Posted by Rick Denney on October 16, 2000 at 14:38:25:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Practice Time posted by Joe S. on October 15, 2000 at 00:21:13:
Or awesome depression. I regularly work on stuff I can't play (I have lots to choose from). Sometimes it's so bad I have to turn to something easier and give myself a success.
My chops were in their best condition in 1993 when the TubaMeisters had the Fiesta Texas gig. We played 7 or 8 shows each on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few extra shows on Friday nights. The shows were 30 minutes on and 30 minutes off, with some rehearsal in the off periods (we were always working up something new). I mention this because many would think that four hours of public performance (with constant playing and a lot of high stuff on F tuba) plus an hour of rehearsal would be too much, especially given that I worked a day job during the week and didn't practice nearly as much then. If the four hours happened at once, it would have been a real grind, probably with lip bruising, but breaking it up into 30-on, 30-off sets made all the difference. That lends support to the notion that more shorter sessions work better than fewer longer sessions.
Rick "Wish I had half those chops today" Denney