[Trombone-l] Motivational advice for a growing trombone player

[Wayne Dyess]

I'll bet everyone on this list can relate to this question and with  
your experiences, Cesar.  I know I can, especially when I was  
attending college.  There would always be crunch time and down time.   
Once I got a real job (United States Navy Band), I was able to settle  
in and have more of a daily routine.  Even then, however, there were  
times when I just needed a push of some kind.

Almost always, that push has come at the hands of some private  
instructor.  After two years of some intense practice in the Navy  
Band (enough to get me the section leader's and one of 4 tour soloist  
spots)... I enrolled at Catholic University so I could study with  
John Marcellus.  He took me to new levels, and the same thing  
happened years later when I was teaching.  I enrolled at the  
University of Texas and drove four and a half hours ONE WAY in order  
to take lessons with Donald Knaub.  Again, much improvement took place.

As a college student, perhaps my biggest jump in musicianship  
happened the summer I attended the Aspen Music Camp.  That is another  
option.  For me, it gave me the experience of studying with another  
mentor, Keith Brown.

See a pattern?  I do.  Seek out some really fine teachers and get  
into a lesson program with them.  I'm sure you have a fine teacher  
there at UT/Brownsville, but during the summer it wouldn't be a bad  
thing to go to some orchestral or jazz type camp and study with  
someone with a different perspective.  At the very least, you should  
get some motivation that you wouldn't get otherwise.

Always surround yourself with players better than yourself, too.   
Doing that has always taken me to new heights.

Good luck, and keep us informed in your progress.

Dr. Wayne Dyess
Lamar University
Beaumont, Texas


On May 22, 2008, at 1:29 PM, Cesar Gonzales wrote:

Considering this is a forum of discussion for both amateur and  
professional
players; I decided that it would be appropriate to ask an amateur  
question.
I'm having trouble with maintaining a consistent drive towards self
improvement through daily practice, especially after a big push in my
practice schedule. Say for instance I manage 3 weeks of consistent  
3-4 hours
daily practice. I always seem to break down and pull back to 1 or 2  
hours
per day afterwords for a week or two at times. What I'm asking is if  
this is
normal for a young musician to experience. I'm ambitious and would  
like to
consider graduate studies in music, and possibly even a career of
professional performance. Because of this I find managing this  
"problem" a
very important issue. What I'd also like to ask is how the members of  
this
mailing list manage to stay motivated to keep a consistent practice
schedule. Are there any mind tricks I can use? Is it just pure  
willpower?

Thank you,

Cesar Gonzalez
Student at University of Texas at Brownsville
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