Improvements

Beginning of Year: In my opinion, the band this year consists of many talented musicians and with a little practice, we could all play like pros. We just have to set goals and strive to achieve them. For this year, though, I have some personal goals. This year, I hope to accomplish more when I practice in terms of becoming a better player. Instead of just learning the notes, I hope to get better at dynamics and tone quality, as well as making sure im not flat or sharp. My goals for rehearsals this year would be to practice more as separate sections more often. This would allow me and everyone else in the section to hear each other and point out where others can improve. I believe that if we are going to be a success in June, we must work better together in class to make sure everyone can play their part, and make sure that one section is not overpowering another. Especially with so many trumpets, we all have to learn to control our sound and listen to one another. I hope this continues to be a great musical year.

End of year: When I wrote those goals for my year, they were nothing but words on paper until I began to work for them. After many days of tuning in class, I began to tell if I was out of tune and if I was sharp or flat. By the end of the year, I was able to determine if I was sharp or flat even while playing as an ensemble. I could single out my own tone and decide if the pitch needed adjusting. I was also able to develop my tone quality this year as well as play much more musically. I found that our piece, “Elements”, helped develop my musical expression the most. I would have hoped to have more time to practice as just a trumpet section. It may have helped improve our tone quality as a section. This year has made me an all around better player.