Excerpt Day!

For my initial warm up, I tried 2 note Remingtons with a nice warm sound starting on low Bb, then on middle F, then on top-of-the-staff Bb.

Later on in the day, I continued my warm-up with the Bai Lin exercise #1.

After that, I touched on Multiple Tonguing in the Arbans (exercise #1).

During my lunch break, I worked a LOT on my first excerpt.  Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms.  I LOVE listening to Michael J. Colburn play this piece.  His tone is so even throughout the register and the high notes just pop out like they are no big deal at all.  He's the MAN.  He is currently the DIRECTOR of the "President's Own."  And is now a Colonel.

If I got in to the band, I would be under his baton.

Anyway, for "Endearing Young Charms," I worked on the second half of the excerpt starting at dotted quarter = 40 BPM, then moving up to 50 BPM when I was comfortable with 40, then up to 60.  I was pretty happy with my sound and technique.  With the metronome, I added the off-beat to make sure I was being honest with the arpeggios.  This also gave it a cool triplet feel.  I also practiced with a triplet beat, again to double check my rhythmic accuracy.
I am happy with how that excerpt is coming along except my jump from middle of the staff F up to High C.  I will be working on that quite a bit over the next week.

Later on in the day, I touched on Aegean Festival Overture excerpt taking it at a ridiculously slow tempo.  I need to work on jumping octaves.  When I change at a fast tempo, my lower notes become "congested" and fuzzy.  However, they are fine at a slow tempo.  I think this is a flexibility issue.  So I know that I need to double my efforts on lip slurs, arbans interval studies, and clarke studies.  I also need to continue working on my lower register.  It is somewhat frustrating not having the range I used to have.  But at least I know what I need to work on, right?!

This evening I have been listening to recordings of all of my excerpts.  At least all of them that I have.  I have to say that I am very pleasantly surprised at Grainger's "Colonial Song."  What an awesome piece of music!  It's...Grainger.  There's nothing else that can really be said.  Long phrases, perfectly scored and highly emotional.  I LOVE how he uses the ranges of instruments to create intensity.