Happy Holidays everyone!  I apologize to my regular visitors for remaining silent for so long.  My biggest excuse for not writing anything is I have been ultra busy at work and also shedding harder than ever to improve.  The concert was really a wake up call and inspiration for me to try to kick things into a higher gear.  I have increased my private lessons to twice a month and it has been extremely helpful.  The days of me floundering in the practice room have vanished over the last month as my teacher is providing me with specific exercises to focus on.   They include patterns in all keys, minor II Vs and transposition.  All are extremely challenging but I can see (and hear) myself improving slowly but surely in each.  I am also getting more focused with regards to my trumpet fundamentals.  I am doing mouthpiece buzzing which is something that I haven’t done in the past.  It is a great way to warm up and get my chops focused before I even take my horn out of the case.

I have always felt that my breathing was not complete and that I was making trumpet playing a lot harder than it needed to be.  I also think that my lack of breathing was the biggest cause of my limited endurance during the gig in November.  As a result, I’ve been working with a DVD and book called The Breathing Gym.  On the DVD you are lead by Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan through a series of routines that target different types of breathing and stretching.  The book is helpful in that it tells you what routines to do if you are trying to accomplish a specific thing.  Right now my focus is on projection and a large sound with less effort.  There are 4-5 routines that help me do just that.  I can honestly say that after doing the exercises I pick my horn up and I hear a HUGE difference in my sound and power.  The problem is remembering the sensation that I get from the exercises and repeating it every time I play.  I am notorious for doing it for the first 15 minutes and then resorting to my old method of breathing for the rest of my practice routine.  Hopefully with time it will become automatic.

2004 has been an amazing year from me and I will have to work really hard to top it in 2005.  You can rest assured that I will try.  I will also make an effort to keep my content updated as well.  To everyone who visits and sends me notes of encouragement – I wish you all the best this holiday season and a very prosperous New Year.