhYN3Yx9uPkCD6whHvni_h-qANuqqyRmL0AjEgYKwn4HDiZQdYEk2Pdt3QzfK9maHfVGGIJ5_Hx-OILGiZo3O34inBLIYmB9xxIzpoXPmMT3Hs82u21vd1ia6IYo4NXZDMF/s1600/11897056_10153758737236542_152722521_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6FPXSnGt8vhYN3Yx9uPkCD6whHvni_h-qANuqqyRmL0AjEgYKwn4HDiZQdYEk2Pdt3QzfK9maHfVGGIJ5_Hx-OILGiZo3O34inBLIYmB9xxIzpoXPmMT3Hs82u21vd1ia6IYo4NXZDMF/s320/11897056_10153758737236542_152722521_n.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great perspective:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRRHCHkH6PqUeU1NVEa-hAw4DMYlKqQx3TYL4YC4FX57aRZ1c7S4PjX8HFFV6qefMj5f-eDJA3jmt_gSydMYAqQ5_20vn_wobgFjQOyIAZYdLZ_Re94_R0lcr_Yg7CDPQhzGtn9icN78r/s1600/11897214_10153758737061542_1973171863_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRRHCHkH6PqUeU1NVEa-hAw4DMYlKqQx3TYL4YC4FX57aRZ1c7S4PjX8HFFV6qefMj5f-eDJA3jmt_gSydMYAqQ5_20vn_wobgFjQOyIAZYdLZ_Re94_R0lcr_Yg7CDPQhzGtn9icN78r/s320/11897214_10153758737061542_1973171863_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've always loved this quote.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>And finally....</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwRIcyJaE58LTZHwY0D0LjaDWXse29tnxTS72Y9NiBOrW8J9idOkc64nNNcnbx1yWePlk3-qGeKd_ZJduXUD920iO9-eWRZjC4ao5T5F-kqu_ztaJvDoLAYln7jR4MiJBvAxZSvgdOOO_/s1600/11896969_10153758737076542_1998417546_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwRIcyJaE58LTZHwY0D0LjaDWXse29tnxTS72Y9NiBOrW8J9idOkc64nNNcnbx1yWePlk3-qGeKd_ZJduXUD920iO9-eWRZjC4ao5T5F-kqu_ztaJvDoLAYln7jR4MiJBvAxZSvgdOOO_/s320/11896969_10153758737076542_1998417546_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">:)<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have a GREAT DAY!</b></span><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-88486866387461250012015-06-04T18:24:00.001-07:002015-06-04T18:25:41.968-07:00Stay the Course<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">10,000 hours. That’s how long “they" say you need to work at something to become a master. I have been practicing for over 15,000 and I don’t feel like I am a master. Maybe I should quit? Hahaha, no way.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you have read my previous two posts, you have noticed a trend (kudos for being able to recognize a trend over 11 months). I am constantly thinking about how we as musicians and humans improve. To me, this is of the utmost importance. Setting and achieving goals is great and totally necessary but what happens when you achieve those goals? Where do you go? What if you only have long term goals and you are finding them impossible to reach?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s all about the journey</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I recently read an article in an airline magazine about a guy who is putting the 10,000 hours theory (please know that that is all that it is) to the test. He had never played golf and decided he wanted to master the sport in 10,000 hours. His plan was 6 hours per day, 6 days per week. I hate to disappoint you but, at the time of the article he was only through 5,700 hours so we probably won’t know the outcome for another few years. For him, 6 years has turned into 8 years. But I digress! Or do I?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was a great point in this article and that was that the subject of this experiment will never view himself as a failure because this journey has been transformative. His family and friends agree. He ran into some challenges that got in the way of his project and instead of trying to become a master of golf, his new mission was simply to finish the project. This is the point upon which I would like to focus.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s forget the fact that he started as a beginner and a day after this interview took place he shot a 74 on a pro-level course (most courses have a par between 70 and 72)! Let’s focus on the fact that in trying to get to 10,000 hours and mastery of something, his biggest challenge is staying the course even when 6 years turns to 8 which may even turn into 10. This happens to all of us to some degree, I believe.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wha, what happened?!?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is easy to be into something when the learning curve is steep and we are quickly getting tangibly better. But at some point we reach a level where the change isn’t so obvious and the curve has all but leveled off. Our choice when we reach that level (or imagined plateau) has a huge impact on our future.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The process becomes tedious, emotionally draining, and downright frustrating. The cool thing is that all of that happens because we are better. I use the phrase, “I had my ears opened,” when I talk about my time in grad school. What used to be good isn’t good enough anymore.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Push record AND play (not at the same time though, unless you’re using a tape player…)</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is why I love technology. Recording yourself is easier than ever and it can help give perspective. I often hear people say, “I used to be able to do this much better, didn’t I?” Thanks to modern technology, you can be your very own fact-checker. Chances are, you are wrong. IF you happen to be right, then you need to reexamine how you are practicing.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I record almost everything I do. But even more than that, I record myself playing standard solos, excerpts, or etudes and, yes, I actually do </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">listen</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to them. Many people skip this step which completely defeats the purpose of recording in the first place. Before I even go back to listening, most of the time my thought after I play something is, “huh, it was never that easy before.” That is an awesome feeling and it helps let me know that I am doing the right thing. Also, when I am going through a rough patch, it is good to go back and listen to recordings and remind myself that I am a good trumpet player.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do the same thing with Mirari recordings. We often perform pieces for more than one tour and so I get to review recordings after each tour and see where I am and what needs work and also recognize that we are creating awesome music. That helps me become a more confident performer. That helps me stay the course even when the going gets tough. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Things to remember (you could try doing them too!)</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can boil this whole post down to a handful of points:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1- Put your time in. Do everything you can today to be better tomorrow.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2- Record yourself often.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3- Listen often and figure out if you’re on the right path.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4- Acknowledge and celebrate progress. If you don’t, you might be on the fast track to burn out.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5- Persevere through the tough times. Just keep moving. Sometimes it may be forward and sometimes it may feel like you’re going backward. The important thing is that you don’t stop moving. Adjust your clock, set more goals, and keep moving.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Best of luck!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matt</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-85820452894674323152015-05-16T13:34:00.002-07:002015-05-16T13:34:21.128-07:00The Commissioning Process…Where to Start??<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The idea of
bringing a new piece of music into the world, or having someone write you
something specific, is a very exciting notion.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">A notion, that up until a few years ago, I never thought would be a
reality. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Commissioning or hiring a
composer seemed to be a daunting task….who do you ask?</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">How do you find composers?</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">How to you pay for the piece?</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As a quintet, Mirari does quite a bit of
commissioning, which is decided on and paid for by the group.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As an individual it can seem a bit harder to
pull off.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Through sharing my individual
experiences commissioning new works, I</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">hope to shed some light on</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">what
can seem like an intimidating process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why Commission?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Commissioning a
new piece of music can seem like a daunting or confusing task, it definitely
seemed that way to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of that,
for many people, the idea of commissioning a new piece of music is
expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As musicians ourselves, and
especially when early in our careers, we’re not exactly rolling in money…but
I’ll get to that in a bit. One reason to commission is to simply bring new
music into the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tuba (the
instrument I was commissioning for) has a relatively small body of music,
especially when compared to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>instruments
like the violin or flute. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only in
the past 50 years or so that the tuba has been taken seriously as a possible
solo instrument, with composers writing for it in a solo setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result the compositional options seemed
endless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another reason
to commission, which didn’t occur to me at first, is composers (for the most
part) WANT to work with performers, and the performer-composer relationship is
a unique one in the music world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike
performing musicians and conductors, composers don’t have the same opportunities
to collaborate with other musicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
addition, commissions are one way that composers earn money for what they
do…just like performers earn money by performing, composers earn money by
composing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a musician I like to
support fellow musicians in their craft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Who to commission?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unless you
already have an idea of whom you’d like to commission, the first task is
finding the composer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can also seem
daunting at first, because unless you know a composer and his or her music
well, you may be unsure as to whether you’ll enjoy working with them and be
happy with the end product.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The internet is
a super useful tool for this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
time I commissioned a piece I started my search by going to a number of
different composer websites and listening to samples of their music, trying to
get an idea of what each composer and their music was about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this was going to be someone I was
going to be collaborating with, I also wanted to make sure that the individual
wasn’t going to be a pain in the behind to work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I started narrowing my list I spoke to
people that knew the composers on a professional or personal level to get their
take on the composers as people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I considered a
variety of composers from around the country, taking into account their
location, their musical language, what instrumentation they had already
composed for, and their current popularity and success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to commission a composer that was
clearly well thought of but not too big of a name for cost reasons number one,
and also because I wanted to promote a composer that wasn’t well known in the
tuba world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want another work
written for tuba and piano, so specifically looked for composers that worked
frequently outside that box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In terms of
location I hoped to find a composer within driving distance to have the ability
to work with them in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I
thought it would be great if the composer had already composed for tuba in a
solo or chamber setting, as then they would be more familiar with the
instrument.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What about the $$?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just like there
are a variety of ways of finding and working with composers, there are also a
number of ways of funding a commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Commission fees vary based on a number of factors, including composer
experience, your personal relationship with that composer, length of the piece,
and complexity of the instrumentation (i.e. it’s cheaper to commission a piece
for a solo instrument over a concerto with orchestra).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that most composers charge a certain
fee per minute of composed music then adjust that based on the other factors
mentioned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Young and up and
coming composers want to get their music out there, and as a result often have
a much lower commissioning fee and are a great way to go if you are on a tight
budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I commissioned a work for
trombone, tuba, and recorded sound with fellow Mirari member, Sarah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The composer (Inez McComas), Sarah, and I
agreed on a unique commissioning arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Inez considered herself to be an up-and-coming composer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, she believed it was more
important and more valuable for her works to be heard in performance than to
receive a monetary fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this idea
in mind, Inez suggested that for each minute of music composed, Sarah and I
would owe her one live performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
piece she composed, called “The Middle Pigeons”, ended up being 7:15, and as a
result we owed Inez at least 7 live performances of the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">A quick side
note about another way to find and fund a commission, and that is having the
composer find you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After performing a
duo recital a student composer approached Sarah and I, asking if she composed a
piece for the duo, would we be willing to program it in future recitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has composed a few pieces for tuba before
and plays horn herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said yes, and
since then have been in contact with her regarding the nature of the piece,
typical audiences, and extended techniques that we or are not capable of, our
personal ranges, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides the up
and coming composer route there are many other ways to fund a commission, and
my other personal way of funding a piece was through a consortium.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Funding my commission
of Asha Srinivasan, Professor of Composition at Lawrence University, was a much
different process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During our initial
meeting, she and I agreed on a commission rate of $3000 for a 10-minute
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She based this on her per minute
rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind though, that many
well known composers will charge upwards of $1000/minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember….just like we as performers have to
make a living do what we do, so do the composers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about high-level performers charging a
high fee…composers are the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
product is performance, while theirs is the music they produce for us to perform.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Back in the
early stages of finding and selecting a composer I had an idea that whatever
the commission fee ended up being would be too much for me to cover all on my
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$3000 was indeed more than I
personally had, so I decided to establish a consortium of tuba players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had heard of consortiums before, but had
never participated in one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially I
had hoped to create a consortium with a minimum of eight other members. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From May through June of last year I contacted
around 40 tubists, explaining the project and the consortium, trying to
determine the level of interest in a project like this from each potential
member.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received a positive reply from
seven individuals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of the
administrative and emailing work was time consuming, and as you can see, in the
end I received a positive reply from less than a quarter of the people I
contacted. At first I thought, wow, what I waste of my time, contacting all of
these people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even though I didn’t
receive a monetary contribution from every person on my contact list, making
those contacts did have value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of
those that I contacted I’ve never had any connection to before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This consortium has allowed me to connect and
network to musicians around the country, something that could prove invaluable in
the long run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with the seven that
did participate in the consortium, I’ve established and/or continued to build a
stronger relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each member of
the consortium contributed $250 and in return they received a copy of the work
and participation in an exclusivity period of one year following the premiere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I created a consortium agreement form for
each member to sign and return with the $250 fee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides paying
through performance or establishing a consortium there are numerous other ways
and options to fund a commission, I’ll go over a couple others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, grants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I began exploring options to fund Asha’s
commission and my CD project I met with the grant librarian in the Memorial
Union Library….and was completely overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through my meeting with her I learned about the giant databases where
you can search for grants for an endless variety of purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a day of sifting I decided that for
searching for, and the even more rigorous process of applying for grants, was
too much for the scope of that project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That said, the grant library is a fantastic resource where I learned a
great deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to someday soon get
my feet wet with grant writing, as it is an enormous resource.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another funding
option is using Kickstarter, an Internet and social media based source to fund
creative projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I created a
Kickstarter project to help fund my CD recording process, but it can also be
used to fund a commission. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Connect, Collaborate,
Build Relationships<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">One major
difference between working on a piece you’re commissioning and most other works
is the fact that the composer is alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know, this seems very, very obvious, but it is a fact that is often
overlooked. In the past I’ve played a great deal of pieces where the composer
is still living (due to the young age of the instrument) but I’ve never made
any effort to contact the composer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first time I made a real effort to contact a composer was for my first CD
project, URSA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that project I made
some sort of contact with every composer, and if possible, I strongly encourage
other musicians to do the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Building
a relationship with a composer beyond the notes on the page can add a new
element of depth and understanding to the meaning of a piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you have the
opportunity to work with a composer on one of their pieces, DO IT!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And keep an open mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The composer wrote the piece hearing it in a
particular way, so they will most likely have suggestions for you, which will
hopefully aid in your understanding and preparation of the work, but at the
same time, if they also are keeping an open mind, they may adjust the music to
reflect something they like that you’re doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A few months before recording the title track of my CD, I had the
fabulous opportunity of working with Libby Larsen, when she came down to
Madison from the Twin Cities to work with pianist Kirstin Ihde and me on her
tuba concerto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the coaching
Ms. Larsen made a number of suggestions to Kirstin and me, but more than once,
when she heard something that we did that wasn’t marked on the page, that she
liked, she marked it in her score to later give it to her publisher for a
future publication of the piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
again, composers want to work with performers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
commissioning music that relationship becomes even more personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working with a composer through a commission
becomes a true collaboration, one that can be incredibly rewarding for the
composer and performer alike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">-Stephanie</span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-13603512017956111102015-04-16T08:43:00.001-07:002015-04-16T08:43:34.254-07:00Nervous When you Perform? You're Probably Breathing Too Much!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wait, what? That goes against everything we've ever been taught as brass players! Let me explain. You know the feeling when you are performing and start to feel anxious? Your heart rate quickens and so does your pulse. Your breathing gets shallow and you start to take a lot of them. But somehow, you constantly feel out of breath. Here's what's happening:</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-029a8468-c2e2-59d6-cc1d-d11f718d7935"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consider a normal breath under relaxed circumstances. You fill your lungs completely full of air, which is made up of slightly less than one-quarter oxygen and the rest nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and other gases. We'll call all that stuff carbon dioxide for now because that's what most people understand. While you are playing, your body uses most of the oxygen for, you know, staying alive. The carbon dioxide is mostly blown into your horn. Once you're out of air, you take another breath and the cycle repeats itself. </span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="207px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ppu25MS-819styAoxfY5QUePjAY6rFHB0ujxeiIZoMGXIYcvkGQ3uJxnkNiDF1FEoVSZFnWpH0OxQC0qP2GyVmVC_Ex0nsD-8_d7EWt5fC8XJ0w6qhr8NaS1RDHCdiMKF8FBRAirbGokukW1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="504px;" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But here's what happens when you're nervous. Your heart rate quickens, causing all sorts of problems but most importantly, you take in extra breaths </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">before you are fully out of air</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. So here's what we end up with. You take your first breath and your body uses the oxygen. You blow </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">some</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the carbon dioxide into your instrument. Then you take another breath, but this time you don't have your full lung capacity to work with because there's still some carbon dioxide left in there. Again, your body uses the oxygen, you blow some of the carbon dioxide into your instrument, and then take anther breath too soon. Now you have even less lung capacity to work with, and again, your body uses the oxygen. At this point, you have a lot of carbon dioxide built up in your lungs and less and less oxygen to work with. So you feel out of breath and continue taking too many breaths because your body is reporting that it's out of oxygen and panicking. This is a dangerous cycle when you are already nervous!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="171px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B8kMhTdt0qRJxwg2AKPxgwG3HRV7xUzagNnL92PODGxLmVow51-ovRhrjGQRgdKkjci9wUAvkgJG2JjfBiJxOUzznajMlLk3pQa28yP_RriWl3Ye282ozqaKwa7-E9Wo4sW8zpGGc6_ABF2I" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="576px;" /></span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You're taking more breaths but getting less oxygen! So what are some solutions to this? First of all, the easy solution to deal with this situation when it happens to you:</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BLOW ALL THE AIR OUT OF YOUR LUNGS</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Find a spot in the music when you can exhale completely and take a fresh breath to re-oxygenate. Try this right now—blow all the air out of your lungs and take a nice big breath. Do you feel how it instantly gives you extra energy? This works pretty much all the time in performance.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's the way to avoid this problem in the first place:</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PLAY WITH LOTS OF AIR SUPPORT AND LONG PHRASES</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of us play with a weak and wimpy sound when we get nervous. Make sure to keep putting lots of relaxed air into your instrument. And even though your "fight or flight reflex" is telling you to take lots of extra breaths, save them for the ends of phrases, or when you're truly out of air. This requires some mental discipline but it </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">can</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> be practiced. Try running up and down the stairs a few times and then playing some long lyrical phrases when you're already out of breath. The feeling is remarkably similar to what you feel when you're experiencing performance anxiety! </span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These techniques won't completely cure nervous performing, but they will get you one step closer. Good luck, and let me know how this works for you!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Alex</span>Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-30324278464544922872015-03-02T07:18:00.000-08:002015-03-02T14:07:13.207-08:00Your Brave<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mirari just had our spring weeklong tour presenting master classes and performing concerts at several universities and colleges in Missouri. We met, worked with, and got to perform for many smart, engaging, and fantastic performers and teachers! Obviously, this is one of the amazing perks of this job, but I’m also realizing, the place I find myself most fearful – the horn in my hands performance arena.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a4577905-db0d-fe2e-3046-d184832bff64" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recently, I got a tattoo. For those of you who know me, I’ve been thinking about this for several years now. I finally did it a few weeks ago and it has been a decision that I have not second-guessed and/or regretted, ever (for those of your who know me, this is also a big deal!).</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Macintosh HD:Users:jthoman:Desktop:Fearless, Tattoo.jpg" height="212px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4X09toR60tIL_FjwWNzzq_PfYPgHSdTZ3fICWi0nPGpDr_WwRW3xGaBJPI0nPP7fhaVqRdSOGeO6ge3fQP96tQkbRHysZo2RrczQcHtGq0jfh43i2vMcsGkR9COuIXUejcSt6RV_PiMwS14w" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="159px;" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been on this Fearless path for about 9 years now (WOW!). I’ve had ups and downs, highs and lows, and have experienced a myriad of emotions on this Fearless ride. Luckily, throughout this process I have made amazing friends and acquired an arsenal of Fearless resources all of which have helped me become a better performer/story teller when on stage. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For each performance previous to this week, I had my inspiration sheet, notes of encouragement on my music, countless phone calls to and amazing advice from Jeff Nelsen (THANK YOU!) and many other friends to get my mind in the “right” place - to get me in the zone. During this past week, I felt the symptoms of nervousness start to invade my body (of course, stemming from my own thoughts) as we sat down to start our first concert. My mind was filled with too many options. What if I can’t get my lips to respond because they are chapped, and I’m dehydrated, and tired from a long day of rehearsal? What if I can’t make it through this performance? What if I can’t get notes to speak? What if I freak out and am out of the zone? I had 95 “What If” options. As I took my first breath of the performance, I looked down at my left wrist and saw FEARLESS emblazoned on my skin. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was an instant reset. I was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">immediately</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> calm, focused, and ready to share music/stories not only with the rest of Mirari, but with the audience, as well! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fearless training has been such an integral part of my life over these past 9 years, that I didn’t need a paragraph explaining what it was, what it entailed or have someone encourage me to do my best to know exactly what I needed to do. Fearless is something I am; it’s in my being (as it is for everyone). Fearlessness comes from within, not outside, myself. Just like you learn from your teachers, process what they say, put it into your own words, share it with others, and find out later, it is then your information to share and own, this experience was the same. Everything I need, I currently possess. Being Fearless isn’t about not experiencing Fear (nerves, shaky hands, unsteady breath, etc.) it’s about letting your Brave be the loudest voice you hear at that moment.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Macintosh HD:Users:jthoman:Desktop:Look Beyond Your Fear and Find Your Brave.jpg" height="243px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IVPKi8QMmwyx-5uy-aSQJWd-WmCjJy5RtFcQhlR_lIagz2VHhNbKzZl-nws3Fch09B3hQQMsYD44qfrvH9Uy0D2gQvbhP1sZqGKB6mUlTrMF8wEzMHj8AggzAaAb2p7-kuZZs4squGH4-NDl" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="290px;" /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What would happen if we all let our Brave be the loudest voice in our heads? What would your world look like if you shared your Brave rather than hiding your Fear? </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This week, I found my Brave. Not only did I find it, but I found the key to it, too! This key is now etched on my left wrist. I’ll never lose it, never have to second guess it. It is, and always has been, within me. </span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have one option now, to BE FEARLESS. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">☺</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Belleza; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jessie</span></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-28773354130083809662015-02-02T07:40:00.000-08:002015-03-02T07:20:05.187-08:00Eternal Lessons<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I was practicing a piece for an upcoming recital, and I decided to finally attack “that one little lick.” You know that lick, right? The one that just never goes exactly as you want it to go.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before I share with you the [not so great] ways that I practiced that lick, let me tell you a little bit about the way I approach new material. When I learn a piece, I tend to have a process that I follow as I prepare for a performance. It’s kind of like peeling an onion; there are lots of layers!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first broad brushstroke tends to cover learning notes and rhythms. I try to do this as quickly, correctly, and efficiently as possible. If I make a mistake, I stop and fix it before I move on. If I’m not sure if I played the right note, I check it against a piano. There is a lot of singing involved so that I internalize the new material.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Second, I find large phrase direction and shape. There’s more than one right answer in this step, so I tend to try out several ways to turn a phrase before I settle on my favorite. I make a lot of marks in my music so that I can pick up where I left off when I come back to the piece the next day. This step also involves determining where to breathe…and writing it in!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Third, I find smaller nuances that I want to make within each phrase. It’s around this time that I find little technical inconsistencies that I may have missed when I peeled off that first thick layer. And that’s where I found “the lick.”</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-0aa39d86-4af0-1760-bc92-044b3b8e1ba1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[See my full list of steps for learning a new piece at the bottom of this article.]</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You see, this particular lick is really difficult because the figure goes between eighth notes and triplets, and it has four notes in four different positions, but the positions are really close to each other, and in fact you have to play two different 3</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">rd</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> positions to adjust for tuning and, and, and…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, at least that’s what I told myself for the past week or so. That’s probably why I haven’t gotten very far with this lick.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So today, it was time to take care of “that one little lick.” (Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">other</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “little licks” throughout my recital program. But today was the day for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> one.) What did I do first? The wrong thing: I didn’t make a plan. I just made a goal. My goal was to fix it. I had no idea how I was going to do it because it’s really difficulty lick because the figures goes between eighth notes and triplets, and it has four notes in four different positions, and….</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All I had in my mind were the thoughts “this is hard, it doesn’t sound good, I need to fix it.” Somehow, I still fixed it, but only afterwards did I realize that I went about it backwards. My mental approach should have been more planned and more positive! I probably could have saved twenty minutes and some chop fatigue if I had taken a second to think about my approach.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That being said, this is what happened: I played it over and over. The same way. At least forty or fifty times. If I hadn’t made it clear yet, this is what NOT to do!</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was I doing? I was waiting for one of those repetitions to give me the answer. I was waiting for it to sound good so that I could capture that approach and sound, and then replicate </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I was using the lowest level of problem solving: trial and error. Unfortunately, I was also practicing it incorrectly…over and over.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nothing changed until something in my brain said “play it longer.” Aha! A style change! Imagine that!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I played it longer, and it definitely helped. Then something in my brain said “direct the phrase to the last note.” Aha! A </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">musical</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> change! Imagine that!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I played it more musically and it was instantly 100% better. You might even say it was fixed. Looking back, I realize that it only took me one creative thought and one repetition carrying out that thought to “fix” my technical problem. I wondered why I had just mindlessly practiced the lick fifty times. Why didn’t I just stop to think for a few seconds?!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then the echoes of one of my teachers, Carl Lenthe, rattled in my mind. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A musical solution to a technical problem</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Of course. It makes so much sense. Why didn’t I listen to him more often? No, why didn’t I just do what he said more often?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I practiced the piece for about 45 minutes today, but I took away much more than that. I learned a very valuable lesson, one that I have learned before and forgotten, many times: making music and learning how to play your instrument is not a technical pursuit. Rather, it is a mental pursuit. You have to learn how to learn. You must learn strategies that guide yourself to improve efficiently and mindfully. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the answer! Yes, we all have technical shortcomings that we would like to improve, but the first step is not finding out which exercise to play. The first step is knowing yourself, making a plan, and teaching yourself how to learn.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are an artist and you are trying to really improve, I strongly encourage you to take this approach. Really take a look inside yourself and figure out how you learn. Teach yourself to learn well. Listen to your teacher, because they are giving you the answers all the time. You can only benefit from them if you are ready to learn.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other lesson that I learned (again) is to just </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">try something different</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If a lick isn’t working, you’ve got to attack it from all angles. If you’re not sure what else to do with it musically, start with technical approach variations. Play it slower, faster, lower, higher, louder, softer, change the articulation--anything that will pull you away from playing it the same, boring way that you always play it. There is virtually no benefit of playing something over and over again unless you’re doing it well every time (correct rhythm, notes, intentional musical direction, etc.).</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope my practicing woes and triumphs will help you bring a new angle to your practice, even if it is to simply incorporate more intentional thought into your precious practice time. We are all busy people, and we owe it to ourselves to get the most out of our practice by planning, learning from our mistakes, and making conscious musical choices every time we pick up the instrument. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> How to Learn a New Piece </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowDiPRPx9ymWEh6ZsAkp61nqj_ukgEv9GcBjswryrZ-qOhdjv2bqDSfz_jpOj3BnL_XHMDuh6_GGQ8Xgdoe6jxYXZjyiox6aL1VhBdEj10O5yK3ss7ui9MLgbBlkSXJWzEAVGzWmb5olp/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-02+at+8.32.47+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowDiPRPx9ymWEh6ZsAkp61nqj_ukgEv9GcBjswryrZ-qOhdjv2bqDSfz_jpOj3BnL_XHMDuh6_GGQ8Xgdoe6jxYXZjyiox6aL1VhBdEj10O5yK3ss7ui9MLgbBlkSXJWzEAVGzWmb5olp/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-02+at+8.32.47+AM.png" height="145" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Sarah</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<br />Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-86520577004203519722015-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:002015-01-01T12:33:42.215-08:00The Only Resolution You Need to Make in 2015<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy New Year! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hopefully you had an enjoyable ringing in of the new year with friends and/or family. Maybe you went to dinner or maybe out for drinks, maybe you played games with your family, or watched the ball drop in Times Square. Maybe you just watched a movie and went to bed before midnight. It was your choice and I am sure you chose wisely. Now we’re on to one of the least successful times of the year. Yup, New Year’s resolution season. We all decide to do something that we’re going to do for the next two weeks and if it doesn’t stick, oh well. There’s always next year.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Building New Habits</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was having a conversation the other day with some friends about building new habits. Though the conversation was completely unrelated to music, I found myself (as I often do) applying some of our conversation to music. We talked about what was required to build a new habit and how long it takes. Different numbers were thrown around, so I decided to do some research. For many years, exercise gurus, dieticians, doctors, and educators sold the notion that you could create a new habit in 21 days. There have been plenty of articles about that, so I’ll just say that the origin of this magic number actually claims it takes a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">minimum</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of 21 days depending on the person and the habit. </span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674/abstract" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> some interesting and much more recent information on developing habits which claims it takes anywhere from 18-254 days to change a behavior.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, let’s apply this to breathing while playing a wind instrument. Back in 6th grade, my band director told me to take a big breath and blow. Not realizing that I was basically tensing up my entire body on both the inhalation and the exhalation, that’s how I played for three years until I started taking private lessons, then went to college, etc. The point is that I breathe differently now than I did as a sixth grader and it was not a magical 21-day fix. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I use the words “free, easy, relaxed” when I describe the breath I want to take and I am fairly successful breathing that way in my practice. However, I struggle some days when my body or my mind is tired and I find myself taking less than ideal breaths. So, I must always choose to breathe the way that I know will help me sound best, no matter how difficult or easy the decision is that day. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Test Your Product</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So far, I’ve only been talking about my practice sessions, so now let’s take into account the times that I am in various settings with different levels of stress or pressure. Should I breathe differently? No. Do I? Sometimes. I know that I did for a long time and there are still situations where I have to remind myself to be free, easy, and relaxed. When I was in orchestra or brass band or playing as a soloist, I’d be more nervous, and the first thing to go</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my breathing. When your breathing goes, you use more muscle. When you actively use too much muscle, fatigue sets in much faster. When fatigue sets in, your brain starts to focus on how tired you are instead of on the music. I needed more opportunities to be in a pressure situation and be able to teach myself how to breathe, think, and relax in that setting. Thank you, Mirari! I perform way more now than I have in the past few years and I plan on keeping it that way.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a reason we stress to our students that everyone has to perform for people. You aren’t just getting another performance under your belt, you are teaching yourself how to behave when you are performing. It gives you a chance to get worked up but still breathe and play in the same way you do in your practice. How many times have you heard someone sound amazing in their warm-up and then like a completely different player when they perform? It’s because they are not testing their product. Can you imagine if your job was to build a boat for someone and you never tested to see if it would float before you gave it to the customer? You’ve got to see if it can withstand heat, cold, crashing waves, etc. Can you say “lawsuit”? </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was fortunate to have Krista Jobson (flute, UT-PA) as a friend while earning my doctorate in Kansas City. I remember having a dress rehearsal for my lecture recital and Krista came to watch because she couldn’t make it to the actual recital (what a kind choice she made to support me, right?). My lecture recital was on unaccompanied trumpet pieces and I was playing some of the most technically challenging music I had ever attempted in my life. Having just one person whose opinion I valued made me ridiculously nervous. I had a pretty big breakdown on the first movement of Henze’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sonatina</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I asked if I could just have some time to work a few things out and she said, “sure, should I leave?” I said, “no, I need to do this while you are here.” She patiently waited as I refocused my brain and got back to playing the trumpet the way that I can. I played again and it was exponentially better than the first time, though it made me wish I had done that months prior. Live and learn. And I have not forgotten that lesson. I play for people as much as I possibly can.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Choose to Choose</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the important words in the aforementioned study is the word “daily.” Someone in the study decided they wanted to drink a bottle of water with lunch. That means </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">every</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">time</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> they ate lunch they drank a bottle of water. There was no lunch without a bottle of water. Do we really breathe the way we need to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">every single time </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we play our instrument? If we don’t, how can we expect that it will ever be a default behavior? That is not to say that if we forget once or twice, we’re screwed, and we’ll never be able to do it, but if we spend more time breathing the way we did in high school than the way we know we should, how will we ever get there?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My thought is that we won’t ever get there. We have a choice to make every time we pick up our instruments. We are choosing to breathe well, choosing to create the best possible tone, and choosing exactly how we want every note and phrase to sound. If we focus on consistently choosing what is best, a very strange thing happens after a while (yes, my ambiguity is intentional)--you get to the point where you can’t play something incorrectly unless you really try. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This new year, I have a new outlook. I believe that we would be more successful affecting change by focusing on the process of creating the habit than on the end result. You know, “oh, I changed my life in three weeks! I am a new person.” That rarely works. Instead, commit yourself everyday to making a choice, and then choosing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">what is best for you will become your habit.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cheers and here’s to good choices in 2015!</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matt </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-75230590632140659312014-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:002014-12-01T07:55:24.875-08:00Beyond the Notes and Rhythms<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember way back in my early days of the tuba, when I had
to sit on two phone books to simply reach the mouthpiece. I had recently joined a youth orchestra and
was completely out of my element, in awe of the other young musicians around
me. They could play such fast notes and
with such confidence. At that point
those fast notes seemed to equal greater skill, and man did I wish I could do
the same. As the next few years passed I
grew….physically I could now reach the mouthpiece with one phonebook. And now those fast notes didn’t seem to hold
the same intrigue or interest. I wanted
more, but I didn’t know what it was. In
high school my teachers and mentors encouraged me to listen. Listen to as many great musicians as
possible. I listened to tuba players of
course, but also other brass players, string players, and most importantly,
vocalists. Singers like Luciano
Pavarotti, Bobby McFerrin, Renee Fleming, and later groups like the Wailin’
Jennys, were and are captivating. But
why? It wasn’t fast notes or stunning
technique. It was something else,
something called musicality. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I desperately wanted my own playing to have this mysterious
element, I wanted to captivate people in the same way these amazing musicians
were captivating me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially I
wondered if it was possible on the tuba, an instrument not generally recognized
as emotionally moving, but after hearing other tubists like Pat Sheridan and Roland
Szentpali (check them out if you haven’t) I knew this was more than possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It wasn’t until my graduate school, working with and
listening to outstanding teachers and fellow students that I really began to
discover and understand how to achieve this seemingly transcendent goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how does one captivate their listener?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does it mean to play musically?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how do we as musicians go about
that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Musicality Defined<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Musicality is communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Communicating to the listener, whether it is other performers, a paying
audience, or a family member listening to your practice session, what you are
saying through your instrument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
idea is analogous to language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We take
the fundamental basics of words, and string them together into sentences to
express something we are thinking or feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In music we take the fundamentals of musical language and express
something we are thinking or feeling through our instruments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Musicality is the connection; how we
communicate our music to the listener.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Connecting &
Communicating<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Intent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, so we
have to communicate and connect with audiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To start, consider what the
music means to the composer, and then more importantly, to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two layers, the composers’
intention and connecting those intentions to what’s meaningful to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the background of the composer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the particular piece?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s important to have knowledge of different
styles and understand where the composer is coming from, but then be brave
enough to put it forth in an exaggerated manner that means something to you. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding what
a piece means to you can require imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When reading a book, we imagine and give life to the words on the
page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly with music, take what’s
on the page as a starting point and give life to the notes and rhythms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a teacher reading a story to a
kindergarten class, be the exaggerated story teller of the printed music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, use your intuition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you intuitively or automatically want
to respond to the music?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compare this to
the score and intertwine your intuition and the composers’ ideas together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paint a picture, tell a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Connect the music with something
extra-musical, whether it’s descriptive words, moods, colors, emotions, a
painting, or a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better yet, try
drawing/painting an actual picture of what the music looks like to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or write a story to go along with the music,
create characters, a plot, and action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reflecting the music in a personal painting or story will make the music
come to life for you, and as a result your audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All lines must
sing on the instrument, so first sing them with your voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And really sing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice how you approach phrases, where you
breathe, how you emphasize certain moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as you sing, conduct and move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Feel the musical line, dance to the music and involve your entire
body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Internalize the music in your body
and voice and then project that through your instrument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to
other artists you admire, and really listen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Include those that play your instrument as well as anyone else you
admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t limit your listening,
explore a variety of genres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Figure out
what captivates you about the artist and use that as a platform or starting
point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Always be musical!</b>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter what you’re playing, whether a Bach Cello Suite or
a jazz ballade, or whom you’re playing with, from an unaccompanied solo to a
chamber group, musicality should always be part of our musical message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the first reading of a new piece, keep
in mind the story you’re telling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Get in the habit of having every note you play be a musical
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pay attention to the details on the
page, see and respond to what the composer wants, exaggerate, give direction to
the musical line, and tell a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Musicality
allows us as performers to communicate and connect with the listener and other
musicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for me, this connection
is the primary reason I became an artist in the first place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Stephanie</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-84130188264122487332014-11-03T07:02:00.000-08:002014-11-03T07:07:17.057-08:00The Athletic Brass Player<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">To
play a brass instrument well involves learning a variety of skills. Of
course, one must be an artist, as well as an engineer (how do I make my
instrument function most efficiently?) and entrepreneur (how do I develop a
market for my music?). But in addition, we also need to be athletes.
Brass instruments tend to create all kinds of physical challenges, from
the necessity to move enormous amounts of air to the fine motor control in the
face and fingers. As such, there are some lessons that we can learn from
how athletes approach some of the same challenges. Below are three of the
ones that I have found most valuable in my career:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Product Over Process</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">You're
standing at the free throw line holding a basketball. Are you looking at
your hands or the basket? You're waiting to bat at home plate. Are
you watching the ball or your bat? In the bowling alley, are you looking
at the ball or the pins? All of these situations have one thing in
common: your focus and concentration is on the end <u>result</u>, not the <u>process</u>
by which you are going to achieve it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFrXSBr3x1ycmXRzzbgD2TxbBLDQIGC6SDcbHo5duioG9IH0HqM3OMXWJj0FryPsxrRYVM5kX22vJHWhlSX48pu86R_WZdPyzXIMw0rQU0hBG-0iCSqBS8TlwnGZZjmCln6CqJUaPia-P/s1600/coby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFrXSBr3x1ycmXRzzbgD2TxbBLDQIGC6SDcbHo5duioG9IH0HqM3OMXWJj0FryPsxrRYVM5kX22vJHWhlSX48pu86R_WZdPyzXIMw0rQU0hBG-0iCSqBS8TlwnGZZjmCln6CqJUaPia-P/s1600/coby.jpg" height="320" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">So
as a musician, what is your product? How about your sound and your
musicianship? These should always be the ultimate goal of any
performance. Nobody has ever come up to me at the end of a concert and
said "I loved how your triplets were perfectly in time" or "My
favorite part was that your low D's weren't sharp." At the end of
the day, what matters most is how you sounded and the musical/emotional message
you conveyed to your audience. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">In
order to do this, of course, you need to understand what a great sound and
great artistry are. The best way to do this is by spending regular time
listening to world class musicians. I always ask students who their
favorite players are--if they don't have any, it's clear to me that they don't
spend nearly enough time listening (it's okay to have many favorite players and
they can change all the time!) Once you have a great idea of what you <u>want</u>
to sound like, then start recording yourself and listening back. Do you
sound like your goal? If not, focus your practice on what needs to happen
to get there.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Obviously,
I'm not suggesting here that you ignore the mechanics of how to play the
instrument. Imagine a quarterback working on his passing. He might
make subtle changes to hand position, throwing motion, or footwork. But
then, (and this is the crucial step), he practices those new techniques
hundreds or thousands of times so that they become completely automatic,
controlled by the unconscious part of the brain. That way, when he
actually gets in the game, his attention can be solely on his targeted receiver
downfield. We can do the same things as brass players. Nobody
should be thinking during a performance: "Keep your finger out of the
ring!"</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Achieving Balance in Practice</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Those
people that have been on a well-coached sports team already understand this
process. How many times has a soccer coach said, "Today we'll work
only on penalty kicks. Tomorrow, we'll do just headers." Good
coaches intuitively understand that to develop complete players, you have to
practice <u>all facets of the game</u>, repeatedly and continuously. In
fact, many elite teams use a practice model where players engage in a short
drill working on one particular skill set, then run to the next drill for 10-15
minutes, then on to the next one. By keeping them constantly moving and
on their toes, the coaches avoid mental fatigue and much more closely simulate
the actual game situations that their players are working towards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjfzC0MEll55G8XoPrX8Q2hkA8MLdxOPkt7fQg5zSeYeMVTybCK365eTKBiwgEa657xt4e4kLVY2V67dSKlYm5NmRFqup-iSE7eqkZvxu-915jtf2Smi2iy08NgCawGEWyiC3g3VQX6y0/s1600/foball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjfzC0MEll55G8XoPrX8Q2hkA8MLdxOPkt7fQg5zSeYeMVTybCK365eTKBiwgEa657xt4e4kLVY2V67dSKlYm5NmRFqup-iSE7eqkZvxu-915jtf2Smi2iy08NgCawGEWyiC3g3VQX6y0/s1600/foball.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">I
think most brass players understand this concept of balance. But how many
times have you found yourself playing the same Arban exercise over and over
(and over and over)? How many times have you worked for an hour on the
same 4 lines of an etude only to realize that you used up your entire time and
never got to the rest of your practicing? I highly recommend that every
brass player come up with a great <u>fundamental routine</u> that addresses all
of the skills that you need in order to be successful (air, sound, technique,
articulation, flexibilty, sight-reading, etc.) This should be the very
first thing that you practice every day--and becomes even more important as you
prepare for a recital, audition, or major performance. I also thing it's
critical to recognize when you are mentally or physically tired and learn to
take a break, or move on to something else. Continuing to practice when
you are working against yourself won't really help you get better!</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">I've
found a couple other great tricks for helping to organize and find balance in
your practicing. First, <u>keep a practice journal</u>. Write down
what you worked on, for how long, and possibly even what you achieved or
learned from that practice session. By going back and looking at your
journals for the past week or month, you can learn where you being efficient
vs. where you might be wasting a lot of time and what you are working on a lot
vs. what you are ignoring. A second trick that seems to work will is to <u>set
a timer</u>. This works well both for people like me who often had give
myself time goals in order to get all of my practicing done ("20 more
minutes on my Charlier etude and I then I can watch one episode of
Colbert") or for people that obsessively practice they same thing until
it's perfect (once the timer goes off, you must move on). </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Fundamentals Over Repertoire</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">This
seems like a simple concept, but it's critical to brass players in every stage
of their career. Think about your favorite team--how much time in their
practice do they spend working on skills and drill compared to the amount of
time playing scrimmages and actual game simulations. At most, it's
probably 50-50. At other times in the season, practices are devoted
almost exclusively to fundamentals. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">The
same goes for brass playing. Which do you think will lead to developing
better multiple tonguing more quickly: working out of the Arban book on a
variety of exercises designed to teach you to multiple tongue repeated notes,
scalar passages, and arpeggios in a variety of keys, or just compulsively
practicing <i>Carnival of Venice</i> over and over again? <u>Learn the
fundamentals first, and then apply them to repertoire</u>. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">The
trap that many people fall into is, "But I have to learn my band music, so
I spend most of my practice time working on that!" If you spend more
of your time learning to be great on your instrument, the director/conductor
will thank you later because the next piece will be so much easier to learn.
Don't forget about the importance of sight-reading every day! Think
about it: if you practice your fundamentals until you are a great player and
learn how to sight-read anything in front of you, what piece of repertoire will
present a serious challenge? </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Besides
the actual content, there is very little difference in the preparation and
process of great athletes from great musicians. We have as much to learn
from Peyton Manning and John Wooden as we do from Joe Alessi and Maurice Andre!
Now go practice!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-57369198230043998272014-10-02T12:39:00.000-07:002014-10-02T12:41:02.283-07:005 Things Musicians Should Do Everyday (Besides Practice)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Optima;">Just like brushing your
teeth, washing your clothes, and putting gas in your car are important daily living
tasks, there are other types of daily chores that are just as important to your
success as a musician.</span><span style="font-family: Optima;"> </span><span style="font-family: Optima;">I’ve put together
a list of 5 things that I think are the keys to a happy, meaningful, and intentional
life in music.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Optima;">Trust</span></b><span style="font-family: Optima;">
–Being able to trust in those around you, especially
your fellow musicians, is essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the most important trust relationship we all have is with
ourselves. Trust yourself – do what you say you are going to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are going to get up at 6am to go
practice, plan for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, let’s
face it, there are a ton of great reasons why getting up that early isn’t a
good idea. For example, we all need sleep! It’s essential for our physical
health as well as our mental health (and a myriad of other good reasons, like a
comfy bed, it’s raining/snowing out, your partner looks so freaking
comfortable! etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, plan your
day knowing you are going to get up early the next morning and go to bed at an
hour where getting up at 6am is doable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Set your alarm, and get up when it goes off knowing the hardest part is
getting your feet on the floor!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
you’re up, you have now created trust by proving that you will do what you’re
going to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can’t trust you to
follow through, why would anyone else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Optima;">Give</span></b><span style="font-family: Optima;"> –
As musicians, this is the goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
storytellers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to give a piece of
ourselves, our life, our experience, to our audience (whether that is a
student, colleague, an interview panel, and audition panel, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, from where does all the giving material
come?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes from sharing the human
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give of yourself to your audience,
colleagues, students, friends, etc. Many times the giving we do seems fruitless
or futile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You offer something to an
audience and it seems to go unnoticed, is misinterpreted, ignored, or even<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It can feel empty and a like a worthless use of precious energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve certainly felt this way before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, the fun and amazing thing about giving
is that it’s completely exclusive of someone else’s efforts or response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving is a gift we can share with others but
also something we can give to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t be selfish – share your music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your performance depends on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So does the universe</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Optima; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Optima; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Optima;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Optima;">Listen</span></b><span style="font-family: Optima;"> –
How many times has a teacher, mentor, friend, musician said something and I did
not really LISTEN to what they were saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This happens maybe because of ego, maybe because we’re all so busy,
we’re tired, focusing on other things, interpreting the information through our
past experience, etc. How many times do we focus on our emotional response to
the delivery rather than really digging in to the content?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes the best and most meaningful
messages come from an unlikely source or delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently read this quote by Leonard
Bernstein, “</span><span style="font-family: Optima; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The
conductor must not only make his orchestra play - he must make them want to
play. He must exalt them, lift them, start their adrenaline pouring, either by
pleading or demanding or raging. But however he does it, he must make them love
the music as he loves it. It is not so much a matter of imposing his will on
them like a dictator; it is more like projecting his feelings around so that
they reach the last man in the 2nd violin section. And when this happens - when
everybody shares his feelings, when 100 men are sharing the same feelings,
exactly, simultaneously, responding as one to each rise and fall of the music,
to each point of arrival and departure, to when all that is happening then
there is a human identity of feeling that has no equal elsewhere."</span><span style="font-family: Optima;"> When we focus on the content of a message rather
than letting ego/feelings get in the way, we can learn a lot about ourselves
and move forward without baggage or regret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Optima;">I had an experience that
changed my life in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got 2<sup>nd</sup>
chair in the Wind Ensemble and choose to be very upset over these results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went and spoke to the director of the group
who quietly, and calmly let me say my piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I finished, he asked, “are you done?” and proceeded to let me know
it didn’t matter what the results were, because it was now my job to make the
first horn sound great and feel comfortable to play their best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my job, to be the best dang 2<sup>nd</sup>
horn player not only for me but also for my section and the ensemble at
large.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He certainly wasn’t yelling at
me, but he wasn’t very happy about my attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I walked out of that room with my tail between my legs, but soon came to
realize that night what a gift he gave me by listening and truly understanding
what I needed to hear in order to grow and evolve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am forever grateful for those uncomfortable
few moments and for the fact I choose to put my ego aside and really listen to
what he had to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Optima;">Opening our ears to the
world around us we may just find the answer by listening a little harder to the
content.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Optima;">Let go</span></b><span style="font-family: Optima;"> –
It can be letting go of information that no longer serves you, letting go of
relationships that no longer allow you to grow, moving on from a job because
you stop moving forward, it could be letting go of old habits, letting go of
control, lots of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these
are important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most important
skills we can possess as a musician in the ability to self-analyze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Figure out where you are, where you want to
be, and how to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often times,
this requires letting go of old habits, ways of thought, or even control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s always important to evolve and part of
that growth is figuring out what isn’t working for you or what is now
unnecessary to hold on to, and letting it all go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Optima;">It is easy to hold on to
things, people, situations, schools of thought, habits, etc., because that’s
just how we’ve always functioned, known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Letting go requires us to regularly take inventory of our lives and see keep
what’s working and discard the things that aren’t in order to make more room
for the solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scariest part can
be not knowing the outcome of your letting go efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, what if letting go is a part of the
solution and allows you to fulfill goals and reach dreams?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll never know, unless you take the first
step…..and let go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Optima;">Love/Celebrate – </span></b><span style="font-family: Optima;">Let’s face it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a musician
can be hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a lot of things
about the business that seem unfair, difficult, costly, emotionally taxing,
etc. I’ve had my share of blood, sweat, and tears shed to reach where I am,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was in my second year out of
my DM program, I had been applying for every job that became available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been working several jobs, barely
making ends meet for just over a year at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was sitting in my teacher’s office
finishing up some projects we had been working on, and another one of my
favorite professors came in the room, sat down and said, you’ve looked like
crap for a long time now, what's up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s always nice to be told the stress you’re feeling is all over your
face (there’s that content thing again</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Optima; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Optima; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Optima;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, I told him I was thinking about
quitting music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He replied, “what do you
plan on doing instead?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I don’t know,
something other than this,” I said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
he said the words that really changed my thinking and course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You don’t get to quite because you’re
frustrated, you quit because there is something else you’d rather do.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was totally right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that moment, I finally was able to see and
feel the fire that I had felt for music my whole life, even though it was
dim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never the less, the fire was still
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had buried it with, stress,
frustration, exhaustion, worry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I buried
it with all the things that don’t really have anything to do with WHY I wanted
to be a musician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever since I can
remember, I knew music was going to be my career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the moment I picked up a horn, I knew
this was going to be my life’s work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
why had I allowed all of these other factors drown out the light inside?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because I forgot the WHY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I love sound, I love working with my Mirari family, I love how music can
change someone’s life (especially my own), I love how listening to Bruckner 8
the 4<sup>th</sup> movement, no matter how tired or busy I am, will ALWAYS make me
stop what I’m doing and dance around the room, playing the timpani part,
conducting, and smile from the inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are the things I forgot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Optima;">Everyday, I make sure to
celebrate the fact that I am doing what I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I look at my name plate outside my office door often, and think how
proud and happy I am that my love for music, no matter how long it took and
arduous it was/can be, got me here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Music never lets you down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
ever present and always available to refill my soul with love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That love is worth celebrating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Optima;">So, go out there and work
for the life you deserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be AWESOME
today!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-15933928854736018582014-09-02T12:18:00.000-07:002014-10-02T12:41:36.071-07:00Distracted? 6 Practicing Tips to Improve Your Focus<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Does this conversation sound
familiar to you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Friend: “Hey (your name),
how are you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">You: “Great, and super busy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I’ve definitely been busy
lately. I’ve been busy for the last…10-15 years, really. It took me a while to
realize it, but “busy” is my style. I say “yes” to a lot of things, and I am
comfortable maintaining seven different agendas. It’s not necessarily good for
me, but I’m good at it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">The truth is, we’re all
busy. We have so many options in our lives for work and entertainment, there’s
no way we could be bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">The problem is when my
busy-bee mentality gets in the way of my focus, which is something I must have
as a musician. I notice my focus wandering especially when I practice. I have
so many other things running through my mind that I struggle to quiet my
constant train of thought. Then I catch myself writing three emails in the
middle of a practice session – and I don’t even know how I got there!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Luckily I realized that I
had a problem – no, it did not take an intervention! I started trying out some
practicing techniques that would me focus on the task at hand: playing
beautiful music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I’m sharing these with you
so that you will benefit from these practice techniques. We’re all different
people, so some may work better than others. But one thing is for sure: we’re
all busy! So I challenge you to incorporate at least one of these techniques
into your practice routine this week. Which leads me to my first tip…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">1. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Build a Routine</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Wouldn’t it
be ridiculous if we slept at different times every day? Like you know you need
to get 8 hours, but you worked it into your schedule whenever it happened to
fit? That would be crazy! We need our sleep to be consistent and regular.
Humans like routine. So, why not use the same approach with your practice? If your
daily routine is to wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and warm up, soon it will
feel so natural, you won’t remember a time you didn’t warm up first thing in
the morning. And then you don’t need to waste any time or energy worrying about
when you will get your practice time in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">2. Schedule It</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-QztvVBBYk9m8k2DPI-pJR-1hz3B7f9uzxJhyyY0TvOA4Jra5mPpxlzEzvC8bgQ4uvDrKWWiPe0K0o4rWNHwBGekQwGKtNqGx-BjG-p2xo6-a3688gWM0ALJzwc5fRhPQH8aSh7r1YE1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-02+at+12.24.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-QztvVBBYk9m8k2DPI-pJR-1hz3B7f9uzxJhyyY0TvOA4Jra5mPpxlzEzvC8bgQ4uvDrKWWiPe0K0o4rWNHwBGekQwGKtNqGx-BjG-p2xo6-a3688gWM0ALJzwc5fRhPQH8aSh7r1YE1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-02+at+12.24.54+PM.png" height="262" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Times;">And why
stop at the morning? Try scheduling all of your practice sessions. If you’re a
person who uses a daily planner or the calendar on your phone, this one is for
you. I find that if I write down my practice time in my calendar, I am more
likely to stick to the plan and less likely to do something else instead.
Here’s an example of my daily schedule on Google Calendar:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> 3. Commit<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Don’t
half-ass your practice session. If you’re not totally in it, step back and
evaluate why. I make sure I fully commit by going through all of the important
fundamentals in my morning warm up: 8 minutes of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEz0ku-oXM4" target="_blank">Breathing Gym</a>, 2 minutes of
buzzing, long tones, slow slurs, fast slurs, articulation, high range, low
range, etc. Sometimes I catch myself wanting to skip the breathing exercises
and then I think, “What’s the point? You’re too good to spend time doing this
halfway. Either commit now or do something else.” If you know a method to achieve
superior practice and performance, why wouldn’t you follow it every time?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> 4. Make 1 Goal<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">So if
you’re having trouble committing to a practice session, design a goal for
yourself. There are three rules for this goal: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Your goal
must be:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times;">Specific<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times;">Measurable <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times;">Achievable</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
This is especially good if you have less than 30 minutes to practice. Here's an example of a good goal:<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">“In this
practice session I will practice my memorization of Bolero. I will divide the
excerpt into phrases and play each phrase once with music and once without. I
will repeat this process until 30 minutes have passed.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">My goal is
specific; it outlines the exact process that I will use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">My goal is
measurable; at the end of 30 minutes, I can report that I did it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Times;">My goal is
achievable; notice it didn’t say that I would memorize Bolero, because I don’t
necessarily know if I can do that in 30 minutes. I do know that I can play
phrases back and forth, with and without music. I set an achievable goal that
would take me closer to memorization. I am practicing my memorization in small
chunks so that it is more likely it will be memorized at the end of the
session. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Not only will
your goal direct your focus, but you’ll have the added bonus of feeling
accomplished at the end of your practice session. And who wouldn’t want that?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> 5. 10x10<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This is for
those mornings when I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> to get
some work done on the computer, but I also <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i>
to practice. I set the timer on my phone to 10 minutes, repeating. And then I
go! For the first ten minutes, I play my trombone. When the timer rings, I work
on my computer. Rinse and repeat. Once an hour, take a ten minute chunk to go
outside and run around in the sun. Then get back to it. This technique works
for 1-2 hour increments. It helps keep me focused because I have a sense of
urgency in everything I do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> 6. Metronome
ON<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Still getting
distracted? Take out your loudest metronome, turn it on, turn the volume all
the way up, and then don’t turn it off. Trust me, it’s really annoying to have
a loud click in your ear while you’re trying to check Facebook. It’s a good reminder
to get your head back where it should be: in the music. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sarah</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-27924970240731144722014-08-04T16:35:00.000-07:002014-10-02T12:42:08.120-07:00That's It! I've Got It!<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
Today, I had no epiphanies. I did not figure anything out today. Sort of...</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
Peter Pirotte is a friend of mine who recently won a job playing trumpet with the Navy Band in Washington, D.C. He was one of my roommates in Kansas City and probably heard me say, "I think I've figured it out...." at least every other day. I was constantly searching and having breakthroughs. At least I felt like I was. That made practicing exciting and it was all I wanted to do. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
I am always certain that I am going to find the answer to my "issues." Every time I try a different approach, I am sure it is going to be the magic one that fixes everything. It's really easy to keep pressing forward and get into practicing when you feel that way. It's like you're on the brink of a huge discovery that is going to change the world! Only, it never does.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
What it does is change your playing a little bit. And instead of there being a magic tip that will suddenly make you amazing, it is a painful process of minor (sometimes imperceivable) improvements. Those are easy to gloss over, which is why it is good to record regularly. I don't record as much as I should but I constantly have the realization: I couldn't do that two months ago...or last year.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
I will continue to search for those few magic secrets that are going to dramatically change my trumpet life knowing I will probably not find them. As with any magic, it's just more exciting to believe.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
So, my epiphany today was that I had no epiphany and that I have to keep on working. Like I said, it is easy when you're making huge improvements all of the time. We are not going to have days like that every single day and it is important not to define our musical self by one "bad day." Doug Reneau, another of my Kansas City friends who now plays in the Louisiana Philharmonic, said to me, "If a scientist has a failed hypothesis, he doesn't view it necessarily as a personal failure. It is merely something that did not work and provided some very helpful data. So you've got more to work with the next time. Practicing should be like that." </div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">
Happy Practicing!<br />
<br />
-Matt</div>
Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-51740614756888765232012-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:002012-10-10T06:45:45.075-07:00What the heck do you do with the Tuba?Last night was a new one for me. I booked a window seat on American Airlines for "Tuba Dimick". While I realize it sounds like Glen just got his new copy of the Sarah Palin Baby Name Book, it was actually part of our upcoming weekend in California. As the person that does most of the travel plans and reservations for the group, this is an issue that we've been wrestling with for some time now, especially as we seem lately to be spending more time out on the West Coast than in the past. <br />
<br />
The problem with the tuba (where to start?), of course, is that it's large. Extremely large. It won't fit in the overhead compartment. So the obvious answer is to check it under the plane. Unfortunately, these things seem to dent merely by breathing on them, and in order to provide even a modest amount of protection, an expensive Flight Case is required. <br />
<img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://www.netinstruments.com/pics/39175.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="240" /><br />
This adds a lot of weight to the instrument, and makes it even larger. Problem No. 1 is that even with the flight case, you're still living on borrowed time. At some point, the thing is going to fall off of a belt or out of the baggage cart and be damaged. Not fun. Problem No. 2 is that the airlines count the instrument now as being <u>both</u> oversize and overweight. While some carriers (i.e. Southwest) are good about keeping the costs to about $100 extra in total, others (i.e. Delta) can charge up to $375 <u>EACH WAY</u>. <br />
<br />
(we did manage once to keep the instrument from being overweight by casually resting an arm on the flight case while it was being put on the scale, miraculously resulting in the entire case weighing in at exactly 49.5 pounds! I'm sure the ticket agent knew exactly what we were doing but clearly she realized that tuba players have enough handicaps in life as it is and cut us a break on the weight charges)<br />
<br />
Problem No. 3 is once you reach your destination, we still have to haul around the stupid hard case, which also takes up the entire backseat of a car and is generally a huge pain in the tuckus.<br /><br />
So now, our new strategy is, whenever possible, just buy the tuba a seat on the plane next to Glen. I spent an hour on the phone last night with a very nice representative from American Airlines who had never done this before. Turns out they have a policy in the books for buying seats for cellos, but nothing about tubas. Go figure. But once we finally haggled over the details of why I shouldn't have to pay a phone booking surcharge when there's no website option for Tuba-As-Person, and why the 9/11 Security Fee probably doesn't apply here [obligatory WMD joke], it was done. Now we can bring a soft gig bag that is easy to carry and not feel stressed about instrument damage. The picture at the bottom is what's going to be happening, <u>except</u> (that's not Glen--just some guy Google Images pulled up, and we are NOT going to be bringing a hard case ON the plane. Fellow travelers from Indianapolis to San Francisco, rest easy--you won't have to sit behind that guy). <br />
<br />
-Alex<br />
<br />
p.s. We're on tour next week in Chicago and Wisconsin. Come out to see us if you're nearby! Schedule details on the website <a href="http://www.miraribrass.com/" target="_blank">http://www.miraribrass.com/</a><br />
<br />
p.p.s Our new cd, SPIRES, comes out on Saturday, 10/20!! Join us for the release party on that Saturday, 8pm at Lennie's Pub in Bloomington, or you can pre-order it from the website!<br />
<br />
<br />
<img height="480" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jxH1vH1zfmTTwzfhXht-Qpcb0E8k9cRyhdfQSd393RqsOVGEvsJouYTvn8ESgSuIvMuzvXtYxb_havV7U78y47v4wpSrDE7aLLHmmnTbMSjVT3g8pAFm8HMg_ooVRIPnJyXAzMXTCTg/s1600/IMG_4535.JPG" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="640" />Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-88874849653810233592012-06-08T08:04:00.000-07:002012-06-08T08:04:25.308-07:00From the other side of the world....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Right now, I'm in Thailand, 13000 miles and 12 time zones away from home. I've spent the last week or so on tour with the Black Bayou Brass, the faculty brass trio at my university (Louisiana-Monroe). I know that this has little to do with Mirari (and is in fact one of the few times all year when I can put aside quintet business and focus my attention completely on other projects) but this is my place to write and I hope some of you find this tangent interesting! We had an amazing time being tourists, performing, and working with high school and college students in and around Bangkok, and I thought I'd share a few things that I learned this week before showing a bunch of photos from the trip. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<u>Things I learned from Thailand</u><br />
<u> </u><br />
1) Thai students are really hungry. They have a tremendous thirst for knowledge and are willing to put in long hours and hard work in order to achieve their goals. I wish more American students had that level of hunger -- and the commitment to follow through instead of just talking about their plans.<br />
<br />
2) Having someone around who knows the city is <i>crucial</i>. We couldn't have done this trip without the amazing assistance of Daren Robbins, horn professor at Mahidol University, who in addition to setting up all the logistics on the Thai end chaperoned us around all week. The Thai language is incredibly difficult to learn and we absolutely needed Daren to tell taxi drivers where to go, help us order from indecipherable menus, and be a fantastic host and tour guide!<br />
<br />
3) Monitor lizards might look like small alligators, but are actually scared of people and pretty harmless. I saw lizards every single time I walked from the hotel to the music school and stopped to watch each of them. <br />
<br />
4) No matter what country in the world you're in, mention Kenny G and all the jazz students laugh out loud! <br />
<br />
<br />
Anyways.......on to some pictures!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxHJPDzl7DgLNaRN-ocMKEBvjfLUDzibxflZ7C7m6vzYydMTzldh9H7MER0OruSQFjJuvwAM1rIpMA99_N3_LKBF3PQrbuMG2aBWWofIbqtDtGd-W5BGuIhwrO20dj6FKfECXrS75EfLs/s1600/IMG_0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxHJPDzl7DgLNaRN-ocMKEBvjfLUDzibxflZ7C7m6vzYydMTzldh9H7MER0OruSQFjJuvwAM1rIpMA99_N3_LKBF3PQrbuMG2aBWWofIbqtDtGd-W5BGuIhwrO20dj6FKfECXrS75EfLs/s400/IMG_0582.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Bangkok from the Golden Mount. What a sprawl!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0xrqRCImfag85fLJgWvDF5fc8KBNgBMabegzQGKFMVecdh0THyLezAdHZeolOfq6l9g9ri1JP_cfcBIXVzqDwCGb-Rjb34RPUszfOMhS47DVXiMIWch51LIUzOslQz3jNvP4tmFndhGE/s1600/IMG_0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0xrqRCImfag85fLJgWvDF5fc8KBNgBMabegzQGKFMVecdh0THyLezAdHZeolOfq6l9g9ri1JP_cfcBIXVzqDwCGb-Rjb34RPUszfOMhS47DVXiMIWch51LIUzOslQz3jNvP4tmFndhGE/s400/IMG_0529.JPG" width="400" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant reclining Buddha at Wat Pho ("Wat" means Temple") This pictures doesn't quite capture the size of the it--60 feet long!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtsrDJ4zxNZL0au2tutuBx4RPvhCGeG7ud5MZ0-oQZJZttfP48QsKIY3jvI4E-4ZdwH1QBW6DrUjTpc9hJOUerKRWpArxQnlbVGgeqyluKL3VUHF-IUSjDFKC0bB3Vheqp0Pfyryc_9yr/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtsrDJ4zxNZL0au2tutuBx4RPvhCGeG7ud5MZ0-oQZJZttfP48QsKIY3jvI4E-4ZdwH1QBW6DrUjTpc9hJOUerKRWpArxQnlbVGgeqyluKL3VUHF-IUSjDFKC0bB3Vheqp0Pfyryc_9yr/s400/IMG_0476.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very small part of the amazing Grand Palace in Bangkok.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJrLNI9kw_2DXwqhvWBFj_hyphenhyphen5BZNz48AGMBOy6DtyjJfhAw98pMCmgq-BhVrYRf80RsL7H2aXHId7TBM4dywASS1ZTpDfaIvtUdgDYhLhxs9uJRkRcItEwcHejV0FnUH8Z0hpL5_-AD1z/s1600/IMG_0481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJrLNI9kw_2DXwqhvWBFj_hyphenhyphen5BZNz48AGMBOy6DtyjJfhAw98pMCmgq-BhVrYRf80RsL7H2aXHId7TBM4dywASS1ZTpDfaIvtUdgDYhLhxs9uJRkRcItEwcHejV0FnUH8Z0hpL5_-AD1z/s400/IMG_0481.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">24-karat gold. Covering the whole thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHy06jX1Z6inr0J4rux9NqcsTq3tIMoyXp3mapGd7FSMycfAtdxla1EibAh74wnNSdoMqUUiFFxCMWi_MZV74ecquvjIc9UVK6p28jUWcOU0NrW_O5UUEuQjtVNKANvWmZvxFBBWeK2QZf/s1600/IMG_0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHy06jX1Z6inr0J4rux9NqcsTq3tIMoyXp3mapGd7FSMycfAtdxla1EibAh74wnNSdoMqUUiFFxCMWi_MZV74ecquvjIc9UVK6p28jUWcOU0NrW_O5UUEuQjtVNKANvWmZvxFBBWeK2QZf/s400/IMG_0456.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monitor lizard! I think this is the one we named "Zeus"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3Nyg6KlchK0iIqgMmjWUPCY8d_x4ZyvalKPCj30OSJNygtGqVdy2yBJ3sB4yMrndSzhh7f7tkxgQN6eBDVgN77MIDlddzNqhLZFXYovMhQu25iQzUvj1zWXAOZBf89pCqBTrl-mQm5_f/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3Nyg6KlchK0iIqgMmjWUPCY8d_x4ZyvalKPCj30OSJNygtGqVdy2yBJ3sB4yMrndSzhh7f7tkxgQN6eBDVgN77MIDlddzNqhLZFXYovMhQu25iQzUvj1zWXAOZBf89pCqBTrl-mQm5_f/s400/IMG_0450.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of many similar views on the beautiful campus of Mahidol University, our home for the week in Thailand.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztsZbHDWIDugsca4-vMAlUlcLvXSkD6N_VHBPtsxTvk2Lv_pt16LxSeOlfVAG4I5lTZL375bNCsr7cJZkba4Wpmm3HW31rSgOQZ2BD8xp2w8A366l4PizPfAxJicjkDS17I3nAB0z7BoD/s1600/IMG_0530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztsZbHDWIDugsca4-vMAlUlcLvXSkD6N_VHBPtsxTvk2Lv_pt16LxSeOlfVAG4I5lTZL375bNCsr7cJZkba4Wpmm3HW31rSgOQZ2BD8xp2w8A366l4PizPfAxJicjkDS17I3nAB0z7BoD/s400/IMG_0530.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch! The dish in front is pineapple fried rice with raisins and shrimp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I could post pictures for hours, but our internet connection is pretty slow. Also, we need to catch our van to the airport for the long trip home. This literally will be the longest day of my life! Our flight leaves at 2:40am and arrives back in Houston at 4:30pm. During that time, we will be in the air and on layover in Doha, Qatar for around 26 hours!! #guesstimetravelispossible<br />
<br />
-Alex, pre-jet-lag <br />
<br />
<br />Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-89048976094876829102012-05-19T16:31:00.000-07:002012-05-19T16:31:25.074-07:00Fearless Thoughts from the Road<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Hi from Salt Lake City the
site of our latest Mirari Tour:) We are on our last day, concluding with
a concert tonight in a cathedral! YAY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Touring with the Mirari
Brass is one of my most favorite things to do. I get to travel to great
places and meet and perform with great people! This tour has certainly
been no exception. We've had a myriad of opportunities to work and
perform with fantastic and inspiring students and musicians, like those at
BYU-I, Blackfoot, Century, Herriman, Preston, and West High Schools. It
is also a great opportunity for me to continue my Fearless work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">One of the things I am
most grateful for is the fact I get to work in a safe, supportive environment.
My brass colleagues are some of the most supportive, encouraging people I
know. Going on tour is an opportunity to get out of the bubble we create
for ourselves and into a diverse world of people, traditions, cultures, and
ways of thinking. Although this can be a very enlightening and inspiring
aspect of touring, it can also be a challenging one, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I've always prided myself
on being comfortable with whom I am as a person. Having gone through (and
still going through:) Jeff Nelsen's Fearless training I have become more
comfortable with my musician. This is a great achievement for me and
certainly a welcomed success. YAY! Having said that, I have been
challenged many times on this tour to stick to whom I am and what I have to say
musically. How do you stay true to yourself when that definition of whom
you are is being challenged? I'm sure this is something many people face so I thought I would take a few minutes to write down my own experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">1. Be proud of who
you are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I've spent a lot of time
and energy developing myself. It's something I'll continue to do - move
forward. Although others may not agree and/or subscribe to my way of
thinking doesn't mean we can't learn from each other. In fact, I often
find new perspectives and am reminded that we all want to get to that place of
excellence. Whether the path to get there is the same or not is
irrelevant (as long as I'm not hurting anyone:).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">2. Focus on YOUR
product.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I've spent many years
getting to a place where I can tell stories and share experiences through
music. Those stories are my stories and as such are worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">3. See the best in
everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">As stated previously,
everyone gets to excellence in their own way. Trust that everyone has the
best of intentions. See the positive, or take the time to get to a point
where you can see the positive, in every interaction and experience. Take
what you need to move forward and leave the rest. That way, every
experience can be a positive, learning one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">4. Trust yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This has been a long
process for me. Trusting my thoughts and perceptions over other's.
I can learn from other people's perceptions but don't need to define
myself by them. It's my job to do that. It's my responsibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5. Surrender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This has always been a
hard one for me. I always felt like surrendering to something was being
weak or it bruised my ego. Not the case:) Surrendering to what you
can and can't control is being smart. Take the information you have and
make choices that work for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6. It's Music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Trust in the music.
That's ultimately why I'm here to begin with....from ever since I can
remember, I knew I wanted to be immersed in music - to have it be my life's
work. Well, it is now and I made that happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">7. I am my own
ultimate resource - remember this. Always.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Finally, HAVE FUN.
Always trust in what you know to be true while being open to new ideas,
perspectives, and experiences. My life has ALWAYS been richer thinking
this way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">To be clear, most of the
things I have mentioned in this post are my own doing. Someone doesn't
make me feel one way or another, I do. Trusting in my path and story
makes me a more effective person and a unique voice amongst many voices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">As I prepare for our final
concert of this tour I am reminded of a sentiment a really, smart, caring
teacher once shared with me - BE FEARLESS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Thanks for reading and
until next time..... YAY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-53919659562097675642012-05-06T18:54:00.002-07:002012-05-06T18:54:53.593-07:00Commencing on Reflection....err, I mean <b>"Reflecting on Commencement."</b><br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>922</o:Words>
<o:Characters>5260</o:Characters>
<o:Company>BSU</o:Company>
<o:Lines>43</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>12</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>6170</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, it’s here! Graduation Season, that is. It’s the time of year when several of our
friends, students, and/or family members are graduating from high school and
college. What an exciting time! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a professional musician, I have already played in (at
least) twenty graduation ceremonies, with plenty more to come, I’m sure. It is always an honor to be part of the
musical ensemble that provides all of the audio “entertainment” for this
important ceremony. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday I joined the Bemidji State Wind Ensemble, under
the direction of Dr. Erika Svanoe, in their performance at the 2012
Commencement Ceremony at Bemidji State University. We played a 45-minute concert before the
ceremony (which included sight reading parts of Orff's Carmina Burana for me!), played
Pomp & Circumstance for 25 minutes, accompanied a music student on the
national anthem, watched the 90-minute ceremony, and then played some fun exit
music by Alfred Reed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPO1qDjTN8io63N57mmgUWYzQGqdtcMMkYNaIKwPEe7nzYi-VgufY0xVEvkRY_G-SKS-_8PlShM1nblURIJnxBnpsNFWq4tK6YQbLne0sQ8RiKw6s0a3MDZPIUVgx1ZBP9G03zW2BCbzI/s1600/SanfordCenter_goal72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPO1qDjTN8io63N57mmgUWYzQGqdtcMMkYNaIKwPEe7nzYi-VgufY0xVEvkRY_G-SKS-_8PlShM1nblURIJnxBnpsNFWq4tK6YQbLne0sQ8RiKw6s0a3MDZPIUVgx1ZBP9G03zW2BCbzI/s320/SanfordCenter_goal72.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commencement was held at the new Sanford Center in Bemidji, which is the home turf for the <br />Bemidji Beavers Hockey Team. The removed the ice rink for the commencement ceremony:)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the actual ceremony part, I was moved -almost to
tears- several times. I wish I could say
that this was a first, but it always gets me!
Everybody is so happy for everyone else and some students have worked
very, <i>very</i> hard to graduate. This particular ceremony was special for me
because it was my first as a faculty member.
Not only was I happy for the students who walked across the stage, but I
also took pride in their education, because I was part of it. I knew <i>exactly</i> how hard they had all worked
to be able to graduate, so the smiles on their faces were that much more
meaningful. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had a lot of time to reflect during the ceremony (in
between commencement addresses, of course), and I’d like to share some of my
reflections with you:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. In most collegiate music programs, you really do have to
work hard to earn your degree. If you
are currently a high school student considering a career in music, please know
this: most people have to practice, study, practice, rehearse, and practice a
LOT in college in order to initiate a successful career, let alone
graduate. If you are considering a
degree in music, or you are already pursuing a degree in music, make sure that
you are willing to devote most of your day to your studies! If you’re anything like my fellow
quintet-mates and me, this is/was a much-welcomed academic situation<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> We love what we do, so we are so happy to
spend all of our day playing, learning about, or teaching about music. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. When I saw the proud faces of the graduates, I knew that
they had been preparing for this day for a long time. They didn’t decide to buckle down last week
and secure that high GPA. My question to
those of you who are in high school or a college music program (but have not
graduated with your bachelor’s yet) is: Have you committed to music at the
level that you need to graduate? These
graduates achieved success because they traveled on a path over the last 4 (or
more) years in which they made good choices, maintained a regular practice/study
regimen, and retained a balanced lifestyle.
Have you started this yet? If
not, what are you waiting for? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Ok, I will get down off my "hard work" soapbox. Another thing that I noticed was that almost
every one of the 1,000+ graduates had somebody in the audience cheering them
on. Isn’t that amazing? These students come from all over the (large)
state of Minnesota <i>and</i> several surrounding states AND even from a few other
countries! And almost all of them had
family in the crowd—even the international students! I also have very supportive parents, and
sometimes I forget how far they will go just to see me and show that they are
proud of me. If you have parents like
this, make sure you thank them and let them know that you appreciate their
support. I surely wouldn’t have gotten
this far without my parents!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. At one point I noticed that amongst all of the graduates
lined up to approach the stage, a middle-aged woman was in line, and she didn’t
have the normal black robe on. She was
dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She was
the last member of the group and the president soon illuminated who she was: in
February, her son, who was a senior, had passed away in February 2012. He would have graduated on Friday with his
class. She was there to accept his
degree for him. All of the
administrators gave her a tearful hug and she dignifiedly walked off the stage
with his degree. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well it was certainly a wake up call.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here we are, all so very happy and celebratory, and yet it
is easy to forget how privileged we are to not only graduate from college, but
to be alive! We take it for granted that
many of us live safe, comfortable lifestyles.
I for one, hope that I live to see 100, and might actually get a chance
to do that! I am very fortunate to be
able to live this life with freedom, and I get to pursue a career in music
too! It was a wonderful lesson about
cherishing life, all of the wonderful people that I know, and all of the great
opportunities that I have. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. Since I played euphonium at the commencement ceremony,
this meant that I got to play a lot more of the melody than I usually play! And
yep, I played the melody on Pomp and Circumstance (which by the way, is way
more exciting than the bum-bum-bum-bum accompaniment part if you ask me….). How many times
did I play that melody? At least 30. With each repeat I had the choice of how I
was going to play that phrase: would I simply make sure I played the right
notes at the right time, or would I make each note the most beautiful sound
that has ever come out of my instrument?
Let me tell you, it was a much more enjoyable experience for me if I
chose the latter. It is not easy to play
perfectly, but how will you ever achieve it if you don’t try? I owe part of this inspiration to two of my teachers: <a href="http://www.jeffnelsen.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Nelsen</a>, who has taught me a lot about Fearless Performance and <a href="http://www.peterellefson.com/" target="_blank">Pete Ellefson</a>, who has always upheld a very high level of excellence in his playing and teaching. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a wonderful reminder that music is only boring if we
decide that it is. If we choose to make
each new phrase the most beautiful musical creation possible, I promise you won’t
get bored, and your audience will surely appreciate it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. Well, I think that
will be enough lessons for today. Now…go
practice!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sarah</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-60820071286458736062012-03-05T19:28:00.000-08:002012-03-05T19:28:21.132-08:00Unusual GigsDuring our last tour, a student asked us about some of the strangest gigs we've ever played. Well, I spent this entire past weekend playing for the circus. <br />
<br />
On piano. <br />
<br />
To be technical, organ AND bass. <br />
<br />
Now, I've played piano for most of my life, but I typically perform in public once a year at the absolute most. Certainly not in front of the 30,000 or so people that flooded the Civic Center arena for 6 shows in three days. But I got a last minute call looking for someone who could play bass lines, read chord changes, and generally fake a whole bunch of musical styles very quickly. I guess that's me. <br />
<br />
We had one rehearsal before the first show. I showed up, got my book, and quickly realized that my parts were a very mixed bag. Some of them had bass lines, some melodies, most chord symbols, many handwritten, some illegible, and lots with markings scribbled all over them (some of which we followed and some that we didn't). Rehearsal wasn't quite long enough to cover everything so some of the music was left over to be sight read during the first show. And a couple of the tunes that we worked the hardest on ended up getting cut before the next morning's performance. <br />
<br />
Circus music doesn't stop! Especially during the first half of the show, we played nearly continuously for an hour straight. Clearly if I play this gig next year, I need to practice more piano beforehand because my hands and arms were SORE. When one tune ended, followed by a "Tada" chord for the performer, we usually had about 1-2 seconds to turn over the music and start the next piece. This was murderous during the first few shows when I didn't really have enough time to move around my pages, figure out what style the piece was is, and try to decipher my handwritten notes about the form. By the last day, though, I had memorized enough of the book to even look up from time to time and check out some of the performers. The shot below is the view over my stand before the show began. Under the crash cymbal, you can see Anna Louise, the dancing elephant (who is apparently very picky about her music and won't dance if the tempo is wrong). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n7_4BTKkYfwW7E6DRq89ppjR86HL_GHjW1brKQLy7gJJ6sAJS8kyL3YhW9jjtFAD33xoqiZUtktxHoye8IJKCKT1VbZ5VyHCddDoQQfb8ARIBHrjVogqLpJjq7q_JbRM-elLmvT0pXRy/s1600/IMG_1805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n7_4BTKkYfwW7E6DRq89ppjR86HL_GHjW1brKQLy7gJJ6sAJS8kyL3YhW9jjtFAD33xoqiZUtktxHoye8IJKCKT1VbZ5VyHCddDoQQfb8ARIBHrjVogqLpJjq7q_JbRM-elLmvT0pXRy/s320/IMG_1805.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It was definitely a fun experience, and ranks pretty high on the unusual gigs list for me. To be totally honest, I'm a bit glad I was on keys for this one. The trumpet book is brutally taxing (and the guys playing it did a terrific job), and with a couple of busy weeks coming up play lead on <i>Pines of Rome </i>and <i>Chicago</i> back-to-back, I was grateful to save my face. <br />
<br />
Now if only I could figure out where my weekend went.....<br />
<br />
-AlexMirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-59782864382840257872012-02-29T21:07:00.000-08:002012-02-29T21:07:17.371-08:00Small Slice of Humble Pie<div class="MsoNormal">So last week I had a student playing rather mechanically, lacking the depth and big picture phrasing that I was hoping for. I of course went through every method of training in the book, trying to draw the much-vaunted “story” out of the music. We discussed all sorts of creative thoughts, abstract and concrete. Nothing, nada, zilch. What finally worked? I printed out a picture of a burrito. A freaking burrito. Dude was hungry, and his eyes on the prize suddenly transformed him into Pavarotti. He played a gorgeous phrase without envisioning a single unicorn. Consider me pedagogically humbled.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Basic communication is something of which everyone is capable, until we train it out of ourselves. It’s only partly a gross generalization that musicians are socially stunted, as we look at the man behind the curtain, figure out the workings, and relearn how to “properly” express emotion. I find it ironic that by doing so we often disconnect ourselves from others. Many musicians I know hold themselves apart from mainstream society, heroically labeling themselves as misfits or enlightened or enlightened misfits.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, as a tuba player, I have a built in failsafe. You won’t find orchestra season brochure covers with pictures of tubas and roses. The roses would be dead and wilted, and instruments that can and do crush small children aren’t really romanticized. A recent article published about the theft of tubas pointed out that the tuba isn’t a sexy instrument. WHAT??? Er, oh yeah. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For tubists, our biggest risk is the following:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTZdgVS2WVm4TciKFGQz8eeQfdGZKZXzzff8HFYwNa9XyCZTMtAgbddDAkDhgbhu1KPUHe4gIAm68K4rvSaTj7EP1ESn2GCqsOoWXbYXJPPWO8dk1PD1ag4xyvIyDPfkXTWFHigojv5uK/s1600/arrested-development-gob-alliance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTZdgVS2WVm4TciKFGQz8eeQfdGZKZXzzff8HFYwNa9XyCZTMtAgbddDAkDhgbhu1KPUHe4gIAm68K4rvSaTj7EP1ESn2GCqsOoWXbYXJPPWO8dk1PD1ag4xyvIyDPfkXTWFHigojv5uK/s320/arrested-development-gob-alliance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What is my point, young pedagogues and performers? When trying to communicate with people, understand them, consider them, and by no means expect them to come to you. No matter how brilliant your ideas are, don't just assume they are universal; you’ll be a better musician/communicator if you prioritize rejoining the human race as a pupil rather than an instructor. I think I learned more driving a bus of drunks at 3 am (story for another time) about humans than any number of hours with a tuba in a practice room—go figure.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So keep the ivory tower, the cathedrals, the ultimate expression of human triumph, etc etc. But don’t forget the Mexican food. Even enlightened misfits have to eat.<o:p></o:p></div>Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-85378153227608553652012-02-16T05:17:00.000-08:002012-02-16T05:17:52.568-08:00Update from the roadHi everyone,<br />
<br />
We're in the middle of our of our Louisiana/Mississippi tour, and things are going really well! This tour was a special treat for me because I got to introduce my Mirari friends to the other half of my life, my terrific colleagues and students at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. (Not to mention not having to travel to get to the beginning of a tour---can't beat that for convenience!) We spent all day Monday at ULM, doing some lessons in the morning with brass students, then working with quintets and talking about music business in the afternoon. I've been so incredibly proud of the players in the student quintets--they have come such a long way in a short time to working on some tough repertoire like the Cheetham Scherzo and part of Eric Ewazen's Colchester Fantasy. It's a great honor to get to work with talented and engaged musicians such as yourselves! And thanks to my friend and colleague James Boldin for the nice writeup in his <a href="http://hornworld.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/brass-quintet-done-right/" target="_blank">HornWorld Blog</a>---definitely check it out if you haven't already.<br />
<br />
Tuesday we changed gears quite a bit and headed out to Elm Grove Middle School in Bossier City (outside of Shreveport). We spent all day playing for and working with Steve Turner's sixth grade students. These types of shows are so much fun to do because it seems like the students have an inexhaustible well of questions to ask (including asking Sarah in THREE straight classes, "How do you tongue so fast?") Yesterday, we did another residency at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Jessie held an inspiring workshop on Fearless Performance for the entire school, and gave all kinds of great information on enhancing the mental/emotional/spiritual side of your playing and how it can carry over to the rest of your life. Later on we did masterclasses and again heard some really great playing. It was a real treat getting to sit in on the ULL Faculty Brass Quintet rehearsal as well as hang out after our concert. I'm really glad to meet so many new friends there, especially since I live so close by! Thanks to Paul Morton for setting up the whole thing. <br />
<br />
In any case, we have to be on the road heading to Cecilia, LA today and Ocean Springs & Vancleave, MS tomorrow. I have 13 minutes to pack up, check out of the hotel, and load the car! <br />
<br />
See you next time,<br />
AlexMirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3717936264642729906.post-66080745454247690992012-02-11T09:00:00.000-08:002012-02-11T09:06:04.601-08:00Finding the BalanceYAY! This is my first blog entry! <br />
<br />
In planning a music appreciation class last semester on opera, I came across a great video of Henry Purcell's <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSVCL262gmU&feature=related" target="_blank">Dido's Lament</a></i> (<i>When I am Laid in Earth</i>). It was a short interview with Philip Sheppard discussing his experience with Jeff Buckley at the Meltdown Festival in 1995. I was incredibly inspired by Sheppard's thoughts and realizations about music and music making through this experience.<br />
<br />
I have always known I was going to be a musician. Music has always been my life. Most of my activities are centered around music and my career is music. Music makes me happy so, I choose to fill almost every second of everyday with music. When I graduated from high school I went to the Crane School of Music to be a music student. I took all sorts of classes, lessons, was in ensembles, taught, etc. I then went on to grad school for a Masters and a Doctorate and took more classes, lessons, etc. I was a perpetual student and pretty successful at it, too. Always learning and studying how to be a good musician. But, somewhere along the way I realized I had lost something that was pivotal to my success in becoming a great musician. I had gotten so caught up in becoming a great student and fulfilling all my coursework and other obligations, I had forgotten one important thing, why did I go into music?<br />
<br />
Hearing Philip Sheppard describe his experience working with Jeff Buckley struck a chord with me. Is it all about what you've <i>learned</i>? Is being a student and graduate of music studies the only course you need to become successful in the art and business of music? Hearing the haunting, melancholy voice of Jeff Buckley was a sure answer. No.<br />
<br />
I had worked so hard to make sure I had all the information I needed to be great. I spent hours in practice rooms and libraries. What I had lost along the way was remembering why I choose music. What I felt when I heard the horns in E.T. (the movie), Mahler's Adagietto (4th mvmt to Symphony No. 5), the <i>Kyrie</i> from Palestrina's <i>Pope Marcellus Mass</i>, sitting around our family piano singing <i>I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair</i>, sitting in the pews of a dark cathedral holding a candle and being transported by the ethereal voices of the choir, hearing my own voice as a musician, were the things with which I had lost touch. <br />
<br />
When working with students, I have them write down the piece on which they are working. Then, I have them assemble a list of things that an optimal performance of the this piece would include. When making these lists (including the ones I make for myself) 95% of the items are descriptors of beauty, inspiration, communication and connecting with listeners. In creating these lists, I have dusted off the feeling I have felt ever since I can remember when listening and being a part of music. I have realized that being a great musician means 50% learned information and 50% feel. <br />
<br />
I've never walked away from a concert saying, WOW, they can really play great 16th notes or they keep really great time. Although these things are<b> essential and required </b>for great music making, if we loose touch with the things music can allow us the space and safety to feel, what's left? <br />
<br />
Philip Sheppard said that even though he only spent about a half an hour with Jeff Buckley he thinks of him almost every day. Isn't that one of the things we all cherish about music? It's ability to attach itself to the soundboard or soundtrack of our lives. Being a great musician means knowing your facts and technique. It also means coloring those facts and techniques with the art of being human. Feeling.Mirari Brass Quintethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854251360479884829noreply@blogger.com3