2025-01-02 - Lesson Reflection
Happy New Year 2025!
- PIANO - TECHNIQUE - Bill Evans - Listen to the clean precision and flowing melodic lines expressed in the performance video below.
- TRUMPET - REPERTOIRE - Wonderful! Wonderful! - Johnny Mathis - Listen to Recording Below
- TRUMPET - REPERTOIRE - My One and Only Love - Prepare to Record
- TRUMPET - TECHNIQUE - Clark Studies - Eleventh Lesson
- TRUMPET - TECHNIQUE - Practice In Front of Mirror Every Day
- TRUMPET - TECHNIQUE - VIDEO - Record Yourself (Selfie) - Practice ascending C Major scale
- GOAL - STUDIO - NOTEFLIGHT - Basic Notating - Notes and tones first
- DONE - ACTION - PIANO - TECHNIQUE - 4Star - Review Set 2 - Day 5
- TODO - ACTION - PIANO - TECHNIQUE - 4Star - Set 1 - Day 1
Range - F#3 - through - E5
Bill Evans - Jazz Piano
Power Tools
Gratitude Groove
Spirit - Gratitude as a way of life
- Give thanks for something - Every time you pick up your instrument.
- Give thanks for something - Every time you are finished playing your instrument.
Thought Switch
Control the mind
or the mind controls you
Spirit / Technique - The 3-way light switch for thoughts in the mind!
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Thought Switch OFF - allow all thoughts in the mind to cease.
Cessation of all thoughts in the mind without loss of consciousness - Thought Switch ON - allow thoughts to enter into the mind.
- Thought Switch FOCUS - allowing very few, or a single thought to enter into the mind in order to focus like a laser onto the current moment.
Balancing the Opposites
(BTO) - or - (Yin / Yang)
Spirit / Technique
- Balancing the opposites flows through every part of our lives
Trumpet Monk Creed
Vows and Goals
Definitely Always a Work in Progress 🙂
- Every day striving one step closer
Taiji Philosophy
Dr. Yang
 I spent much time emersed in online research and study on the teachings of Dr. Yang and Taiji philosophy, which helped me gain valuable life skills and knowledge. Below is the video biography story of Dr. Yang, and some important parts of this ancient Taiji philosophy that he teaches.
NOTE - I decided not to study Martial Arts with Dr. Yang
Instead I prefer to study non-violent Taiji Philosophy and Qi Gong
Wuji
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Dr. Yang states the following:
Taiji originates from Wuji -
Dr. Yang and other scholars define and translate Wuji using various terms: - Wuji = No Extremities
- Wuji = No Polarities
- Wuji = Emptiness
- Wuji = No Seperation - BEFORE - Yin / Yang
- Wuji = Thought Switch OFF
- Wuji = A very calm and extemely relaxed state of body and mind
Wuji - Taiji - Yin Yang
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Dr. Yang states the following:
Taiji originates from Wuji, and Taiji is the mother of Yin Yang -
From the Diagram above, Dr. Yang defines Taiji as follows:
Taiji = Dao = God = Force = Mind -
Practical Example of how to apply and translate this philosophy into playing the trumpet: - Wuji - Start every action in Wuji state - Very relaxed, no stress, thought switch off
- Taiji - Use the Mind to create and form an intention, to imagine the sound you will produce, with thought switch focus
- Yin / Yang - Produce a balanced sound, bring the sound into the world with perfect balance of tones, strength, intonation, sound and silence.