So, now you're back in shape after some time off, and you're in the middle of summer.  Schools out, and the next school year is still more than a month away.  Perhaps you have a summer job, or some camps to attend, but this doesn't mean you should pack up your trombone, baritone, or euphonium until August!  The summer is a great time to experiment, get a leg up before school starts, or just play for fun!  Here's some options to explore:

• Practice and play with other musicians!  Find some friends from band to play with, whether they play a low brass instrument, flute, percussion, or anything else!  Pull out some of your favorite tunes from last year, one of your lesson books, or try to find music online to play together.  Just because a piece of music isn't marked "trombone/baritone" doesn't mean you can't play it!  If you have questions about reading different music, or if something just doesn't sound quite right, let me know and I'll help with clef and transposition!
  
  
• Figure out how to play your favorite song!  Break out your iPod, computer, or smart phone and plug in your headphones!  Pick a song on the radio, a YouTube video, or one you keep on Repeat on your playlist and figure out the notes on your horn.  Start by listening so many times that you can hum along to the ENTIRE song.  Then make some notes about the different melodies and how often/when they come back during the song.  Pick a part that is comfortable and familiar, and try to play along.  If you're struggling to find a certain note, listen to the recording first, pause it and hum the pitch, then find that pitch on your instrument.  Try to use a track/equipment that allows you to start and stop quickly, and scan through the track at your convenience; it'll make your task easier!    

• Sight read new material!  Remember that page in your method book you didn't quite get to last year?  Or maybe that piece of music you had in your band folder but never played?  Go ahead and pull those out and see how much you can play!  It might not be perfect on the first try, but remember what your teachers have taught you to make it better!  Out of things to play?  Find a new book or borrow one from a friend!  I'm always available to make suggestions and recommendations!  Or, generate new music at sightreadingfactory.com

And of course, there are plenty of other ways to stay active during the summer months, so find any music that excites you and get to playing!  Use the same beautiful sound you make during the school year, and play your new music for your friends and family.  And please share your music with me!  I'd love to hear a performance in our next lesson, or a recording you made!  

The best thing you can do is find music you enjoy and play it!  Play with your friends, or play along with a recording.  A quick search on YouTube might bring up some backing tracks that can let YOU play the melody too!  Happy practicing!

As students, all of our teachers always tell us to practice as much as we can.  Some provide practice logs, while some give us those scathing looks in rehearsals when they can tell we didn't go over that tricky passage last night.  But what most teachers don't tell you to do is take a break and put the horn away for a while, or how to get yourself back in shape after a summer vacation.

Taking a break from playing can actually be a very healthy aspect of developing our musical skills and honing our instrumental technique as brass players.  I have consistently found summers to be the best time to make large changes in my own playing, especially after taking some time off.  The break allows our body to literally forget our old habits, and provides us the opportunity to retrain our bodies in a new way.  We can REPLACE our habits with new ones, rather than trying to change our technique.  

When dealing with breaks and post-break practicing, keep a few things in mind: 

• Be smart about the time frame of your break if possible, relative to your commitments.  If you have your Region Band audition in December, it's probably best not to take the entire last week in November off!  But a single day off on a weekend may not be so bad.
• For most of us, the longer the break, the longer it'll take us to get back in shape.  If you take two weeks off in June to go on a family vacation, enjoy!  But make sure you have two weeks in July to get your chops back in a healthy and productive way before you spend several hours in marching band rehearsals.  
• When it comes time to start playing again, we must be diligent in our technique to redevelop good playing habits, and be methodical in our slow, comfortable warm ups.  This is not the time to see how high and loud we can play!  Low and slow is the way to start.
• When we first start playing again, use PLENTY of air and be musical!  Our lips have forgotten what is feels like to buzz, so it will feel funny at first.  Support your sound with lots of air and focus on playing musical shapes!  Don't let yourself get frustrated that you don't sound the same way you did a few weeks ago; you'll get back there in no time!

Remember: taking time off is a good thing, and the summer is a great time to enjoy it!  During the school year, you'll be busy with marching band competitions, band rehearsals, Solo and Ensemble contests, and more.  Take some time to rest now, but return to the instrument with a newfound sense of ambition and goals to reach the next level.  Play simple tunes and technically easy music when you pick up your instrument again, and feed the buzz consistent and copious air!

And now after almost a week of traveling without playing, it is my turn to brush the dust off my trombone and get to practicing again!  Enjoy your summer breaks and happy practicing! 

Jeff