#365practise

Sometimes life will get in the way of music! Sadly we've had one of those weeks. So apologies for not posting out daily practice tips this week!

Our students have done amazingly well this week. They've gone from tears and stress over exam preparation to suddenly being able to play every element of the exam perfectly. No doubt the stress will come in to play nearer the exam date, but for the time being it's all going well.

A quick word on rests today:

During your sightreading it's very easy to skip out the rests. It's understandable as you're focusing on notes and rhythms and 'argh its an exam' and other such things.

But - do remember your rests!

If you've been given them then treat them as if they're more important than the notes in the piece. Rests not only give you time to breathe, but they also give you time to think about what's coming next. If you accidentally skip a rest it can unsettle the piece as a bit of the bar is missing and it will throw your counting.

We remind our students like this:

If you've got four beats in the bar - thats a bit like four legs on your chair.

If you skip a rest - thats a bit like a leg on your chair suddenly vanishing.

It'd be a bit wobbly wouldn't it???

So next time you're practicing your sight reading - don't forget your rests!

Teaching has been a bit crazy and what with a migraine and workshop I can honestly say I have no idea where this week has gone!!!

There's been a bit of piano practice and noodling and a bit of composing... other than that it's been radio silence and musical silence too.

Oh well - there'll be weeks like these I guess.

Back to it - will do better next week

How has your practice been this weekend? 

What better way could you spend a wet and gray day?

Its been a lovely and busy quiet weekend. 

Saturday was some ska; so lots of solos, silliness and saxophoning. Big yay was playing 5 songs in a row with normal neck strap too. Big loves to the @apocryphalites

I've also been getting a lot of composing done. New ensemble piece is now 4min30. Probably another 3 to go. Might be less. I can hear what I want now which is great.

Also drove the car again this weekend.  First manual cwr drive for about 14 months. Terrifying but very happy how fast I remembered it :)

Another huzzah - albeit a sloooow one - for composing again today. Another minute down for the ensemble piece - really is stretching my style this one! Brilliant as I have such a clear picture of the story behind it now.

Playing wise today as been spending time with Mendelssohn and lots of Bbmj arpeggios. Slightly irritating my hands seem to be unable to play flat arpeggios today.... but hey! It was practice and it was fun. Also got quite a bit of flute playing in at school today too which is always good.

There'll be lots of ska tomorrow to work out my woodwind chops :)