Greetings!
So it's been quite a while since I posted on here. I've been trying to decide what to post for a couple days. The first thing that comes to mind is just to remind myself and anyone reading the value of focused, intentional practice. I was reminded today that students who consistently put in the work are the ones who consistently reap the rewards. In the professional gigging world that means that the folks who put in the work are the ones who get the calls for gigs. Or recording dates. Or any other means of advancing their craft and/or making money.
So why is it so often so difficult for people who aren't full-time performers to find the time to practice?
Personally, I know that when I come home from a day of teaching, I want to sit on the couch and drink a beverage with my dog by my side. That's all I want. The worst part about that is I am usually so tired from work and from listening to sound and noise all day the last thing I want is to make more sound. My ears are tired, at least as tired as the rest of me.
But wait, I'm a musician.
Not only am I a musician, I am a trombone player who loves his instrument. I know the value of a good intense practice session. I understand that consistent, focused practice does a great deal of good for my playing.
But sometimes I just can't do it.
Fortunately, I know there is an alternative, which brings me to the real point of this post: relaxed, free-flowing improvised playing.
When I am truly exhausted, I know I can't put forth the mental effort to really buckle down and practice. I learned this especially in my first couple years of teaching. I would bring my horn to school, teach all day, and either play at the end of the day or during my planning period. On the one hand, it was great to know that I could fit in practice wherever there was a spare moment, and in many ways I wish I had the little bit of extra time for that like I used to. But on the other hand, I completely blew a solo performance of a Bach Cello Suite in front of a small crowd at a church talent show (at my Dad's church) because I was trying to cram focused practice into somewhere it didn't fit. I couldn't put the mental effort into truly working through the technical demands of the piece, so it was only halfway prepared at the time of the performance. While I knew I could play the piece, and made it through, I made way too many silly mistakes, including the worst one of all - losing my place. I faked it well enough to sound like I was still playing Bach for the crucial second or two it took to find my place again, but it unnerved me such that I finished sounding far more worried than when I started out.
I swore I would never play a gig like that again.
Now, in many ways I can't avoid playing gigs that require squeezing in every last second of practice time regardless of my own fatigue or lack of focus. It's a part of the life of a musician, especially one that has a full-time job that isn't focused on playing the horn all day. Fortunately, for times when I'm not actively preparing something or working on a specific facet of my playing, I have a solution.
Picking up the horn and just relaxing while I play whatever happens to strike my fancy.
Yes, that sounds silly and ridiculously simple, but it's quite the change in direction. After spending so many years playing with such burning drive and intense focus about such minute aspects of my own technique and repertoire, I am far more interested in just playing for sound.
Sometimes that means I am playing music I have memorized, sometimes it's music I have worked on at some point, but more often than not it just means picking out something that sounds good at that moment. Now, personally, I prefer low notes and warm sounds, so a lot of what I improvise is geared in that direction, but sometimes it means playing some soaring lines and moderately intricate melodies. The best part is that I can pick and choose what notes are sounding good to me. I especially like to do this in a simple minor key. No fancy counterpoint or melodic phrasing, just some warm, soulful trombone playing to get the juices flowing. I particularly like to do this in big, empty rooms with a long decay so that I get the most feedback in real time.
Now, you might ask what the real benefit is to doing this. In some ways, it's just fluff - playing music that isn't particularly challenging and doesn't have a singular focus. But more than that it connects me with the trombone, it connects me with the inspiration I feel from time to time that wants to create something moving. It really helps me focus on my overall sound and feel for playing. I am a firm believer that a musician's sound is something they are continuously working on, otherwise it will get away from them in the most nebulous of ways. I want my sound to be as warm and relaxed as a hot tub filled with melted milk chocolate. Playing free and relaxed is the best way to achieve that - not endless drills and etudes, not mindless (or mind-numbing) scales and arpeggios - just focused but relaxed sound and letting the music flow like a river through my horn.
I hope that reading this might inspire someone to relax and enjoy the sound of their own playing. Perhaps a student will find a new passion for playing in trying to achieve their most free, relaxed playing while also creating something beautiful.
As for me, I have to go practice now. Happy playing!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A few truisms
Playing a gig yesterday reminded me of a few important truisms. We were playing outside in weather that was in the mid-90's, high humidity and very little breeze. To say it was an uncomfortable gig would be an understatement. The worst part was that we had just played a ridiculously hot indoor gig the night before. So here are a few nuggets that I gleaned from the experience, hopefully they will be of some use.
First, any time you play in a hot environment you have 3 things to keep track of. Sweat, hydration, embouchure grip. The more you sweat, the more uncomfortable you get, the more distracted you become, the more likely you are to make a mistake. Sweating also affects hydration. If you don't have enough water in your system you won't be able to do many physical things required to play. Making sure you are hydrated will allow you to stay cool via sweat, and keeps your body from reacting negatively to the heat. Plus hydration is always a helpful thing. Embouchure grip is crucial. Unfortunately it is affected by sweat and dehydration. If you don't have your usual grip on the mouthpiece you have nothing but trouble. The mouthpiece is your point of contact with the instrument. You need a secure grip (even if you play with a wet embouchure or slick mouthpiece) to ensure proper feedback as well as proper technique. When sweat gets in the way it is easy to lose the security of your chops. Make sure you have some means of cleaning yourself up (towel, handkerchief, something), as that could be the difference between being able to play and not making sound.
Second, air is crucial. This may seem obvious, as it is necessary in order to make sound. However, when things go wrong even a little bit the air is often the next thing to go. I'm not sure why this is true, but it definitely is. The longer I played the more tired I became, both physically and mentally, and I continually had to remind myself to focus on breathing. As long as I was taking full breaths and using good air support and posture I was fine. As soon as I started thinking how nice a dip in the pool would feel (which was maybe 30 feet away), I would start to slip just a little. Air vigilance is absolutely fundamental to what we do as wind players.
Third, know your body and what your body needs to function at its best. Doug Yeo (bass trombone for the Boston Symphony) wrote on his website that there are certain foods he cannot eat before a performance. I never put much stock in that beyond remembering not to drink milk any time I have to sing, but I am realizing more and more that it is applicable to me just as it is Mr. Yeo. This partly goes back to staying hydrated. I think that is a foundation to success and bears being mentioned again. Water is your friend! This also applies to beverages of an adult nature. I don't know any wind players who can enjoy an adult beverage and still be at the top of their game. I was reminded of that yesterday when I made the mistake of having a beer while eating a pre-gig lunch. Now I'm not usually one to do that but I thought we had enough time that I would be okay. It turned out that I did not have enough food in my stomach to absorb what I drank, so it affected me more than it normally would have. The difference may have only been 2-3% of what I was doing, but it was very distracting and bothered me that I made mistakes that I would not have otherwise made. I will not be making that mistake again (though hopefully no one other than myself noticed a difference).
So there you have it, the truisms that I have come up with for today. Hopefully they will be of some use to you. Happy playing!
First, any time you play in a hot environment you have 3 things to keep track of. Sweat, hydration, embouchure grip. The more you sweat, the more uncomfortable you get, the more distracted you become, the more likely you are to make a mistake. Sweating also affects hydration. If you don't have enough water in your system you won't be able to do many physical things required to play. Making sure you are hydrated will allow you to stay cool via sweat, and keeps your body from reacting negatively to the heat. Plus hydration is always a helpful thing. Embouchure grip is crucial. Unfortunately it is affected by sweat and dehydration. If you don't have your usual grip on the mouthpiece you have nothing but trouble. The mouthpiece is your point of contact with the instrument. You need a secure grip (even if you play with a wet embouchure or slick mouthpiece) to ensure proper feedback as well as proper technique. When sweat gets in the way it is easy to lose the security of your chops. Make sure you have some means of cleaning yourself up (towel, handkerchief, something), as that could be the difference between being able to play and not making sound.
Second, air is crucial. This may seem obvious, as it is necessary in order to make sound. However, when things go wrong even a little bit the air is often the next thing to go. I'm not sure why this is true, but it definitely is. The longer I played the more tired I became, both physically and mentally, and I continually had to remind myself to focus on breathing. As long as I was taking full breaths and using good air support and posture I was fine. As soon as I started thinking how nice a dip in the pool would feel (which was maybe 30 feet away), I would start to slip just a little. Air vigilance is absolutely fundamental to what we do as wind players.
Third, know your body and what your body needs to function at its best. Doug Yeo (bass trombone for the Boston Symphony) wrote on his website that there are certain foods he cannot eat before a performance. I never put much stock in that beyond remembering not to drink milk any time I have to sing, but I am realizing more and more that it is applicable to me just as it is Mr. Yeo. This partly goes back to staying hydrated. I think that is a foundation to success and bears being mentioned again. Water is your friend! This also applies to beverages of an adult nature. I don't know any wind players who can enjoy an adult beverage and still be at the top of their game. I was reminded of that yesterday when I made the mistake of having a beer while eating a pre-gig lunch. Now I'm not usually one to do that but I thought we had enough time that I would be okay. It turned out that I did not have enough food in my stomach to absorb what I drank, so it affected me more than it normally would have. The difference may have only been 2-3% of what I was doing, but it was very distracting and bothered me that I made mistakes that I would not have otherwise made. I will not be making that mistake again (though hopefully no one other than myself noticed a difference).
So there you have it, the truisms that I have come up with for today. Hopefully they will be of some use to you. Happy playing!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Gotta Love Mark Twain
"If it please your neighbor to break the sacred calm of night with the
snorting of an unholy trombone, it is your duty to put up with his wretched
music and your privilege to pity him for the unhappy instinct that moves him
to delight in such discordant sounds."
-Mark Twain (as quoted by Dr. Tom Gibson - http://trombonelessons.com/GeneralArea.html)
snorting of an unholy trombone, it is your duty to put up with his wretched
music and your privilege to pity him for the unhappy instinct that moves him
to delight in such discordant sounds."
-Mark Twain (as quoted by Dr. Tom Gibson - http://trombonelessons.com/GeneralArea.html)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
New name...
Ok, so I changed the name of the blog. I think "The Tao of Trombone" is a much nicer name, and lends itself to a much higher caliber of writing from me. Here's to hoping that works out.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Advertising
So after I spent time wondering about how to reach out to students, I ran across a flyer for a flute teacher. Posted on the mailboxes outside my townhouse. And I thought "Hmmm, that's a thought...." and dismissed it. A few days later, I saw the same flyer on a bulletin board at the entrance of a nearby neighborhood. And I decided it was time to do what all great teachers do - steal the idea.
After downloading a template from Word, I set about tweaking it for my own use. I will admit that the biggest obstacle was figuring out how to make the tear-off tabs at the bottom oriented vertically. I do believe that the secret to doing this is to create several individual text boxes, which can be oriented however you need them. I'm so glad that I had to download a template to figure this out.
Anyway, I figured that the internet might benefit from my efforts, so I am attaching a link to my flyer. Notice that it has my email address on it, but not my phone number. If someone from Southern Maryland were to come across it and want lessons, they can get in touch with me through email (which is the best way regardless) but hopefully it will minimize any phone troubles.
http://natebone.webs.com/Flyer2.pdf
You may also notice that this link takes you to my website, which is still very much a work in progress. Take a look if you'd like. Feedback is always welcome.
After downloading a template from Word, I set about tweaking it for my own use. I will admit that the biggest obstacle was figuring out how to make the tear-off tabs at the bottom oriented vertically. I do believe that the secret to doing this is to create several individual text boxes, which can be oriented however you need them. I'm so glad that I had to download a template to figure this out.
Anyway, I figured that the internet might benefit from my efforts, so I am attaching a link to my flyer. Notice that it has my email address on it, but not my phone number. If someone from Southern Maryland were to come across it and want lessons, they can get in touch with me through email (which is the best way regardless) but hopefully it will minimize any phone troubles.
http://natebone.webs.com/Flyer2.pdf
You may also notice that this link takes you to my website, which is still very much a work in progress. Take a look if you'd like. Feedback is always welcome.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Trombone Shopping... Or, How to Deal With a Salesman Who Thinks He Is Hot Stuff.
So I went trombone shopping with one of my students yesterday. The picture I had posted was at Baltimore Brass in Catonsville. We played a lot of instruments, and I wished I had brought my tuba mouthpiece. The guy helping us was great, and it was a very good experience. In the end, she chose a Conn 88HO, which played very well. Just to be sure we had tried all the options, we decided to also go to Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Wheaton. I've heard many wonderful things about it and how great everything is there and what a fantastic store it is for musicians.
What a load of crap.
I have never been so immediately irritated by a salesman in my life. He was snarky, somewhat rude, and oh so superior. I almost walked out after about 30 seconds, when he told me that he didn't have anything we hadn't tried (in a much more glib manner). He then proceeded to have my student try several horns, all were out of her price range, and tell her all the things that the shiny Getzen she was holding would do for her that the Conn would not. Which is beyond not true. "Well, yes, there are some professional symphony musicians still playing Conn trombones..." Yeah, guys like the London Symphony are so old school and refuse to play newer, more modern, more expensive trombones, right? Wrong! Buying the right trombone is about choice, and going for the sound and feel that is right for you. Yes, I play a very nice Shires. No, it's not because I just wanted to have the most expensive horn I could get my hands on, it just happened to be the one that felt and sounded right after 2 years of playing all kinds of instruments.
Good for my student, she actually stuck with the Conn she had picked, and I think it was a very good choice for her.
The interesting thing to me was that the salesman was much less snarky after I played a couple of the horns and he realized I might know what I was doing. Jerk.
So the bottom line is that Baltimore Brass and Dillon Music (where I got my Shires) will be getting my business, and Washington Music Center will not. And I plan to stand by that.
What a load of crap.
I have never been so immediately irritated by a salesman in my life. He was snarky, somewhat rude, and oh so superior. I almost walked out after about 30 seconds, when he told me that he didn't have anything we hadn't tried (in a much more glib manner). He then proceeded to have my student try several horns, all were out of her price range, and tell her all the things that the shiny Getzen she was holding would do for her that the Conn would not. Which is beyond not true. "Well, yes, there are some professional symphony musicians still playing Conn trombones..." Yeah, guys like the London Symphony are so old school and refuse to play newer, more modern, more expensive trombones, right? Wrong! Buying the right trombone is about choice, and going for the sound and feel that is right for you. Yes, I play a very nice Shires. No, it's not because I just wanted to have the most expensive horn I could get my hands on, it just happened to be the one that felt and sounded right after 2 years of playing all kinds of instruments.
Good for my student, she actually stuck with the Conn she had picked, and I think it was a very good choice for her.
The interesting thing to me was that the salesman was much less snarky after I played a couple of the horns and he realized I might know what I was doing. Jerk.
So the bottom line is that Baltimore Brass and Dillon Music (where I got my Shires) will be getting my business, and Washington Music Center will not. And I plan to stand by that.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Just finished a gig...
And it got me thinking. How is it that potential students get in touch with private teachers? I know in some cases it's a classified ad, in some cases it's word of mouth, and sometimes it's just being in the right place at the right time. But I suppose what I'd really like to know is how we private teachers can best make ourselves available to potential students.
Case in point: Tonight at the gig I was playing, a family was listening to the music, and between songs, mother and daughter came over and were very excited to get to talk to the trombone player. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of a set, and I couldn't just stop and chat with them (as much as I would have liked to). I told them that I would be thrilled to talk to them once the set was over, and they went back to where they had been standing. To my dismay, they ran out of patience three songs from the end of the set. I got a distinct sense that if I had the chance to talk to them I could have gained a student. Unfortunately, it looks like I will never know.
I seem to have this problem continually. I meet students who would be good candidates for lessons, but cannot seem to get beyond that initial meeting. Or I know that there are students out there, but cannot seem to connect with them. I would love to see potential students connected with teachers so that they could benefit from such a relationship.
I feel that too many students are missing out on their potential (or at least are greatly delayed in realizing it) due to not having a private teacher or mentor. Personally, I was a senior in high school before I started taking lessons. From the very first lesson I felt like I was discovering just how little I truly knew and how far I could go. My first teacher was very good at not only helping me figure out how to play something but also in seeing where it could go from there. Once I got into college and studied with several more teachers, I found that of all the classes I took I looked forward to lessons the most. I have always wondered where I could have gone if I had started taking lessons earlier. Perhaps I would have gotten frustrated or bored, but I think it far more likely that I would be an exponentially better musician than I am now (despite two degrees).
But again, I think that the issue is truly finding ways to connect students with private teachers. And I am open to any suggestions on how to make that happen.
Case in point: Tonight at the gig I was playing, a family was listening to the music, and between songs, mother and daughter came over and were very excited to get to talk to the trombone player. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of a set, and I couldn't just stop and chat with them (as much as I would have liked to). I told them that I would be thrilled to talk to them once the set was over, and they went back to where they had been standing. To my dismay, they ran out of patience three songs from the end of the set. I got a distinct sense that if I had the chance to talk to them I could have gained a student. Unfortunately, it looks like I will never know.
I seem to have this problem continually. I meet students who would be good candidates for lessons, but cannot seem to get beyond that initial meeting. Or I know that there are students out there, but cannot seem to connect with them. I would love to see potential students connected with teachers so that they could benefit from such a relationship.
I feel that too many students are missing out on their potential (or at least are greatly delayed in realizing it) due to not having a private teacher or mentor. Personally, I was a senior in high school before I started taking lessons. From the very first lesson I felt like I was discovering just how little I truly knew and how far I could go. My first teacher was very good at not only helping me figure out how to play something but also in seeing where it could go from there. Once I got into college and studied with several more teachers, I found that of all the classes I took I looked forward to lessons the most. I have always wondered where I could have gone if I had started taking lessons earlier. Perhaps I would have gotten frustrated or bored, but I think it far more likely that I would be an exponentially better musician than I am now (despite two degrees).
But again, I think that the issue is truly finding ways to connect students with private teachers. And I am open to any suggestions on how to make that happen.
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