Another year, a few more grey hairs and the opportunity to ponder good intentions, and sort out bad decisions.
I guess my main goal for the year is to survive the Degree Foundation Music course I’m on, and hopefully do well!?! I kind of leaped at the opportunity to do this music course, and with hindsight, I think I thought it would be a walk in the park. We’d arrive on the first day, unpack instruments, and spend 10 months playing tunes and generally having a chilled time. I could not have been more mistaken.
Unbeknownst to me, the course includes a rigorous theory component, and when I arrived my ignorance was very noticeable to me. With 3 weekly theory classes since September, music theory is being transformed before my eyes from something rather mysterious and scary into a surprisingly comforting numeric logic. I understand modes! I love scale spellings, and while I might not be able to get my fingers round all of them, I love the pattern of major, minor and “flat 5” 7 chords! Last September, I didn’t see any need for me to focus on Classical Music Theory, and negotiated an additional more advanced Pop Theory class instead. Since dabbling in classical music, and taking up the silver flute, I have come to regret that decision, and have now added an additional Classical Music Theory class to my capacious theory load. Theory is indeed a beautiful art in itself, let alone an essential means of translating musical intentions into reality.
Another goal for 2012 is to further develop my technique on all three instruments: wooden flute, english concertina and silver flute.
I’m currently playing three Canadian waltzes on the wooden flute, involving a lot of playing at the very top of the flute, a territory rarely ventured into by most traditional flute players. A lot of my focus right now is in improving my third octave sound. I’m finding that playing harmonics on both flutes and working my embouchure at the top of the silver flute’s range is helping, but it’s going to take time to make new habits.
I’m also working my way through Trevor Wye’s Practice Books 1 - 5 Omnibus, full of finger and mouth agility exercises. I’m thinking about the colour of tone, and whether all the notes in a scale can have the same colour. The exercises are strangely comforting to play, akin to the pleasures of learning theory.
Now that we’ve moved on to Country music as a style for improvising, I am turning my concertina focus onto playing chord accompaniment. I have always been primarily a melody player, although in the band I do play concertina chords for a couple of sets. While I find it relatively easy to learn tunes by ear, I find it more difficult to spontaneously play chords for tunes that I haven’t worked up, and that’s an area I hope to develop.
We’ve had several discussions, in class, on practice routines with the suggestion that we develop a fixed practice schedule. I find that a fixed anything quickly becomes something that I fail at and resent. Flexibility and focus on time-critical goals and weaker areas works better for me, evidenced by my progress. Every day I review (mentally and on paper) what I need to do. Then I prioritize the work against deadlines (blog deadline dates, composition deadlines, homework assignments, private lesson dates). It can be hard to find the time to practice three instruments every day, but I do try to play both flutes six days a week, and fit the concertina in at least a few times each week. I regularly record myself, listen back and then work until the recordings reflect what I’m trying to achieve.
As part of my course, I’m encouraged to develop networks, create new contacts, and market myself as a musician. If you’re reading this blog, you’ve already come across one of my self-promotional tactics! Playing in trad sessions is often a great way to make face-to-face contacts, while there are many online opportunities to promote oneself, including Facebook, Twitter, chiffandfipple.com flute forum, concertina.net and linkedin.com . I’ve also included my website on stumbleupon.com , which randomly generates website suggestions to members based on membership preferences. It must all be working, as in the past few months the hits on my website have increased, I’ve had an email from a new concertina player looking for information and another beginner looking for a lesson, I’ve received information about the Scottish Flute Summer School from a new contact, and I’ve had a request to play at a gig next year.
So how will I address these good intentions and goals? Through hard work, continual self-assessment and heaps of practice. Lots of sweat, a few tears but hopefully not much bleeding, except from my ego.
Onward and upward in 2012.
PS You may remember me mentioning Antje Duvekot’s Kickstarter project, in a previous blog? The cd, New Siberia, arrived in the post last week, and it’s a cracker! She emailed me to thank me for the mention in my blog. The internet is the biggest connection for us all...
I guess my main goal for the year is to survive the Degree Foundation Music course I’m on, and hopefully do well!?! I kind of leaped at the opportunity to do this music course, and with hindsight, I think I thought it would be a walk in the park. We’d arrive on the first day, unpack instruments, and spend 10 months playing tunes and generally having a chilled time. I could not have been more mistaken.
Unbeknownst to me, the course includes a rigorous theory component, and when I arrived my ignorance was very noticeable to me. With 3 weekly theory classes since September, music theory is being transformed before my eyes from something rather mysterious and scary into a surprisingly comforting numeric logic. I understand modes! I love scale spellings, and while I might not be able to get my fingers round all of them, I love the pattern of major, minor and “flat 5” 7 chords! Last September, I didn’t see any need for me to focus on Classical Music Theory, and negotiated an additional more advanced Pop Theory class instead. Since dabbling in classical music, and taking up the silver flute, I have come to regret that decision, and have now added an additional Classical Music Theory class to my capacious theory load. Theory is indeed a beautiful art in itself, let alone an essential means of translating musical intentions into reality.
Another goal for 2012 is to further develop my technique on all three instruments: wooden flute, english concertina and silver flute.
I’m currently playing three Canadian waltzes on the wooden flute, involving a lot of playing at the very top of the flute, a territory rarely ventured into by most traditional flute players. A lot of my focus right now is in improving my third octave sound. I’m finding that playing harmonics on both flutes and working my embouchure at the top of the silver flute’s range is helping, but it’s going to take time to make new habits.
I’m also working my way through Trevor Wye’s Practice Books 1 - 5 Omnibus, full of finger and mouth agility exercises. I’m thinking about the colour of tone, and whether all the notes in a scale can have the same colour. The exercises are strangely comforting to play, akin to the pleasures of learning theory.
Now that we’ve moved on to Country music as a style for improvising, I am turning my concertina focus onto playing chord accompaniment. I have always been primarily a melody player, although in the band I do play concertina chords for a couple of sets. While I find it relatively easy to learn tunes by ear, I find it more difficult to spontaneously play chords for tunes that I haven’t worked up, and that’s an area I hope to develop.
We’ve had several discussions, in class, on practice routines with the suggestion that we develop a fixed practice schedule. I find that a fixed anything quickly becomes something that I fail at and resent. Flexibility and focus on time-critical goals and weaker areas works better for me, evidenced by my progress. Every day I review (mentally and on paper) what I need to do. Then I prioritize the work against deadlines (blog deadline dates, composition deadlines, homework assignments, private lesson dates). It can be hard to find the time to practice three instruments every day, but I do try to play both flutes six days a week, and fit the concertina in at least a few times each week. I regularly record myself, listen back and then work until the recordings reflect what I’m trying to achieve.
As part of my course, I’m encouraged to develop networks, create new contacts, and market myself as a musician. If you’re reading this blog, you’ve already come across one of my self-promotional tactics! Playing in trad sessions is often a great way to make face-to-face contacts, while there are many online opportunities to promote oneself, including Facebook, Twitter, chiffandfipple.com flute forum, concertina.net and linkedin.com . I’ve also included my website on stumbleupon.com , which randomly generates website suggestions to members based on membership preferences. It must all be working, as in the past few months the hits on my website have increased, I’ve had an email from a new concertina player looking for information and another beginner looking for a lesson, I’ve received information about the Scottish Flute Summer School from a new contact, and I’ve had a request to play at a gig next year.
So how will I address these good intentions and goals? Through hard work, continual self-assessment and heaps of practice. Lots of sweat, a few tears but hopefully not much bleeding, except from my ego.
Onward and upward in 2012.
PS You may remember me mentioning Antje Duvekot’s Kickstarter project, in a previous blog? The cd, New Siberia, arrived in the post last week, and it’s a cracker! She emailed me to thank me for the mention in my blog. The internet is the biggest connection for us all...
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