This past week I had some work done on my house. The workers were here each day until 7-8pm. Being self-conscious, I didn't want to practice while they were around. So, for most of last week, I only managed to get through my initial warm-up. The work is done now, so it will be business as usual once again.

I did manage to get in some quality time on the next version of my ear training tool. The upcoming version will have random melody loops that you can listen to and then try to play back. There are several settings to choose from, so it should be useful for players of a wide range of capabilities. I hope to get a stable version finished next weekend.

After deciding against the purchase of a new trumpet, I've been thinking more and more about finally purchasing a flugelhorn. I've never actually owned one, so perhaps now is the time. My maximum budget for the horn is $750 (that's less than my trumpet budget, since I won't be playing it that much). I figure I can get a pretty good used one on eBay for that price. Or, I could choose from a new flugelhorn from Jupiter, Blessing, or Olds. My research shows that Jupiter's 846 series may be the best option if I decide to buy a new horn. I expect to make a flugelhorn decision this week (there's a horn on eBay that I'm going to bid on), so I'll let you know how it turns out.