Old Practicing

I found an old notebook earlier this week. Or rather, I looked through some of the older parts of a notebook that I'd apparently used for a number of years earlier. Some random entries typed out below...can't tell as I re-read them whether I should be thoroughly depressed about hammering away at the same licks for years on end or should feel a sense of peace and pleasure at the long and steady journey that is professional music-making...


7/30/09
fieramente--PROUDLY
-Charlier 1-good, still flexibility issues getting into line 5
-Charlier 22 page 1 too fast for quarter=92, dropped beats; A major sounds better than A-flat major; first 8 bars in one breath? Not very stylish--too notey

8/4/09
Charlier 5 (articulation in lines 8 and 9 messy)
Charlier 27-leaps to Bs in line 5 not high enough; still not making first double bar in one breath; f-g lip trill in bottom of first page claner; staccato binaire clean until end of second line; figure out tempo change into moderato tranquillo
Mahler 5 reh. 7-10 (Recording A66) 7 very nice style and articulation but can't feel time; before 9 splatted B-flat, no cresc. 9 lower on A, E-flat needs sustain 10 G-flats out of tune; play 10 with recordings for timing; fanfare triplet bad, 2nd note; don't give away mf; low A-flats wobbled

9/1/09
Duets with Adam
Listened to first lesson (Halsey Stevens) with Charlie "relax, bell up, don't play so loud. You are a good player, I'm going to give you some new techniques for prep."
Outdoor Overture (with score) playing along with Seattle recording. Trouble on initial entrance after count; Resolve by one breath motion -->
Too many short breaths in phrase? Ask Anita.
Ballerina and Waltz with score--not bad. Too heavy on ending Fs
Credo-too heavy handed
Bruckner-Major score/part discrepancy...different editions?
Find plunger mute, picc mute.

1/20
Nocturnes with practice mute; subdivide appearance of each rhythm; play pppp, ppp, pp; add tuner
Check for Rapsodie Espagnole 24-25
Pines last part p.1 very slow; downward slurs esp.
Bartok-Pitch of first notes, movement 2; C-F jump; also, slurred
PROJECT: List of all influential solos, excerpts, etudes CONCEPTUALLY

2/11
Find recording of Gershwin.
Listening-Bartok lost time between first and second phrase; cresc on E? Bartok 1a-true note on frist B-flat; def. faster, more accent on beat 1? Play with recording.
Leonore-Too much time before breath; decresc too soon. D-Bb intonation
Charlier 8-Jump up to 8v G; true note in jump
Scales not under fingers; jump up to B, downward slurs. Clean slur up B; 16th (illegible) Low D sounds too sudden before recap. Cresc through end of recap phrase; accuracy at end; too mellow, soft?

2/19/10 (15 days to audition)
Brandt 88
first part of Bitsch III
First part of Charlier VI
Shosti PC (all)
Ballerina
Till
83-get through 2nd note of each slur; bottom of on A in Ab really messed up; need more time on this
84-Bitsch III good start; airs out on occasion
85-Charlier 6-E-Db slur, nice dynamic; one note in trips; wrong GOOD
86-Ballerina; heavy handed triplet; catching notes sec. WAY faster in 2nd part
87-bottom C not in tune; p slur; top A doesn't resonate
88-Waltz-First note chipped; pitch on top A-flat; (can this sound more "in the orchestra?")
89-Till (first notes) too slow low Gs not speaking right
90-Shosti I an Eb missed in arpeggio; better 2nd time; more authoritative?

3/17/10
Ask Julie about Irons etudes
Clarkes (Prosser) with metronome for strength>perform
Horn exercises (last page) @quarter=50 +tuner
Russian etude p 94 (w soft at first, record)
Walter Smith (pp) I.7, II.2, (need metronome) III 1-9 (pp)
Carmen intonation (w/tuner)
Schumann II intonation (w/tuner)
Charlier 4
Brandt 24 (last section)
Brandt 23 in D on C

RECODINGS TO BE PURCHASED
Bach Magnificat (mvmnt 1)
Bach B Minor mass (Credo)
Bach Brandenburg Concerto (entire)
Brahms Academic Festival Overture
Bruckner Symphony no 7 (entire)
Debussy Nocturnes no 2 Fetes
Mahler III, V, VII (entire)
Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade, Schmuyle)
Ravel Piano Concerto (mvmnt 1)
Schumann Sympony no II (mvmnt 1
Shostakovich Symphony no VIII (Entire) London 9.99
Also Sprach Zarathustra (CSO) 11.99
Ein Heldenleben
Tannhauser Overture
Parsifal Vorspiel Berlin 9.99

Sehr gemachlich-very slowly
etwas langsamer wie fruher-somewhat slower than formerly
wie aus weiter Ferne-from a distance
Frei vorgetragen-spoken freely?
Wie die weise eines Posthorns-In the manner of a posthorn
Zeit lassen-give time
Zuruckhaltend-held back
verhallend-fading
verklingend-dying away
weider-again

1/10/11
4 Collins etudes
2 Charliers "du style"
Ravel PC on D
Enesco ending
2 or 3 Bach
Paul's Cornet

Recital Ideas
12' 30" Hubeau
5 My Spirit be Joyful
3 Believe Me if Endearing
3 Bugler's Holiday
5 Seraphim
Steve's piece?
Nelhybel
email Barbara
call Paul
Katie G?

needed:
Curry Mouthpiece
Recording: Sonata Octavi Toni
fix cup mute

Note Shapes
d accent, d melodic tenuto, d accent fanfare, d timpani, d bowstroke, d straight-tone

Concepts:
Creating a sense of direction within a phrase
Practicing slowly to coordinate air/note changes
Taking smaller "sippy" breaths to keep tension out of playing
Being in love with your own sound and happy with every note that comes out of the bell
Using familiar acoustic (GPC) as reference for brightness/connection
High notes vibrate immediately
Rock solid dictated rhythm
Don't move while playing
Slightly rocking mouthpiece placement onto upper lip
Playing with a variety of colors, including covered, highly vibrant, vocal, bleak

5/18
BB buzzing routine-ascending to A; continued buzzing, break at d''; can't get real notes buzzed
BB Scales up to D, down to F half-quarter-quarter slurred
Articulation exercises on G, g, d, g' at fff and ppp
Pitch work with pitch primer
WM Smith Flexibility no 8 quarter 120; p17 1-9, quarter 112
Longinotti no 2 single tongued quarter 112-116 on B-flat
Getchell 65, 66-67 with tuner on A picc
Longinotti 1 in B-flat and C, pushing sharp/cracking; spreading sound @end note; practiced start
Vacchiano 1 on B-flat
Prayer of St Gregory on C w/drone
Pitch on A better on Bach 2

5/22
BPO Am; Louds better, more work on muted playing of all kinds
Irons group 2, 5, 7, 9; 72 did not go
Clarke 1,2,5; double tongued in Ab, B, D F
a little piccolo

Sat PM
John Williams concert-nerves sitting by JAX symphony trombone player; much better first half than 2nd
Some funny random fracks in Star Wars suite, w/mute? Might have impeded unisons
Drew remark about muted solo in Imperial march, mostly positive?
Pushed sharp on Bbs in Star Wars, Abs on last page of ET; missed 2 sections due to inattentiveness@page turns

July 30th
long tones; all notes to open of Charlier 6 w/drone
Irons e'' w/drone; WM Smith ttk etude; Flow studies on Bb and C
Corelli sonata 1st movment on picc (used)
PM-listened to Vaughan Williams; lot reps of L'Histoire helps to think 2+3
Corelli 2nd movement in phrases, 3rd movement pinging off F; trouble w/trill D-C
TTK smith etude was quarter=76 (marked quarter=112)
Loud scales in Mahler 5 pattern leads to good, HEALTHY tired

9/8/15
SWEAT an issue both performances
Sound is different in performances; less stable than "without" nerves
Earle of Oxford, Canzona Bergamasca, prelude at St John Fisher
Ablassan, Military Calls, Ketting, Tull, Gallagher @Cranberry Landing
Endurance an issue by end of Gallagher; (Also, underprepared)
Good, but in C; recovered start
Extremes of range compromised