Category: Practice

Thoughts and advice on how to practice, theories on practice techniques, etc.

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Weekly Round-up 5/23/16

Performances: A wedding on June 4th, but otherwise things are looking slim in the performance category until July. Lots of other things going on, though!

Rehearsals: No rehearsals this week (nice to have a break).

Practicing: Working out my technique with straws/darts, and resonance. Making a list of music for my DMA study.

Listening: Mingo Fishtrap’s latest album, On Time. This is one of my favorites:

Teaching: Resonance. Let the air vibrate the embouchure. Let the horn react to the resulting resonance. Understand why it works the way it does (physics and design), but trust the process.

Studying: Grant preparation, doctoral recital repertoire, UMN entrance exams.

Relaxing: Art-A-Whirl was an exhausting blast this year. Apart from my gig with The Satellites at 612Brew, I walked several galleries with a friend and saw great art and music. It’s the best weekend to kick off a summer of all the things.

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Weekly Round-up 5/16/16

Performances: May 21, 7-8p 612BREW, FREE.

Hamline Brass Choir, Baccalaureate Service: May 21, 8a Hamline United Methodist

Rehearsals: Hamline Brass Choir Friday morning in preparation for our Saturday morning performance.

Practicing: Resonance. Tunes.

Listening: Tunes for the third Satellites chart. Can’t get this one out of my head:

Teaching: Resonance. Let the air vibrate the embouchure. Let the horn react to the resulting resonance.

Studying: New things to start looking at: grant preparation, doctoral recital repertoire, UMN entrance exams.

Relaxing: Naps were necessary after last week.

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Weekly Round-up 5/9/16

Performances: Mill City Five May 9th- Como Dockside 7-830p! We are excited to play at Como Pavillon, and we hope you can join us!

Upcoming Satellites gigs: May 14th, 11p-1a Dakota Jazz Club, $6 cover; May 21, 7-8p 612BREW, FREE.

I’m conducting the Hamline Winds Brass Ensemble this Wednesday May 11th, 4pm, Sundin Hall! Live Broadcast.

Rehearsals: The Satellites! Tuesday night. So excited to get back together with these musicians.

Practicing: Singing, singing, singing.

Listening: Brand new Radiohead in the world.

Teaching: “Darts” and “Straws”. Darts for air and tone. Straws for higher register and airflow. “Blocks”- consistent air across longer notes- moving the air toward your goal.

Refining this concept, and thinking about how air activates the embouchure, and how little we have to do.

Studying: New things to start looking at: grant preparation, doctoral recital repertoire, UMN entrance exams.

Relaxing: Bikes, wildflowers, game nights, more wildflowers, playing Kubb in the park, sunshine.

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Weekly Round-up 5/2/16

Performances: Mill City Five May 9th- Como Dockside 7-830p! We are excited to play at Como Pavillon, and we hope you can join us!

Upcoming Satellites gigs: May 14th, 11p-1a Dakota Jazz Club, $6 cover; May 21, 7-8p 612BREW, FREE.

I had an AMAZING time performing with Metro Brass last night at the Capri. We were on fire. I think it’s the best the group has played. Special shout-out to Genevieve and Henry, my two students from Field, for attending!

Rehearsals: Mill City Five rehearses this week. 😀

Practicing: Looking into new repertoire (in particular, DMA recital rep- eep!). In the meantime, smoothing out my understanding of the concept of natural playing.

Listening: I’m back on a Hamilton binge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReTP6x_sDiM

Teaching: “Darts” and “Straws”. Darts for air and tone. Straws for higher register and airflow. “Blocks”- consistent air across longer notes- moving the air toward your goal.

Refining this concept, and thinking about how air activates the embouchure, and how little we have to do.

Studying: New things to start looking at: grant preparation, doctoral recital repertoire, UMN entrance exams.

Relaxing: Bike rides, waffle parties, comic book club discussions, yoga.

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Weekly Round-up 4/25/16

Performances: Metro Brass 5/1/2016 Live at the Capri Theatre. Tickets are on sale now!

I’ve got upcoming masterclasses and performances with Mill City Five and The Satellites in May coming up quick!

Rehearsals: Satellites horns met on Saturday- it was killer! Thanks to the guys for helping me make edits on charts so they are tip-top for our May gigs. Metro has our dress for Sunday’s concert this upcoming Friday night.

Practicing: Minnesota Orchestra audition repertoire. This was today! I felt I presented myself well, but I was not asked to play all of the excerpts. Mozart Tuba Mirum, Mahler 5, and Ride of the Valkyries went really well! But I botched the opening of Bolero, an excerpt I generally feel very confident on. Oh well. That’s auditions for you!

Listening: Prince all day every day. This was a sad and magical weekend in Minneapolis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQ-vgdNq0I

Teaching: “Darts” and “Straws”. Darts for air and tone. Straws for higher register and airflow. “Blocks”- consistent air across longer notes- moving the air toward your goal.

Studying: New things to start looking at: grant preparation, doctoral recital repertoire, UMN entrance exams.

Relaxing: Enjoyed Saturday’s weather. Yesterday it rained and rained, so I sat and read and pet kitties.

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Weekly Round-up 4/18/16

Performances: Metro Brass 5/1/2016 Live at the Capri Theatre. Tickets are on sale now!

I’ve got upcoming masterclasses and performances with Mill City Five and The Satellites in May coming up quick!

Rehearsals: Metro this past Sunday had a killer rehearsal. Really nice work accomplished. Looking forward to this concert! Hoping to get Satellites horn section together before our May gigs.

Practicing: Minnesota Orchestra audition repertoire. Rinse, repeat. I had a lesson on Friday with Doug Wright and it was so helpful. My lesson with Prof Ashworth today at the U was equally helpful. Lots of different ears on what you are working on is really key.

Listening: Podcasts: 2 Dope Queens, Mortified, This American Life.

Teaching: “Darts” and “Straws”. Darts for air and tone. Straws for higher register and airflow.

Studying: On hiatus from study while I prepare my MnOrch audition.

Relaxing: A 15 mile bike ride yesterday with good bike companions. All the sunshine I can take in. Yoga.

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Weekly Round-up 4/11/16

Performances: Metro Brass 5/1/2016 Live at the Capri Theatre. Tickets are on sale now!

I’ve got upcoming masterclasses and performances with Mill City Five and The Satellites in May coming up quick!

Rehearsals: Metro on Sunday.

Practicing: Minnesota Orchestra audition repertoire. A lesson with Doug Wright on Friday. Yipe!

Listening: Anat Cohen. Omg.

Teaching: I had a re-epiphany this morning in a lesson about the importance of hearing the whole phrase, not just individual notes. How much easier it is to hear a tricky set of intervals when they have meaning and direction. You’ll be hearing lots of that from me this week.

Studying: “SuperTeaching” by Eric Jensen. Feeling like I need to up my game for my lovely students. Trying to get my hands on a copy of Attention and Motor Skill Learning by Gabriele Wulf.

Relaxing: Spent the weekend in St Louis with good people. Ate well, heard amazing music, saw a live show, hiked the Missouri woods.

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Weekly Round-up 4/4/16

Performances: Metro Brass 5/1/2016 Live at the Capri Theatre. Tickets are on sale now!

I’ve got upcoming masterclasses and performances with Mill City Five and The Satellites in May coming up quick!

Rehearsals: No rehearsals this week.

Practicing: Minnesota Orchestra opened up a substitute low brass audition! It’s April 25th and I’m hard at work preparing Valkyries, William Tell, Mahler 5, Bolero, Mozart, all the old chestnuts.

Listening: Phosphorescent Blues by The Punch Brothers came back up in my rotation this week. Such a gorgeous album.

Teaching: It’s been a light week for teaching as many of my students were on spring break. I’m hoping to take that rest into this week’s lessons and give some new energy to my talented students.

Studying: “SuperTeaching” by Eric Jensen. Feeling like I need to up my game for my lovely students. Trying to get my hands on a copy of Attention and Motor Skill Learning by Gabriele Wulf.

Relaxing: Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, my favorite place in Minneapolis, opened on Friday! I rode my bike over today and enjoyed the sunshine.

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Weekly Round-up 3/28/16

Performances: Saturday: Hamline Winds in concert at Sundin Hall! 7:30pm on Hamline University Campus. I’m sitting in as player-coach this semester and enjoying every minute.

I’ve got upcoming masterclasses, performances with Mill City Five and The Satellites, and a big concert planned with Metro Brass upcoming in April and May.

Rehearsals: MC5 meets Wednesday night, Metro meets Sunday- we’re gearing up for spring and summer gigs!

Practicing: Now that Easter is over and spring break has begun for many of my students, I’m looking forward to diving into some new music this week. I’ll start the 3rd movement of Red Dragonfly and I hope to learn most of the 1st movement of the Bourgeois Concerto.

Listening: Podcasts. Still lots and lots of podcasts.

Teaching: I’m refining my method for teaching the natural approach every day. This week, with a little more free time, I’m hoping to deepen my understanding of how our focus controls our product. I’m also making efforts to listen more carefully to what my students are telling me, both explicitly and implicitly.

Studying: “SuperTeaching” by Eric Jensen. Feeling like I need to up my game for my lovely students. Trying to get my hands on a copy of Attention and Motor Skill Learning by Gabriele Wulf.

Relaxing: It’s (mostly) spring break! Bike rides, walks, talks with friends, naps all on the list.

 

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Weekly Round-up 3/21/16

Happy Spring!

Performances: Easter Services at Bethlehem Lutheran in S Mpls on March 27th are the next thing up for now! I’ve got upcoming masterclasses, performances with Mill City Five and The Satellites, and a big concert planned with Metro Brass upcoming in April and May.

Rehearsals: Metro meets twice this week in preparation for our May 1st concert at the Capri Theatre in North Minneapolis. Stay tuned for more details on that- we were sounding great last night and this should be an exciting program!

Practicing: All the tunes (and new potentials) on my Tune Library!

Easter gig music has some doozies in it (including an arrangement for BQ of the Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah). Should be fun, but it’s going to be a long morning and I need to make sure I’m in shape for it!

Listening: Podcasts (Radiolab, You Made It Weird, 99% Invisible, My Brother, My Brother, and Me)

Teaching: Tunes, continued. Plus, a new approach to our normal breath warm-up/exercise. If you haven’t gotten that from me yet, you will soon!

Studying: “SuperTeaching” by Eric Jensen. Feeling like I need to up my game for my lovely students.

Relaxing: A little weekend trip to Cedar Rapids, IA, for fun and maple syrup. It was a whim and a good one!