I don't have much to report, but I thought a quick update is better than no update...

EAR TRAINER

I fixed a bug and made a couple of modifications to my ear training tool. Nothing significant, however, it should run a bit more smoothly.

ETUDES

A while back, I commented about how playing etudes seemed to help my focus with the Balanced Embouchure method. Soon after that blog entry, my progress with BE began to falter. Looking back, I don't recall making a conscious decision to stop working on etudes, but I did just that. I haven't played any in months... that is, until this past weekend.

I hope to spend about 15-20 minutes a day (or every other day) practicing etudes and a variety of Arban's exercises. I really think these exercises are important to my development, since they allow me to focus solely on the mechanics of playing: embouchure, breath control, articulation, etc. Naturally, I'll keep you posted.

Updated 3/25/06: I pretty much gave up on the etudes for now. There just isn't enough time in the day for that AND all the other stuff I need to do...