Running and Transcribing

So, the answer is no. I was not running and transcribing at the same time. But, in fact, I did do both tonight.

I was actually headed to the practice room after work to dig in and get some real work done on the recital. But being deterred for about 45 minutes while my key was stuck in the lock of the door to my truck (Imagine that, it rhymes). After tearing the door apart to get to the inner workings, made a few adjustments and finally go the key out. As I headed up to the University I remembered that I had RSVP'd to a UMFA (Utah Museum of Fine Arts) Staff Party for the opening of their new SPEED event. No, this is not a bunch of meth addicts gathering at the Museum. Instead, it's the gathering of many major land speed record holding racing cars. Awesome to say the least.

After the entertainment at the Museum, I was faced with a decision to make. Work out now then be up until Midnight or later practicing or practice now and not get a workout in? I chose to workout now and then figured I could work on my Benny Greb transcription at home until I passed out or got to a stopping point.

I ran/walked briskly for the better part of an hour. Working up to running for the full sixty minutes is a smaller goal for the summer but one that will be attained in not much time. Weighed in today at a whopping 250 lbs after working out. Not excited about that, but slowly shedding pounds over the next few months.

The transcription process is one that I've never really done until this song. I mean, I've always torn my favorite drum parts to pieces to learn them but never actually written them down and seen them in this way. Usually I work on the overall form of the piece and get the general idea of the groove but rarely, Ok pretty much Never, write it out note for note. It is definitely fun to pick apart a piece of music that someone else probably laid down in the studio without really thinking much about. Naturally talented musicians such as Benny Greb don't really have to worry about what comes out, cause most if not all of it is magic. Anyhoo, I am most of the way done with this piece. I have about another page and a half (less than a minute) of music to work on. The other parts are already finished just working on the drum kit pieces right now and once that is done I'll drop them into Sibelius and it'll be time for rehearsal.

The best part about learning a song this way is that by the time I'm done with transcribing the notes by hand then inputting them into the computer, I'll know the parts inside and out. So those of you in the Brass Trio, watch out. I'll be listening. Which is the main reason for doing this, to maintain/improve my ear training skills and to have a Drum Set piece on my recital. It's kind of funny that I haven't studied drum set at the University of Utah yet but I still have a piece on my recital. That's probably due to the fact that I love playing and that's really (still) what I'm best at.

Everyday.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle