Thoughts For The Week

College re opens!
So my first official week back at college has come to pass and has been enjoyable as college work, recording and trad sessions, rehearsals and band ideas begin to prop up through the college. As usual the past few days have made me look to the future and consider where I want to be in the next few years. I have started seriously looking into the requirements for cruise ship work in terms of auditioning. I really feel that if I start looking now and manage to build up a small portfolio my chances in later life work will be more likely.
In a perfect world I would really like to leave at the end of this college year and go further a field whether it be in education or work. That’s why I feel if I start to audition now sure, I’ll get knocked back at first but its just one of these things that you have to learn to get comfortable with. It’s all about taking that first initiative and having the confidence to do so. Whether I have the abilities to do this I don’t know but I feel its already too late to look at education elsewhere and so work is the next option. Maybe this is just a phase but in the mean time I’m just going to keep searching for bands and musical opportunities.
First thing Wednesday was a day full of potential as I saw that my next integrated project was to be on Led Zeppelin, one of my favourite bands of all time. Each member of the band that I’m with is a dedicated musician and hard working when it comes to producing the goods. Prospects are high!
My drum lessons are beginning to take a more formal shape as I now begin to choose my performance pieces for the end of year assessment. I have chosen and played two of the four already one that is full of complex rhythms and a bit above my standard of performance. I want however to really push myself and hopefully have it ready by the end of the college year.
This week I have also been asked to help out with the auditions for the college this year and help with the choosing of places. I think it is generally felt that auditions in the past have been a somewhat informative process where in the past candidates including myself had no real idea of the standard and structure of the college with the small 15-minutes we were allocated. This is a real progressive step forward with the auditions and I feel honoured to be a part of it. It will also be another thing I can add into my final graded unit portfolio.
Thursdays theory class was the lat before next weeks test and really showed me how much I have to begin opening up my ears to pitches. I feel that this would not only benefit me for the test but also in my intonation when playing trombone and violin so that I would become capable to hit a note comfortably and be able to learn new material by ear.
First week back at session skills saw me reading a relatively (or what seemed to be) trombone score. I managed to play through it fine however, as the session carried on I began to lose lip control and started getting “strawberry lips.” This showed me how mush I need to begin using my diaphragm in my efforts to play for if I was to do an hour show it would be unlikely that I’d make it to the end.
Well that’s the thoughts for this week and it has left me considering a lot. I’m beginning to see opportunities arise and I’m hoping that as the year commences they will continue to appear in there many.

Holidays Extended

So, I have made the treacherous trip back to Perth fighting through the worst of the snow, ice and cold to find that college has been cancelled for another week due to the weather conditions. It seems that I am one of the only contenders to have made it through and so look forward to a week of minimal events. Maybe I should look upon this incident as a good omen though and take this free time to grease up the hinges for a very eventful term.
Although I haven’t returned to college as of yet I have already had a call from local saxophonist Felix offering me a gig in Perth concert hall. The gig is to take place the second week of March and consists of me playing trombone with a backing band for a catwalk. I have seen the repertoire and although it does not seem complex I feel the challenge will be playing consistent for I have the habit of loosing my embouchure as my lips tire. Scales and lip exercises may be a good idea this week mixed with a little bit of presentation work. But apart from that the week has been as empty as a glass with no water. Hopefully the college will open it glorious gates in the next few days and let me back in!