This month, due to the October break as well as my flute teacher taking some master classes in America, I have not been able to do as much formal practise. However, to compensate, I have been doing extra practice on my own. For this, I have mostly just been working extra hard on the pieces for the HS orchestra. I have now fully adjusted to my flute, except I notice that it gets even damper (lots of saliva droplets) after playing. I am not sure how much of an effect this would have on my playing at that moment.

To do final improvements on Warrior Legacy and Poem for Orchestra (which I presume will be the pieces we perform in our December performance, Wavelengths)I am focusing on two main parts of the pieces which still nedd perfecting: High notes in Poem for Orchestra and low, quick notes in Warrior Legacy. It is rather tough to play high G in piano. Right now, I’m not that used to reading the notes at the high end of Poem, I often end up guessing and thus sounding off-key from the other first flutes. I presume that at least part of this is down to not knowing how high to play as I can’t hear myself, so I must practise this especially hard in my own quiet bedroom. As for Warrior Legacy, I am currently focused on perfecting a transition into the ending crescendo, wherein I do a lot of low-register triplets. Here, I really need to loosen my fingers so I can play them accurately.

However, I have also improved in some aspects. I notice that I now much better at keeping time with the rest of the orchestra, as well as feeling the pulse that the conductor creates. Essentially, my timing has improved dramatically. Also, I find that my interval training (I mentioned it in last month’s entry) has paid off, and am in much better control of pitch. When I can hear it, that is. So perhaps the final step to this is sort of putting each “note” into my lips as muscle memory.

All in all, I appear to be making good process, and am very glad that I have this activity to have fun and improve.