A Successful Year

"I admit that it has been slightly difficult to start playing my saxophone again after my two year break; however, now that we are one term into the school year, I believe it is time for me to start pushing myself to not only play like I used to play, but also push myself to become a better musician. Therefore, to do this, I will create some realistic goals, for myself, to accomplish by the end of this year.

My first objective is to prove that I am better than last chair saxophone. It is easy to say that I am, but now I have to work hard to prove it. I'm not positive if I can move up seats in band during the year, since the last time I played in band, we didn't have first-last chair, but I will at least show what I am capable of and hopefully not be in the same seat next year. This aim will not be an easy task to accomplish because all of the saxophonists are excellent musicians, but, nevertheless, I will practice the music constantly and do whatever it takes to get better.

Another goal I wish to accomplish this year is to be able to notice when I am sharp or flat without using a tuner. This is a very convenient skill to becoming a better musician, because you may not always have a tuner with you, yet you still need to be in tune. I am not entirely sure how to practice self tuning, other than practicing my instrument more, and paying attention during class when we are doing the tuning; so for now, that is what I will do until a better method comes to my attention.

A third goal I intend to complete by June is to be able to subdivide in my head as I play a piece of music. This is a necessity to playing music because being unaware of the rhythm of the song destines you to play the song incorrectly. Subdivision can only be accomplished with frequent practicing and acquainting myself with my saxophone to the point where I can feel the rhythm. A good way to learn how to subdivide, is to practice keeping the basic rhythm of the song in my head. This will take some time to master but when I do, playing pieces will become significantly easier.

My aims for this year may be fundamental, but they are very difficult to undertake and will require me to commit to pushing myself and to partake in frequent practicing to accomplish them. I am aware that I don't practice my saxophone as much as I should, so I will need to integrate some practice time into my everyday schedule in order to succeed in band this year. Thus, for me to feel like I have completed a successful year of band at the end of this school year, I must be able to self tune, mentally subdivide and prove to Mr. Cincotta that I belong in a higher chair saxophone than the last."

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Although not all of my goals from the start of the year have been achieved, I do believe my skills as a musician have improved.

Over the course of the year I am proud to have practiced more than I can admit in the past. And it has proven successful in aiding my musical growth. I am also proud that I can now decide if I am out of tune with my fellow band members by listening to the changes in intonation in the air; such a skill has been developed due to Mr. Cincotta’s constant practices with tuning.

Subdividing has always been a relentless issue of mine. All through my musical career thus far, I have had a problem with counting because of my lack of subdivision. I have obtained the discipline to count as during rests and particular rhythms; therefore, the next step is to subdivide.

However, my initial goals for this past year were slightly changed to accommodate more pressing issues of mine. For example, a perpetual ambition of mine has been improvisation. I have never been able to grasp the concept of improvising to the point where the notes played correspond well enough to produce music rather than just random noise and I believe this skill will be acquired once a sense of comfort is attained and this concert band class certainly provides a sense of comfort. Plus with Mr. Cincotta’s advice for improvisation scales, I hope to be able to improvise quite proficiently in the near future.