Keep moving forward

That is the line from Disney's Meet the Robinsons movie that my wife and I bought the other day. While it seems very simple, nothing can be more true. I hope this will soon be a great source of strength for me as I continue on this journey. With that being said...

I read recently (where I can't remember... some good that is!) that practice is important to an aspiring musician like myself. (Sometimes the best wisdom, no matter how obvious, demands repeating.) The article suggests that a true professional will be practicing at least fifteen to twenty hours in a week. Of course my first reaction to this was to try and increase my practice time and opportunities. As I played, however, I soon realised that I am , well, let's just say that I am in need of come catch-up lessons. There are still good things about my playing, but I am discovering more bad things as I go. This I feel is a good thing of course. The problem comes when I practice with too many problems and not enough corrections. While practice may make you better, that improvement only comes through trial, error, recognition and correction. Practice makes permanent, and so, before I try to up my practice hours to twenty per week, I had best find a private teacher and address the issues I do have.

More than I thought

In the last day or so, several musical opportunities have revealed themselves to me. First, there is the Jazz band at Hagerstown CC, where I will more than likely be taking my musical course work to start out. Also, there is the Marching Ravens, the marching band of the Baltimore Ravens. While I can not pursue either opportunity this fall, I hope to be able to take advantage of them in the year to come. Sometime this week I am supposed to meet with a Chief to discuss other musical options and to explore the career further. I hope that after this meeting, I will have a clearer view of what it will take to get to where I want to be, and if that journey is one I wish to take. With that, my first poll is out. What kind of music would you like to hear me perform? Should I join a group that plays more marches, jazz, or classical pieces?

Back Again

A loyal reader mentioned to me yesterday that I had not blogged in a while. I sat down today, determined to make sure that I did not continue to disappoint. I received my audition packet from my dream job via e-mail the other day. I do not feel, however, that I will be ready for the audition. Instead, I will be using the information gained to better prepare myself for future auditions. I also hope to meet with a local musician soon so as to further explore this musical possibility.
A question nags at me though. Are we ever really good enough? I ponder this question at work often. Do I work hard enough? Do I do a good enough job? And the same can go for other situations, such as; Do I love my wife enough, or, Am I a good enough husband, or say, am I a good enough friend? Am I a good enough Christian? My inner Wesley is always striving towards perfection, but I am also frustrated when perfection is not quickly found. Perhaps, more inward evaluation is necessary...

Motivations, Frustrations, Complications

So my dream job has arrived; the position I want has become available. This is a great concern to me because I am no where near ready to audition for that position right now. However, if this news has done nothing else, it is assisting me in gaining a clearer picture as to where I am, where I need to be, and what it will take to get there. There are needs, such as a bass trombone. Well, let's face it, without a bass trombone, one can not audition for the position of bass trombone. There are also less than necessary tools that I think can aid greatly in my preparations, such as the Yamaha silent brass system: a mute and mini computer that allows me to listen to and record what I am playing all while reducing the horn volume that my loving wife has to put up with. The auditions come in late January, so I have time. I may not be expecting to win the part considering I am six years out of practice and have never played bass trombone before, but I believe that this challenge is a daunting one that will serve to demonstrate for me exactly where I am and help organize my efforts. The goal is no longer a hypothetical "what if" or "I could only dream". Now it is real, it has a set date and deadline. I feel that such a realization has led me to re-double my dedication to this career field. Sure, my normal cycle of career possibilities run through my head (Race car driver made a STRONG return today for some odd reason) but instead of shelving the music thing and going on the marry-go-round of career possibilities again, I find myself saying "Yeah, I could do that, but it wouldn't be as cool as being a bass trombonist." Or, I see myself beginning to adjust my fantasies around this career choice. For example, I'd now like to buy a new Shelby Mustang instead of taking the time to rebuild an old one. Why might you ask? Because rebuilding one would take too much time away from my music! It's scary... my wife says that she is sorta waiting for me to drop this and move on to the next one. Goodness knows, I understand... that's the only me she has ever known. The guy who can't make up his mind on a career field and doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. However... something is different with this one. Well, I suppose time will tell.