Sleepy Sunday

 43rd day sober. After trumpet practice I went to bed, but must have had too much coffee or something because I had a hell of a time getting to sleep. I think I finally got some sleep starting around 10AM. I didn't wake up, ultimately, until 3. 

Going to/from Mountain View on the train works out pretty well if I can time it right so I'm not waiting around 45 minutes for the train. I'm beginning to get curious about going out there to busk, although a trip out there costs me about $10 on my clipper card. The other musicians out there did not seem to be making "bank" but then they were not playing the trumpet. 

I've mentioned this before but there's a definite ranking of instruments in busking. About the lowest are the ukulele and harmonica, closely followed by the guitar. They're considered too easy* and there are just so many people playing them. You get more points for a wind instrument because, well, at least you have to make the effort of blowing into it. And of the wind instruments, brass instruments are considered the most hard - I'd probably make bank if I were a whiz-bang French horn player as that instrument is considered super hard for some reason. Maybe it is! Violin is always a good choice because if it's played decently it sounds good and it's considered difficult also. 

*if you're a real virtuoso then even a "common" instrument like uke or harmonica will serve you fine. 

The guy with the red baritone sax, that day playing in fact his black alto, could likely have made out well if he'd played things people know, but there are all sorts of motives for playing music on the street and if he's in line to inherit millions in the form of a house in the area, who cares about being "commercial"? He and his buddy had an interesting jam going. 

I finally ordered the 1st Getchell-Hovey book on Amazon. There are complaints about the printing being "fuzzy" but I don't know, if it's that bad I can always return it. I took a look at the beginning of the 2nd book and I can almost start in playing there but I'd rather go with the first one first.