Posted by Matt Walters on August 21, 2003 at 08:14:21:
In Reply to: Practice time (amateurs only) posted by Family Man on August 20, 2003 at 12:10:06:
I practice about 20 minutes a month. Though I still sound and play better than half of my customers, I miss coming home and practicing 40 minutes as an unwind from work as I used to do.
A WARNING to those who think it's all roses working in a music store. After 8-12 hours each day of hearing "Kill the Wabit" from tubists, "I Wish I Could Play Well" (Ein Helden.) from hornists, "Bowl them over with a BIG GLISANDO" (Bolero) from trombonsist, "Lemonade" (The Promenade with sour notes) from C trumpets, and "Pissed off Angry Guy needing to play max amount of loud fast notes with poor articulation and lousy tone quality, who would be laughed off the stage if he were in any other venue but JAZZ", on Bb trumpet; the last thing I want to hear is my own bad playing. Don't let me forget to mention the kind souls who wait until I walk by them to play as high and loud as possible while turning to point the bell in my direction. Thank GOD I don't have to listen to Jazz Saxaphone solos!!!
Otherwise, I play in a mediocre community band on Monday nights with a nice group of people, and blow a few test notes on the horns as I repair them. I intend to put in 40 minutes a day when I retire.
The other issue is the music we tubist get. At a community band level, there are only 10 measures a concert that I need to practice. 4 of which I'll never get in the time I have between concerts so I just fake it like the others do. The rest I'll pick up by concert time. Most playing mistakes I make, are from my mind wondering during the boring parts.
The confessions of a fellow, amatuer tubist. Matt