have you ever not played trombone for a while...and then practiced...like really practiced and your lips get that tingling in them that only playing brass can actually do? you know...when your lip gets swollen and you look a little funny but your happy it's puffed up because you finally started doing it again? it's like when all the calouses on your fingers are gone and you finally play guitar again and it hurts? but in a good way?
well my lips got swolen today and it was glorious.
i always feel like i've lost so much ground when i don't play for a while. but i'm always amazingly pleased with myself. it's the first time i've really played trombone since carnegie hall. i've played a couple times before now, but i've never really practiced. i kinda just blew a few notes...but today, after a couple long tones and lip slurs, my tone was back...up until my lip got swolen...but that's not the point. the point is...if i can be almost just as good at reading new stuff and technique exercises (sort of...) without practicing, i can be beastly if i actually practice everyday.
it reminds me of after i came back from australia and haven't played for like 3 years literally...and not even blowing any notes. that was because in australia, i decided to follow my heart and be a music major instead of a pre-veterinary major. i was amazed at how almost near good i kinda was.
i think everybody has something like that. something their good at but don't do for a while for some reason or another...and then when you finally do it, it's still awesome. sure. you have to woodshed a bit and sand the edges...
i just wanted to let you know that i did it today.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Church is for Learning
so i went to church today. there was something there that bothered me...other than forgetting to brush my teeth...but that's another story...and i don't think it was intended as it sounded. plus, that's that the kind of thing you're supposed to take away from church anyway. so i'm not going to worry about it.
i wanted to just say what i liked about going to church today.
in sunday school today, the lesson was about Saul in the old testament. the part i remember was in 1Sam13. so you don't have to look it up, that's when Saul, who's the king, was to wait for Samuel to come back to make a burnt offering and peace offering before going into war. Samuel wasn't back by the appointed time, so Saul went ahead and made the offering himself. he didn't have the priesthood authority nor the calling to do that but that's not the point i learned. i learned this:
one of the HARDEST things to do in the gospel is to hold out to the end. to wait actively for the appointed timing of the Lord.
the ironic thing is that as soon as the offering was made, Samuel showed up. it seems to always happen like that. right when you do something that you shouldn't have is right when your personal Samuel shows up. think of how bad he must have felt for not waiting another 20 minutes! he must have felt like a faithless wimpy little man.
and then i was reminded of Nephi.no, not the one who was large in stature, but the one in 3Ne1. he was the one, so you also don't have to look this one up, who waited it out and stayed faithful. there were signs prophesied by Samuel the Lamanite (ha. another Samuel) that were said to show the Savior's birth in Jerusalem. the non- believers set a date that if the signs didn't come, they'd kill all the believers. there were people who gave up. they renounced their beliefs and their faith. not Nephi though. he waited. actively. through prayer, and teaching too i assume. it was the day before and he was still going to wait it out. and you know what? the sign did come. just like it was prophesied.
i'm sure the people who gave up that afternoon felt real stupid when the sun went down and it wasn't dark.
the point is, when God or one of his prophets says something, it's right. it's going to happen. you may not believe it or may not understand it, but it's real. it can be said on a smaller scale too. we may not be threatened to be killed or have the philistines gathering, but we might be threatened with the disapproval of some of our "friends." it might look like the odds are stacked against us if we don't give in. the truth is though, the odds of us getting where we want to be is not too good if we do give in.
stay strong my friends. wait it out. be like Nephi. it's the true way.
i wanted to just say what i liked about going to church today.
in sunday school today, the lesson was about Saul in the old testament. the part i remember was in 1Sam13. so you don't have to look it up, that's when Saul, who's the king, was to wait for Samuel to come back to make a burnt offering and peace offering before going into war. Samuel wasn't back by the appointed time, so Saul went ahead and made the offering himself. he didn't have the priesthood authority nor the calling to do that but that's not the point i learned. i learned this:
one of the HARDEST things to do in the gospel is to hold out to the end. to wait actively for the appointed timing of the Lord.
the ironic thing is that as soon as the offering was made, Samuel showed up. it seems to always happen like that. right when you do something that you shouldn't have is right when your personal Samuel shows up. think of how bad he must have felt for not waiting another 20 minutes! he must have felt like a faithless wimpy little man.
and then i was reminded of Nephi.no, not the one who was large in stature, but the one in 3Ne1. he was the one, so you also don't have to look this one up, who waited it out and stayed faithful. there were signs prophesied by Samuel the Lamanite (ha. another Samuel) that were said to show the Savior's birth in Jerusalem. the non- believers set a date that if the signs didn't come, they'd kill all the believers. there were people who gave up. they renounced their beliefs and their faith. not Nephi though. he waited. actively. through prayer, and teaching too i assume. it was the day before and he was still going to wait it out. and you know what? the sign did come. just like it was prophesied.
i'm sure the people who gave up that afternoon felt real stupid when the sun went down and it wasn't dark.
the point is, when God or one of his prophets says something, it's right. it's going to happen. you may not believe it or may not understand it, but it's real. it can be said on a smaller scale too. we may not be threatened to be killed or have the philistines gathering, but we might be threatened with the disapproval of some of our "friends." it might look like the odds are stacked against us if we don't give in. the truth is though, the odds of us getting where we want to be is not too good if we do give in.
stay strong my friends. wait it out. be like Nephi. it's the true way.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
my wife is pretty.
just so you know... she's very beautiful. that face melts me every now and again. those eyes are amazing...and she's very funny and smart and wonderful. she's virtuous, faithful and awesome. she takes care of me. i hope i can be as good to her as she is to me. she's my favorite person. i'm proud to be her husband. marrying her was one of my best decisions.
lights, camera, ......
i had my first paying gig this week of my whole life. it was only $20 but it was probably about the normal pay for the amount of time i put in as a performer this time. we did a medley of the 50's (happy days, come and go with me, the laverne and shirley theme song, etc.) and a michael jackson medley at a retirement community.
this is the second time we've performed this particular show for an audience. last time we had this awesome stage built for us to use with lots of different elevation layers and all...we didn't have that this time. the first thing i asked when we got there was, "what are we going to change because of our lack of stageage?" the chorus teacher said "nothing"...and then we proceeded to change about half of our spots we needed to hit.
can i just take a moment to talk a little bit about the suckage that it tech rehearsals?
thanks.
so...last time we did this show, and every other time i've done a show, at this college, that wasn't run by the music staff, we've had about 4-6 days of rehearsals that ranged from about 4 to 6 hours each. and usually, i'm singing as well as playing instruments. that's cool and good times and all, but they normally tell those who need mic checks to get there an extra hour early...
does any one else think that this is absolutely ridiculous?
i mean...it takes literally about 20 seconds each to check the microphone. and there's normally about 12 of us. the time just doesn't really add up to me.
plus, every time i've had to do this, a majority of the 16 TO 36 HOURS of rehearsal is spent doing absolutely nothing. since it's normally a collaborative thing, we (the instrumental music people) sit around, stare at the wall and wait back stage for the other people to practice.
PRACTICE?!
i'm sorry. but when you get to the tech rehearsal, you should only need to check the lights, mics, and stage changes. if you're going into the dress rehearsal, the night before you perform for a real audience, and your instructor is saying that you don't have memorized what you need to and that you have to come in 2 hours early to the performance to do it again to prove that you actually can do it or you'll be cut out of the show, you need to get your act together(literally) or change majors.
anyway...
luckily we didn't have but one of those and we needed it. because we were changing half of the spots we needed to hit and we had a new backup band, who did awesome by the way. it was a good performance over-all but it wasn't as good as the first one. we got paid a little this time though...and that made it better.
i did other things that weren't just sitting around...but if you're like me, you're probably bored by now and don't want to read about them. i'll put them in another post...maybe...probably not though. i'll probably forget. oh well. you'll deal.
PEACE!
this is the second time we've performed this particular show for an audience. last time we had this awesome stage built for us to use with lots of different elevation layers and all...we didn't have that this time. the first thing i asked when we got there was, "what are we going to change because of our lack of stageage?" the chorus teacher said "nothing"...and then we proceeded to change about half of our spots we needed to hit.
can i just take a moment to talk a little bit about the suckage that it tech rehearsals?
thanks.
so...last time we did this show, and every other time i've done a show, at this college, that wasn't run by the music staff, we've had about 4-6 days of rehearsals that ranged from about 4 to 6 hours each. and usually, i'm singing as well as playing instruments. that's cool and good times and all, but they normally tell those who need mic checks to get there an extra hour early...
does any one else think that this is absolutely ridiculous?
i mean...it takes literally about 20 seconds each to check the microphone. and there's normally about 12 of us. the time just doesn't really add up to me.
plus, every time i've had to do this, a majority of the 16 TO 36 HOURS of rehearsal is spent doing absolutely nothing. since it's normally a collaborative thing, we (the instrumental music people) sit around, stare at the wall and wait back stage for the other people to practice.
PRACTICE?!
i'm sorry. but when you get to the tech rehearsal, you should only need to check the lights, mics, and stage changes. if you're going into the dress rehearsal, the night before you perform for a real audience, and your instructor is saying that you don't have memorized what you need to and that you have to come in 2 hours early to the performance to do it again to prove that you actually can do it or you'll be cut out of the show, you need to get your act together(literally) or change majors.
anyway...
luckily we didn't have but one of those and we needed it. because we were changing half of the spots we needed to hit and we had a new backup band, who did awesome by the way. it was a good performance over-all but it wasn't as good as the first one. we got paid a little this time though...and that made it better.
i did other things that weren't just sitting around...but if you're like me, you're probably bored by now and don't want to read about them. i'll put them in another post...maybe...probably not though. i'll probably forget. oh well. you'll deal.
PEACE!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The first blog post ever...
so...i was about to write in my on-line journal that i write in like once a month if i'm lucky... (because my wife was writing in her blog and that reminded me)...and then i thought...why don't i just make a blog of my own.
i'm hoping that the whole other people reading it will give me a little more motivation...you know...like my public awaits or whatever. it can't hurt right. plus, you're interested. i mean you're still reading. right?
what i wanted to write about in my journal is something i just named the summer time doldrums. i feel there. the doldrums of the summer, to me in my college life, are when you've gotten in all the relaxing you can really handle for and are ready to get back to the crazy of the semester.
right now i feel like i'm doing the same thing every day. i kinda am. i go to work everyday at 9 and get off at 2...except for saturday which is 10 to 2...and sunday which is a non-work day being the sabbath and all. i go to a gym class every now and again too. but it seems like i'm just sitting around (probably because i am when i'm not at the gym...i even work sitting down).
my work is pretty boring. i do mostly the same thing about 200 times and go home after 5 hours. don't get me wrong. i'm totally grateful for my job and the flexibility it gives me to change my schedule according to my classes and not the other way around. but it's boring let's face it.
i suppose i could get myself out of the summer time doldrums by actively choosing to do so...and maybe i should. maybe i should get out there and try to accomplish more than beating the Lord of the Rings video game. maybe i should practice one of the many instruments i have laying around. maybe i should take my wife and box hunt for our move in 24 days...but it's hard to get moving in the doldrums. people used to get stuck in those. i suppose i could try though......
alright. you talked me into it. productive updates to follow.
i'm hoping that the whole other people reading it will give me a little more motivation...you know...like my public awaits or whatever. it can't hurt right. plus, you're interested. i mean you're still reading. right?
what i wanted to write about in my journal is something i just named the summer time doldrums. i feel there. the doldrums of the summer, to me in my college life, are when you've gotten in all the relaxing you can really handle for and are ready to get back to the crazy of the semester.
right now i feel like i'm doing the same thing every day. i kinda am. i go to work everyday at 9 and get off at 2...except for saturday which is 10 to 2...and sunday which is a non-work day being the sabbath and all. i go to a gym class every now and again too. but it seems like i'm just sitting around (probably because i am when i'm not at the gym...i even work sitting down).
my work is pretty boring. i do mostly the same thing about 200 times and go home after 5 hours. don't get me wrong. i'm totally grateful for my job and the flexibility it gives me to change my schedule according to my classes and not the other way around. but it's boring let's face it.
i suppose i could get myself out of the summer time doldrums by actively choosing to do so...and maybe i should. maybe i should get out there and try to accomplish more than beating the Lord of the Rings video game. maybe i should practice one of the many instruments i have laying around. maybe i should take my wife and box hunt for our move in 24 days...but it's hard to get moving in the doldrums. people used to get stuck in those. i suppose i could try though......
alright. you talked me into it. productive updates to follow.
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