"Alright boys, shoes and coats on, we're going to the bank and to Wegmans and to the bank."
"Which Wegmans."
"The Pittsford Wegmans."
"Oh. Are we going to the wine store too?"
"Yeah, probably. Are you going to just stay in your pajamas?"
"Yep."
"Alright, well at least put your rain boots on."
"Owen, do you want to bring your George?"
<shakes head no>
"Okay, we're going to leave him here. Is that okay."
"Huh."
<Start to carry him out to car>
"WAAAHHH!!!!"
<Reaches for George>
"Daddy, we need to go to the wine store FIRST."
<Take James out of his carseat>
"AIEEEE! The wind blew my hood off! I'm cold, I'm cold!"
"Hey Daddy! Hey Daddy? Do you see that big wine glass filled with Christmas ornaments? We should get one of those for OUR house."
"Mmm...probably not. I think that's just for the wine store."
"Oh, Daddy, look! The Eiffel tower!"
"Oh, over by the Bordeaux! You're right! And there's a French flag too."
"Yeah, we should get an Eiffel tower for our house too."
"But why not?"
"Because if you open up an umbrella in the car then I won't be able to see out the back window."
"But I NEED to open up my umbrella."
"You can, just not in the car."
"But what if it rains in the car?"
"Uh. Uh-uh! UNNHHHhhh!"
<Owen points furiously>
"What is it? What do you see?"
<points again>
"Oh...the toothbrushes. I'm sorry Owen, we can't brush teeth in the store. With the store's toothbrushes. We'll brush teeth once we're home."
<pushes the cart away>
"AIEEE!!!!"
"We'll brush your teeth as soon as we get home."
"AIEEE!!!!"
<stops cart>
"Owen, do you know where we are?"
"I know where we are."
<Owen looks, points straight at tub of cookies, opens mouth expectantly>
<takes James out of steering wheel cart>
"AIEEE! The wind blew my hood onto my head! Now I am too warm!!!"
"So do you think we should take a bath when we get home? With our new bath colors?"
"No."
"Even if we didn't use soap and it was just a fun bath?"
"Are you going to wash my peeenis?"
"No, I won't wash your penis."
"Are you sure? No peenises?"
"No penises."
<silence for a minute>
"You're SURE I don't need to wash my peenis?"
<unlocks James' door with Owen in one arm and lets James into the car>
"James, wait, no NO DON'T LOCK me...out."
<James looks through the window of the car and grins>
"Owen, how'd you get your shoe off again?"
"Dah."
"Hey Daddy, the groceries are blowing away!"
"Wait, AHH! That has Mommy's prescription in it!"
"Oh, no, Mommy's rescription! We need to get it!"
<both chase grocery bag blowing into dark backyard with Owen still half strapped into carseat>
"Daddy I need my flashlight!!!"
"Okay, I'm going to take Owen's diaper off in his room, yes I see that you want to brush your teeth, Owen...just don't"
<click>
"...lock the bathroom door on me."
"I'll put a color in as soon as I can get the lid off, it's just sealed really tight."
"You need to let me do it. You don't hold, I hold it."
"You need to remember your manners if you're going to put the color drop in."
"Hey, what's Owen doing."
"Uh!! Dah!"
<smiles up happily>
"...looks like he's peeing on the bathroom floor."
"OH NO! Owen, don't pull on your penis! You'll hurt yourself!"
<Owen laughs maniacally>
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Not Fit for Public Consumption
Various photos on my phone that I chose not to post on social media for reasons of nudity, privacy, etc...but might be of interest to readers of this blog.
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| Prescriptions for my star trumpet student Matt. I took a photo of the list I'd made for his Dad so that I could reference it later when I needed to talk about what etudes he was ordering or what we should work on next. Looking it over makes me think..."gee, I should figure out how to play some of this stuff too." |
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| Screenshot from some tacet-movement reading. I don't know if this is completely accurate or even if knowing these exact numbers would make a difference, but this should be handed out to every 4th grade trumpet student and taped inside their case. |
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| It's hard to say exactly why, but this photo is completely Owen. Hair flying, funny facial expression, James standing upright in the background. He'd been screaming his lungs out moments earlier--now he's half-smirking, half-bored. |
 |
| Because no one else will understand just how big a deal it is that Uncle Lucas will take you down to feed the cows and talk about their bowel movements. |
 |
| Because toga. I secretly want to wear this every morning while I read Martial at my desk. But I don't, because I want my wife and children to still respect me. |
 |
| Because my wife. Dresses like this are how you get pregnant again even though you said you were done. |
 |
| Because life was really awful for about three months, and we need to remember never to take a hot shower or an intact ceiling for granted. Thanks again, Dad Davis. |
 |
| Because James in a bumblebee ballerina costume probably needs to show up at his wedding whether he marries Alexa or not. (Hint: He's going to marry Alexa.) |
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| Because Owen loves everybody, but I think he can tell that Great Grandma is special. |
 |
| Because this man is reportedly doing great after his surgery. |
 |
| Because this is also pretty much Owen's attitude towards life in a nutshell. |
 |
| Because even though you think you're going to buy storage ottomans to keep toys picked up, the boys will come up with better uses for them. |
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| Because why wouldn't you bring a wooden roof slat and pair of binoculars for Thursday morning? |
 |
| Because "Abigail's book." |
 |
| Because some of us are good little monkeys but always very curious. |
 |
| Because after awhile you just say to him "Fine, play in the trash. I need to make dinner and if you find an appetizer in there I can have part of your portion." |
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| Because Owen respects no man's privacy. |
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| Because Owen doesn't respect his own privacy either. He might be a little bit of an exhibitionist. |
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| Because some people don't agree with older brother's plan to hole up in his room reading Berenstein Bear books for weeks on end. |
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| Because sometimes you have a LOT of time to kill between services in Syracuse. |
Rehearsal Today
"You ready for this?"
"Nope."
"You look like &#!"
"Thanks, you too. I stayed up way too late watching the Bills."
"Beer?"
"Yup."
"You know, I can have like six beers and I don't even feel a thing."
"That's nice."
"What do you have your B-flat for?"
<opens up to Mozart>
"For this note. This is why I got out of bed this morning...to come and play THIS note right here."
"You gonna pedal it or put it in A?"
(N.B.--In the Overture to Mozart's Don Giovanni the 2nd trumpet part calls for a bass clef D, impossible to play conventionally on the modern trumpet. The valveless crooked trumpets of the Mozart's day would have been able to generate the note as a fundamental tone, but to make the note come out on a modern instrument a player must either press down all three valves on a C trumpet and produce a "false" pedal note by lipping down a low F# or by extending the main tuning slide of a B-flat trumpet to pitch the horn in A and then also extending the 1st and 3rd valve slides to their full length.)
"I'm gonna put it in A."
"You could just play it up the octave."
"Do I look like a coward?"
"You should play the whole show on an A trumpet."
"Done. So what do I have to do for the de Falla...up a minor third?"
"Ha, good luck."
<rehearsing de Falla>
"I think I'm going to play each one of these Es with a different fingering."
"Okay, so 1&3, open, 3rd valve?"
"Yup."
"And...first with the first slide kicked?"
"Sounds awful, but that'll work."
"First and third with the third slide kicked?"
"Yup, that works too."
"We sound great."
<rehearsing end of de Falla>
"That actually sounded pretty good!"
<rehearsing end of de Falla again>
"That did not sound so good...what happened?"
"Haha, I think my slide keeps going further out when I play loud just from the force of the air."
"That's what you get for keeping your horn clean and your slides lubed."
<slide clatters onto floor>
"Okay, want to pull out to B trumpet for the next one?"
"Nope."
"You look like &#!"
"Thanks, you too. I stayed up way too late watching the Bills."
"Beer?"
"Yup."
"You know, I can have like six beers and I don't even feel a thing."
"That's nice."
"What do you have your B-flat for?"
<opens up to Mozart>
"For this note. This is why I got out of bed this morning...to come and play THIS note right here."
"You gonna pedal it or put it in A?"
(N.B.--In the Overture to Mozart's Don Giovanni the 2nd trumpet part calls for a bass clef D, impossible to play conventionally on the modern trumpet. The valveless crooked trumpets of the Mozart's day would have been able to generate the note as a fundamental tone, but to make the note come out on a modern instrument a player must either press down all three valves on a C trumpet and produce a "false" pedal note by lipping down a low F# or by extending the main tuning slide of a B-flat trumpet to pitch the horn in A and then also extending the 1st and 3rd valve slides to their full length.)
"I'm gonna put it in A."
"You could just play it up the octave."
"Do I look like a coward?"
"You should play the whole show on an A trumpet."
"Done. So what do I have to do for the de Falla...up a minor third?"
"Ha, good luck."
<rehearsing de Falla>
"I think I'm going to play each one of these Es with a different fingering."
"Okay, so 1&3, open, 3rd valve?"
"Yup."
"And...first with the first slide kicked?"
"Sounds awful, but that'll work."
"First and third with the third slide kicked?"
"Yup, that works too."
"We sound great."
<rehearsing end of de Falla>
"That actually sounded pretty good!"
<rehearsing end of de Falla again>
"That did not sound so good...what happened?"
"Haha, I think my slide keeps going further out when I play loud just from the force of the air."
"That's what you get for keeping your horn clean and your slides lubed."
<slide clatters onto floor>
"Okay, want to pull out to B trumpet for the next one?"
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
In Praise of Pittsford
Do you know how sometimes a line from a book sticks with you for years and years afterwards, even though it wasn't necessarily a central point in the book's argument or even particularly well-written? I haven't read Lewis Mumford's The City in History since we lived in North Carolina, and I still remember that what he wrote about urban planning--that the best designed cities are all about foot traffic over and against automotive traffic.
By the way, The City in History is an excellent book. Among it's other solid points were that Rochester, NY is a far better place to live than Greensboro, NC, which Mumford called "a giant parking lot." I was thinking about Mumford's insights when I visited Pittsford with James and Owen yesterday morning. We lived practically in Pittsford (technically on the Brighton side of the street) on the slopes of Mount Wegmans for one glorious year, and we still aren't ready to switch our library allegiances. I'm sure that the Webster and Irondequoit libraries are perfectly lovely--we haven't tried them yet--but James always insists that we go back to OUR library. The "Picksford Library."
There's a lot to like about the Pittsford Library. For one thing, every library should have Bruegger's at the front entrance. A cup of coffee in hand is totally the difference between a positive experience in the Children's section and the experience of having some random Mom with a stroller tap you on your shoulder because your kids started to pull down all the books in the 800 section while you dozed off in the armchair.
The children's section is really well done, of course. There are always creative displays up, you can't beat the quantity and selection of titles, and, of course, there is Library George. Library George is the exact duplicate of James' George except that, well...he doesn't look nearly so awful. Whenever I see Library George I look at him and think "Oh, THAT'S what George used to look like. And smell like. I remember now!" Interestingly, by the way, Library George was entrusted to Owen on this particular visit, who promptly kicked his little feet in delight and snuggled/kissed him repeatedly. There were many tears when we had to put him back.
The adult section of books is great too, but it's hard to really enjoy it unless you go with two parents. The boys are okay for about three minutes in the upstairs part of the library, so you have to go (in an ELEVATOR) with your call numbers already written down and then get out before they start "hiding" in the shelves and disturbing the patrons who are trying to get some Very Serious Work done. James and Owen did okay this time around. I had Owen in the stroller, so he couldn't get out...he just leaned towards the shelves and pulled off any loose books as we went by. James was wearing pants that were about twice as big as he needed around the waist, so he was kept busy by shifting stuffed animals from hand to hand as he trotted behind and yanked his pants back up every few steps.
We came out with many spoils--Curious George, the Berenstain Bears, Dr. Seuss, and (of course) Curious George Counts from 1 to 100. And this is why Pittsford is wonderful--when you finish at this beautiful library you can walk down along the canal for a mile and admire the boats in the water. Or you can cross the bridge over to Schoen place and get some gelato or pop into the bike shop. Or you can get some ice cream at the dairy...all without needing to get into your cars.
Yesterday I took them across the street to get some macarons from the Village Bakery. (And James requested a cake pop from Starbucks.) The Village Bakery might just be my favorite place to eat in Rochester. We looked at bread loaves, admired the different sweets, and picked out a few macarons to bring back home for J. I offered James a cookie from the display (no thanks, he'd like a cake pop) and then loaded him up on my shoulders (his pants were falling down with every step) and put the macarons in the back of the stroller with the library books. (Daddy, don't forget about my cake pop.)
He got his cake pop. We walked up to the main light and went into the high-end lingerie shop where I've occasionally picked up some items of a marital nature. It's hard to feel discreet when you've got a 4-year old (eating a cake pop) riding on your shoulders and a big stroller to push around, but we got into the store without seeing any former students from LCS. I thanked the clerk for helping us with the door and she exclaimed "Oh, I remember your son! How's Curious George doing?"
It had started to rain by the time we left and walked back to our car, but we went through the beautiful little park behind Thirsty's and listened to the drops in the leaves before making a break to the car. I don't think the library books got too wet.
To be clear, we will never live in the Village of Pittsford. The taxes are just nuts. But it's a pretty great place to visit.
By the way, The City in History is an excellent book. Among it's other solid points were that Rochester, NY is a far better place to live than Greensboro, NC, which Mumford called "a giant parking lot." I was thinking about Mumford's insights when I visited Pittsford with James and Owen yesterday morning. We lived practically in Pittsford (technically on the Brighton side of the street) on the slopes of Mount Wegmans for one glorious year, and we still aren't ready to switch our library allegiances. I'm sure that the Webster and Irondequoit libraries are perfectly lovely--we haven't tried them yet--but James always insists that we go back to OUR library. The "Picksford Library."
There's a lot to like about the Pittsford Library. For one thing, every library should have Bruegger's at the front entrance. A cup of coffee in hand is totally the difference between a positive experience in the Children's section and the experience of having some random Mom with a stroller tap you on your shoulder because your kids started to pull down all the books in the 800 section while you dozed off in the armchair.
The children's section is really well done, of course. There are always creative displays up, you can't beat the quantity and selection of titles, and, of course, there is Library George. Library George is the exact duplicate of James' George except that, well...he doesn't look nearly so awful. Whenever I see Library George I look at him and think "Oh, THAT'S what George used to look like. And smell like. I remember now!" Interestingly, by the way, Library George was entrusted to Owen on this particular visit, who promptly kicked his little feet in delight and snuggled/kissed him repeatedly. There were many tears when we had to put him back.
The adult section of books is great too, but it's hard to really enjoy it unless you go with two parents. The boys are okay for about three minutes in the upstairs part of the library, so you have to go (in an ELEVATOR) with your call numbers already written down and then get out before they start "hiding" in the shelves and disturbing the patrons who are trying to get some Very Serious Work done. James and Owen did okay this time around. I had Owen in the stroller, so he couldn't get out...he just leaned towards the shelves and pulled off any loose books as we went by. James was wearing pants that were about twice as big as he needed around the waist, so he was kept busy by shifting stuffed animals from hand to hand as he trotted behind and yanked his pants back up every few steps.
We came out with many spoils--Curious George, the Berenstain Bears, Dr. Seuss, and (of course) Curious George Counts from 1 to 100. And this is why Pittsford is wonderful--when you finish at this beautiful library you can walk down along the canal for a mile and admire the boats in the water. Or you can cross the bridge over to Schoen place and get some gelato or pop into the bike shop. Or you can get some ice cream at the dairy...all without needing to get into your cars.
Yesterday I took them across the street to get some macarons from the Village Bakery. (And James requested a cake pop from Starbucks.) The Village Bakery might just be my favorite place to eat in Rochester. We looked at bread loaves, admired the different sweets, and picked out a few macarons to bring back home for J. I offered James a cookie from the display (no thanks, he'd like a cake pop) and then loaded him up on my shoulders (his pants were falling down with every step) and put the macarons in the back of the stroller with the library books. (Daddy, don't forget about my cake pop.)
He got his cake pop. We walked up to the main light and went into the high-end lingerie shop where I've occasionally picked up some items of a marital nature. It's hard to feel discreet when you've got a 4-year old (eating a cake pop) riding on your shoulders and a big stroller to push around, but we got into the store without seeing any former students from LCS. I thanked the clerk for helping us with the door and she exclaimed "Oh, I remember your son! How's Curious George doing?"
It had started to rain by the time we left and walked back to our car, but we went through the beautiful little park behind Thirsty's and listened to the drops in the leaves before making a break to the car. I don't think the library books got too wet.
To be clear, we will never live in the Village of Pittsford. The taxes are just nuts. But it's a pretty great place to visit.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Recovery
James lies on his Mother's lap. The two of them are on the couch with a stack of books beside them. They've been working their way through Frog and Toad books all morning. J will finish one, and James will ask in his raspy post-cold voice to have another one read to him. Finally they reach the end of the last book and James snuggles down into her arms. She looks up at me in surprise.
He's hardly ever openly affectionate, and even less frequently will he be held and snuggled just for the pleasure of it. She strokes his hair and face as he smells Steven bear and smiles up at her. His eyes are big and full of expression. She looks over at me, then back down at him.
"James?"
"Yes, Mommy?"
"What are you thinking about?"
He's quiet for a moment, then looks up at her with a loving smile.
"Eating."
"Oh?" What are you thinking about eating?"
"A jelly sandwich."
"No peanut butter? Just bread and jelly?"
"Yeah."
"What are you going to have for your vegetable?"
"A cucumber."
"We don't have cucumber. How about a carrot?"
"Green beans."
He climbs up on top of the couch.
"Hey, do you know how to be up here?"
"I see you're up there."
"I'm going to roll off onto you."
He does this multiple times.
I guess he's getting better.
He's hardly ever openly affectionate, and even less frequently will he be held and snuggled just for the pleasure of it. She strokes his hair and face as he smells Steven bear and smiles up at her. His eyes are big and full of expression. She looks over at me, then back down at him.
"James?"
"Yes, Mommy?"
"What are you thinking about?"
He's quiet for a moment, then looks up at her with a loving smile.
"Eating."
"Oh?" What are you thinking about eating?"
"A jelly sandwich."
"No peanut butter? Just bread and jelly?"
"Yeah."
"What are you going to have for your vegetable?"
"A cucumber."
"We don't have cucumber. How about a carrot?"
"Green beans."
He climbs up on top of the couch.
"Hey, do you know how to be up here?"
"I see you're up there."
"I'm going to roll off onto you."
He does this multiple times.
I guess he's getting better.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
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
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
Thursday, November 5, 2015
November
There was a roaring in the wind all night
The rain came heavily and fell in floods
It's November now, and the sun goes down before dinner. There are damp leaves blowing through the back yard, and we need to remember to close the curtains and fasten the windows at night. The grass is stiff with frost in the morning, and in the evening it smells wet with decay and darkness.
Little boys get sick with croupy coughs and wake in the middle of cold nights. There foreheads burn and they lay under blankets with bottles of old water and salt crackers in plastic dishes.
In the evenings, I still sit in a black suit on a dazzling-lit stage, looking up at splendid boxes of people towering overhead as hundreds of different sound-colors buzz above me and the the orchestra tunes up. The ride home will be warm, a car full of merry young friends bundled in coats
But when I step outside into the dark street again it will be November. I find some pleasure and comfort in the chill and the darkness. It's good to be reminded of your own mortality--how life is dangerous and the weather can be wild. It's good to see your baby's fever break and to watch them get better. It's good to get under heavy blankets with a warm wife when it's cold and dark out, and to know that the roaring wind can't reach inside your walls.
A cup of hot coffee, a child on your lap, sturdy windows, and a bowl of hot soup never mean so much as when the real world has reminded you that it isn't a tame lion.
The rain came heavily and fell in floods
It's November now, and the sun goes down before dinner. There are damp leaves blowing through the back yard, and we need to remember to close the curtains and fasten the windows at night. The grass is stiff with frost in the morning, and in the evening it smells wet with decay and darkness.
Little boys get sick with croupy coughs and wake in the middle of cold nights. There foreheads burn and they lay under blankets with bottles of old water and salt crackers in plastic dishes.
In the evenings, I still sit in a black suit on a dazzling-lit stage, looking up at splendid boxes of people towering overhead as hundreds of different sound-colors buzz above me and the the orchestra tunes up. The ride home will be warm, a car full of merry young friends bundled in coats
But when I step outside into the dark street again it will be November. I find some pleasure and comfort in the chill and the darkness. It's good to be reminded of your own mortality--how life is dangerous and the weather can be wild. It's good to see your baby's fever break and to watch them get better. It's good to get under heavy blankets with a warm wife when it's cold and dark out, and to know that the roaring wind can't reach inside your walls.
A cup of hot coffee, a child on your lap, sturdy windows, and a bowl of hot soup never mean so much as when the real world has reminded you that it isn't a tame lion.
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