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Ashley Cumming, French horn

cumming of age

Congratulations

11/2/2015

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I can't express how proud I am of all my students; every day they come in demonstrating intelligence, thoughtfulness, great attitude, poise, maturity, class and drive. It's a pleasure to teach them every day, and I am always happy to see their hard work pay off.  Congrats to all my students that participated in Marching Band this year; I know that their hard work, drive and determination has meant long days, grueling nights and little sleep, but I am thrilled to see great results- and not just in the scores, but the people they are becoming.  

I am equally proud of two of my students for having successfully won places in the Indianapolis Symphony Side-by-Side performance this year- I can't wait for them to be part of such a great experience. Onwards and upwards for all!

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Indiana Jr. All-State Horn Excerpts

10/28/2015

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Horn Maintenance Part 2: Emptying your horn

10/22/2015

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Horn Maintenance Videos

10/22/2015

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You can get what you want!

9/16/2015

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Last weekend I got to experience something that I had never done before. With connections to a successful Indiana rock band, I always enjoy hearing the wonderful Uncle JuJu. When they were recently told I was a musician too they invited me to join them on stage next time I was available. Normally I am not one to take the spotlight, especially when it is something that I don't typically do, but I jumped at this opportunity. It is important for us as musicians and humans to get out of her comfort zone and try new things. I knew I wanted to play The Rolling Stones tune "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It has a great horn solo at the beginning and I know my family thinks of me whenever they hear the song. When I listen to it, it reminds me of those I love. I am living far away from them so that I can achieve my dreams, and it reminds me how I want that success for both them and I. I was truly playing for them.  Getting up there was a lot of fun, but not having the choir intro and performing a slightly different version than you hear on the record, it was a little disconcerting for the first moments. I sagely remembered that I knew how to play my instrument and I would be just fine! At that moment it all settled and I had a great time! When I was done the intro they asked me to stay on stage.  While I was singing a little bit at first, I decided to improvise a French horn part to go with the music. It is not normal for me to improvise on the horn, nor in front of a live audience, and I am so glad that I took the opportunity to take this opportunity. What a blast it is to be part of such a different group and try something new while out with friends. The moment I got off that stage, I wanted to get to get back up there and try new things to add to the music, already feeling even more comfortable in such a different medium. I encourage all of you to find your friends and collaborate with them in experiences you may not regularly do!
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The myth of stress

5/19/2015

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I won't be the first and I certainly won't be the last person to say there is too much stress in our lives - nor is this my first time addressing this here.  However, there's a great article floating around Facebook again about the negative impact of being busy, and I have many students about ready to succumb to the stress of final exams and auditions.  But, as I remind them (and myself), stress is a self-created, self-imposed, destructive concept, and one we simply don't need!  

Jeff Nelsen once wrote- why do we stress about rush-hour traffic? is it unusual or unexpected? 
I find this so relevant! When we get stressed, are we surprised that we have exams to pass, or that we want to succeed in an upcoming concert? These stressors that exist in our daily lives often take on mammoth proportions, and are not contributing to our well-being and success in a positive way.  Being upset about traffic, a looming exam or an impending audition does not help us get around the jam, ace the exam or nail that audition! If stress (in moderation) can be a motivator for you, by all means- use it as a tool! But when it cannot 
positively affect the outcome of the situation, acknowledge its destructiveness and find a way to work through it.  To nail that concert, you must be focused, relaxed and channeling your energy positively into the music and able to focus on your priorities. To ace the exam, your mind has to be able to receive and process the information as you study and you must be sleeping well for your brain to digest it.  

On a related note - we often closely link stress with busyness.  It is not necessarily a bad thing to be busy. I often find myself most productive when I have many things on my plate at once. However, we should not look with pride at the fact that we haven't slept a full nights' sleep in days or that we do not have time to see friends or read a good book.  If being busy is helpful to your productivity and success, by all means, keep at it! But if you become overwhelmed by your workload or are not taking time to tend to your needs, consider if this busyness is in fact having diminishing returns on your life and health.  

To avoid stress and the dangers of being too busy, consider this instead: be productive. Prioritize your tasks at hand and your big picture goals.  Use your time as efficiently as possible, and when you can take a moment for you, actually do so!  Watch that episode of Modern Family and enjoy it! Leave your emails and organization time for the commercials so your brain has time to recharge and you get to laugh!  We are not as efficient multi-taskers as we think! Trying to watch tv, text your friend and do long tones simultaneously is not going to be as productive as doing one at a time.  Do focused practice,  (turn your phone off!), address one small task at a time, and have great "to-do" lists that keep you aware of immediate tasks and bigger projects that cannot be left to the last minute. When you have a handle on what you need to accomplish and a timeline budget, you will feel much calmer and able to cope.  

To do: Create a to-do list for your day and a goal sheet for short and long term musical aspirations.  Look at your to-do list and decide when you can accomplish these tasks and then ask yourself: what am I doing to tend to my long-term projects? Finally, examine how you react to various scenarios today and ask yourself: can I be more productive with my time? Am I allowing unnecessary stress into my life? Am I functioning in a way that is contributing to my success? These tasks and this self-awareness will give you a new perspective on your effectiveness and any unnecessary stress and busyness in your life.  Good luck!
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Sight-Reading Reminders

4/21/2015

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Hello all,

It has been quite some time since my last post, but for the good reason of having many wonderful opportunities to perform at least once a week across Indiana and Pennsylvania.  I often share my performance experiences with my students and recently shared one with a student of mine.

 

This student had been preparing for an audition for a scholarship to study privately and perform in a large ensemble while at University and was most stressed about the sight-reading which would be a component of the audition. I explained to her that sight-reading is a common and necessary skill to work on and just like tonguing or transposition it had to be practiced.

 

Case in point, I was recently performing principal horn with the Anderson Symphony and half my music was accidentally sent to a wrong address. As a result, I only had a few minutes to prepare music that was often in difficult key signatures or with unorthodox arrangements. In that case, the ability to listen to the works in advance was a great help and the concert went quite well.  But it gave me an opportunity to give this student some pointers.

 

·      Don't be caught unaware. The most panic-filled moments for my students usually occur when they are playing in new transpositions, unfamiliar styles (jazz, show tunes) or in keys that do not show up in standard classical repertory. I strongly advise students (especially on their summer sessions or breaks) to fill these gaps. Practice your scales, especially in patterns that have some variation like the Standley Routine. Transpose beautiful music like a Concone study or Gounod melody. Try your hand at Jazz with Jamey Abersold charts or reading a friend’s jazz band music. The reality is as a freelancer or young student, most chances to play with a professional group are going to be pops shows, and most typical music degrees do not address this type of playing. While I know it's hard to cover everything you need to know but some familiarity is better than none!

·      Have a plan. Usually when we face a “scary” sight-reading opportunity we often panic and have a hard time taking in what is on the page. Taking 30 seconds to strategize will save you. Always start with checking the key signature, time signature and tempo. These are too often neglected. Next, do a quick scan through the music and find the busiest moment. This will be a good method to determine your tempo. Often candidates start too fast and cannot play the whole excerpt at a consistent speed. When the timing goes, so do most other elements.  It is better to play a little slowler and have more consistency and accuracy. When you feel in control of the pulse, you feel more in control of the situation.

·      Ask why. Ask yourself why this is requested – is it the accidentals, timing, style etc? Knowing that can help you know where to put your priorities.

·      A pencil is your friend! When you have a few minutes to prepare, do everything you can to help yourself.  Mark accidentals that carry through, find opportunities to breathe, etc.

·      Don’t panic! My student has been much more successful with sight-reading in recent weeks because she realizes that panicking is only detrimental and that it gets in her way. She also realizes that sight-reading is not a life and death experience! When she stays calm and realizes that she can tackle many elements on the page, she is able to handle the more difficult aspects with a clear head.

·      Remember: you control your horn-it does not control you! How often do you “wait to see what happens” when you first go through a passage you have not played before or run through that day? Doubt and uncertainty are the enemies, and if you go with the mantra “wrong and strong” you are usually right more often than you expect. Another student likes the idea of being the “left shark.” For anyone that saw the Super Bowl half time show, you saw Katy Perry’s left shark backup dancer moving with spunk and energy and gusto. Now that shark is revered even though he didn't seem to have a clue of what he was supposed to be doing! Had he cowered, the reactions would have been far different.

·      With all these ideas in mind, go into your study book, pick a random page and read the first study on it. See what you can do!

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Dedication and Commitment

11/16/2014

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The fall semester is always fascinating to me as a Canadian living in the USA.  Growing up, we never heard of marching bands and never understood the scope and breadth of the shows that are part of the traditions here. 

I feel privileged to teach many wonderful students that participate in marching bands every year, and I value several skills that they learn. Their dedication, camaraderie, teamwork and commitment is something to be admired and recognized.  These students are pulling 16+ hour days on the weekends and working hard during the week. They are sick, overloaded, exhausted, but they still come in every lesson with great attitudes, smiles on their faces and a laudable work ethic. 

I have mixed feelings about marching bands for serious horn players - while many great skills translate, at other times the different instruments, mouthpieces, fingerings and time on the field can make their horn work suffer. However, when I see such dedication and self worth coming off that field into lessons, I know that they have made great decisions being part of such incredible teams. 

Congrats to all my students who participated in Marching Band this season, including
Avon High School mellophone Section 2014 Class A State Champions, 3rd place at Bands of America Grand Nationals
Natalie at Greenwood High School Class B State Champions
Ben Davis mellophones, strong showings all year
and my former students at Centre Grove High School mellophones, Class A 5th Place at State.

My question for all of you is: what are you dedicated to? When you commit, do you go all the way? Being a strong part of a team can give you more rewards than you can ever imagine!
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Professionalism in Music and Education

10/13/2014

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I have to start this month's post by saying a huge congratulations - I had the great pleasure of performing Mahler's Sixth Symphony with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic last weekend. It was an unbelievable experience, and I had a wonderful time working with the enlarged section and the orchestra that played better than I had ever heard!  Congrats to everyone involved!

In the last few weeks, I have also been working with a number of ensembles and classes that reminded me that we can make lasting impressions on others by both our music and our actions.  Seeing many artists spending rehearsal time on phones or doing other things may be distracting and lending a negative impression.  In my Introduction to Music class, I also reminded students that being engaged in class leaves a favorable impression on others.  In email communication, it is also important to be professional, remember your audience and check spelling and grammar (including your teacher's name!), and be prompt with responses.  We never know where our next recommendation or job comes from, and we must be cognizant of the image we present every day!

With that in mind, I challenge my students to take a moment to consider your rehearsal etiquette and communication with those around you - how can you improve your presentation that might alter others' perception of you in the world? Enjoy seeing how that may pay off!

Happy (Canadian!) Thanksgiving to all!


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Fearless performances

9/10/2014

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This new school year started with a bang, and with it, I have 8 brand new 6th grade students learning the horn for the very first time! For all of them, their excitement - and fear - was amplified with a performance only a few weeks into the school year! After recently attending another great Fearless Performance Seminar with Jeff Nelsen, I was reminded - and let them know - that they could conquer their fears by considering the consequences of facing failure. When they realized that no matter how they performed, that they had still won by participating, they had a great time and surrendered to the thrill of the performance.  For most of us, our fears are connected to fear of failure, and once we take the mystery out of 'what if we fail?' it is much easier to work through the feelings that get in our way.

Ask yourself: What is your fear? What are the consequences of failure? What are the successes that may come from you overcoming these fears? Ask and your mind will tell you the answers!
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    Ashley Cumming

    Hornist, Educator

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  • Cumming of Age
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