I need to keep a closer eye on the amount of rest that I get in between practice sessions. I usually go for 15 to 20 minutes and then take a break. I have too many weeks where I am playing great on day one and then by day seven it disintegrates to the point where I sound horrible. This is probably due to not getting the proper amount of rest between sessions. I downloaded a free computer timer program from the Internet and use it gauge my practice time and rests. I've been using it for two days and it works great. I've also started keeping a loose log of what I work on during each session. I'm hoping this helps me locate areas that I am neglecting or leaving out completely.
The horn is wonderful. The more I play it – the more I like it. I ordered a GR 67MX mouthpiece and it should get here this week. I am looking forward to trying it out and putting my other pieces away. I can honestly say that committing to one horn is a great feeling and I have a feeling it will be a big benefit for me in the future. Here is a very short sound clip of me doing some Clarke stuff. This horn has a nice warm sound to it. I love it!
Hopefully in two weeks I'm going to start taking lessons twice a month. My schedule had gotten so busy that I didn't have time to see my teacher but things have finally settled down to a point where I can do it religiously.