For a PDF of this duet see Online Extras.

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    Below you will find the top 10 questions you may be asked in an interview. Research and organize answers to these questions prior to an interview; it will help you look intelligent, interesting, funny, and professional. I don’t think you should write out answers and memorize them. It is better to outline the answers and then respond as naturally as possible. Your goal is to provide information and sell yourself to the audience, whether it is an audience of one or many.
    I have given some ideas to help you get started finding your own responses. The interview will run more smoothly if you learn to answer in a way that provides the interviewer with a follow up question.
    Respond to the interviewer in full sentences. Act excited and enthusiastic about what you are presenting. You are selling yourself as well as your musical abilities. After all, you want to be hired, or sell out the concert hall. You want the newspaper or magazine article to read well.

Question #1 – Are you a flutist or a flautist?
     In the United States, we are flutists because we play the flute. A flautist is a recorder player.

Question # 2 – Why did you choose to play the flute? How long have you played?
     I chose to play the flute because I love the sound of it. (Now you may elaborate on what is so appealing about flute tone and the emotions the flute can express.) 
     I began to study flute in the fifth grade in a public school music program. (This is a good answer because the interviewer can then ask where you are from and about any memories you may have about the public school music program. This answer also gives you a chance to put in a plug for the many advantages that public school music programs offer to students across the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt said, “If you teach a child to blow a horn, he will never blow a safe.” Find more quotations to make your answers unique and informative.)

Question # 3 – Where did you study?
     (Keep it short and concise.) After graduating from high school, I earned BM, MM, and DMA degrees at XYZ universities. I also spent a year in XYZ country studying on a Fulbright exchange program. While abroad, I worked principally with XYZ teacher, who performs with the XYZ orchestra and teaches at the XYZ conservatory. (Once you are rich and famous, your bio will focus less on your education and more on your concert schedule. Professional performers do not use academic titles in publicity materials.)

Question # 4 – What is the difference between flute and piccolo? Are there other instruments in the flute family?
     (Do not say that one is big and the other is little. Try for a little more pizzazz.) Actually, in modern usage the flute family includes the piccolo, C flute, Alto flute, Bass flute and Contra Bass Flute. The smallest and the highest in pitch is the piccolo. (You could have your case closed and, as you talk about each instrument, remove it from the case and assemble the instrument. Audiences always love to see how instruments fit together.)
    The C flute is twice as large as the piccolo and so plays one octave or eight notes lower. The alto flute is pitched in G and sounds a perfect fourth lower than written. The bass flute is in C and sounds one octave lower than the C flute. In my concert, I will be featuring the entire flute family. (You might go on to describe one of the problems of switching from one instrument to the next.) For example, the piccolo requires the smallest aperture (hole in the lips) and the alto and bass the largest apertures. The speed and angle of the air differ slightly when playing each instrument. Bring your flute stand and show how each fits safely on the stand and may be easily removed when you switch from one instrument to the next.

Question # 5 – What are flutes made of? What are the advantages of one metal over another? Who made your flute? Where was it made? How old is it? Does age matter?
     Anytime you can craft a response that teaches something, it is a rich answer. This question offers you a chance to mention that the flute is a member of the woodwind family. While flutes are generally not made of wood today, we still remain a member of the woodwind family.
     The other families of the orchestra are brass, string, and percussion. Do some research on which materials are used in flute making and some of the attributes of each type of material. If time permits, you can expand your answer to include something about the Boston flute makers and how the first professional flutes made in the United States were crafted there.
 
Question #6 – Can you give us a short history of the flute?
     I seriously doubt that most interviewers, listeners, or readers are interested in who was responsible for the addition of each key on the flute; however, mentioning that the oldest instrument found in the world is a 9,000-year-old Chinese flute will immediately peak some interest in even the most casual listener. Choose some highlights in the history of the evolution of the flute that you can share in three or four sentences.
    Once again, try to craft an answer that leads to another question. Start your research by reading the entry about the flute in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ardal Powell’s masterful The Flute also provides tidbits of information that you will not find elsewhere.

Question # 7 – Has a lot of music been written for the flute? Are composers writing for the flute today? How do the pieces of an earlier time compare to today’s compositions? What piece are you performing on the recital? What is the theme of your C.D? What interests you about this music?
    After the piano and the violin, the flute has one of the largest repertoires of all instruments. Composers started writing specifically for flute in the Baroque period (1685-1750) and continued writing for us into the present time. There are wonderful Baroque works by Bach, Handel, Telemann, and Vivaldi. The Classical Era is well represented by several concertos by Mozart.
    Contemporary composers have found new ways to use the flute in their compositions. Many contemporary techniques include key slapping, multiphonics, singing while playing and unusual ways of attacking notes. (This is a unique opportunity to demonstrate each of these techniques and to discuss the music you will be playing in your concert or on your CD.)

Question #8 – Do you play in an orchestra, a wind ensemble, or small chamber ensemble?
     A good response might be: “When I was at conservatory, all woodwind players rotated by concert between the orchestra and the wind ensemble. I found this to be very helpful in learning to be a team player. For me playing in orchestra was more about learning to play with colors, while playing in wind ensemble focused on rhythmic accuracy. I currently play principal flute in the XYZ orchestra and also have a chamber ensemble that gives a dozen or more concerts per year.” The main thing is to talk. Let the interviewer and the audience know something interesting about your life. 

Question # 9 – Do you teach? If so, privately or at a university?
    Be enthusiastic, even if you are not totally committed to teaching. Teaching is an admirable profession and should not be looked at as only a way to earn a living until you become famous. Consider if you want to be on the record for saying you do not enjoy teaching. Postings on social networks are looked at when you apply for a college teaching position. With the speed of communication today, anything you say or write will come back to haunt you. Control your press.

Question No. 10 – What is the best thing about being a musician? Where and when is your concert, and what and with whom are you performing?
     I think the best thing about being a musician is being able to participate in an artistic endeavor such as playing a Beethoven Symphony. Until you have been in the middle of an orchestra and performed with other outstanding individuals, you haven’t lived musically. The drama, structure, orchestration, and pacing of the music are incredible to experience.  
     Tonight I will be performing two gems from the flute repertoire with the XYZ Orchestra. The first concerto is by the Baroque master Vivaldi, and the other is a concerto by W. A. Mozart. The concert will be held at the Performing Arts Center and begins at 8:00 PM. Tickets are available at the door. (If time permits, speak more about the music you are performing.)  

     Outline answers to these 10 questions. Set up practice interviews with a friend acting as the interviewer. Ask him to arrange the questions in various orders. Practice being interviewed several times. Video yourself and observe your diction, vocal tone, and facial expressions. Make note of the overall impression that you create. Check your body language. Do you look coordinated and poised? Have you chosen appropriate attire to look professional and interesting? There are many books available to help with these decisions.
With a little advance preparation and planning, you can make the interview successful and even pleasurable.

Press Packets
    As you advance in your career, you should develop a press packet and have the material available for interviews in digital format and on paper. A press packet should include your contact information, C.D.s of performances, photos, two biographies (short and long), a repertoire list, copies of newspaper or blogger reviews, and a list of interview questions. (A list of questions can be helpful to interviewers who know little about the flute or even classical music. In several cases, I have given an interviewer a list of questions to ask me and immediately seen relief on his face when he knew what to ask.) Do not expect the C.D.s to be returned.
    Contact Information: Provide contact information where you may be easily reached, and return phone calls and emails promptly.
    Photos: Provide digital photos, both color and black and white, at a high resolution (300dpi). If the photos were taken by a professional photographer, include a publication release form or the contact information for the photographer.
    Biographies: Provide bios in two formats: one short (300-500 words) and the other long (600-1000 words). This saves the interviewer time, as they don’t have to condense a long biography down to a few sentences.
    Repertoire list: This list should include all concertos that you are prepared to play, as well as solo and chamber recital programs that you have performed or are prepared to play.    Representative copies of programs that you have played in the past could also accompany this list.

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    The benefits of studying extended techniques include a greater ability to project and increased expressive capabilities, among many others. In my teaching I have focused on developing extended techniques with students at all levels. My aim is to eliminate bias against new music by introducing students to different sounds when they are young.
    When asked, many flutists say that they are not ready to play new music with extended techniques. This surprises me because everybody is ready. Many extended techniques are no harder than traditional flute playing. Some are even easier. I recently gave a masterclass to university flute majors who had not yet learned extended techniques. As an introduction, they played Viktor Fortin’s No Problem, 14 Easy Duets. Although they are aimed at intermediate-level players, there were lessons to be learned for everyone.
    The duets are tonal with conventional rhythms, which made them easily sightread at the university level, and the melodies are catchy, jazzy, and fun. Each duet is structured so that both parts alternate playing a specific extended technique. The music is composed tonally and melodically with the key clicks and flutter tongue adding humor. The reaction from both flutists at the end of the first reading was laughter and high-fives, a startling contrast to the usual reaction from conventional flute playing.
    While working on the duets, the students faced the challenges of finding  the appropriate speed of flutter tongue; coordination with key clicks; weak diaphragm movements in tongue rams; and intonation within harmonics.

Flutter Tongue Speed
   

     Two flutists played "Kittens", a duet in the collection that emphasizes key clicks and flutter tongueing. Although they were able to produce the flutter easily, they were unsure how fast it should be. The score describes it as the cat’s purr. To produce it you cover the entire embouchure hole and flutter into the closed embouchure hole.
    We discussed the speed and pressure of the flutter, as one flutists’ production made the kitten sound a bit too angry, or not kitten-like at all. For a lighter sound, flutter with the tip of the tongue further back in the mouth away from the teeth and decrease the amount of air blown.
    Another option is to use a uvular or throat flutter for a lighter sound. Keeping the uvular flutter low in the throat slows it down. When a uvular flutter gets too high in the throat, the speed is too fast and the sound distorts. In this particular instance, use less air than in normal flute playing, as the aim is not to produce any tone. Robert Dick has remarked that the problem with most flutists’ flutter tongue is that it is not used creatively. This duet gives even advanced players a fun opportunity to experiment with it.

Key Click Coordination
    There is a temptation to take the flute away from the mouth while playing key clicks, but it has to stay in playing position for the correct pitch to sound. When moved away from the mouth, key clicks sound a minor second higher. When the embouchure hole is covered, the key clicks sound a major seventh lower. One flutist playing key clicks for the first time found it difficult to coordinate them without blowing into the flute as she is used to doing. In order to compensate, she put the flute down.

Tongue Rams

   
    “The Tongue-Breaker” is the eighth duet in the collection. It is a fun one-page piece that emphasizes tongue-rams and is meant to be swung. It is also good for teaching the amount of diaphragm movement needed to make the tongue ram sound at an appropriate volume. Tongue rams sound extremely soft in comparison to a normal flute tone. For them to sound intentional and not like a mistake, an exaggerated diaphragm contraction or kick is necessary. The kick puts enough air into the embouchure hole before the air is cut off by the tongue.
    The flutists found isolated tongue rams, not part of a musical line, easy to execute by keeping the flute in playing position and simply rolling it in. More of a challenge were tongue rams that were within the duet. From this duet students learn that new techniques are more physical and require a higher energy level than they are used to providing. That experience alone is beneficial and applicable to traditional repertoire.

Harmonics and Intonation

   
    The other duets played during the class were “Parrots’ Tete-a-tete” and “Hard and Soft,” both of which use bisbigliando, a timbral trill between traditional and harmonic fingerings. The discussion of intonation that surfaced when I introduced the technique was noteworthy. One flutist wanted to turn the flute inwards to produce the harmonics, but that limited the resonance and made the tones very flat. Just push the lips and jaw forward to keep a constant color. Students who work on these duets will gain more control over their intonation and develop embouchure flexibility as well.
    These fun duets are a non-threatening introduction to extended techniques. High school flutists, or even middle school students, would have fun learning one technique at a time before they move on to more difficult new repertoire.
    The following are additional repertoire recommendations for each grade level. This list was created to eliminate radical jumps in difficulty or musical style. In fact, I’ve found a surprising amount of resources, especially for intermediate to early advanced students.

Level One Repertoire
    Phyllis Avidan Louke has written two volumes of extended technique pieces that are suitable for beginners, even in their first year of study. The first is Extended Techniques-Double the Fun (2003) written in a playful style with short duets lasting about one minute each. Her second book is Extended Techniques-Solos for Fun (2006), in which the piano accompaniment can substitute for the second flute part.
    A beginning flutist could play the second flute part and gain exposure to extended techniques while another student or teacher plays the upper line. The pieces are descriptive and encourage creativity.
    One piece called “Fright Night” asks for experimentation making spooky noises on the flute. It also uses wind noises and pitch bends, which a beginner can have fun with. The idea of teaching pitch bending to a beginner is also beneficial as it introduces intonation early on. In the duet book, she writes “Chopsticks” and “Horse Trot” for two flutes using only key clicks. These books not only introduce extended techniques well; they also foster the imaginations of developing flutists.

Level Two Repertoire
    Louke’s books could also be used with slightly more advanced students. Linda Holland’s Easing into Extended Techniques (2000) and Fortin’s No Problem (2006) mentioned earlier are also good. Holland has five volumes that focus on microtones, harmonics, multiphonics, bends and slides, and singing while playing. She writes, “The non-virtuosic nature of the music allows flutists of an intermediate level and above to ease into these important 20th-century sounds.”
    Fortin’s book also has one duet focusing on each technique. In a range for an intermediate flutist, it can be played with either a teacher or a fellow student, as both duet parts are equally written. Players take turns with the techniques and are given a break between them with traditional writing.
    Advanced students could also use these books as an introduction to extended techniques; there is room for growth in them. A beginning student might find the new noises fun, but a more advanced student could work on refining the effects for a more cohesive musical statement. Above all, the works discussed here are enjoyable and creative.

Level Three Repertoire
    By the time a student reaches high school, there are many pieces that can be studied. Robert Dick’s works fit nicely into this category. He has written some jazz- and rock-based pieces that bridge into the world of modern music without overwhelming students. He details the playing instructions meticulously, and the scores are easy to follow. All of the alternate fingerings are notated right in the part. The print is large and the rhythms are simple. However, these pieces challenge students as they must re-orient themselves with new fingerings and playing styles. His pieces require some improvisation and a high degree of interpretation.
    Lookout is a rock piece that was written for the N.F.A. 1989 High School Soloist Competition. Flying Lessons Volume I (1987) and Flying Lessons Volume II (1987) fit in level three as well. Other choices, depending on the preferences of the player, are Techno Yaman (2001), a piece based on a traditional Indian Raga played with a drum machine, and Or (1981), an introspective piece using small interval multiphonics.
    Students who enjoyed Debussy’s Syrinx (1913) could continue with works of Giacinto Scelsi or Kuzuo Fukushima. They require minimal extended techniques and introduce a style that is more in line with classical playing. Scelsi wrote a solo flute piece, Pwyll (1954) and a solo alto flute piece, Quays (1953) which can also be played on the C flute. Fukushima’s Mei (1962) uses extended techniques sparsely and slowly.

Level Four Repertoire
    If advanced high school have limited knowledge of these techniques and repertoire, start with some basics such as at least one work by Robert Dick, Edgard Varese’s Density 21.5 (1936), and Messiaen’s Le Merle Noir (1952). An advanced college student who has played these pieces should be able to continue with more difficult repertoire.
    Aurele Nicolet has compiled a selection of short pieces, Pro Musica Nova: Studium zum Spielen Neuer Musik für Flöte that are increasingly difficult but nonetheless concise. The collection introduces students to works that are a good pre-cursor to studying longer works. Klaus Huber’s Ein Hauch von Unzeit (1972) and Heinz Holliger’s Lied (1971) are both pieces to consider as well. Also in this category, a seminal work not to be missed, is Toru Takemitsu’s Voice (1971). Shirish Korde’s Tenderness of Cranes (1991) is a longer solo piece using pictorial images of Japanese cranes in flight.

Level Five Repertoire
    These pieces include polyrhythms, virtuosic microtonal passages, quick inter­play of techniques, circular breath­ing, and dense notation. Pieces at this level often appear on competition lists, and flutists lacking experience in level four repertoire would have a difficult time learning them.
    Written for the 2004 Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD München, Georg Friedrich Haas’s Finale (2004) is virtuosically microtonal. The majority of the piece is fast with large leaps between quarter-tone intervals. The range of microtonality incorporates all three octaves of the flute. Bernhard Lang’s Schrift I (2003) alternates between many techniques quickly and within difficult rhythms. Breathing is also prescribed in certain sections. Lang uses a loop or techno feel in his compositions that, for the listener, masks the intensity of the writing. The 2005 Jean-Pierre Rampal Flute Competition required a few pieces that fit into this repertoire level. Heinz Holliger’s (t)air(e) (1980-83) is often performed in new music circles. Salvatore Sciarrino’s, L’opera per flauto (1977) is a long but rewarding work for the most ambitious flutists.
    The works of Brian Ferneyhough are at the end of the complexity spectrum and for flutists already immersed in new music. They are philosophical and the scores are extremely dense. He layers techniques on top of one another and admits that there are sections that are unplayable. Those looking for more advanced pieces will find a comprehensive graded repertoire guide on Helen Bledsoe’s website.
     Extended techniques strengthen traditional flute playing and foster imagination. Simply putting order to the repertoire enables more flutists to dive into new music. I am all for opening up the world of new flute sounds for as many young flutists as possible. 

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