Outside My Comfort Zone (Again)

Only five days to go. The prospect of some formal education is incredibly exciting! Daunting too. I mean to have the Gary Burton as my Professor (you know, the legendary dude who did all the groovy vibes stuff with Chick Corea and has won zillions of Grammys and things) is about as cool as it gets.

Now let's check the check list:

• Flute re-padded and in good working order √

• Back-up plastic flute ready √

• Guitar(s) (for reference) tuned and ready √

• Keyboard (again for reference) functional √

• Audacity recording program working (and I think I know how to use it) √

• iPad app with all known scales and chords √

• Metronome(s) ready √

• Talented friends at hand who are real musicians and I can call if I need to cheat help √

• Sunglasses √ (this is jazz, remember  -if you can't play it at least try to look cool!)

• Familiarity with 50s/60s jazz patois √  e.g. "Check out the cat with the groovy horn, man, he's far out"

• Theoretical knowledge √  (I can lurch through major and minor [harmonic and melodic], chromatic, minor pentatonic, blues and bebop scales, arpeggios; I know what the modes are and can count most time signatures).

• Ability.....the critical issue is can I improvise any better than when I was 21 and didn't know any of this theory stuff?  Doubtful!

I'll keep you posted...!