[TPIN] Playing in the Cold - some other thoughts

[Vaxtrpts at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/1/2007 5:22:56 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
neyvatter at hurontel.on.ca writes:

Don't  blow yourself out. Playing outside is a big temptation. You'll 
never get  the sound you feel you should 'cause there's nothing coming back.
Wow! Here  I am giving advice to "Supermike" Vax

Ron Neyvatte
Veteran of  countless Christmas parades here in Bruce County Ontario  



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Ah HA - Ron.  See - you are used to ridiculous cold. You  Canadians know how 
to take it, eh?? 
Being a California and Arizona person, I'm not.  This body likes warm  
weather, for sure.
Actually, an interesting thing here is that I KNOW how to play outside  
(countless solo gigs with bands at football games and such).   And --  the 
flugelhorn group plays pretty softly and tries for a nice blend, so we  really weren't 
trying to "fill the open spaces."  BUT - it was so cold (for  me, anyway) and 
uncomfortable, that I think I wasn't playing efficiently just  because, in 
the back of my mind, I REALLY didn't want to be there in those  conditions.  It 
is amazing how our emotions and mental state about  performance situations can 
have an effect on our overall playing.  
Another interesting thing is playing for three hours, pretty much straight  
with only one intermission, in those conditions especially, is a lot different  
than playing flugelhorn on a jazz gig or even on a show gig where you only 
play  it part of the time.  My flugelhorn mouthpiece is MUCH deeper than my  
trumpet mouthpiece, which of course is what you want for a nice dark  sound.  
Playing that long - reading parts with not much rest in them, can  really push 
your chops to the limit.
Mike Vax



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