TromboneChat

Hello all,

First, I'd like to congratulate the ITA, host Andrew Glendening, and all those who worked to make the International Trombone Festival at University of Redlands such a successful, memorable event. I know I join many others in saying the Festival was both enjoyable and inspiring, with as many great performances and classes as there were memorable, informal conversations with so many people.

Related to this, Megumi Kanda and I gave a class at the ITF on the subject of audition preparation. It was titled, "The One Hundred: Effective Strategies for Successful Audition Preparation." Since getting home from Redlands, many people have asked me for a copy of the handout that I gave to those in attendance - I'm sorry we ran out of handouts because so many people came to the class - and for an elaboration of what I was able to say in the limited time we had to work at the class.

In light of this, I've written an article on my blog about the theme of the class, and also provided a link to the handout. You can find all of this here:

https://thelasttrombone.com/2017/07/17/climbing-the-mountain-of-life-some-thoughts-on-the-pursuit-of-excellence/

All the best,

-Douglas Yeo

Superb article.

 "Wherever your combination of talent, hard work and destiny takes you, you can have an exceptionally rewarding life. Do not forget this!"

Loved it!!!!

Well worth the read. "How good is good enough?"  -  What a question to ask!! I immediately did and went on to search out what the "standard" is and I tell you it is inspiring. Thank you.

Oh what a good article

"What is good enough?"

The thing I for a year have tried to make people understand the importance of at my job as a developer programming a new system.

In computing business there are GUI-designers who make graphical designs like if they were aspiring for a "Lenordo Da Vinci" contest. Making us developers redo our job over and over again because their "painting" must change and change again to be a masterpiece.

And what are the goals with this program as a website?

The goal is to develop an effective website, it can not be done at any price. It do cost money to redo over and over again. GUI is not everything, money goes out the window and time to market is ticking.

Finally the management have understood that we do not need a "Da Vinci" painting for a GUI and now we are finally getting somewhere.

Finally "good enough" happened and we can proceed 

These things you write about exist not only in art. As a successful professional musician you will probably never stop your learning curve. You just go on and on. You never set limits for your art and limit the expectations of what you can do, but as a working musician in a context "good enough" exists. That is a difference.

I saw a parallel to my job as a developer having contact with a GUI-designer, who look at him selves as an "artist" sent from Good. In real life he has now cost us lots, of lots of money. Is it worth? NO not in this particular program it isn't.

The IMPORTANT goal is so much bigger. It is "time to market", "within budget", to get something running. If he is an aspiring artist and wants to do paintings he can do that in his spare time.

So "What is good enough?" works both ways. It is to be set in the right context.

Great article!

/Tom

Oh what a good article

"What is good enough?"

The thing I for a year have tried to make people understand the importance of at my job as a developer programming a new system.

In computing business there are GUI-designers who make graphical designs like if they were aspiring for a "Lenordo Da Vinci" contest. Making us developers redo our job over and over again because their "painting" must change and change again to be a masterpiece.

And what are the goals with this program as a website?

The goal is to develop an effective website, it can not be done at any price. It do cost money to redo over and over again. GUI is not everything, money goes out the window and time to market is ticking.

Finally the management have understood that we do not need a "Da Vinci" painting for a GUI and now we are finally getting somewhere.

Finally "good enough" happened and we can proceed 

These things you write about exist not only in art. As a successful professional musician you will probably never stop your learning curve. You just go on and on. You never set limits for your art and limit the expectations of what you can do, but as a working musician in a context "good enough" exists. That is a difference.

I saw a parallel to my job as a developer having contact with a GUI-designer, who look at him selves as an "artist" sent from Good. In real life he has now cost us lots, of lots of money. Is it worth? NO not in this particular program it isn't.

The IMPORTANT goal is so much bigger. It is "time to market", "within budget", to get something running. If he is an aspiring artist and wants to do paintings he can do that in his spare time.

So "What is good enough?" works both ways. It is to be set in the right context.

Great article!

/Tom