Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Motivators

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." ~ Vincent van Gogh

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Audition Blogs, Part One, Coda

So, nobody won.

Again, *sigh*

How does one deal with that info?  After the large number of auditions, all the amazing trumpet players that were turned away and a couple of great trumpeters in the finals, a winner still could not be chosen. Doesn't it just make you mad?

To me, the answer, as you could probably guess,  is no.

I don't know what factors lead to this decision.  Maybe the finalists played badly.  Maybe the conductor overruled the committee.  Again, who knows?  But I find it hard to get mad without the knowledge of really happened.

I repeat, though, it wasn't personal, it was business.

The bottom line is, that there will most likely be another opportunity to audition for the job, which is a good thing.  What's to be upset about?

As you're beginning to understand, I believe that auditions are not worth getting so worked up about.  Hard work is required, the ability to stay focused is important and a certain killer-instinct is necessary.  But beating yourself up over audition preparation or results is not helpful.  Yes, I've gotten angry with myself over how I might have played at an audition, but I've always been successful in letting it go and moving on to the next one.

That's because I never took it personally!  

You can only control ONE thing in auditions and that is.......................................

....................to be the topic in Part Two of The Audition Blogs!

See ya soon!

JM

Monday, June 6, 2011

"It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business." The Audition Blogs, Part One

I took an orchestral audition yesterday. I felt great about how I prepared. I had a great warm-up that morning. I feel like I played great in the actual audition.....

......I still didn't advance.

*sigh*

That's the way auditions are sometimes, though. This is not the first time I've felt great about how I performed on an audition and still didn't win or even advance. It is something that you just have to accept about the process of auditioning.

I'll admit, I was a little miffed for about 10 minutes after they announced the results. Who wouldn't be, especially after a good performance? But I remembered very soon after, while driving away, a line from my favorite movie, The Godfather; "It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business."

That's good food for thought for anyone taking auditions these days. When one doesn't make the cut, try to remember that line, because it's very true in the auditioning business. Audition committees have a very difficult job to do and they're just trying to find the best player on that day. If something about your playing is not quite up to the desired level, the audition is over for you.

But it's not a personal attack on you. To walk away mad at the committee, or the proctor, or the audition staff is, in my opinion, foolish. In most cases, everyone involved in the audition is rooting for everyone to play well. Speaking from experience, sitting on a committee and listening to bad audition after bad audition is a soul-squashing venture. An audition where the majority of players played well would be a dream!

So when things don't go your way, look inside first. Was it really that good of an audition? Did you achieve the things you wanted musically? Or did you just get all the right notes and rhythms? Was it in tune? There are a myriad of things that could be the cause for your dismissal. Thinking back to my audition yesterday, I really felt all the good things were there. But, I did miss, slightly, an entrance on one of the excerpts. Was that enough to get me cut? Maybe. But maybe I also didn't have the right sound for this orchestra. Or the right stylistic approach. Who knows?

But none of the reasons are personal. To take the results of an audition personally can be very deflating and just make the process all the more difficult. Frankly, when this happens to me, it fires me up for the next audition. I did the right things in preparation and application. There just wasn't a match between me and this particular committee. Someday I'll get another match. And it's gonna feel great!

I do a realistic assessment of what I did after each audition, regardless of the results. It IS possible to have a great experience and NOT win or advance. Conversely, it's possible to not play your best and still have a great result. I've experienced both and this audition was the former. I'm definitely on the right track with what I'm doing to prepare for the auditions. My knowledge of the required excerpts is clear and my faith in my own abilities is high. It's just a matter of time before something works out in my favor!

I'm going to walk away and forget this one. Dwelling on the negative is also a soul-squashing thing that only brings bitterness and resentment. And it sure is hard to be an artist when those are the dominating features of your attitude. I like to think of each undesired result as another chance to do even BETTER the next time around.

Besides, it wasn't a negative experience. All I did was not win the job, which puts me in the good company of several other fantastic players who were also at the audition. And you know what? It isn't so terrible.

More on that in Part Two of "The Audition Blogs."

Stay tuned!

Ok, I gotta go practice for the next audition!

JM

Thursday, June 2, 2011

ITG Recap!

Damn, that was fun!

I was going to do an in depth review of everything that happened at ITG, but, frankly, I don't have time to write that long, as I have several new opportunities to pursue.  More on that later.

Instead, I thought I'd write about what were the highlights for me:

1) Playing and hanging out again with the Tromba Mundi guys.  I can't begin to say how much I enjoy spending time with this great group of guys.  Thanks for including me in your ITG plans, guys!

2) The "ITG Gadget Tour" with Joey Tartell.  Joey, like me, is not into the all the gadget crap that is out there for trumpet players. For me there is NO substitution for actually practicing the trumpet. Most of the gadgets out there are a waste of money and time. This tour introduced me to some new stupidity, most notably, the Ombisure and the Vibrass (quite possibly the greatest name for a stupid trumpet gadget!). Thanks, Joey, for the good laughs!

3) Jouko Harjanne with the Minnesota Orchestra.  Holy crap, was this amazing!  Easily the best concert of the entire conference.  Jouko performed a Finnish concerto for trumpet that was, to say the least, pyrotechnic.  And he NAILED it!  I have never seen a better live solo performance, EVER!  To top off the concert, the MO then played Mahler 6.  Manny, Bob, Doug and Chuck sounded great!  What a great sections of players!

4)  Meeting Bob Dorer and Doug Carlsen.  It was a treat to meet to two gentlemen who share a legacy with me as Principal Trumpeters in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra.  It was especially nice to chat with them about good times in the NMSO, given the recent horrific spell.  Here's hoping that, maybe, I'm the next trumpeter from the NMSO to move up in the orchestral world!

5) Ron and Avis Romm Recital.  Ron is one of my childhood heroes.  And every time I get to hear him play is a treat.  He and Avis play exquisitely together and I consider myself very lucky to be a colleague of his!

6)  Meeting Steve Shires.  I am a performing artist for Shires Trumpets.  But I had not yet had the pleasure of meeting Steve.  Finally, we met at ITG.  It is a pleasure to chat and play a bit for the guy who makes your horns.  I look forward to continued work with a master craftsman and playing his horns well into the future.

7) All the following concerts/clinics: Joe Burgstaller recital, Allen Vizzutti/Anthony DiLorenzo recital, the Marine Band Brass Quintet, JC Dobrzelewski clinic, Vladislav Lavrik recital, Evgeny Gurev recital, Minnesota Orchestra Trumpet section clinic and the Steve Wright Big Band with Marcus Printup, Marvin Stamm and Wayne Bergeron concert.  All of these were incredibly enjoyable and made me glad I went to the conference.

8) The impromptu high note clinic by Joey Tartell and Liesl Whitaker.  Liesl was trying out horns in the Shires room with Joey listening to provide feedback.  Listening to two masters of lead playing share tips and ideas was incredibly informative for me.  Plus, it was just cool to hear than many dubba Cs!

Finally, the best thing about the conference..........

Watching Tony Sadlon compete in the Solo Competition Finals.  Tony is my Graduate Assistant at the UNM and was one of three finalist in the competition. He ended up finishing 2nd in the competition.  But his placement matters not to me.  He worked incredibly hard on this performance and the journey he made to prepare for this competition made him a better, stronger player.  It was a very exciting moment for me to listen to him perform at a very high level in the finals.  Well done, Tony!  You did me, UNM and, most importantly, yourself proud!

I could go on and on about old friends met and the laughs had over beers, but it would take several more pages to properly express the fun that was had by all!

Thank you, Del Lyren, Steve Wright and ITG, for a fantastic conference!  I look forward to next years trip to Atlanta!

Now time for some peace and quiet! ;)

JM

Motivators

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." ~ Duke Ellington

Friday, May 27, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

ITG trip!

I'm on my way to The ITG Conference for the first time in seven years.

I have to admit, I'm pretty charged about it. Yes, I'll do all the trumpet nerd stuff, but I'm really looking forward to two things; hearing my student at UNM, Tony Sadlon, perform in the finals for the Solo Competition; and the hang that's going to happen. I'm really looking forward to reconnecting with several colleagues that I haven't seen in too long, as well as seeing some old college buddies from my days at Michigan. I also hope to make a few new friends along the way. It's gonna be a blast. Stay tuned, I'll be updating the week here.

I love going to these kind of conferences or festivals, mostly for the reason that it's great to be reminded of how many great guys and gals there are in this business. And if can learn something from them, all while having a few good beers AND a few good laughs, then it is all worth while, if you ask me!

And that's what these trips are all about!

Well, that, and geeking out in the exhibits!

I won't buy a new horn....I won't buy a new horn......I won't buy a new horn...... ;)

JM

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Motivators

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." ~ Napoleon Hill

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Spreading my wings!

One of the things that I love about my career right now is the extra-orchestral things I occasionally get to do.  Next week, I'm going to the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Minneapolis.  Aside from all the trumpet-geeking-out that is going to happen, I get to perform with the professional trumpet ensemble, Tromba Mundi.

Let me just say, these guys are good!  And not only that, they are GREAT guys!  I had the distinct pleasure of performing with them this past January, and I have to say, it was one of the most fun times I've ever had playing the trumpet.  I can't wait to play and hang with them all again.

Which brings me to my point of today's blog.  A lot of us trumpeters have a specific genre that we "belong" to.  For me, it's the "orchestra player" gig that I'm known for.  And I love that job.  Yet, I hate it.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing the repertoire, as the orchestral rep is some of the greatest music ever to have been written.  But the business of being an orchestral player has worn me down a bit the last couple of years.  Granted, my situation, with a folding orchestra has certainly magnified things a bit, but I have to say, I've been feeling an urge to "spread my wings" the last couple of years.

Luckily, I've been able to do that the last year and a half.  I've had the pleasure of appearing as a soloist with some great organizations locally, such as Chatter, the Church of Beethoven and the UNM Wind Symphony (Google them, they are some cool groups).  I've played recitals, played with Summit Brass, Tromba Mundi and even went to Brazil to do some teaching and performing.  I'm constantly amazed at some of the great places I get to go as a musician!

I have to say, that these gigs, along with my teaching at UNM, has been what really has gotten my juices flowing recently!  And as I look back at some of the great orchestral Principals, they, too, had some sort of extra-orchestral gigs going.  Roger Voisin, Armando Ghitalla, Thomas Stevens, Charles Schlueter Phil Smith.  All of them did solo projects of some kind and, not surprisingly, all have reputations as being the best of the best.  I'd like to think that they are that way because they chose to pursue other musical opportunities.  That's what I'm trying to do now.

My former teacher, Charles Daval, told me once how he would always prepare to do a recital around the same time that he was preparing to audition for an orchestra.  That way, he would not only keep his musical instincts sharp, but he wouldn't burn out on the excerpts.  I'm now understanding how that works.  I'm more excited about the orchestral rep now because of the solo and chamber rep I've played lately.  I guess that variety is really the spice of life!

I don't want this to sound like a slam on the orchestral gig.  It is a great gig!  And I wish that every musician could feel what I feel when I'm playing a great piece of orchestral literature.  It's a tremendous rush when you finish playing Picture at an Exhibition and the crowd is going bonkers over the orchestra's performance.  But for every Pictures concert, there is a kiddie concert, or Pops concert with awful arrangements, or Baroque orchestra gig where you sit more than you play.  It can be a grind.

That's where the outside gigs come in.  I think that every trumpeter can benefit from going outside their comfort zone.  Are you a classical player?  Go sit in with a big band or transcribe a jazz standard for a recital.  Jazz cat?  Play with a brass quintet and do some baroque transcriptions. Play a broadway show.  Go to a jam session. Play with a reading orchestra.  Organize a trumpet ensemble.  It doesn't matter, as any wing-spreading is GOOD!

Let's be honest.  We all got into music because as young children because we thought it was fun.  Why does that have to change now that we are aspiring or practicing professionals?

I choose to enjoy my job as a trumpet player.  It's the greatest job on earth, and if you're loving it, you never work a day in your life!

"I love this job!" - Mel Broiles, former Principal trumpet, Metropolitan Opera

JM

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

What I'm practicing....

Today is audition prep day (as will be many of the days to come).

I'm currently working on the 1st Mvt of the Tomasi Concerto, which is the required solo for the National Symphony Orchestra Principal Trumpet audition.  I've spent the last 3 days working on this movement, VERY slowly! I started at quarter=100, which is very easy for me.  Today was move-up day for tempo.  I'm aiming for a final tempo of about 135-140.  After 3 days of slow practice I was able to get close to that.  But it's still not perfect. So, I will return to the slower tempo for a bit more today and then speed up again tomorrow, aiming for perfection at around 130.  135-140 will follow shortly.

I've learned, through the years, that slow practice is the key to confidence!  There's something about repeating the same thing over and over again, perfectly, that makes you feel good about your upcoming performance.  Everyone has a tempo that they can play their assigned music correctly.  I try to make sure I find the tempo where I can play every note, articulation, color, vibrato and intonation as I would want it for a performance.  Then repeat.  And repeat. And repeat, until I feel I can go a bit faster.  Then repeat. And repeat.  Until I feel I can go even faster.  Then repeat.  You get the idea.

I try to do this process on everything, be it orchestra parts, solo rep, quintet, etudes and even fundamentals.

It seems like common sense, yet I'm consistently surprised by how often I have to teach this practice basic.

Slow practice.  An under-used fundamental.  Re-introduce yourself to slow playing and see how it helps.  Let me know the results!

Ok, break over.  Back to Tomasi!

JM

Motivators

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism."  ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Motivators

"If you'll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives." ~ Vince Lombardi

Motivators

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." ~ Winston Churchill

I'm new here.

Be gentle.  I'm new here.  

Where do I start?  Let me just say that it's very interesting how a professional's world can quickly be turned on it's ear.  I lost my job.  Well, I didn't lose it, it was taken from me.  The 78 year old New Mexico Symphony Orchestra folded, taking my, and several other very talented musicians jobs away from us.  

We will rebuild.  Something will rise from the ashes of the NMSO. More on that later.

What does that have to do with this blog?  It's the introduction I needed to demonstrate some of what this blog will be about.  It's no longer about how good of an artist you are in this business anymore (although, that still remains the MOST important part).  Versatility, compatibility and perseverance are more crucial than ever to an artist's success these days.  I'm going to write about what I think is important for musicians, both accomplished and aspiring, to know and understand in this business.  I'll also write about the journey I'm about to re-embark on as an unemployed musician.  I've been there before, I can do it again.

Call it advice, call it ranting, call it whatever.  I hope that this blog will help, inspire and entertain, and I hope you'll come back.

JM