A Day Off and EUPHONASIA

This past week has been very productive.  I feel like I have made a lot of progress in just my overall playing ability.  However, I had to take friday off.  For various reasons, life was just too hectic that day to play.  I did get to buzz on my mouthpiece for a bit.  But I always feel like I take a couple steps back when I don't play everyday.  But after my practice session yesterday, I feel like I made up some of my lost time and am on the right track again.  It felt really good to play yesterday.  I keep finding little gems in Dr. Brian Bowman's book "Practical Hints on Playing the Baritone (Euphonium).

There are exercises in the book that I play and think, "Why did I not know about this exercise until now?  This is great!"  I am having a GREAT time just getting better.  Even if I don't get the job, it's a great feeling living up to your potential.  I love taking my time on exercises and REALLY working through them so they sound perfect.  At the end of the practice session, if I can play an excerpt/exercise exactly the way I think it should sound, then I feel like I've made really decent progress.

On another note, I came across another side-project of Ryan McGeorge (one of the Euphonium players in the "President's Own").  It's called EUPHONASIA.  I like the name of the group:-)  It sounds like the physician assisted death to the modern euphonium. 

Anyway, they are a jazz/rock/fusion group with Euphonium being the lead voice...but if you listen to recordings of the group, you won't hear what is normally thought of as euphonium.  They have sent his acoustic sound through myriad effects and have achieved a strange yet highly intriguing sound.  They have a group on Facebook that will allow you to listen to some of their songs if you "Like" their group.  I recommend "Release the Crackin'" and the cover of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."

Happy listening!