Re: Re: Re: PRACTICE!!!


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Posted by T. J. Ricer on June 29, 1999 at 23:18:06:

In Reply to: Re: Re: PRACTICE!!! posted by Aaron on June 29, 1999 at 17:29:58:

*note* I ramble a little, you might just want to skip down to the conclusion.

I can't imagine where you guys come up with that kind of time. I also am a tuba performance major, but my schedule jsut doesn't allow that, and if it did I'm not sure I could be that productive for that long. I like to think that I am a good player and am improving well, but I'm lucky to find four hours in a day to practice on my own. Being at a Liberal Arts college I do have to take some non-music classes and that takes some time, but ensembles keep me very busy as well. After a day of rehearsals it is tough to have enough face left to get good practice time in. I am impressed by your work ethic, but after orchestra, wind ensemble, pep band, marching band, jazz ensemble, small ensembles, classes, and lessons (and in some of our cases a job) I personally can't imagine staying focused enough to be productive for that long. Even for the past few summers I have been playing at a theme park and that ends up taking the time and chops of any ensembles, I just don't know where the time is. Sorry, I just realized that I am rambling and not coming to any point.

In conclusion: I believe that you can get better without spending the greater protion of you waking hours in a practice room. Experience is just as big a part of learning as sitting down and getting the nuts and bolts out. Without one of these two things the other is worthless. Practice all that you can without killing your face or burning out your mind. Take any opportunity to perform or be with an ensemble. Experience is experience; do jazz or dixieland or polkas or ska or rock. . . anything can be of help to your overall skills and helps to keep you from limiting yourself to one kind of playing. (also puts money in your pocket) Don't ever believe that you are above some form of playing just because you can nail "fountains." Get on the horn and go to it!

---T. J. Ricer
**I know I have gone off on some tangents, but I feel that there is good advice contained within. I hope this in some way helps someone.


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