"Routines" and the New Year

Greetings!  Man, what a busy December, not to mention all the usual colds and various viruses the kids pick up at school and daycare.  Coughing until your head hurts, etc, etc.  Good times! I always love seeing the graphic below... It kind of sums up a lot of my days!

I was reading a post today by one of my favorite writers and current motivators, Austin Kleon.  He was discussing his daily routine.  Now, I'm usually kind of skeptical when I read someone's "daily routine" post, as I always imagine that they write these from the perspective of the "perfect day" where everything goes right, and you have unlimited time, and the kids are happy and firing on all cylinders, etc.  Ha!  Kind of like back in my triathlon days where you would read interviews with the latest hot pro triathlete and they would invariably give their "favorite workout".  It was always something insane that no one but a top-level pro would even benefit from attempting.  I always wondered how the magazines could even bring themselves to print these workouts for us mere mortal age-group athletes to read... That old feeling of "I can never do enough" was ever-present, as well as the realization that you didn't have 8 hours a day to work out...

Speaking of that feeling... So, over the years, and especially since kids came along into my life, I have been trying to cut back, simplify, and just generally concentrate my life so that the days have less items on the "to do" list and I can still feel productive.

So, here's my daily routine, which I have used for most of the past year, and will continue to stick with throughout 2015.

1.  Wake up, make coffee (unless I actually remember to set the automatic machine), get kids up/dressed/fed, and get everyone to school or daycare.

2.  Practice trombone - minimum 30 mins and ideally 60-90 minutes

3.  Exercise 30 mins - not gonna beat myself up about this... goal is to get out the door.  Walk, run, crossfit, split wood, whatever.  Just do something.  Ditch it if I'm exhausted and prioritize #4.

4.  Nap if I have time.  20-60 mins as needed.

5.  Work my J.O.B. as scheduled.  Some days this takes the place of exercise.

6.  Pick up kids, make dinner, play trains/Octonauts/cars/bike ride with the munchkins.

7.  8pm kids bath/bedtime

8.  10pm GO TO BED.  My number one weakness in life.  I stay up too late in order to have time to myself.  I think it's a sign of over scheduling and over committing during the day.  I'm gonna work on that in the new year.

Thoughts?  Leave yours in the comments... What works for you?  I'm always curious to know what REAL PEOPLE think!  Happy new year and stay motivated!

...an out of work brewer (that happens to play trombone)...

"Daddy, why don't you work at the brewery anymore?" That was my 6-year-old son's question a few weeks ago when we drove by the brewery that opened near my normal place of employment a little over a year ago. Kyle sounded a little sad and disappointed, even though we were on our way to hear some music performed by my fantastic colleagues on my son's day off from school.

Well, the answer was easy. I explained that I had simply run out of time, and that I needed to devote my energy and time to my regular job, and to him, his mother, and his newly adopted 2-year-old brother. While volunteering at the brewery, I got to show up once a week, do a lot of cool stuff brewers get to do, then go home. No pay, no set hours, no stress. It was fantastic.

My work at the brewery lasted from September of last year until about May of 2014. I connected with Bluejacket through mutual friends of the original head brewer, Megan Parisi. I learned a lot about brewing beer on a commercial scale. Recipe formulation, sanitizing procedures, recipe creation, and many other aspects were all taught to me by the 2 Brewers I worked most closely with. I could write 10 posts on what I learned from a brewing perspective. What knocked me out is what I learned about work, managing, leading, and passion from two very talented and hard working guys that get to make their living putting a smile on people's faces.

You might think on the surface that being a musician and a brewer have really nothing in common. Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. The parallels lie both in the creative part of the job (making recipes, improvising with ingredients) as well as in the more blue collar aspects of the two crafts. In a brewery, sanitation procedures are key. Creating recipes, dry hopping beers, and pouring tastes from the latest cool rum-barrel-aged Belgain sour are the glamorous parts that only happen after the fundamentals are taken care of. Sounds a lot like music! As a trombonist, daily routines, practice, and study of the art are key. I got to watch some of the best in the business, and certainly the most motivated, in working under Bobby Bump and Josh Chapman. The guys about worked me into the ground my first couple of work days!

Most impressive to me, Bobby and Josh (and now Owen, too!) aren't afraid to make something and put it out there. Many times as musicians, we are taught and coached to practice and refine until we unintentionally drive all the life and spontaneity out of our creation! Because beer is a living thing, brewers don't get too much say on when and if a particular beer is ready to drink. Natural processes of fermentation, hopping, clarity, and conditioning all happen in their own time. I watched these guys making new beers, for the first time, on a system that was brand new to them, and putting that beer out for the public to drink, putting their reputation and that of the brewery on the line every day. That isn't to say they don't have standards. I witnessed a couple of occasions where beer was deemed not worthy and unceremoniously dumped. But, that was only a couple of batches out of over 100 brewed in the first 9 months of being open. What was interesting was that they didn't let the insignificant details hang them up and prevent them from moving towards the ideal of a particular recipe. In other words, if the concept was right and the beer was a pleasure to drink, they didn't let themselves get hung up on technical imperfections. They still served their beer.

And that's where we get to the hard part. Putting it out there. Do the work. Be the man (or woman) in the arena. We are all going to make some (lots of) mistakes. Keep coming back. Keep creating. Keep serving your customers.

Cheers,

Virtual Trombonist

Who am I, and why am I here?

It occurred to me tonight that I have been, as usual, putting the cart before the horse. I just perused the Wordpress Blogging 101 series and noted that one of the first things a new blogger should do, according to Wordpress, is to define why you are starting a blog and what you hope to accomplish. My title does pay homage to the 1992 vice presidential debate in which Admiral James Stockdale opened with the now famous quote above, but not for the reasons you might imagine. That great man and his writings will be the focus of another post in the near future. As a person who had "early success" as a musician, mainly in high school and college, I have often found myself wondering, "What now?" and "What else?" I auditioned for the Marine Band in 1999 and began my career that summer. After joining the band, I promptly careened down the path of, "I have a job, I can relax and do other stuff!" Not that there's anything wrong with that! But, for me, I feel like I have put a lot of my musical development on hold over the years. I have a lot left in the musical world that I want to explore, and I enjoy communicating about those issues through my writing.

So, what will you see here? Well, the All-State etudes are fun to do and give me something to practice, but I have in mind a number of other topics and focusses that you will see here. Namely, I want this blog to become a resource and place of connection for trombonists and musicians everywhere. Interviews, personal accounts and experiences, sheet music reviews, recording reviews, my own recordings, book reviews, and many other topics that I enjoy, but all trombone or music related. Also, I want to add my own experiences with different mentors I have been lucky enough to have throughout my career, and share some of the special things that they taught me.

If you want to see other stuff that I get myself interested and tangled up in, I am starting to use Tumblr now for short everyday posts about things I find interesting. You can find me there as virtualtrombonist as well... On Twitter, I am @beebesdad...

Happy creating!

Chris

Dr. Neill H. Humfeld

"It's a beautiful day in Commerce!"

So began many lessons and greetings with my teacher,  Dr. Neill H. Humfeld.  It occurred to me the other day, that at age 41 I am the youngest person to have studied with Neill Humfeld.   I feel that the special person and teacher that he was needs to be shared with a new generation of trombonists!  I was fortunate to begin my studies with Dr. Humfeld in the spring of 1987, what would have been the end of my 8th grade year.  My father studied with Dr. Humfeld in high school and knew exactly with whom I should have lessons!  I left home in August of 1991 to attend Curtis, and Dr. Humfeld passed away that fall after a very long battle with cancer.

Neill Humfeld was born in Clay Center, Kansas.  His early trombone teachers were Maurice Faulkner,  and Wayne Snodgrass.  He attended the University of Kansas where he studied with Gerald Carney while pursuing a degree in music education.  Neill was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving in a band that provided the bulk of the Air Force's West Coast musical needs during the Korean War.  For an excellent article about Dr. Humfeld's life, please see the Fall 1990 issue (Vol. 18, No. 4) of the ITA Journal written by Vern Kagarice.  Join ITA (if you aren't already a member!) and you can download the journal from the archives.

After his military service, Dr. Humfeld attended a summer workshop at Eastman to study with Emory Remington.  At the end of the seminar, he was asked to stay on as a graduate assistant.  He completed his Master of Music and went on to complete his Doctor of Musical Arts in 1962.  It is notable that at this time, he was already a faculty member at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas (now Texas A&M University - Commerce).

Mr. Remington is remembered as the "gentleman trombonist" and if there is someone who personified that example more than Neill Humfeld, I would be shocked to hear of it.  He was the kind of teacher that motivated his students through his obvious love, both of music and of his students.   Dr. Humfeld was an unfailingly positive person.  Whether through his own health issues late in his life, or in dealing with his students setbacks and failures, he was the man who always looked on the bright side and, most importantly, taught the rest of us to follow his lead.  In spring of 1991, he played a trio with my dad and I on the Commerce High School band concert.  This was, as far as I know, his last public performance.  He was obviously in great pain, but he still managed to walk out on stage and play the 3rd part to the trio with all the beauty and care that he always brought to his music. He had a smile on his face, and most importantly, left me with a beautiful memory of that concert together.  That was just the kind of person he was.

Dr. Humfeld was a clinician for Conn for a large part of his career, switching to Selmer/Bach in his later years.  He played a fair amount in my lessons, sometimes on his 1950s vintage 88H or on a newer model gold brass Bach 36B.  What I remember most was his sound.  Dr. Humfeld had the most beautiful, sweet, mellow trombone sound I have ever heard.  He was not a "muscular" type player, but one who strived for efficiency, flexibility, and beautiful sound at all costs.  I think most modern players would find his sound "soloistic", "bright", and "round".  His fluidity while playing Rochut etudes and his effortlessness was something to behold.

Rochut's were a staple of nearly every lesson.  I remember a very funny conversation I had about my sophomore year that went something like this:

Dr. H: So, do you have any questions, sport?

Me: Um, well, Dr. Humfeld, I was wondering when I'm going to start working on technique?

Dr. H: You mean, like playing fast?

Me: Yes, sir.

Dr. H: Well, let's see...(flips to back of Rochut book)... Try this one!

Me: Uhhh, oh, ok... I see what you mean now.

Dr. H: (big smile)

Dr. Humfeld impressed me another time with his empathy and positive attitude.  I came in for a lesson the week after my Area band auditions my sophomore year.  This was the step right before making All-State.  I had practiced like crazy, made first chair at All-Region, and was ready to go… I totally bombed my Area audition!  I walked in to his studio and Dr. Humfeld said, "Well, how'd it go?"  I promptly burst into tears, and blubbered on about a bad warmup, and getting nervous, etc.  I was embarrassed and mortified to be such a mess in front of him.  He just smiled and proceeded to tell me a story about some recital he had once played that, according to him, was just about the most embarrassing event to ever take place in anyone's life, then we proceeded to talk about what went wrong at my audition, and what I could do to make sure it didn't happen again.  Positive reinforcement, empathy, and problem solving!  I will never forget that lesson.

There is so much more to touch on in this amazing man's life.  It is my hope that other "Humfeld students" (as we all proudly call ourselves!) will chime in below in the comments and add your own stories and memories. Thanks very much for reading, and remember:

It's a beautiful day in ___________ (insert your place here)!!!!!!!