Music should be FUN!

We all take up music for different reasons, but I’m confident that at the heart of them all is NOT the idea that music is work. How much more could we accomplish if we just allowed ourselves to have some fun?!?

I ran across a video a few days ago that demonstrated beautifully the impact that fun has on us as human beings. We’ve discussed this on several occasions (see Five Secrets to Rapid Improvement in Your Playing for a favorite example) but a picture is worth a thousand words…and moving pictures significantly more.  8-)  Check it out!

The best thing about this video from the perspective of a Part-Time Musician (PTM) may be that it holds the key to getting the most from our shared obsession. No one would argue that taking the stairs involves less effort than riding the escalator up to the surface, yet people chose to take the stairs. Why? Because it was fun. Even with more work involved, it was fun!

Studying an instrument takes effort, and there are days we all consider quitting. It takes time, it takes work. Yet it can be an incredible amount of fun if we allow ourselves to make it so. Practice, yes…drill, yes…strive, yes! But don’t forget to have fun with it, too. You may be surprised at the improvements you see.

Keep playing,
Mark

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Joke of the Day: Jazz Musician’s Helpline

We don’t normally run humorous articles back-to-back, but this merits an exception. The “Jazz Musician’s Helpline” comes to us from Eric Holroyd, by way of Bob Romans – two excellent trumpeters on opposite sides of the planet. Bob, thanks for passing this along!

For those who play jazz and need an intervention, you’ve come to the right place. Enjoy!

Welcome to the JAZZ MUSICIANS’ HELPLINE. Your call is important to us, so please use the following menu system to shorten your wait:

If you are a bandleader wishing to know your opinion of yourself, press 1.

If you are a tuba/sousaphone player in a ‘classic’ jazz band inquiring which beats you will be expected to play on, press 1 and 3.

If you are a drummer wanting to know on which beats to press your hi-hat pedal, press 2 and 4 – regularly spaced if you can manage it.

If you are a banjo player inquiring about how many strings to buy for a complete re-stringing of your instrument, press 4.

If you are old enough to remember Dave Brubeck press 5 then 4.

If you are an agent wanting to know how much commission to charge, press 15. Or 20. Or 25. Or whatever number you fancy.

If you want to know the REAL length in minutes of a jazz musician’s ’15-minute interval’ enter any number in excess of 45.

If you are at a cultural crossroads between jazz and rhythm & blues and can’t decide which Route to take, press 66.

If you are over 60 and always forget to play the coda, press RECALL.

If you wish to express your opinion of what your bandleader makes of gig arrangements, press HASH.

If you are a bebop tenor player, press as many keys as fast as you can for 20 minutes or more or until the room is empty, whichever comes first.

If you want to know how much you THINK the bandleader is paying the other sidemen, press SECRET (if you have that facility; if not, think of the amount of pay you got for the last gig and add 10).

Whether jazz or classical, big band or small group, keep playing… 

Mark

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The Answer: why be a PART-TIME musician?

I’ll warn you now: this is a humorous post. For those without a sense of humor, save yourselves now!

For the rest of you – us! – enjoy. 

Horn Performance Degree vs. Four Years of Intense Videogaming

Hoping to demonstrate the value of music education as a replacement for video gaming, a psychologist arranged for the controlled education of two similarly-qualified high school students.  The first student was provided with a four-year education at a major university, unlimited access to a video arcade and an inexhaustible supply of quarters.  The second student was provided with a four-year education at a major music conservatory, unlimited access to a horn teacher, and a professional quality double horn.

The study was summarized as follows:

Student A became obsessed with and spent 8+ hours a day playing PacMan.  Normal personal hygiene and social skills declined and no friendships were formed, except with students similarly obsessed.  Student A did not find regular employment after graduation, preferring instead to continue his long hours playing PacMan.  After three years, he began to understand that he could not earn a living playing PacMan, and after five years, Student A has obtained reasonably secure employment as a computer programmer.

Student B became obsessed with and spent 8+ hours a day playing his Paxman.  Normal personal hygiene and social skills declined and no friendships were formed, except with students similarly obsessed.  Student B did not find regular employment after graduation, preferring instead to continue long hours playing his Paxman.  After three years, he began to understand that he could not earn a living playing his Paxman, and after five years, Student B has obtained reasonably secure employment as a computer programmer.

Conclusion: There is no significant difference between an undergraduate degree in horn performance and four years of intense videogaming.

Courtesy of TheFrenchHorn.net and Jonathan Quist. Thanks for the smiles, folks!

Keep playing,
Mark

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Tage Larsen, CSO Trumpeter

Fellow trumpeter John Kool turned me onto a video of Tage Larsen, formerly of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and, since 2002, 4th trumpet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. If you haven’t seen this, you need to – regardless of your chosen instrument!

Mr. Larsen is an amazing trumpeter, and by all accounts, a genuinely decent human being. What does this have to do with you as a Part-Time Musician (PTM), you ask? If you really are asking that, you may want to re-watch the video! As Mr. Larsen states so well, playing music teaches you to strive for improvement in whatever you do; it encourages you to reach higher, regardless of what field you study or what instrument you play. Music helps you make yourself better. There are few other enjoyable pursuits that give you so much.

For those who would like to know more about Mr. Larsen, here is an audio interview done by Chicago Public Radio:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Now, it’s time to go practice.  8-)  Until next time!

Keep playing,
Mark

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Being a musician is good for your hearing

Everyone knows that listening to loud music can damage your hearing, and much has been made in recent years of the potential harm that can come from playing music (in bands, orchestras, etc.) too loudly. But did you know that being a musician can be good for your hearing?

According to numerous studies – as published in this article – learning to play an instrument well helps develop a person’s ability to hear better. Specifically, while it doesn’t change the body’s mechanical ability to hear, it helps the brain distinguish between the numerous, ever-present sounds to miss less and really hear more. These findings apply whether the subject’s ability to hear is excellent or greatly impaired.

If you needed another reason to take up an instrument or continue to learn and grow with one, look no further. Playing music keeps you mentally sharp and, in the process, helps you hear more of life.

What are you waiting for? I’m off to practice. 

Keep playing,
Mark

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