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You’re like a wild stallion – all talent and no discipline!
The most influential teacher in my career was without a doubt Milan Yancich. With a lifetime of experience and a good spirit he instilled basic values that I still hold as true.
I came to Mr. Yancich a bit raw but with lots of youthful energy. In year one of private lessons we focused solely on basics and fundamentals.
He wisely knew that I needed to learn how to practice. His book, the Schantl method and the Pottag Preparatory Melodies were the methods.
This was the therapy that I needed at the time.
Mr. Yancich made me keep a notebook in fact and every week jotted something in it, much like a doctor prescribing medicine.
Sometimes I was a rebellious patient, wanting to work on orchestral excerpts – that was what I was hearing all the time in the practice room halls from other horn players.
In response, the quotation up top was what Mr. Yancich would say. It was usually at a raised humorous pitch, given in good spirit but absolutely true. A disciplined practice routine was exactly what I needed.
“You can’t play an excerpt if you can’t play a decent scale,” he would say with a grin.
Thank you Milan, and thanks for saying this more than once.
