by Mike Harcrow, Editor
I hear too many players—mostly, but not always, students…and certainly not always just horn players—do a half-hearted warm-up or practice session, one in which breaths are not full and in which distractions are present (primarily cell phones with social or streaming media running), one in which “noodling” is allowed to count for something more productive. I will confess that I have been guilty of falling into cycles of these things myself, and I do make the conscious effort to resist such temptations.
What quickly creeps into disengaged playing are bad habits: inaccuracy, poor energy, erosion of the ability to concentrate, and possibly even the loss of positive gains made—not to mention the time we are stealing from our own good learning.
Keep phones and laptops separate from productive time. Most of us have useful tools on our devices (tuners and drones, metronomes and rhythm generators, audio-visual feedback, model recordings, etc.), so this is a difficult demand to make of ourselves. I understand this; but we must be disciplined to use only the app[s] necessary for a particular practice session and for a specific reason, then silence the device and put it out of sight. Designate “viewing time” or “listening time,” apply what is being studied, then be done with it for the time being. Thorough maintenance (or, if needed, restoration) of the sensory engagement required to make the best music is crucial just to maintain our standards…and all the more so to continue advancing them.
The flute professor at the university where I teach plays an incredibly beautiful warm-up. She will isolate herself as best she can, just herself and her flute, and play a variety of long tones—just long tones, often with her eyes closed…and they are truly gorgeous sounds, whether high or low, loud or soft, straight-tone or with vibrato. She is focused, intentional in breathing and production, and deeply mindful of her tone. It is so simple yet truly inspirational.
Cloak yourself in the music! Work for performance-quality playing at all times. Create your best sound with ease and energy. Eliminate the onset of tension in any part of the body. Engage your ears. Imagine a connection between the tongue and fingers in tricky articulated passages. Concentrate happily. Find a willing and well-disciplined accountability partner who will help you keep yourself in check.
Mentally- and sensorily-engaged playing shows excellent discipline. Much more can be accomplished in 20 minutes of complete and intentional awareness than in an hour of perfunctory swipes at a passage or technique.