Bosse School of Music

Ron Bosse

Practicing:

To master certain concepts, one must dedicate considerable time to practicing. Practicing by way of a regimented approach consisting of scales, technique, arpeggios, chords, reading, improvisation and repertoire is ideal. Always look for the next logical step with respect to these topics and then move ahead accordingly. The beauty of a professional, college-educated instructor is that he or she will be able to determine what is the next logical step which can be difficult for students without guidance.

The most important thing I've learned about practicing is what I call the law of "Negative Neutrality" which is the notion that nothing stays the same, you are either moving forwards or backwards. Simply put, if you cease to practice, you're playing will not remain at the same level, it will eventually diminish. Some of this has to do with the fact that playing an instrument is a physical activity, and when you stop excerting yourself, your muscles will lose strength and memory. Couple this with the fact that others who continue to practice will gain an advantage over you, and the concept of moving backwards becomes even more clear. When practicing, consider yourself an athlete who needs to constantly warm up, maintain and push the limits of what you're capable of.

Main Influences:

• John Coltrane
• Miles Davis
• Wynton Marsalis
• Wayne Shorter
• Pat Metheny
• John Scofield
• Pat Martino
• Wes Montgomery
• Led Zeppelin
• Mike Stern
• Elvin Jones
• Tony Williams
• Jeff "Tain" Watts
• Mccoy Tyner
• Herbie Hancock
• Chick Corea
• Branford Marsalis
• Kenny Kirkland