Day 5

Today is the first day that I had to 'force' myself to practice. Now that I've started it's easier.

**Things to also incorporate in practice session on Monday: Physical Exercise and stretches.
**On Monday, email regional orchestras for possible summer playing opportunities. Get some playing set up for this summer.
**Also on Monday, continue private studio preparation
**Other things I need to work on: Tonguing, keeping air flow and sound steady (this will probably improve as I practice scales)
UPDATE: Received replies for performance/playing opportunities! woohoo!
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Agenda
F ex
Br. ex
MP Buzz
Horn im.

Rest

Pitch Benders

CD play-along- wow. I've forgotten how much I've loved to play horn.

Day 4

4/9 Emailed: Duet friends, JSO, ELCO, recital friends

Today's Agenda:
Face ex.
Breathing Exercise
MP buzz- having to work hard to get the core sound that I want- not quite there yet. AIR!---------->tongue interruption.

Rest

Horn improv.

Rest

Pitch benders (don't forget about the release of the note as well as the start)

**starting next Monday 4/12, have 2 playing/practice sessions. Continue what I'm doing, but add another session later in the day incorporating scales, rhythm, etudes, listening, sight reading. Look at Farkas book for practice ideas.

overall, lips are doing well. Sound is also pretty decent. Some fatigue in lips, but very slight.
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To get: mute

Day 3

Hi! Today is a sunny, beautiful day and one great for practicing!:)

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Today's Agenda:
Face Ex.
Breathing Exercise

MP buzz (with met) to focus: breath and release through mp. No stopping air! Firm embouchure to produce "core" sound. Do not produce sound by forcing lips to do the work-let air and support carry the tone.

Rest

Horn improv. (with met)

Rest

Pitch benders m C-l C + m C-h C (after going down to l C, lips began to feel fatigued)

Rest, Rest

mC-hC


**Again, I am surprised by the quality of sound on day 3. There have been times when the tone has completely gone and the embouchure is difficult to form when picking the horn up after not playing for months.

Exciting Idea: Put on a recital. Sasha-pianist, Alex-Saxophone, Whitney? Hillary?

*Get Bear Tracks scale bk
*Get "The breathing gym"

It feels so good to be practicing again! Tomorrow I need to add basic rhythm practice and sight-reading. Also, pick an etude to start working on. Incorporate Crystobal's phone book exercise.

Day 2

Breathing Exercize
Face Ex.
MP Buzzing with a whole tone on metronome
Rest
Improv. with horn and whl. tone on met.
Pitch Benders-middle C down to low C.

Notes:
*Sound is surprisingly clear for Day 2.
I really want to improve the quality of the sound. I remember my teacher's huge, round-yet-focused sound. Want sound to be "bigger" and more powerful in general.
*Air flow needs improvement.
*Lips are puffy and out of shape, but staying surprisingly focused.
No lip pain or pin pricks! yay!

Facing my fears: Rhythm. Reading rhythm, maintaining a tempo that is in time (not slowing down, or getting ahead of the beat).

Current Life Challenge: How to incorporate horn playing and teaching horn into daily life. Full-time or part-time (while able to make a living). Should I pursue a teaching certification in El Ed?? Will have a full-time job as an English El ED teacher encroach on music making/teaching?
I have decided that I do not want to be an El ED music teacher.

Goal for the end of the week: Contact Katie, Julia, and Mitch to see if anyone wants to get together and play.

Goal for the end of April: Seek out playing opportunities. Attend Monday night com. band rehearsals. Email Johnstown Symphony Orch. with summer availability. ELCO. Dan Snoke.

Goal for May 7: Organize a time to take a lesson with Bob. Prepare an etude to work on and a list of questions. Also, bring studio teaching ideas and other playing goals.

Overall, I am very surprised at how fast horn playing is coming back to me! This should be inspiration for all who just can't (or won't) seem to get past that initial hump of picking up the instrument again!

French horn playing renewed!

Hi!
This is a little out of the ordinary for me (starting a blog and all) but I've decided to blog the process of practicing French horn again. Having graduated music school two years ago, I have found it an on going challenge to keep the horn to my face. I will go months at a time without practicing, and really miss it. Also, I rarely listen to music anymore, because I miss it so much it just hurts to listen to it. The purpose of this blog is to "keep myself accountable" for practicing...daily.

Positive aspects of taking time off from horn playing:
*Re-group, re-focus on purpose for playing.
*Experience a renewed joy in music.
*Discover that I can play horn for enjoyment, because I like to, for God's glory, and for these reasons only.
*Realize that it is not good to waste the talents that God has given me.