Monday
Today started as our weeks always start, with a run down to Southsea Common
with Sgt Beattie. It was really cold this morning but we all managed to keep
up - just about. I then started the day after having a shower and getting into
rig with a Trumpet lesson with Cpl Williams. We began our normal warm up with
scales and embouchure builder, we then worked on my pieces. I am currently practising
for my Grade 6 in a weeks time. We have been looking mainly at a piece called
Irish Reel by Allen Vizzutti. This is probably my hardest piece as it's unaccompanied
and quite quick, but it's getting there gradually. I then came back after enjoying
a nice cup of tea from Colours Ridleys coffee boat to practise my piano as I
have a piano recital in a week and need to make sure it's all underneath my
fingers. I'm playing Schumann's Kinderszenen; they're actually not very technically
difficult but you need to be able to capture the right sound.
The bugle then went again for lunch. Normally on a Monday afternoon as soon
as we get back from lunch we have recitals but this week we didn't so it meant
we could get more personal practise done, which for all of my Term is especially
important as they have final exams and recitals coming up. After working up
until 3 we had another stand easy then I had a lesson with my trumpet professor,
Jon Yates. Again I went through scales, sight-reading and preparation for my
exam. We then ended for the day and went back to our rooms. I have been one
of the lucky ones to have a new room of my own so it was back to iron my rig
and bedding for rounds the next morning and then chill out and wait for tomorrow.
Tuesday
Today we had a different routine. We got over to the school for 0830, we were
then told by the Section Commanders that we had a visit coming so we were going
to work through our stand easy and then finish for lunch a bit earlier. My day
started with piano warm ups (because it 's so cold outside you need to get your
fingers moving) so I played studies and scales to get me going, then practised
my piano conductors and Life on the Ocean Wave. This term I am playing keyboards
for Dance Band. We had a rig up and at 1015 for an hour, we played things like
Duke Ellingtons Foxtrot and the singers Musn Natalie Yates and Laura Downer
sang Waterloo. Our rehearsal was taken by Cpl Robinson who is the Bass instructor
at the School. We then finished for lunch early at 1115. We were back over the
School at 1300 to start practising again and seeing as though I had done quite
a lot on my piano this morning I thought it would be a good idea to start with
my trumpet this afternoon. I played one of my other pieces which is Andante
by Mozart originally written for piano. We then had musical rehearsal in the
evening as the Training Band has a concert at the weekend in Croydon so they
need to practice the dots. The rest of us who were not in the rehearsal were
in our cells doing private practice. I did singing practice as I am thinking
of doing the diploma, as I have already done my Grade 8.
Wednesday
We had Parade Band first thing this morning. It was absolutely freezing and
we are learning how to form lane. We played Army of the Nile, Famous Songs and
Sailing but it was so cold playing. Once it had finished it took me ages to
warm up my hands but finally I could start to play the piano. After stand easy
we had jazz workshop with Cpl Williams. He spoke to us about John Coltrane,
jazz sax player and played us some music of him playing. We then had RT which
was organised by Sgt Beattie. It was swimming this week. Musn Griffin and Bug
Cansfield went and played squash, some of the other lads from Training had Rugby
training as there is a head to head with the instructors in the last week of
term so they're getting all the training so we can keep the trophy we won last
term when we beat the instructors at football.
Thursday
Today we had circuit in the gym taken again by Sgt Beattie. We were then over
at the School after we had showered and changed. I played my trumpet for the
first hour and played my last piece for my exam the trumpet concertino by Christopher
Norton. We then had stand easy and then rigged up for Big Band taken by Professor
Don Lusher. We played Night Train and Harlem Nocturne, we then finished for
lunch. We had volunteer choir at lunch where we sang Bohemian Rhapsody, then
it was straight back to work. I had a singing lesson at 1330 with Jayne Peglar
the voice coach then I went straight in to elements with Mr Holman as we are
doing our M3 exams in a couple of weeks which then contributes to our final
M3 mark. We then had afternoon stand easy and then I did some piano practice
to finish the day off. There was evening rehearsal again tonight. We had a brass
rig up with Cpl Williams as it helps us work together in a smaller group and
listen to each other.
Friday
Today my Parade Band was inside so we were nice and warm. We played Sunset and
Action Front. The Bandmaster took it this morning. I then went to Aural with
Colours Ridley as I have also got my M3 aural exam soon, so we need as much
practice as we can get. I then went to stand easy, then had a run through with
Professor Rob Douglas in the concert hall as I have my recital on Monday and
I needed to see what it sounded like in the hall and on the Steinway piano.
After lunch we came back for choir as we do every Friday lunchtime. We are singing
songs of sanctuary and it sounded quite good today. I then had a lesson with
Cpl Williams for half an hour as he is doing a teaching diploma and he had an
assessor in with him. I then saw him later on in the afternoon to cover what
we hadn't earlier, so I knew what to concentrate on for my exam. That then brought
me to the end of my week and I think all of us were ready for the weekend, but
Concert Band have got a long day ahead of them tomorrow but hopefully the gig
itself will go OK.