Repertoire Write Up

1. This year I found I developed mostly range wise, at the beginning of the year I struggled for a D then just a few weeks ago I hit the D an octave above that. I have really worked hard on bringing my dynamic levels to makes sure I am in the background when I need to be and bring the melodies out.
2. I struggle rhythmically, I often forget to count when I'm playing and only remember when I'm holding longer notes and when i have long breaks. I struggled through some of the Chillers and Thrillers parts in the Darth Vader section trying to get the dotted eighth sixteenths correctly. I also struggled trying to stop my lip from popping up and out of the embouchure, I have struggled for the last three weeks for that and I think I have control of it now.
3. My greatest musical highlight this year was Mariachi Band. It was a lot of fun playing in a smaller group. I enjoyed playing with my friends on a song that was fantastic and performing it days after first getting it was a bit of a thrill too if not a little scary. I also had a lot of fun playing at Zeller's with Aaron and Mr. Stevenon. Again it was a lot of fun to perform in a smaller group with a group of people that I feel very comfortable around.
4. I feel that the band is very strong when it comes to playing musically. Sometimes notes and rhythms are missed but I feel as a whole the band really sounds like music. I felt that this came through especially at National's where I thought we sight read very well and it really came together nicely even though it was our first time playing it. I feel sometimes that band struggles at commitment. Almost monthly people were getting in trouble for not practicing and when told what the band needed to do to get better 95% of the band members would say practice but then only maybe 20% actually would. I felt that this improved with the addition of the practice blogs but still not everyone was practicing on a regular basis. The most annoying part was listening to people complain at festivals about how we should have done better and how we deserved higher than we got when very few of them were prepared to do anything about it. I think over the past four years a mentality set in that some people obviously weren't going to practice so some of the people who would've practiced said why bother if the other people are going to. I always felt this way about the band from the beginning.

Practice Blog

Today I practiced for an hour and a half. I started with mouthpiece blowing fifths as quietly as possible. I then worked Schlossberg 11, 36, and 18. I can do all the keys for 36 but I need to work on C # and F#. For 18 I need to work on the higher range part. I then played through the exam stuff. I kept missing the D# in the chromatic starting on B but eventually worked through it. I then worked on the scale of a and thirds and have that down . I need to work in the rhythm study on tonguing all the sixteenth notes more clearly, i might need to slow it down a little to do it without double tongueing. I then played around a little on My Funny Valentine on Flugel just for kicks. I found that the one part where it jumps up to the E from the lower F came really easily. I then did Suite in F major by Lloyd Webber, the first movement. I need to work the rythm to get it right through the five four bar. I then played Rondo for Lifey. In that piece I need to work on the key change, I keep forgetting that its in C and keep playing B flats. I finished the night off with the Haydn concerto which was proabaly the best i played it this week, I worked really hard to hit all the trills and dynamics and it sounded really musical.

Practice Blog

Today i practiced an hour and a half. i again started with 2 minutes of mouthpiece blowing. I then did studies 11 and 36 from the Schlossberg book. I did Clarke 3. I then finished with the exam stuff still need articulation work on the rhythm study and G flat chrmoatic. I then finished with the first page of the Haydn.

Belated Practice

This practice blog is for Saturday, May 30th. I practiced for an hour and a half today. I started again with mouthpiece blowing, as quietly as I could and I can feel a difference from before it gets quieter faster and easier. I then did 11, 36 and 18 from the Schlossberg book. In number 18 i need to work on the higher range staying steady. I then played the exam material again. The chromatic scales im stil;l struggling on A flat and G flat. I have all of the stuff in the key of A mastered , scale , thirds and study. i need to work the articulation in the rythm study along with the tie of the quater note to the 16 th.

Belated Practice

This blog is for the date of Friday, May 29th. Today i started out with 20 minutes of mouthpiece blowing. I was doing intervals as quietly as i possibly could to build lip strength. I then did studies 11 and 36 from the Schlossberg book. I worked these quesitly as well, in 36 i need to work in C# major key as well as B major. I then did the exam stuff. I need to work on the chromatic starting on g flat, i also need to work on the articulations in both studies. I have both the scale and the scale in thirds down for A major.

Practice Blog

Today I practiced for an hour and thirty minutes. I worked on lip slurs for about twenty minutes then did lines 1 and 2 of study 14 from the Shlossberg book. I need to work line 2 more lyrically. I then did Clarke 3,4. Then lastly i did the Haydn Concerto. I got up to the part right before the high E flat, I feel I need to work the parts before more musically and lyrically

Practice Blog

Today i practiced for an hour. I did half an hour hour of low lip slurs to try and strengthen my lip while playing properly. I then did Clarke studies 4 and 2, I like to work on the lower register on number 4 to try and keep it quiet and still hold the pitch. I then did the 2nd study from the Charlier book, I always miss the rhythm at the begninnng of the second line i turn the 3 eigths into sixteenths. Followed by a little bit of the Haydn.

Practice Blog Recovery Time

Today i practiced and hour and a half. I started with 40 minutes of really slow really quiet lip slurs in the lower register with key focus on setting up properly and trying to get that stupid thing my lip does under control. That was followed by about 20 minutes of Clarke studies 2 and 3 nothing higher than a 3rd space C because as I get higher I notice that my lip starts to revert to that stupid thing it does, those were also done lightly and quietly with as little pressure on the lip as possible. I then did a study from Advanced Studies for Trumpet and Cornet by Aaron Harris. I'm doing study 49, it's in c minor and I'm trying to stay in the beginning 24 or so bars of the piece to keep out of the higher register. I then did the second study from the Charlier book up to where it changes keys. I played around on this a little and didn't really like how it sounded then played it on flugelhorn and I like it alot better. I then finished with the Haydn only about the first page or so where it only goes up to an A i was really trying to get the articulation down.

Practice Log

Today I practiced an hour and twenty minutes. I started with Clarke 4 which I think is good to start because I start low and quiet and really get the lip buzzing. Then did Clarke 3 from low G to E. Then did major scales chromatically from C to C and then just went higher after the C and hit a D for the first time and then got up to an E flat for the first time. I then did the A flat test stuff. Then I worked the Charlier 14 about 4 times to try and get it faster and more accurate every time I find i slow down on the trill like parts. I then ran through the first page and a half of the Haydn once stopping right before the run up to the E flat.

Belated Practice

On Saturday I practiced an hour and fifteen minutes. I started with Clarke 2 all of them which i find is an easy warm up til the higher ones. Then all scales major and minor, major C to C and minor a to a. Then went and did the first 4 studies from the Clarke 4 and a few from Clarke 3. I then practiced the A flat scale, and scale in thirds along with the study for the test. I then moved onto Charlier 14, which I did quicker which made getting through it easier. I'm getting more and more of the G flats in Charlier 2 but the D flats I still miss quite often. Then to the Haydn first movement, I got a little bit farther through it but I still find I'm tiring after only a few tries through.

Belated Practice

On Friday I practiced an hour and a half. I played through Clarke's 2, 3 and 4. I then did chromatic scales major and minor starting major from C to A then minor A to F sharp. I then did Charlier studies 14, which I sometimes have trouble getting through all the way I usually tire and need a break, and then Charlier 2 which I find I keep forgetting the D and G flats and only the first 24 bars. I then worked on the Haydn Concerto. I got throguh all the first page and about half the second page. I find the range is tiring before I can get very far by the time i do what i can about 4-5 times my lip can't hold up the long G's and A's.

Practice Blog

Today I practiced for an hour and a half. I started with Clarke 4, the whole tone trills really low and quietly and as controlled as i could really focusing on airflow. I then did my audition pieces each twice and then back to Clarke for all of number 2 where again all about quiet and control. Then back to audition pieces 4 times each. Then all major and minor scales chromatically up to B flat major. I hadn't practiced in a few days so i didn't want to strain myself on range. I then went back to audition pieces twice more each.

Pracitce Blog

So today I practiced an hour and a half. I started with Clarke 4, then ran each of my audition pieces twice. Then I did all of Clark 2 which took about ten minutes i tried to get them as quickly and yet as quietly as i could. Then went back to the audition pieces ran them twice in reverse order this time which is study, sarabande then sonata. Then did all my major scales from C to C had a big brain fart on the e sharp in the f sharp scale and was forgetting what I was doing on the way back down a few times. Then ran my audition pieces forward ( sonata, sarabande study) then ran my extra recital pieces, preludio, trumpeter's lullaby then my funny valentine.

Not So Belated Practice

This is the blog for Sunday April 12. I practiced for about an hour and 20 minutes. Opened up with Clarke 3 for about 10 minutes. Then i ran each audition piece twice then did my major scales chromatically from C to C and had still a little bit of a stumble on F sharp and B but got through. Then did each audition piece again three times and did all my minor scales chromatically from A to A and messed up still again on g sharp. I then did each of my audition pieces twice then my funny valentine on flugel, and my other recital piece Preludio.

Super Belated Practice

For Saturday April 11. Today i practiced an hour and 15 minutes. I started with Clarke 3 and then did my 3 audition pieces. I ran each of those twice then did Clarke 3 for about 10 minutes then did each audition thing twice again then did all my minor scales chromatically from A to A, I stumbled a little bit on g sharp but that was it. Then did my audition pieces each one more time.

Practice Log

Today I practiced an hour and a half. I warmed up on a few number two Clarke's and then ran my audition stuff. the sonata, sarabande and study, about 6 times. I'm trying to get the tempo up on both the study and sonata to make both of them easier to get through and on the sarabande I'm trying to get the opening a little softer and maybe try and keep it a little slower for feel. In between sets I ran my major scales chromatically from C up to A. F sharp gave me a little trouble i get hitting a naturals on the way back down but worked through it.

Practice Log

Today i practiced for an hour. I worked Clarke Etudes 3 i only get through the first 2 pages of it. I did all my minor scales today from low A and up chromatically. I then did the Holst piece and worked the first movement in A and right off the beginning.

Practifce Log Belated

This post was for yesterday, April 7th. I practiced for an hour and fifteen minutes. I did the clarke studies, the second ones where its the scales going up a third and such and tried to get those under a breath I'm getting more and more every time, i still struggle with B and D flat still and the low A. I then did all my major scales up to C along with arpeggios. I then did my studies I worked 1 and 14. I'm still working 1 in the transition part otherwise the rest of it's pretty good. 14 I'm still trying to get 14 up to speed I find it a long blow.

practice

Today I did an hour and a half of practice. I practiced Clarke's 3rd studies trying to get under one breath still can't do it was struggling with ones that required third valve alot today. Did scales major and minor chromatically and arpeggios up to C. Played out of Charlier book study number 14 trying to get the kinda trilly like things down, and study number one trying to get more of it under fewer breaths. Practiced Holst as well movements 1 and 3 ( i dont play in 2)

Today i put in an hour and a half, i worked my Clarke studies #2 trying to get them under one breath got a few mainly c g f and b flat but the others i only get through about 1 and half way through the repeat and need to breathe. Did all minor scales chromatically needed a few attempts at f sharp minor and g sharp minor. Worked the Bourdogni transposition study number two tried to get the part where it moves into a fifth above. Did Charlier studies 1, 2 and 14. For 1 I was trying to get that one articulation down, 2 I have just started doing and fourteen im trying to speed it up so it doesnt take 4 minutes to get throuhg. Finally worked the Handel Sonata with the recording to try and get it nice and even, it was a little harder when done faster.

So everyday I practice an hour an a half of the same material everyday with 15 minutes of lip slurs and long tones then 10 minutes of clarke and 15 minutes of scales then 20 minutes of studies then 25 minutes of pieces followed by a 5 minute warm down.

Practice Log

Today I warmed up with 15 minutes of lip slurs and long tones. Then ten minutes of Clarke Studies, I need to work more on the D flat third study. I then went to 15 minutes of scales, the F sharp minor two octaves. Then I did 10 minutes of the first study from the Theo Charlier book and then 10 minutes of the sixth study from the same book. In the first one I need to work the middle section where it changes from D to E flat. I then did my audition pieces for 25 minutes and then a lip slur 5 minute warm down