Thursday quote
One can live without music but not so well. -gershwin
Bud Herseth
Never practice- always perform.
Sounding Taps
Many times people ask what the best part of my job is. Without a doubt, it is when I am called to play Taps. We don’t do it as often as you may think, and when we do, there is a rotation that happens at work between myself and the other trumpet players. Today was my turn. A Senior Airman from Beale AFB – that’s all I knew about him – and often, that is more than I usually know. I show up, get into position before the family arrives, standby, sound Taps, and then depart with the Honor Guard. I’m usually gone before the ceremony is completely over.
Today was a little different. The San Joaquin National Cemetary is about 2 and a half hours away from Travis AFB. The funeral is at 2pm, so I pick up a government van at 1030 and make the long drive down. As soon as I arrive, I check in with the Honor Guard NCOIC and he tells me “Lets give him what he deserves.”
It’s often the most difficult part of the job as well. Stand around for up to an hour, and then play one of the most solemn set of notes you will ever play. It’s powerful. It makes people cry. It makes people proud.
Maintenance Mode
It’s a unique time in my professional world where there is not too much on the horizon… a concert band tour in August, a brass quintet tour in September, a couple of gigs in October and then a short break until Holiday caroling and Christmas shows. I can’t remember ever having a “break” like this in the past two years so I figure it’s a good time to shed some issues in my playing … so we enter the Maintenance Mode! I’ve tried to make a comprehensive list that covers all of my bases and I am sure there are things that are missing — and I am sure this list will change as I fall into this new routine. Hopefully, I’ll be able to quickly determine where I need to spend the most time and things will start falling into place.
So here goes Matt’s Maintenance Routine:
A. Daily Fundamental and Maintenance Routine
(Mouthpiece)
Moving Long Tones (Chicowicz or Schlossberg)
Velocity (Clarke)
Lyrical Study
Pitch Bend (a la Velvikis)
Slow Intervals
Quarter Note Studies
Single Tongue
Double Tongue
Triple Tongue
Fast Flexibility
Pedal Tones
B. Daily “Classical” Routine
Lyrical Studies
Rhythmic Studies
Solo Literature Review
Solo Literature (new)
C. Possible Practice Extensions
Transposition
Sight Reading
Excerpts Review
Slow Flexibility
Range Expanders
Endurance and Power Exercises
Lip Relaxer
This weekend, I will be running the first half of the San Francisco Marathon — I get to run across the Golden Gate Bridge, twice! Thinking about marathons: A music career is indeed a marathon and requires enormous discipline. Remember the childhood story of the tortoise and the hare? Nothing wrong with talent, speed, and great instincts, but both runners require disciplined training in order to survive the long haul. Daily distractions are not likely to deter the runner who consistently focuses on his game.
Be patient and not weary in daily well-doing. Rewards of persistence are down the road. Skills are not perfected in one or two lessons. A regular agenda of doing what is required will pay off. I might add that it demands more than a mere punching the time clock. The goal is learning to enjoy working towards the mastery of the skills of our profession.
Disappointments, struggles, and even failures are part of the journey. Expect days that are cold and prickly. The goal is not just about your check list. Remember your passion for making great music. Isn’t that where your race began? That drive not only empowers your practice of disciplines, but gives you the benefit of enjoying your run.
Abused African Grey Needs A New Home
Hi all, my name is Pepper and I am an abused African Grey Parrot. I am looking for a new home where I can live my life the way I was meant to. In an attempt to convey to you the level of abuse, let me give you some examples:
My day does not start off well. I wake up with the sun around 6:00am. I then start whistling for dad. Often, dad ignores me and does not come right away. Sometime it is not until 7:30am before dad comes to get me out of my cage.
Every other day or so, I get a shower. Dad gets me all wet and then I am attacked by an evil towel. I am not sure what type of torture this is supposed to be, but he rubs me all over with the towel.
When dad is shaving, he does not let me play with the shaving cream.
What is with that?
After playing with me for a measly hour, dad makes my breakfast. I like to take things out of my bowl and throw them while dad is preparing things, but he doesn’t let me do that anymore. Now he makes me WATCH while is getting things ready. I feel like I am going to have a breakdown at these times.
BREAKFAST SUCKS!!! Dad puts all this crap in my bowl. Pellets, Dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and other things. I think he is trying to starve me to death. All I need are peanuts. And french fries. Just fill my bowl with peanuts and french fries and I’ll be fine.
When dad leaves for work he puts me in my cage. Or should I say the torture chamber. There are things hanging all over the place. Bells, ropes, plastic things, wood things, all sorts of things. I tried attacking these things and ripping them to shreds, but new ones keep showing up.
Once a week, dad takes me to work. This is not fun. He stuffs me into a small plastic box and puts me in the car. I can’t see where I am going!! I dig and dig and finally he lets me out so I can see, but it takes him FOREVER!!
At work, there are a whole bunch of evil people. They all try to touch me, and play with me. I just bite them all. Except for one guy. I like him.
Dinner time is teasing time. Dad eats his dinner and does not give it all to me. Sometimes, he gives me a piece of his dinner, but I just throw it on the floor to point out my displeasure.
Finally, I can’t even start to tell you about all the things that I can’t do. I can’t chew on the paper towels that dad used to clean up my poop. I can’t chew on dad’s mail. I can’t chew on dad’s notebook computer. I can’t chew on the remote control. I can’t chew on the telephone cable. Anyway, you get the point.
If you know of a home that can satisfy my needs, please let me know immediately.
Thank you, for your help.
Pepper
Impossible
Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
June 24, 2012
Getting ready for my solo performance with the Kenosha Pops!