[TPIN] Re: TPIN Digest, Vol 23, Issue 21

[Allegro69]

>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:31:05 EST
> From: Vaxtrpts at aol.com
> Subject: Re: [TPIN] Jazz Pedagogy, teaching and some help

> Good,  valid points, Dave.  The sports analogy is pretty good, even though
> coaches like Joe Paterno at Penn State (now 80 yrs old!) ran with his
players
> until recently.  I still like to think that playing (as well as
directing)
> music should be a life long pursuit.  As a long time teacher I  know the
> difficulties in keeping the chops up, but it sure makes a difference  in
my opinion.
> Dave
 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> And I applaud you for it.!  As I said before, I have heard all the
excuses
> for not playing anymore, brought forth by high school band  directors.  By
> still playing your horn, you are a perfect example of the  life long
possibilities
> for playing music.  And as someone else stated, I  know many band
directors
> who just play some each day, on a break or before or  after school, just
to
> keep their hand in it.  And then they DO play for  their students.  To me,
that
> is a win - win situation.  There are also  many directors, just as busy as
the
> ones who have given it up, who actually play  gigs on the weekend, or with
the
> local symphony or concert band, etc......
> Mike Vax
>
Thanks guys for the added inspiration we all sometimes need. Before I joined
the Comeback Players Brigade, I totally wrote off playing for the
'duration'. Equally bad was that I even shut out listening to music
altogether. I'm glad that many friends of mine each give me a boot in the
arse, where I again got on the righteous path of picking up the horn. While
I face daily problems when I play, one thing for sure is that I gained a lot
of patience and self forgiveness, something that I denied myself during my
younger years. Of course, I want to play the best that I can; but with a
change in my attitude where I now don't expect perfection, but demand
improvement - however slight it might be. Little by little, things that
bugged me about my playing in the past are slowly but surely being ironed
out today, and God willing - tomorrow. Whether or not I decide to play
outside of the parameters of my home remains to be seen. I'll myself know
that to be. Meanwhile, I'm totally enjoying my return, be it my playing at
the time is good, bad, or indifferent. If not so good, I've learned to enjoy
rediscovering my shortcomings and further enjoy overcoming them, sans the
frustration I once felt. Being 63 might be considered to be getting old
where some my age will be content watching the soapies, the Judge shows,
playing bingo, or generally letting themselves vegetate. I refuse to allow
myself to go there. I'm actually feeling younger because I consider my
trumpet to be my personal fountain of youth. Now if I could only be the same
lover I was when I was in my 20's. 8-)
BOB