My Practice Sessions: Micah Everett

Micah Everett is Associate Professor of Music (Trombone/Low Brass) at the University of Mississippi.

What time do you begin your first practice session?
It varies, but usually, I get in at least a little time first thing in the morning, before 9 am.

What is your daily warm-up routine?
I have a few “Remington-plus” type routines published on my website. I rotate between the longer and shorter versions of these depending on how much time is available.

How long has this warm-up been a part of your practice sessions?
Over 20 years, at least some variant of a similar pattern.

How long is your warm-up routine?
That’s a complex question. How long does it take to actually “warm-up?” Five minutes or so. How long to I practice fundamentals? Anywhere from 20-90 minutes depending on how much time is available, especially for practicing on doubles.

What part of your warm-up do you look forward to the most?
Nothing in particular.

What different elements have you changed (or removed) from your warm-up routine over the recent years?
I have made small modifications over the years and am more willing to spend a smaller amount of time than I once was, but I can go back to at least 1997 or 1998 and see myself playing recognizable “ancestors” of what I do now.

What time of day do you generally practice?
It varies. I like to have at least a short session early in the morning. After that, it depends on my teaching schedule, performances, family responsibilities, etc.

How many practice sessions do you typically have a day?
At least 2-3, often even more short ones.

Do you have a strict time limit to each practice session?
No.

How does your partner’s and/or family’s schedule fit into your practice sessions?
My practice room is a finished bonus room over the garage. There is limited sound going through to the rest of the house, so I can practice really any time of the day or night.

After your last practice session of the day, do you do anything the night before to prepare for the next day’s sessions?
No.

Do you have any non-music related routines such as meditation or exercise to help prepare you for your daily warm-up?
Not particularly. I have started exercising regularly and this helps, particularly swimming.

What apps or products do you use to aid in your practice sessions?
Sure, FrozenApe Tempo, iReal Pro, Drum Beats +, Tonal Energy, iStroboSoft, Forscore, maybe others.
If you fail to not get in a solid warm-up, do you do anything different for the rest of practice sessions?
If it’s just a day there’s usually no effect. Again, I differentiate between a “warm-up” (which can be quite short) and a “daily routine,” which is longer, might not necessarily be the first thing I play in a day, and could be done without.

When you are on tour or traveling, how are you able to adapt your practicing to fit in with the given circumstances?
I usually end up doing one of the shorter versions and use a practice mute, but otherwise few changes.

Is there anything else you would like to add that would be beneficial to other musicians?
As a doubler, I have short routines that I do at least once a week on my secondary instruments, and each day I’ll play at least a couple of minutes worth of scales on each secondary instrument to keep them in shape. Also, I have switched my “primary instrument” back and forth between tenor and bass trombone at times depending on my performing opportunities.