silverstar

Since ITG, I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. No time to do anything productive, I've been running from vacation to registration to work to more work and then home to sleep and then back to work...and so on and so forth.

In that time, I've had a little set back (an allergic reaction to some new lipbalm that kinda made it extremely hard to practice for....2 weeks.) and no time to practice consistently.

I just picked up the horn again for the first time in what seems like AGES (ok, it was 3 days) and...I can't believe how much fun it is to play that thing. Just to sit down and do long tones, to look through the BE book, to pull out my Arbans and just sightread, to do ANYTHING on the horn. It's really a great feeling.

Anyone else experienced this?

Lara

uatrmpt

There was a three month period during my student teaching, which was after my recital in early January, when I had just no desire to look the horn. Between January and May, the week of Easter was about the only time I played -- and I put the horn up after that week. I got involved with a community band during June and started to feel a little spark in my trumpet fire. Well, that's over now and I've got a band camp to work at and, for the first time, my own band camp to run, so I'm making sure I'm in shape for that. Also, I'm planning on starting with a new teacher soon so that I can keep progressing.

trpt2345

Whilst at Eastman I attended a master class by jazz pianist Phil Markowitz (Dave Liebman and the Vanguard band and Mel Lewis et al, he was also an Eastman grad). He had a quartet with Bob Moses on drums-he was a whole OTHER thing, but before Moses took over Phil said something that has stuck with me over the years. He said sometimes you get to a point where the music and your instrument are just too much and you have to get away. He said go somewhere new, take a vacation, meet people, hang out, do completely different things, let the instrument go. Then, he said, when you pick it back up just do fun stuff, play tunes you like, fool around just for fun and the pleasure of it. Because, in the end, one is really in it for the fun and every so often particularly when you're in the treadmill of making a living for a long time it's good and even essential to just get back to the fun aspect and recharge. I can't rightly remember the last time I did that so maybe it's time. I feel a trip to Mexico coming on. The last time we went last year was a totally fun trip, losing myself in a completely different musical world.

Michael McLaughlin

No man goes before his time - unless the boss leaves early.
Groucho Marx

Eclipsehornplayer

Wait till you come back from a 20 year break...

Hopefully you'll not have one; but if you do I'm warning you now you'll pursue it with vigor beyond belief.

I know that I have!

B15M

I used to be very resentful that I took a path in life based on making money instead of playing. Lately I've been thinking how lucky I am. I have enough money and I still love to play. I heard a pro player say that he has to play. It's the way he eats. I think there is a different perspective on the music when your in love with the music and playing it.

P.S.
It's probably better for the audience when the pro player play's it though.

NickD

A little time off can be good - for ANY area of endeavor.

I have a hard time with playing, though. I just love it, and I hate taking a vaction from my horn. That's why I bought that pocket trumpet and a couple of different practice mutes.

For me, (FWIIW) the "trumpet vacation" ca be playing a completely different style of music from what I normally play.

Just a few random thoughts...

TTFN
ND/&out

trpt2345

I use a harmon for a practice mute usually. And I always, always, always take my horn with me on vacation. In the gig bag it fits nicely under the seat in front of me, I never put it in the overhead. The last time going through customs in Mexico the guy wanted to know if it was really a trumpet and I wasn't trying to smuggle anything inside it, so I put in the mouthpiece and played Armstrong's opening cadenza of West End Blues. (This was about midnight in Veracruz. Woke up the bums and the taxi drivers). He let me through.

Michael McLaughlin

Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration, if inspiration is not discernible at the beginning.
Igor Stravinsky

bigaggietrumpet

I'll be experiencing it next week, actually. Between finals, vacation, work, and most recently, having my wisdom teeth removed, it has been over 2 months. Not only will it sound bad, it will probably be painful after about 10 minutes (my endurance always takes a nosedive). Yep, looking forward to it, it's kinda like I'm about to go visit an old friend.

silverstar

Ouch...take care, and I hope that your wisdom teeth (or lack thereof) heal quickly!

My chops have been fussy...chapped and painful....I went to the doc and got an Rx for whatever it is that's going on, but, it makes playing the horn hard! lol.

Let's say we take it slow and just enjoy playing some of the easier things for a while? lol.

Take care!
Lara

Liad Bar-EL

<<<Absence makes the heart grow fonder>>>

I guess one could say that about anything that one may enjoy. I have been away from TM for a long time and have found real enjoyment reading and responding to the various threads; plus, I have found a lot of valuable information.

I'm trying my best to play catch-up-ball to bring myself back up to date and current with the information flow; yet, still I have a lot of reading to do.

It's great fun as I am sure you think getting back to the horn is fun.

Have fun and be well.

Don't eat too many of those "brownies".

Liad Bar-EL