I haven't worked for several weeks because of back pain. The pain also affects my ability to practice as much as I would like. The weight of my go-to saxophone is pretty taxing on my neck and upper back. However, I am getting in some quality time with the horn. Even though I'm getting quality … Continue reading Pain & Regret
https://youtu.be/UczHSWO_7dE I don't know what happens sometimes. It has been about 3-1/2 weeks since I practiced and now I'm struggling again. Technique suffers the most and the fastest. Embouchure is okay, but I still feel weakness. However, this didn't keep me from recording and posting on Youtube. The video above is a demo of a … Continue reading Out Of Nowhere
https://youtu.be/OwvEjyi0tJY So, I have been feeling better lately. I got a chance to play the horn this week, and I wasn't in as bad a shape as I thought. My embouchure feels pretty good, and my technique is not horrible. I look forward to trying to improve. I no longer have any hope of playing … Continue reading A Fine Romance
Leading up to the holidays, I have been making some slow progress in the practice room. For the next couple of days, I will have to put in some quality practice time. I will probably work on some scales and technique-building stuff. My embouchure has been feeling pretty good. I can practice for at least … Continue reading Holiday Practice Schedule
Some days when I practice, I can't seem to hear any improvement. Some days are worse than others. I'm often frustrated beyond belief, and anger follows. Well, mostly self-deprecation and pity. When I record myself, I can hear all of the flaws in my technique, timing, and tone. It is so freaking frustrating. It feels … Continue reading Sometimes Frustrated
So, I have not had the opportunity to practice. I have been busy with family stuff. It has not been an easy week. Next week I hope to get back to business. I had been looking forward to practicing this week. There has been a level of excitement about it, even. I still am not … Continue reading Life In The Way
So it has been a while since I've practiced the saxophone with any consistency, or at all. My embouchure is so weak it makes me feel like my sax is leaking. I'm sure that if I took it to a repair shop, they would find nothing wrong with it. I want to resume practicing regularly. … Continue reading My Weakness Is Overwhelming
That's right! Since I got a job, I have not had the time or energy to practice. Everybody was encouraging, "be a bus driver. It's a good idea. It's only a few hours a day, and you can practice during the day between routes." Ok, it was me who said all that. Except that I … Continue reading Having A Job Is Cramping My Style
A new experience while practicing Sometimes when I'm practicing, my hand & ear coordination is so good that it seems like my mind moves from where I usually perceive it being (which is in my head) to my hands. It is as if I have become my hands, and I can navigate through whatever I'm … Continue reading Becoming One
Tomorrow I have a follow-up appointment with the surgeon who performed my carpal tunnel release. I am going to have to explain why I did not follow his directions about not unwrapping my hand. It is not infected and it seems to be healing very well and very quickly. The reason I unwrapped it is … Continue reading Follow-up Doctors Visit
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