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Today I was torn. It was the last day I would have to myself before school starts up for the spring semester. What would I do with my day? I knew that I needed to keep playing in order to get myself back to 100%, but at the same time I had a big itch to go for a nice long drive into the country; I’m a sucker for backroads. Many times I would have shrugged off the drive so that I could stay at home and practice, but I just couldn’t convince myself to do that today. It seems to be current theme… So did I just throw away a day of playing? No way.
I decided to turn a disadvantage into an advantage and do some serious trumpet weightlifting while I was driving — remember, South Florida is not exactly full of windy mountain roads. Now before you get your britches in a wad (there’s a good ‘ol Texas saying for you), I wasn’t playing Stamp routines while weaving in and out of traffic. What I did do is bring my mouthpiece along and do some buzzing workouts. Yes, I’m a total geek, but the point is: I got something accomplished while also getting to do something I really wanted to do.
Sometimes it seems like playing the trumpet is mutually exclusive from life, and in many ways it is. Just remember, it doesn’t always have to be that way.
Oh yeah, for what it’s worth, I still managed to practice for 2-3 hours today. Of course I was pretty tired after doing my buzzing routines in the car, but I managed to still be productive. I expect to reap rewards from my buzzing tomorrow.
actually, I find mouthpiece buzzing an incredible way to feel less guilty about wasting time on so many other things. Especially as i walk between campuses at school, it is approximately a mile, and a mile’s worth of mouthpiece buzzing is enough to make anyone feel less guilty about going early to class rather than praciticing 15 minutes longer..
MAX SCHLOSSBERG wrote a book called “DAILY DRILLS and TECHNICAL STUDIES for TRUMPET.”
It was published by M. BARON Co. in the 1930′s and I am fortunate enough to have a copy.
This is what he had to say:
“Before any actual instrumental practice is begun, the mouthpiece must be played daily for at least two minutes in slurring and staccato form exercises from concert G to C. One-third of the mouthpiece should be placed on the upper lip and two-thirds on the lower lip.”
Buzz on my friends, Buzz on!
If anyone likes CONN horns, there’s a new group been formed at:
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Connfans
You’re all welcome to join. There’s only 3 of us at the moment.
Thanks, GARRY