The problem I am currently facing is that the room I am now practicing in does not contain the noise (volume) at which I practice.
As mentioned in our first post on this subject, the large windows are wonderful for viewing my front yard but fall far short for containing my practicing which became evident from a comment my new neighbor made when we first moved in.
My first thought was to rummage through our still packed boxes to find my practice mutes. Nothing does more for reducing the sound in a small room than a good practice mute. And nothing does more for ruining your attempts at a big sound!
For most of the week I have diligently practiced with that #*#%$@! practice mute sticking out of my bell and as you can see from the photo, even our Yorkshire terrier seems to enjoy the adjustment to my volume. Everyone seems to enjoys the almost silent sounds; almost everyone. I hate it! Trumpet players work most of their lives for just the right sound and now in my declining years, I am forced to compromise my ultimate goal in order to fit into my new community. LIFE IS NOT FARE!
I have tried and owned several practice mutes and the Yamaha Sound System mute is still my favorite so the volume has been successfully lowered but the ultimate sound sucks. As I continued this week to blow my ears out, fighting the tremendous back pressure created by the mute, I began to envision other ways to get the volume under control and at the same time reduce the resistance and increase the tone.
I have begun to design an alternative to the practice mute and as I get closer to the finished product, I will keep you informed.
No product can truly be developed without scientific proof of success and for that reason; I will be measuring my volume inside the room as well as the volume outside in my front yard.
Stay tuned folks for my continued search for the best way to lesson my volume without losing your mind.
