Why I Haven't Been on BOS Lately And What It Has Taught Me About Skiing

[KcSwerver]

A little update about my absence here lately:

I have dialed back my skiing time in order to pursue my passion of orchestral music and work at getting better playing Double Bass. Over the past year and a half I spent about 5 hours every day practicing, and as a result I will be starting my freshman year at Indiana University as one of 2 music majors studying double bass performance this August, and I can say I have never been so excited about something in my entire life. Many of the great bass players across the country went through Indiana University, and now it's an incredible thing to see my hard work pay off in a big way.. The drawback of course, is spending less time at the lake.

 

But I have reaffirmed the necessity of a few things while practicing all these hours that apply to skiing

 

1.) If there is a hard passage with lots of notes the best plan of action is to slow it down - Whether it is the boat speed or simply breaking it down in slow motion in your head, you can access the data in a more understandable way if you aren't flying through it at 36mph

 

2.) I go into every practice session with a deliberate plan of action, working on one thing at a time - Always ski with a purpose, have a plan of what you want to improve and how you want to try to improve it. I consider the practice room to be a laboratory.. the lake should be the same, experiment around with things. something is bound to be magic, you just have to take the time and effort to find it.

 

3.) If I have good playing posture, I will not only be able to play better, more efficiently, but also more comfortably. at the end of the day my back will not hurt and my arms won't be exhausted - When you are stacked on your ski, you get across course quickly, efficiently and safely, you won't feel as if you are about to eat it, but most importantly at the end of the day you have used your body correctly and you have saved yourself aching arms and sore quads (or more permanent issues) which are byproducts of bad body position

 

4.) Rhythm & timing are more important that notes and being in tune. I spend all of my hours obsessing over the perfection of intricate rhythms. the result is a piece of music that flows extremely well without ever feeling a sense of urgency (regardless if I miss a note or two. - focus on the true rhythm of skiing, strive to make your offside as smooth as the onside. push yourself to feel like you are in control of the pass, not the other way around. The better your rhythm and timing are the less ZO will hit you and your driver will be able to counter you more effectively.

 

5.) I just bought an incredible new bow (the stick with horsehair when moved on the strings makes sound) which is professional level, hand made by the best bow maker in the country. playing it has upped my game tenfold, everything is more articulated and my sound has a more lyrical quality to it. Your gear matters - Get the best ski you can get, for the money you have available, not because of the name on it but because of the feel of it. get the most comfortable gloves you can find, and get that custom handle with the exact diameter handle that feels perfect in YOUR hands, and hell, if you think you'll be more confident on your ski with that badass ski vest with the big American Eagle on it, then buy it, because it doesn't matter what someone else thinks about your gear, all that matters is that you feel absolutely comfortable with it. so you don't have any reason to not go out and kill that next pass.

 

I hope some of this helps someone out there, I have lot's and lot's of things that I could have put but these are the best ones I thought of.

 

I really miss all the time on the water, so if anyone knows of a place near Bloomington Indiana to catch a quick ride, let me know and I might pop in someday.

 

-Bryan

[LeonL]

You'll just happen to be in the neighborhood of Nate Smith. You'll be very close to Columbus, IN. There is a great ski site there, Sawmill Lake. They don't take members, only property owners, but you can get a pull from some nice folks there.

[akale15]

@KcSwerver

 

BOILER UP!

 

Sorry I had to, but in all seriousness best of luck at IU. You defiantly picked the the right place to study music. I do know they have a waterski club/team and could help you with getting a quick set in while on campus (not sure if they have a place close to campus to ski or not). Even if you don't want or are to busy to ski tournaments the club can still offer some great water time and is a great way to meet people all over in the skiing community....at least speaking from my own experiences during my time at Purdue.

[Infinite5ths]

Best of luck (from an Eastman grad)! Skiing and music are definitely compatible. Just get yourself a pair of Doc's ProPlugs (vented) to protect your ears!!

[Booze]

@KcSwerver

Good food for thought. Thanks for your post.

[disland]

@KcSwerver Good luck. My son who is also a skier attends Berklee, so we know the challenges in the music business. Your points are outstanding and even more applicable to skiing because we can do so little practice relative to music because of the physical effort involved. So maximizing your practice time is critical.

[scuppers]

I forwarded this to someone who needed it badly!

[Stevie Boy]

@KcSwerver, what on earth were you smoking when you posted this, you may have spent many hours preparing for your craft, but slalom skiing through the course, 16-17 secs at a time, basically with setup you on the water for a maximum of 5 minutes a of active skiing per set, thats why progression in the sport is so hard, if you do not push the boundaries you will not improve, no pass is perfect, if you take your time and try and get every pass perfect, you are going to need a lot of time.

Playing a instrument is carried out in constant conditions.

I wish you well with your ambitions and hope you get the success your devotion deserves.

[Ilivetoski]

DM sent. IU has a team. Bster (the guy in charge of it) is one of the best guys I know.

[kpickett]

Bryan,

Congratulations on getting into Indiana. You're going to have a great time. I'm a conductor and slalom skier. I conduct the Springfield (MO) Symphony and the Topeka (KS) symphony. Come down and be my guest at a concert some time, and we'll try to ski, too.

 

Your post was a great summary of some of the techniques it takes to practice a skill for the thousands of hours it takes to become an expert.

 

Slalom and classical music go well together, but 6 years of grad school can keep you off the water for a while. Good luck in school.

Kyle

[jhughes]

I find it going the opposite way- slalom teaches life lessons. Our journey in this crazy hobby/sport is a great analog for lots of aspects of life.

[Booze]

@Stevie Boy - Chet told me drummers often make good slalomers and that it was "Rhythm & timing" thing.

I skiied yesterday and my 2nd set was not good at all. I was hacking at 35, overturning, fighting ZO (and losing). My last pass, I was determined to settle down and work on timing and some rhythm rather than haphazardly go at it. It was markedly better and was easier on the body, despite being tired.

[DaveD]

@Booze, so that's why I suck, I have no rhythm.

[Stevie Boy]

Ah! what you need is a rhythm stick

[KcSwerver]

@kpickett I live in Kansas City. Ski at Mokan in Lawrence and Pomme De Terre in Hermitage. would love to meet up and talk music/skiing with you before I head out to college.

[drewski32]

@KcSwerver As a trumpet player primarily with an orchestral backround I know exactly what you're talking about. Skiing and music require similar mentalities believe it or not. I'm a senior in high school, been playing in school bands since I was 11. I was principal trumpet in a local youth symphony for two years and it was wonderful. I toured Europe and played incredible music and met incredible people. Sadly, I can no longer support the program I was a part of because of politics and I had to walk away. I'm planning on minoring in trumpet performance in college.