Great Advice for Fighting Boredom

"If you're bored, raise your standards."

-Joe Kirtley

I heard Joe share this quote during a master class at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts a couple of years ago and it has stuck with me ever since.  It also reminds me of a great tidbit from Marty Hackleman.

Marty does a set routine every morning.  (Note: He chooses to not call it a warm-up but rather a routine where the byproduct of that routine is warming up both his face and his mind.)  When addressing a class at George Mason a few years ago, Marty was asked about getting bored with doing the same thing every day on the horn.  His answer was typical Marty Hackleman and sheds light on why he has been as successful as he has been in his career:

(This was a few years ago so I am paraphrasing a little.)

"Every once in a while I sit down to do my routine and after a few minutes I'm really not that into it.  Whenever this happens I go downstairs, make a cup of coffee, and then go back and continue with the routine.  In the rare event that I still don't feel that into it I simply get over myself and insist that it somehow be a little better than it was yesterday.

Sometimes the only thing that's better than yesterday might be making it easier or more effortless.  But I insist that something be improved from the day before."

-Marty Hackleman

It is the ability of players and teachers like Joe and Marty to always raise their standards no matter what the circumstances that set them apart from the rest of the music world.

What standards do you need to raise today?

Mstislav Rostropovich: Monday YouTube Fix

Here is a hauntingly beautiful performance of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2 by cello legend Mstislav Rostropovich.  This performance took place on September 25th, 1967 in the Large Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory.  He is accompanied by The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR conducted by Svetlanov.

He sure could play phrases that seemed to last days.  This is a wonderful performance of one of my favorite concertos of all time.

Enjoy!

The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. Conductor: E. Svetlanov Violoncellist: M. Rostropovich Recorded live in the Large Hall of Moscow State Conservatory, September 25th, 1967

Why It's All On The Student

"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."

-Herbert Spencer

Even the world's greatest teachers can not get a student to take the regular action required to acquire a skill.  It is a teacher's job to share their knowledge and to inspire a student to apply that knowledge to their craft.  After that, it is all on the student.

No amount of information will ever replace action.

Jessye Norman on Advice to Young Musicians

"The one thing that we all must do is work and prepare....and to enjoy the preparation process because we spend much more time in rehearsal than we do on stage."

-Jessye Norman on advice to young musicians

All of the greats always talk about hard work.  Every single one of them.

As a committed promoter of music education, what advice does Jessye Norman have to give aspiring musicians?

The President's Own Marine Band: Monday YouTube Fix

This is a transcription of Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" performed by the "The President's Own" Marine Band earlier this year.  The transcription is by Merlin Patterson and it is conducted by guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero. 

The playing and interpretation are simply top notch.  Enjoy!

Guest conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero, "The President's Own" United States Marine Band performed Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (transcribed by Merlin Patterson) on Monday, March 31, 2014, in the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Va.

Practicing (and Career) Advice from Albert Einstein

"If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got."

-Albert Einstein

If you are looking for different results in the practice room or a different career path, ask yourself what you've always done that maybe should be tweaked or eliminated.  What do you have to lose?

Daniel Coyle on the Concept of Deep Practice

“Deep practice feels a bit like exploring a dark and unfamiliar room. You start slowly, you bump into furniture, stop, think, and start again. Slowly, and a little painfully, you explore the space over and over, attending to errors, extending your reach into the room a bit farther each time, building a mental map until you can move through it quickly and intuitively.” 

-Daniel Coyle from The Talent Code

I can not recommend the book The Talent Code enough for both teachers and players alike.  It is a fascinating look at practicing and talent with lots of very easy to understand science to back it up.  A lot of it immediately ended up influencing how I approach the horn and how I teach my students.

Every musician should read this book.

The King's Singers: Monday YouTube Fix

All that any of us instrumentalists are ever trying to do is sound like the world's best singers.  The King's Singers are certainly some of the world's best.  The blend.  The intonation.  The unified musical concept.  All stunning.  This group will take your breath away.  You won't find a more beautiful rendition of Danny Boy than this one.

Enjoy!

From Byrd To The Beatles

The Cost of Not Trying

"The tiny cost of failure is dwarfed by the huge cost of not trying."

-Seth Godin

Whether on the podium or in the practice room, we must fail, fail loudly, and fail often.  It will lead to our biggest successes.

Pharrell Williams on the Importance of his Band Teachers

This clip is awesome.  How anyone can debate the importance of music education is beyond me.

In this "Sunday Morning" preview Grammy Award-winning musician and producer Pharrell Williams gives credit to his high school band teachers for helping him get to where he is today, and tells Anthony Mason that while growing up, his life was filled with special people.