Anatomy of a Practice Space

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The room where I practice at home is also where do design and development work. This is the music wing of my desk. I like to use online tools or my iPhone for metronome work.

(Click on any image for a larger view.)

My new Patterson/Yahama occupies the left side of the desk.

This is Day 13 since it arrived and I am watching its newly unlaquered skin gradually acquire a more rustic patina. A French press of coffee and an air flow measuring device are nearby, with pictures of Max Pottag and Milan Yancich in the back.

Like Random Mondays, random stuff builds up back here. Some of it will get mounted on a wall someday – a signed Farkas photo, a John Lennon photo and my original Horndog logo.

This is my personal mouthpiece wheel of doom. With the new horn I am trying a change.

The 3 front-runners are:

  • a Moosewood D6 Cartouche – heavy-wall and annealed
  • a Stork c12W – a slightly wider diameter rim
  • a Moosewood RB12Y

I just hope that the RB stands for Roland Berger or Really Brilliant and not Really Bad.

All kidding aside, it is the current favorite that I am using most frequently. It has a raw brass underpart (no plating) with a gold-plated screw rim. With the Patterson / Yamaha horn it has a nice feel and it has a consistent warmth and depth in all ranges.

Below are the necessary items for lubrication.

For the horn I use a homemade concoction in two flavors – thick and thin.  I use the thicker stuff on the spindles and exterior rotor end points – under the caps and next to the stop arm. The thinner stuff gets used inside when needed.

For the internal lubricants – coffee in the morning, soda and water in the afternoon and beer at night. The yeast, wheat and barley are good for the chops, I tell myself.

Due to my work schedule I tend to average more practice at night during the week. Like I said, it’s good for your chops.

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