Practicing and Listening

Some of my listening preferences and what I am practicing at the time.

My listening preferences tend to lean on horn band music. If I hit shuffle while I am listening to music on my phone, I will typically listen to anything from Chicago, Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, Phil Collins, and any of the many groups that use horns in their music.

When Phil Collins came out with his Face to Face album, I wanted to be the type of the trumpet players that played in Phil Collins's band. I had no idea at the time that he used the horn section from Earth Wind and Fire. So, I would listen and try to play along with the horns on Face to Face and No Jacket Required.

I would also attempt to play along with everything I could get from Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, Al Hirt, and Doc Severensin.

My lesson teachers encouraged me to attempt the play-a-longs, however, they had to encourage me, at times, to practice my, "legit", repretoire too.

Recently, I have been practicing the Kennan trumpet sonata, Hindemith trumpet sonata, and lots and lots of lip flexibility exercises.

I still pause whenever a horn band comes on, but, I enjoy listeneing to just about anything that causes me to nod my head.