A successful concert and a bit of psychology
The past two weeks have been rather hectic with a nice project with the HfMT Köln Brass Ensemble and organ, culminating in a concert to a packed church in Brauweile on the 16th June. The programe included a nice mix of early and modern music and was directed by Mathius Keifer, a trumpet player from the Gürzenich Orchestra in Köln. It was a great opportunity to learn from Mathius and also get to play with some of my colleagues from the school for the first time in such an ensemble. Yesterday I began working with Mike Cunningham on the subject of mind training for auditions and other high pressure situations that a musician comes across often in their career. Having read several books on this subject I have decided to try to approach an upcoming audition with a coach, as I personally find the mental aspects of the process of winning a job rather strenuous. Mike is a tuba player and has experienced firsthand the stress that these situations, such as solo concerts and auditions, put an individual through. I very much look forward to working with Mike over the coming weeks and learning more about this fascinating and incredibly important aspect of performing. More news soon. F