This week we started delving into the book The Balanced Musician by Lesley Sisterhen McAllister. Chapter 1 deals with "The Performer's Challenges." It discusses the idea of perfection versus artistry. Often we are drilled to technically perform a piece by hitting the correct pitches, playing the correct rhythms, etc. We often forget to make each piece a statement of our own views on the piece of music.
The book asks us to reflect on ourselves as musicians.
1. "What are some positive adjectives to describe your personality in performance situations?" (14).
It depends on the situation personally. In group situations I am normally excited and ready to my best. In solo experiences, if I feel properly prepared and comfortable with the accompaniment then I feel completely confident. Every time I do a passage it's different in subtle ways from my previous practice, but I enjoy what I'm hearing from my instrument. Contrastingly, if I feel under-prepared then I do feel more nervous. Normally the accompaniment throws me off. I just remind myself that people want to see me succeed and that I know I have the ability to make it a musical moment. During my training as a musician it was always stressed to me to be as artist and focus on sound as much as possible because that is what is truly most important.
"Considering your weaknesses, write down specific adjectives that you can use in imagery that would represent your ideal self" (14).
Some of my weaknesses is counting/timing when it comes to pieces that change meter often. I end up rushing certain passages. An adjective I would choose to represent and ideal would be consistent or steady to relate to tempo and rhythm. A weakness is I often get thrown off by my accompaniment, so I should be confident and undeterred.
At the end of the chapter the book asks, "Why did you decide to become a musician?" and, "What do you see yourself doing in the future as a musician(?)" (19).
There a lot of factors to this. First off, my mother is a violinist and is a music educator. Music is something my family and my mom's side of the family really values. My grandfather immigrated from Italy and in their culture music was very important to their education. My mother's family did not have a lot, but all her sisters and many of cousins would have private lessons on an instrument. It seems like music comes naturally. When I was young I really just loved to sing. I would go to church and sing or sing along to the radio. Music was always around me and many varieties. I just enjoyed doing it. Then I found the trumpet and I feel like around high school I really started loving the sound and learning how to create my own sound and feeling to the music. Practicing became an experiment and an experience. I knew I wanted to continue studying music in some capacity. When JO called me my senior year of high school and I visited Miami I knew music was something I had to pursue. In the future, I see myself giving private lessons to students in the area I live. I hope to help them reach their goals in their own musical journey.
Lastly, I am supposed to identify a piece to work on for my senior recital. I actually don't have my whole repertoire planned and the piece my professor wants me to work on currently would be Arutunian Trumpet Concerto.
