Day 4
Today we had P Crest rehearsal again. It's strange to be nearing graduation in Pacific Crest - it's something I haven't thought about much until lately. I'm going to miss the band and Mr. Memory. Of course, I'll probably go to the weekly workshops over the summer, but I'm still leaving the program. After rehearsal today Robin (he's a sophomore trumpeter from ACMA) and I ate at the vietnamese restaurant next to the Musician's Union, to celebrate our year-long carpool and its impending termination. It was an awfully satisfying meal, since we leave rehearsal around 6 and the aromas from that restaurant have tempted us all year.
This morning I sat down to work on the Chopin and my hands felt strange. They felt the same way they do when I've been playing all day - more flexible, quicker, but also a little tired and out of control. It's a very distinct feeling, not exactly unpleasant, and I get it when I've been at the piano a lot. I'm not used to starting the day that way.
I've noticed that productivity usually comes in waves - it's pretty natural for me to practice really hard for a couple days, and then have one or two less productive days. I suppose there's something physiological about that; sort of like with running workouts, there's hard days and rest days. During school that wave effect usually manifested itself in big variations in the amount I practiced: on days without rehearsal and lots of free time, I'd put homework off and practice a bunch, and on the other days I'd try to catch up on school. Right now I have lots of time every day without any natural breaks, so some days I have to make myself practice even when it's unappealing. That was often the case today. Fortunately I had good periods where I settled in, and I still accomplished something. I practiced the Chopin, of course, and spent what was left of the morning mostly on that Herbie Hancock solo. I think in a few days I'll be done working with that solo, ready to transcribe and transpose something else (several things are in store - McCoy Tyner, Vince Guaraldi, Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris). Before I went to rehearsal, and then when I got home this evening, I also transcribed most of the harmony to One For Mark, the Avishai Cohen song. Not making a chart for that yet, though, because in several parts I don't yet know what the time signature is. If you listen to it on the attachment you might see what I mean - try tapping your foot to the music as it changes from one section to the next. Duncan Standish said he thought he knew what was going on, since he's listened to that record so many times over the past couple years, so hopefully he'll help us figure it out at rehearsal tomorrow.
Thanks for the support people have been giving on this blog! I'll see you all at the concert. Also, I have an updated version of the flier attached. It's got a nice red border now.
