The topic of this masterclass will be the importance of practicing, which I thing is a huge subject, particularly for younger musicians. I will be using two main resources: my own experience, and Phillip Johnston's "Practiceopedia", which is an absolute must for anyone in the field of music. I personally have learned a great deal from this book, and I'm excited to share it with my community, intermixed with my own thoughts and experiences on practicing.
The decision to hold this masterclass was made just a couple weeks ago, after I had a lesson with a very skilled student who just did not sound good at all on the etude I assigned to them. This student plays the instrument well, and I know they practice their instrument a lot, but very obviously doesn't know how to practice correctly. What I mean is that they just pick up their horn and just play notes on their horn, whether randomly or sequenced in the form of a song or etude, without any regards to tempo, rhythm, articulation, even the correct pitches...and does nothing to fix it. I'm not suggesting they are deliberately ignoring everything, but rather they are unaware of what exactly is happening.
And that's what my masterclass will cover: how to practice. Practicing doesn't necessarily involve just picking up the instrument and just playing notes (although for professionals that can help maintain the utmost of embouchure strength). It is a complex and important process designed to make you sound good on your instrument. Plus, it should be fun. There's so much that one does on their instrument that can go by unnoticed by the player, mainly because the player isn't aware of what they're doing (or even what could go wrong). This is why I want to hold this masterclass.
For those who are unable to attend, but want to hear this masterclass, good news: I will be video-recording it, and will have it posted to Youtube and available here on SeanBrownMusic. My ultimate goal is to help; I want to help create a world with more skilled musicians who are proud of what they do and enjoy it. I particularly want the skill level here on Whidbey Island to improve, so that more community groups can be formed, more kids can be competitive in Solo & Ensemble, and for young musicians to have a good foot in the door for the start of their music career.
Take care and value music.