On Sunday I went to hear the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. As usual they sounded amazing and left me inspired and anxious to get home to pick up my own instrument. After the first intermission, Wynton came on stage with his septet to perform music that will appear on his upcoming Blue Note album. I got a chance to speak to some of the band members and Wynton invited me to bring my horn for a lesson next time he was in town. I even had the opportunity to sing the blues with him and a few others around the piano. I said it before but I will say it again — the LCJO are some of the nicest, most gracious cats I've ever met. Truly beautiful people.

Near the middle of the week I couldn't do anything right on my horn. Long tones, lip slurs, articulation studies, etudes, scales… everything was horrible. I haven't had a day like that in a long time and it was difficult to deal with. I blamed everything for it… myself for not practicing long enough… hurricane Isabel for knocking out the power… Pepco for taking 5 days to get me reconnected… even my dog for being in the same room! It was pretty pathetic.

Fast forward to Friday and Saturday… I could do no wrong on the horn. My tone was fat, my articulation clean and my mind was sharp and alert. It was like night and day from the middle of the week. In hindsight I did not sleep very well during the power outage so it is very possible that I was simply fatigued and my playing was a result of that. It was proof in my eyes that our performance on our instruments has a direct connection with how we are feeling mentally, physically and spiritually.

The lesson to be learned? If you want to play well – treat yourself well. Music and life are intertwined.