Summer is nearly over and in less than a week the new term will be begin. Despite having no real connection with schools anymore - the academic year still exerts its influence. Everything seems to stop over July and August. Life steps down a gear - though work still continues at usual it just becomes harder to get anything done. August is my least favourite month.
But September is something else. I love September. A chill comes into the air, Autumn clothes are dug out, life begins to pick up again. After the lethargy of the "summer" I feel a new energy to embark on new projects and get back to all my usual activities. Orchestra begins next Tuesday with my first oboe lesson the day after. A new term, a new academic year, a new start. I already have my new practice book, am wondering what music we will be playing in our first Orchestra concert and have started browsing June Emerson wondering what music my teacher may suggest we work on this term.
This week I've booked myself on two courses for next year. One is a day's reed making course, the other a weekend wind ensemble playing course. They are both months off but I am already excited. Later this year there is a double reed day that I am hoping to go to, and in February an annual wind play day which is always lots of fun.
Summer practice has been reasonably productive though. At the start of the summer I wrote a list of old repertoire that I wanted to play through. I have come to the end of that list now - some pieces I lingered over for a few days (Marcello and Cimerosa concertos, Britten Metamorphoses, Poulenc Sonata), for others one play through was sufficient (Meyer Rustical Miniatures, Schumann Romances). I also played through the Ferling Studies that I studied in my first year of lessons. I've played through some of the Luft studies too.
I've managed a little bit of reed making - not as much as I maybe should have done but I have managed to do 3 or so practice sessions on reeds that I have made myself. A small step in the right direction.
I think I've improved on the pieces that my teacher asked me to look at:
Telemann Fantasia No 4 - I think I am just beginning now to really get to grips with the second movement. It has been a struggle - but finally it is paying off. A few more days will hopefully make this even more secure.
Harty - Orientale. There are some timing bits here that I can't fathom but the rest of it is coming together reasonably. Though need to work on the cadenza runs a little this week.
Hindemith Sonata Mvt 2 - this has really grown on me. I have been playing this along to a recording in the last couple of weeks. It isn't something I often do but in this case it has really helped in understanding the music. Playing with the piano accompaniment has made a number of things click into place.
Luft Study 23 - notes are fairly secure and have been working on playing through, breathing, phrasing.
Luft 24 - well, I wasn't asked to look at this, but I have done and it is sounding OK now.
Scales are becoming more engrained, I've worked on playing extended major scales (tonic to highest note on instrument, down to lowest and back to tonic) and playing major scales in 3rds. They are beginning to be more fluent now.
I think my tuning and vibrato has also improved over the last few weeks when I've been able to put in very consistent practice.
What will this year bring? No exams to focus on this time, but I am looking forward to improving all aspects of my playing by exploring lots of new repertoire. I would like to focus on learning to make reeds so that I can more self reliant in that departmnet. I would also love to buy a Cor Anglais at some point. Let's see what the year brings.
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