Category: Fun

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Weekly Roundup 10/20/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice found, continued reading. Add “Improve your teaching: beginners” by Paul Harris, a short little guidebook to creative teaching techniques for new students.

Arranging: New Satellites charts! Today’s:

Practicing: I’m recording myself this week. It’s as painful as ever, but I can’t say that it’s not revealing and useful. Yesterday I spent an hour on one phrase of the Hungarian March excerpt, trying to fix my lagging eighth notes. It sounds fine when you play it, but when you listen back! Ugh! Lots of slow practice, creative articulation strategies, and determination needed.

By the way, do you know about TromboneExcerpts.org? What a phenomenal resource. use it. Love it. Support them on Patreon. Do it.

Rehearsing: Metro last night to play through music for our upcoming service at Grace Lutheran (see below).

Performing: Metro Brass at the morning service- Grace Lutheran in St Paul, 9:30a.

MC5 @ The Nicollet on Nov 25th, and more soon!

Listening: THIS

Teaching: So. Much. Singing. Sing all the things!

Relaxing: I did nothing on Saturday! Well, I did some things- I vacuumed, worked up a Satellites tune, went shopping for a Halloween costume- but mostly I read my recent stack of science fiction books from the library and drank tea. #winning

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Weekly Roundup 10/13/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice found, continued reading. Add “Improve your teaching: beginners” by Paul Harris, a short little guidebook to creative teaching techniques for new students.

Arranging: New Satellites charts! Here’s my favorite so far:

Practicing: Doctoral audition is slowly becoming a reality. I’m preparing the first movement of the Gordon Jacob Concerto, the David Concertino, and several orchestral excerpts.

Rehearsing: Nothing on the books.

Performing: Some things in the works. MC5 @ The Nicollet on Nov 25th, and more soon!

Listening: Satellites songs for arranging. News, jazz (lots of Mingus this week).

Teaching: Theory and sight-singing using what we know about the major scale.

Also, breaking news: I’ve accepted a position as a music teacher for the Extended Day program with St Paul Public Schools! I’ll be teaching beginning instrumental instruction to the 4th grades at EXPO Elementary in Highland Park. I start today- excited and nervous!

Relaxing: Lots of social activities lately- which is great, but I need a little break! I’ve had tasty beverages at the new Bad Weather Brewing location in StP, lunch at The Mill NE (best. veggie burger. ever), wine and musical bonding with some fellow teachers.

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Weekly Roundup 10/6/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice stalled- where did I put it?

Arranging: New charts for Satellites coming (as soon as we pick new songs)

Practicing: Annie Laurie, and looking into things I might prepare for a doctoral audition (EEP).

Rehearsing: Metro rehearsed Sunday night with our third candidate for the second trombone/jazz chair, John Olson. He did a fabulous job as well and now we all get to make the hard decision of who to choose.

Midnight in Moscow, my traditional New Orleans jazz band, has finally decided on our (always impending) name change debacle. Welcome to the scene the new, improved, Mill City Five!

Performing: Some things in the works. MC5 @ The Nicollet on Nov 25th, The Satellites maybe have a Halloween gig. More soon!

Listening: Brandi Carlile. MPR News. White noise in my head.

Teaching: Air “ha” attacks- getting the root of the sound without relying on the tongue to start the tone. Surprisingly easy to adjust to, once you hear how clear you can sound without using your articulation as a crutch!

Relaxing: What’s that?

Haha- I’ve been trying to get some fun things in but it’s been a busy few weeks! Here’s one highlight: I’ve been to my first four acupuncture appointments EVER the past two weeks, primarily to address chronic tension in my neck and shoulders. That pain is old- and it’s moving away slowly, but what acu has really done for me is relieve the localized tightness in my wrists and hands (from immobility while practicing), and give me a safe space to control my anxiety. Anxiety is a new issue for me- I started developing panic attacks last summer as a result of stress and financial worry- and they seem to be more prevalent in the summer months. As the school year gets rolling I feel less and less worried, but the imprint remains. Acu, much like yoga and meditation, has provided me with a quiet place for my brain. It’s like letting your consciousness roll around in a big white luxurious blanket, like a little marble, for an hour. Afterward it’s all good.

If you feel like anxiety might be a part of your life in a less-than-controllable way, I would highly recommend considering acupuncture as a treatment. I currently am going to NE Community Acupuncture, which offers a sliding scale system for its diverse clientele.

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Weekly Roundup 9/29/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice started- good and quick read and very inspiring for educators and parents alike.

Arranging: New charts for Satellites coming (as soon as we pick new songs)

Practicing: Annie Laurie, and looking into things I might prepare for a doctoral audition (EEP).

Rehearsing: Metro rehearsed Sunday night with killer trombonist/repair technician John Maddox auditioning for second trombone. He sounded great! So did Nick last week! It’s going to be a tough decision. We’ll meet again this weekend to try out a different candidate.

Midnight in Moscow meets tomorrow to go over some new songs as well.

Performing: No current performances.

Listening: Lots of news and podcasts, actually, and sometimes a little classical. Not feeling too adventurous.

Teaching: Big into theory and concepts this week and driving home those essential ear training skills.

Relaxing: X-Files. Dana Scully is my queen.

i-dont-care

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Weekly Roundup 9/22/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice almost got cracked open yesterday but I took a nap instead.

Arranging: Nothing on the docket.

Practicing: Annie Laurie in high gear. Hoping to read through it with Metro Brass at our Oct 4th rehearsal. My big tenor went off to the shop for service today, so I’ll try it on small horn this afternoon and see if I like that feeling.

Rehearsing: Metro rehearsed Sunday night with friend of Trombone a Trois (my old trombone trio) Nick Syman auditioning for the second tenor/jazz spot. We’ll meet again this weekend to try out a different candidate.

Performing: The Satellites at 612Brew! Saturday! 8pm! FREE!

Listening: Lots of news and podcasts, actually, and sometimes a little classical. Not feeling too adventurous.

Teaching: I love giving the ‘long tone’ lesson and that’s what I’ve been doing with a few new students this week.

Relaxing: Lots of social activities this week. That’s a nice thing sometimes.

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Weekly Roundup 9/15/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice is now waiting for me on my bookshelf!

Arranging: All arrangements are now edited for the Satellites to be bigger and easier to read! Next step, buy more printer ink.

Practicing: Annie Laurie in high gear. Hoping to read through it with Metro Brass at our Oct 4th rehearsal.

Rehearsing: Midnight in Moscow tomorrow to read new tunes and organize our books. Metro on Sunday night- our first meeting after little break- and we’re hoping to audition a new trombonist!

Performing: No performances this week.

Listening: Lots of news and podcasts, actually, and sometimes a little classical. Not feeling too adventurous.

Teaching: It might be a good time to do a ‘volume workshop’ with some students- work on projection and accuracy at double f and air flow and consistency at double p.

Relaxing: Reliving all the drama of the X-Files. Going camping at Wild River SP this weekend. Enjoying the last days of summer, and they have been beautiful.

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Weekly Roundup 9/9/15

Reading: Work Hard, Be Nice is waiting for me at the library.

Arranging: I learned a few things from our first Satellites gig. The foremost: make the music bigger so you can actually read it on a dim stage. That’s this week’s task.

Practicing: My practice grid is working out great! I ran through trill exercises today and practiced chromatic and major scale patterns. Feeling fleet on the slide!

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Rehearsing: Minnehaha Repertory Orchestra begins meeting again this Saturday! We’re playing Brahms 2. ❤

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-qMtWVf0NA

Performing: No performances this week.

Listening: See above.

Teaching: Back to school! Met with my Chanhassen students yesterday, and am starting the year strong by encouraging good practice habits and routine-building.

Relaxing: Gong to ASI on Friday night for Cocktails at the Castle, a wedding reception on Saturday, and starting Buffy season 6 with my friend M on Sunday.

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Weekly Roundup 9/1/15

Reading: Re-reading a few special chapters of Musicophilia in honor of the legendary Oliver Sacks, who passed away on Sunday. Minds and spirits like his occur only a few times a generation.

Arranging: A few edits (and one major revision) for Satellites charts.

Practicing: I’ve created a practice grid to help me remember to cover all the basics!

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Rehearsing: Satellites had full band rehearsal on Sunday night. I’m so excited to put this band on a stage and see what we can do.

Performing: TONIGHT at Jazz Central Studios, playing 3rd bone with the Bill Simenson Orchestra. AND Saturday: The Satellites Sept 5 at 11pm, Icehouse. Our premiere gig!

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(look at that sweet branding!)

Listening: Sometimes the overloaded music brain needs a break. I’ve been mostly listening to news and podcasts.

Teaching: End of summer preparation for lots of students- getting those chops back for band camp and rehearsals and auditions. For some marching band folks, I’m offering ‘crash courses’ on how to effectively memorize music.

Relaxing: Labor Day weekend is upon us already! I’m taking it easy- staying in town- and enjoying the daylight while it lasts.

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Weekly Roundup 8/25/15

Reading: nothing on the shelf.

Arranging: A few edits (and one major revision) for Satellites charts.

Practicing: Time to start really digging into Annie Laurie, which I’ll perform with Metro Brass as accompaniment sometime in our next performance season. This means hoping my work revitalizing my multiple tonguing skills and quick slide work has paid off!

Rehearsing: Satellites core group got together on Sunday to revise and finalize our charts. We’ll have full band rehearsal this coming Sunday for our gig on the 5th!

Performing: Midnight in Moscow Aug 26th at Driftwood Char Bar, 7pm. The Satellites Sept 5 at 11pm, Icehouse.

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(look at that sweet branding!)

Listening: I’m painting another room in my house, and it feels like an 80s pop playlist kind of activity.

Teaching: End of summer preparation for lots of students- getting those chops back for band camp and rehearsals and auditions. For some marching band folks, I’m offering ‘crash courses’ on how to effectively memorize music.

Relaxing: HOLY COW the State Fair starts this week. I’ll be there on Saturday. Then a beach day, then some kayaking- gotta make that summer last.

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Weekly Roundup 8/18/15

Reading: nothing on the shelf.

Arranging: A few edits for Satellites charts.

Practicing: Time to start really digging into Annie Laurie, which I’ll perform with Metro Brass as accompaniment sometime in our next performance season. This means hoping my work revitalizing my multiple tonguing skills and quick slide work has paid off!

Rehearsing: Nothing this week.

Performing: Midnight in Moscow Aug 26th at Driftwood Char Bar, 7pm. The Satellites Sept 5 at 11pm, Icehouse.

Listening: Nothing super new on the list.

Teaching: End of summer preparation for lots of students- getting those chops back for band camp and rehearsals and auditions.

Relaxing: A weekend at the cabin + comic books.