Ah!

So during my lesson with Josh this past Thursday I'm starting to truly understand how to control my air. It's been sucking lately and I think it's because I'm not thinking about it enough. Eventually I know that I will get control of the way I let out air, "like a garden hose" is how Josh states it. Just gotta get my behind in the practice room a little more and just work on breathing. OH and I need a metronome, if anybody finds one cheap that would be fantastic.

Just throwing it out there...

When is it good to practice? I think any time is good, but really does it help if you are tired and don't really focus on the music? I ran through some stuff today and I need to do a little penny gaming on a few spots on stuff that I've now been on for almost 2 weeks now. I believe that trying to practice and getting through practice are two different ways of practice: trying means you want to practice, and getting means you want to just run over things and put the instrument down. I felt like today I did a little of both, it seemed like I could have done more but I did work over some troubled areas so I didn't feel like complete crap.

What was I talking about?

It seems to me that we all need a small break, and fortunately it is coming our way in a couple of weeks. Yes I mean spring break, and I'm sure as everybody knows, it won't look like spring which is kind of depressing but it's still a time for break. We've had the days off school, which were a pain, and now it seems that we as musicians are wanting to give up what we practice. Heck I can't say much because I'm just a freshman but still some of us know that it isn't good to practice when you are mad about something. If you go into the practice room with an attitude that isn't healthy you're gonna sound like crap, plain and simple. I've had a couple of practices and a lesson or two where I thought that and it didn't pay off. My simple advice is, if you don't feel that practice is going to do well then do something else because obviously your mind is not in the game. You and only you can fix that problem in your head, and this past week I've had my share of problems as I know everyone else has, and it can be hard to focus on anything. Overall everyone who is not only in studio but in the Music program knows that the only reason we do what we do is because we are good at what we do, we did not just pick up an instrument or begin singing yesterday and be comparable to Carol J. or Joe A. it's that simple. The next time you feel like crap and are about to go practice and have the mind that you won't do well just do this one thing. Don't practice go do something fun for a while, video games, a movie, read a book, ride a bike, listen to other music, etc... get your mind off of what is bugging you and later that day go into the practice room refreshed and ready to play.

Thinking about Practice is Practice?

I just got to my grandparents house and am doing some much needed laundry and I wonder, does thinking about practice a form of practice? I know all I've had this week is like an hour and a halfish practice, and that isn't good. But hey I sure as hell won't make it sound bad tomorrow at lessons with Josh. Plus my solo sounded AMAZING while I was in the practice room so hopefully it sounds the same on friday!

Comedic music: A true music?

I've been thinking and listening to some off the wall charts by some famous musicians and I thought: Is this type of music considered a true form of music? I think of all the bands I like that do nothing but make music for comedy purposes. Tenacious D, Stephen Lynch, Weird Al Yankovich, Frank Zappa are a few people to name that have succeeded at becoming infamous when it comes to making music that is otherwise "subjective" to listeners. So my question is to you, do you think that this type of music should be called music, and why?

Interesting enough

So today I was doing an article review for my World Civilization II class, when I really felt like listening to some music. So I did my normal thing and went to youtube and just started listening to bands I was in favor of hearing. As I listened to them I figured it was a pain in the neck just to have to click every 3-4 minutes just to hear a new song. Then I remembered a friend of mine talking and using an online radio "station" called Pandora Radio. This radio is awesome! You put in a band or song and they give you the types of songs that are equal and just as amazing in that sense. You only get an allotted amount of skips so use them wisely! Overall this website is just amazing a good way to listen to new, or old, music that you have never heard or just like to hear.

Time to think

So this past week was quite interesting enough as it can be, I have been getting over a stupid cold I've had since Tuesday and haven't had a chance to really blow on the horn too much. But Thursday I decided no matter how crappy I sound that I would get through my lesson that I would take what I got no matter what. So I played and to my surprise I did well on the Rochut, regardless my solo still needs some definite polishing for next week. And this weekend is going to be quite odd for me so I'll try to get two more posts in this week.

Time for the new

So this semester ain't going to bad so far, and I stress the word so, and I've started to really learn a lot from the lessons I've had and seem to know that I am hopefully going to get better as this semester works on through. Obviously there are some stuff I really have to get to work on, especially time management with my other degree studies. I try what I can with the time I got, and hopefully will be able to see some major improvement this remaining few months.

Beatboxing with the flute

You may be thinking, oh boy this can't be good. Well hopefully this video will and can prove you wrong. This guy is amazing, look at his other links too after watching this one. Oh, and thanks Josh for the help on Vocalise!

Rochut

This website leads to a very in depth explanation of the works known as Rochut. It was a very ready read for me, so you guys shouldn't have any problem reading it. This probably also gives you more respect for those Rochut pieces.http://www.trombone.org/articles/library/viewarticles.asp?ArtID=197