Posted by Ken H on June 24, 2001 at 08:18:52:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Practicing Mahler 1 posted by Chuck Jackson on June 23, 2001 at 23:55:59:
I too am having trouble locating parts/scores so I don't lead you astray by mistake.
One possible solution is to take up circular breathing, though I never got into it as I have always had rather active sinuses. Chester was a master at this and I had wanted to get a lesson or two from him on it but never managed it. The other is frequent "sniff" breaths such as Harvey often used (a preliminary to circular) Jake's advice was learn the score, plan your breaths and be discreet. Of course it will pay to sit down with the part, or better still, the score and listen to a good recording as well and pick your marks in accordance with what you can do. SO often the most important thing is to avoid any obvious 're-entry'. Make sure you don't hit empty before refilling and possibly choke off the sound, gasp and maybe lock up or 'explode' when commencing the sound again. A good exercise is to practice panting like a dog. After a bit of work you will find that you can go from blowing to inhaling to blowing again with almost no discernable break. The resonance of many halls will just about cover you for the very slight time your lips are not actually buzzing.
Don't know when I'm likely to get to Vegas as there is a bit of water between OZ and there, but if I ever get the chance I'll look you up and we just might have a beer or 7, or 12 or.........
Will try to find some of the things I haven't unpacked since my last move before I make another in a few weeks and if I have any luck will get back to you.
By the way, it would be hard to make a bigger mess than the percussionist I knew who forget to make sure the thongs on the cymbals were actually tied. Think of the biggest cymbal crash in the whole work and imagine what it would sound like if you picked up your cymbals in the extremely quiet spot a couple measures before and one went flying. I think the audience might have heard me say something which I would not repeat here when it landed right behind me! What's a clipped 'A' compared to that?!?!
As for the rest of the concert, just enjoy it. A bit of adrenalin doesn't hurt, but when everybody ejoys the others performing, magic can start to happen. Like Jake and Harvey both would say, if you make a mistake make it a good one then proceed as if the bass bone player did it.
Have fun.