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The Musician’s Urban Dictionary
You probably know all of your typical music lingo – adagio, cantabile, dolce, sostenuto. Here are all the musical terms you didn’t know you needed! Restimate: to not accurately count during a rest, thus having to guess your next entrance “I got lost in that 33-measure rest, so I had to restimate.” Stage frightmare: a unique nightmare specific to musicians; usually involves being late to recitals, last-minute repertoire changes, or other anxiety-inducing musical situations “I had a stage frightmare that I had to play the Nielsen concerto from memory tonight!” Subzoned: when you are vying for a permanent position with a group but cannot escape the sub list “I’ve performed all…
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9 Secrets Classical Musicians Won’t Tell You
You probably have some preconceived notions about classical musicians. Maybe you’re thinking of that one annoying flute player that sat behind you in high school. Maybe you’re thinking of that one episode of Bugs Bunny (or if you’re a millennial, that episode of Hey Arnold! where they go to the opera). Whatever stereotypes you have about classical musicians, they’re probably untrue. Here are some secrets you may not know about classical musicians: 1) Classical music is not a 9-5 job. Most orchestras don’t have rehearsals or concerts every day. Non-musicians look at our schedules and think, “They only have 8 hours of rehearsals this week? That’s nothing – I work 50 hours every…
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The Musician’s Practice Pyramid
Have you ever walked (or dejectedly shuffled) into the practice room, begrudgingly opened your case, assembled your instrument….and wondered what the heck you have to practice? Maybe you’re overwhelmed with excerpts. Maybe you have to learn your scales for All State auditions. Or maybe you don’t even know what you should practice. Not to fear, my trusty Practice Pyramid is here! You’re probably familiar with the food pyramid from health classes past. It’s undergone a few makeovers recently, but the basic idea is essentially the same. A daily diet with the right proportions of certain foods will increase your overall health. Like the food pyramid, your practice routine should also…