Saturday

Big 2 hour gym session followed by starting to pack/get stuff together/load MP3 player/Charge MP3 player for Monday's Swiss trip.

30 Minutes Horacio Hernandez book - RH Clave LH melody exercises.

30 Minutes Piano Ssshh 40bpm - 76bpm

Friday

30 Minutes: Left Hand Cascara, RH permutation & Improv.

I need to go out and get books, clothes and currency for next weeks orchestra trip to Switzerland. Kerching! :(

Got all the above sorted, watched some jazz porn... Mike Stern and a bit of Bill Stewart

Went to gym, then made curry :)

Hopefully more practice tomorrow.

Thursday

Non music stuff - Played and won tennis again yesterday :) Also rang the doctors for an appointment and was told they aren't doing any appointments in person at the moment. They also asked if I had cold or flu like symptoms and made me a telephone appointment... swine flu lockdown?

Drums: 30 minutes Right Hand cascara, LH permutations & Improv. Then started LH Cascara RH permutations.

My new music has come through the letter box in the time I've been writing this blog. Time to go and check it out.

Piano: 30 Minutes Beginning to see the Light 60-72 bpm including soloing.

Won tennis... again. (Take that Pattinson!)

Went to the gym.

Now trying to resist sitting on the sofa and drinking wine. I may fail.

30 Minutes Trancrsiption/Arrangement of new tune.

Wednesday

Piano:

30 Minutes Bergonzi On The Brink Permutations 100, 104, 108bpm. I've just about reached my maximum tempo for now. Need to work through the patterns at these tempos a bit more before I get quicker.

30 Minutes Footprints 84-194bpm, then working on the solo section.

Drums:

30 Minutes Horacio Hernandez coordination studies. 60 bpm Left hand clave, right hand permutations then improv.

30 Minutes Horacio exercises. 60bpm Right Hand Cascara, Left Hand permutations.

I watched the companion DVD last night for a bit of added inspiration. I think that working on this material should really help my 'latin' playing - an area I've always felt needs improving.

Arranging:

About an hour working on a new tune for Frith Street Band.

More to come...

First day of freedom!

Spent about an hour working on the first chapter of Conversations in Clave by Horacio Hernandez.

Hopefully more to come later....

Monday

I managed 90 minutes of drum work:

30 Minutes Yo Me Songo
30 Minutes Afro Cuban 6/8 stuff in preparation for the tune Afro Waltz
30 Minutes uptempo swing to help with John Riley's Out In The Open

Sunday

I did a small group set last night using four of my quartet arrangements. I enjoyed playing the charts and it has given me a timely reminder that I need to do a few more of these - plenty to keep me busy over the Summer.

In addition I want to write a couple of percussion ensemble pieces to use for teaching, write an arrangement or two for Alter Ego and possible write a brass + drums piece to play with a few work colleagues. Longer term I may try to write/arrange a piece for one of the County Youth Ensembles... so many plans, so little time!

Today:

30 Minutes Sshhh from 40-60bpm

30 Minutes Footprints from 80-100bpm