| Okay, so try to follow this logic because I'm not so sure it's going to make sense...
Through my life the warm up has changed, not just structure but meaning as well. That is, the purpose of the warm up has changed several times.
When I was a junior high kid it really was a physical activity that was surrounded by scales with my peers as it would only happen in a group. Later it became a bit more purposeful and more flexibility based. After that it became more specific ( was it before a general practice session or a concert? Was it before a lesson or a concert that featured only piccolo?).
After I turned pro and I started to teach more it was an opportunity to try things that I heard from other pros and even students. Therefore, there was a lot of experimentation and trying of new things. Now, it's purposeful and methodic but not because I'm warming up. Rather, I'm practicing immediately. There is no question about what I want to sound like. There is no question about how to use my body. There is no question about whether something is going to go well; I don't have a choice. It HAS to go well. So, it's almost fair to say that I don't warm up. I go to the hall early to practice instead. If something doesn't sound great off the bat, I don't worry. I know that eventually it will because that's why I'm being paid. That mental attitude has been a great source of peace for me but it doesn't come overnight. It's taken many years to find that groove and I hope I can stay in it for a good, long time.
ML |