I've noticed over the past 4 months or so that being a beatbox sax player isn't the greatest thing (so far) for my throat. If you've seen my first BEATBoX SAX music video "Catch'em Up," you might be able to imagine that I sometimes have to do some weird things with my mouth/throat to create some of these sounds. Yeah, it's true, the sax probably wasn't invented with some of these effects in mind. But performing them isn't the issue. It's the practicing.
Any of you readers who are serious musicians know this: practicing your instrument means working long hours on little things, over and over and over. So any of the weird effects you hear me do on the horn means I've spent a ton of time experimenting with each one, over and over and over. The goal, of course, is to eventually master the technique where it's as effortless as possible, but as musicians know, the practicing is NOT effortless.
So I've had this sore throat/cough since before Christmas, which would usually go away after a week at most. But it keeps sticking around because of the various events I'm putting it through.
My throat was really starting to get better about a week ago, until I really started practicing my beatbox stuff hard for a coffee hour performance I did at the People's Church a few blocks away from my apartment here in Uptown. And since then, I haven't really gotten a chance to rest. On Saturday, I taught private lessons all day, which meant I was using my slightly louder "teaching voice." Sunday I did the coffee hour performance. Monday I was in a rehearsal with my "Space Jam" group and then the Monday night "Wonderjam" with Low Spark. And then Yesterday I filmed my latest BEATBoX SAX music video "Chopsticks" (which you can check out here) and then co-hosted my weekly "Space Jam" at North Bar.
And besides the individual practicing in between everything, I've noticed the club scene isn't the greatest for sore throat recovery. When not playing at these jam sessions, one has to really speak up (AKA: yell) to talk with other people, as us funk musicians like to keep our music at a certain "feel-the-music" volume.
Now if it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm really not. Despite the erratic schedule and long practice sessions, I really love what I'm doing so far. But like I said, I've got to figure this throat thing out, if I'm really planning to do a long-term performing career (which I am). If any of you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
In the meantime here's my New Years resolution: to get over this darn sore throat!!!
Any of you readers who are serious musicians know this: practicing your instrument means working long hours on little things, over and over and over. So any of the weird effects you hear me do on the horn means I've spent a ton of time experimenting with each one, over and over and over. The goal, of course, is to eventually master the technique where it's as effortless as possible, but as musicians know, the practicing is NOT effortless.
So I've had this sore throat/cough since before Christmas, which would usually go away after a week at most. But it keeps sticking around because of the various events I'm putting it through.
My throat was really starting to get better about a week ago, until I really started practicing my beatbox stuff hard for a coffee hour performance I did at the People's Church a few blocks away from my apartment here in Uptown. And since then, I haven't really gotten a chance to rest. On Saturday, I taught private lessons all day, which meant I was using my slightly louder "teaching voice." Sunday I did the coffee hour performance. Monday I was in a rehearsal with my "Space Jam" group and then the Monday night "Wonderjam" with Low Spark. And then Yesterday I filmed my latest BEATBoX SAX music video "Chopsticks" (which you can check out here) and then co-hosted my weekly "Space Jam" at North Bar.
And besides the individual practicing in between everything, I've noticed the club scene isn't the greatest for sore throat recovery. When not playing at these jam sessions, one has to really speak up (AKA: yell) to talk with other people, as us funk musicians like to keep our music at a certain "feel-the-music" volume.
Now if it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm really not. Despite the erratic schedule and long practice sessions, I really love what I'm doing so far. But like I said, I've got to figure this throat thing out, if I'm really planning to do a long-term performing career (which I am). If any of you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
In the meantime here's my New Years resolution: to get over this darn sore throat!!!