Finally did it!!!

Alright, so I have wonderful news!!! I was finally able to accomplish my 20 Time Project goal. I hit the high A in band class today. I was just warming up by playing up the chromatic scale and I tried to get real high up on my scale and it came out. This is a huge accomplishment for me and for my project. In fact, I even got up to a high B which is another step up from the high A that I was trying to reach. I may or may not make a new goal depending on if I will have enough time for it.

This week has been a set back for my goal. Over the break, I didn't practice as much. That affected my skills because I wasn't able to keep up with my lung power and play in the higher register. Now, I am still stuck on a high G. I'm going to continue to practice and try and get higher.

So the trumpet... not an easy instrument to pick up and just play. I'll give you some background information about me and musical instruments. When I was 8 and 9, I took alto saxophone private lessons. But what has that got to do with the trumpet? Well, the saxophone was like a stepping stone for me into the music world. I loved the idea of being able to make and play any music I want. Sadly though, the saxophone was not my instrument. It was really hard to tongue (play while letting your tongue hit the reed so the music can sound more staccato). This issue, while it may sound like something small, it really set me back in my acoustical studies. In 6th grade, I decided to join band. Since I didn't want to stop playing music, I had to make a decision about what instrument to play. The oboe was actually an instrument that I was considering until I found out how many different keys were on it. Then, I decided that I wanted to play a brass instrument. Then I fell in love with the trumpet. I got one and played the 1st part on all the music in band. I played it all through middle school to now. I currently am 1st chair in the concert winds in school. It is a big accomplish for me! A bigger accomplishment is the fact of how much I have grown since I started. With practice, I am getting closer and closer to getting my goal for my 20 Time project!

1/16/15

Alright, so I'm thinking about changing my 20 Time Project. It's not that I wasn't ever interested in it, it's just that fixing cars can get really expensive and I don't have that kind of money. So my idea is to be able to play the trumpet up to a high A comfortably. Not only is this a difficult task, this will help me out in band class for those tricky high notes. Currently I can only play a high G. While the two notes aren't that far off from each other, I've never practiced for an A so it should be difficult for me. I need to find time to start practicing and to find a mentor. Wish me luck!

Alright, so I'm excited for this 20 Time Project. It seems like a fun and exciting way for us as students to do what we like instead of what we are forced to do. The only bad thing that I see with this is that it will take a long time to accomplish and that some people will have a hard time presenting this project at the end of the school year.