I was playing lip slurs. Third time through, I thought: close eyes, take the breath, aah-oooh, mouthpiece…

As I was playing a felt the sensation, airstream, notes playing on the airstream…

Air… Air… Sound…

Lips doing their thing responding to my expectation, but the air carrying my expectations. I did not think about the tongue, but it was doing its thing.

Follow the program, thinking is good, discovery is good. Overthinking may lead us down an ugly path.

You are playing at a higher level than I. We both, however, approach this with knowledge and expectations to play better. The downside of experience is the tendency to rush the process. Not that you are doing this, but I am discovering that is my problem. I am uncertain I will ever play the two-note slurs as super fast as Greg, but I should never think that Greg was born able to do that. So there must be a process that allows it to happen. We trust the process and do not rush it.

Carl, I saw your YouTube video. I found it instructive. Your upcoming gig will go well.

I have a lot more have more to practice.

Ronald