The Back Stretch
Ever watched a horse race, such as the Kentucky Derby? I am not a racing fan per se, but I think horse racing is pretty exciting. I once gave £2 to my buddy John Lappin to place a bet on a longshot at the Scottish Cup in Ayr. The horse was called "King Conn," named after the legendary founder of the Clan Donald. He was also a 33:1 longshot. So John says, "I'll place the bets" and heads off with my £2, and comes back. We watch the race, and to my great excitement, King Conn makes a break out of the back stretch, and through what seems sheer will and very hard riding, wins the race. That was when I found out John placed my £2 on his horse—a 2:1 favourite—which placed well back.

We're in the back stretch now. We have a few weeks to go until we arrive in Scotland for our next contests of the season, and this is the time to turn on the steely determination to play well. We can't decide the prizes, but we can decide how we will play. It's all about preparation and details, and the rest should look after itself. There are lots of distractions at the moment, and we haven't had the best attended or most regular practice schedule for about a month, and it's not going to get better until the summer school here is done.

What can you do? You can do the work where you are. Make the instruments great, make your playing great, and the band will follow. Too many people are taking a break from individual practice at the moment, and it's the wrong time. We're in the back stretch, and the corner is coming. Dig deep. Go hard. Sometimes, the 33:1 horses win.