guitar/flugel talk

I've finally crawled out of my work filled hole! It's been a grand time in jazz. I am having a blast playing with a few other people. Our director is a great guy who knows his shit. The two hours go by really fast, and I'm starting to feel strong again. I get a little sore everyday.

But my main topic. My flugelhorn frankie. I want to invest in a new mouthpiece. I'm using the mouthpiece that came with Frankie. I have a hard time adjusting to it, it's old and I was looking at Jet Tone or Bach for a new mouthpiece. Now Bach goes by the same measurements as trumpet mouthpieces. I grew up on 1Cs, 5Cs, 7Cs...that's the way i know how the order a size.

I was thinking about moving away from Bach mouthpieces because I heard it takes a toll on the lips, because the rim cuts or something like that. I really can't remember what my old trumpet teacher used to say. I was looking at Jet Tone because I like the way it looks, and it's a good price...especially since I want to experiment around with a few. What a better way to do it with an affordable and reliable brand? But then comes the issue of sizes.

There are diffferent numbers and letters. So then I looked back at the Bach mouthpieces...I'm very familar with them. Who knows what I'll do. When the time comes, I'll tell you what I did.

Right now the story is I'm buying a new guitar. I'm getting (or hoping to get) an Ibanez Acoustic Electric guitar. It's a nice looking guitar. The one that I want to get is purplish. It's not a true purple, but a nice woody purple...if that makes sense at all. I love the way it felt while playing. It has a tuner on board (always a plus for me...cause I really suck at tuning by ear). It's a nice weight, and not too big or bulky so it fits in my small frame. Let's hope the city has it...and it makes it home with me...and not with my girlfriend...who just bought a Martin mini. The girl is insane...making it 6 guitars in her house.

Week 3

The semester is rolling along smoothly. I've been back to school for about 3 weeks and the music theory class isn't so bad. It's designed as a course for both majors and non majors to take. It's giving me a good backing for a return to music.

I started lessons with my teacher at school. She's really awesome. I've had 3 lessons so far and it's going awesome. I'm tackling the entire Haydn again. She really made me buckle myself down and improve my playing. She is very gentle as well because she knows about the accident, so she encourages me and tells me to back down when she realizes that i'm in pain.

I'm really stubborn when it comes to pain. I want to keep pushing because I want to do really good. I want to show her that she was right in taking me on as a student. She approached me last semester to take lessons, so I really want to make it worth our while.

I was sitting in the practice room yesterday with my teacher, finishing packing my stuff up when two people from the department come in. One points at me and said:

That's your horn player...

Cue Marybeth's screaming eyes and erractic heart rate. I had to catch my breath, I was so scared.

He wanted me to paly for Jazz band...

So I did it. I sat in class and we played a few tunes that I knew and all ready they said it was a huge improvement from last year's trumpeter.

I'm really excited about this chance to re emerge myself in music but I'm scared. i'm scared of turning back into the egotisical person that I was in high school. I'm scared of the power that music has over me and the way it can turn me into something that I haven't been in over a year.

I'm dedicated to my girlfriend, I'm settled down. I'm pretty settled for a chick who jumps at every loud sound. I feel scared, excited, vunerable, and determined.

I feel like Becky Hammon being traded to San Antonio and being told she has to lead the entire team....