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....

I'm back from my little hiatus. The month of August was extremely busy at the Theatre. I even got over time. Awesome.

School started up. I'm taking Music Theory and Ear training one as well as trumpet lessons. The theory class is going smoothly and I'm actually regaining my love for theory studies. Ear training is kinda fun and I'm hoping I get through it all.

I started my trumpet lessons last night. I had a little discomfort with my jaw but overall I have my range almost back.

A post finally

Hey everyone. It's been a while because I've been at work non stop for the past...2 weeks or so. A few things:

~This week is going to be busy.
~I have off for a few days
~I got called for Jury Duty...however I need to postpone my date because I start classes the day they called me.
~MY girlfriend is so cute
~I'm going to take my girlfriend to a Met game for her birthday (well that's pending because i'm waiting on her mom for a go ahead)
~I got my haircut
~The Liberty are a game away from the playoffs...we need Washington to lose and we need to win the last 4 games.
~I went shopping and got a load of stuff all under 60 bucks
~I'm researching Jazz books and recordnings to add to the Christmas list.
~

Ponderings of a jazz trumpet chick

Howdy everyone. Ok, so I lied about posting a lot when Kate was gone. I really didn't go online that much. Nothing much has been going on in the music world for me. Well not just nothing.

I've been pondering. I was talking to Kate (my girlfriend) and I've come to the conclusion that I have a slight fear this semester. I'm taking two music classes with actual music majors.

I fear seeing what I was.

I fear denying my gift of music, denying the potential to go far with it.

I fear a repeat of what happened.

But I must swallow this fear. But I still have that fear.

Another thing I've been pondering.

Does Jesus have a bloodline?

How can you make a pain reliever that is also a pain blocker? Don't you do more damage? The whole point of pain is to tell your body something's wrong...

Buddy Guy

There's no show tonight at the workplace. That's fine with me because there are 27 shows in August. Yeah...27, with 4 doubles and 5 mandatory shows. My jaw is hurting very badly tonight. I have intense amounts of pain every so often. I only got to play trumpet for 15 minutes (I actually timed myself today). Musical Boot Camp is moving along in the playing department and the physical department. I really need to focus on (re)learning my bass clef and minor scales again...well the circle of fifths. I can't remember a class I took two months ago, how can I expect myself to remember something I knew cold back in sept.?

i'm waiting on my girlfriend to call me from Disney. She let me take her Rock Guitar For Dummies for the week. I like the fact that it is full of some useful infomation, however I'm not too pleased with the author's lack of music history knowledge. In fact he states that rock guitar has no history what so ever...umm how about Chuck Berry? Helllooooo? The beatles?? Hellooooo? Nirvana? HEELLLLLO???

Then he said that (rock) guitar is not the instrument to play if one wants acceptance in the musical world. I'm telling you now, the majority of music students I know are guitar students. Rock guitar, classical guitar, folk guitar, whatever guitar...it is an accepted instrument. However yes classical is probably the music to play if one wants to be accepted (well...in my case...at a certain college that will remain unnamed...who shunned me as soon as they laid eyes on my small, weary, trumpet playing body.) So what if I wasn't psychotic as one girl who beat herself up over every missed note? So what if I had no clue about Bach or Haydn? I learned...but I prefer jazz and rock over classical. Do I consider myself as a musician? Then, yes I did....now? Let me get back to you on that in a few years.

Johnny Mathis

The title of this post refers to who's performign tonight at my workplace. I can't wait (yes I'm being sarcastic). I like my job. I do. I get to see a ton of concerts every year and I get to feel powerful because I am the only one who can guide a drunk person safely back to their seat. But that's the thing. It's like that song of Alanis Morissette "I'm young and underpaid." I'm glad that I work in a place where I can listen to music and sit back sometimes, but other times I'm just sick of the bullshit that happens.

Sometimes I think I want to quit, which is funny because my girlfriend is the one that wants out. She hates putting up with the bullshit. Sometimes I think I want to re apply to the local music store and take a steady gig there. I honestly don't know. I like these hours but I hate the hardship of the place. Plus it fucks up my body as it recovers. I can't sleep normally because I'm up at the weirdest times and sleeping on the others. it's July and I haven't been to the beach yet. Ok that pisses me off but I'm so tired and so sore afterwards. Hmm...

Well the girlfriend is heading to Disney this week. I'm probably going to be posting a LOT about music because I just took some of her books on guitar playing and writing my own stuff. I can also sit back and get back on track with my trumpet playing again. I had to take a short hiatus this week because the girlfriend was sick. I have been at her house almost everyday this past week.

And I got my report card in the mail today. 3.9 GPA and I got A's in my 3 music classes (Developement of Western Music, Jazz History-50s, 60, 70s, and Jazz Theory).