William Hebert’s musical studies began at age 8 as therapy for his lungs after he contracted tuberculosis at age 2. He started on the fife, and his brother played the drums, so they had a household fife and drum corps. Lessons were 50¢ per week, and at end of the summer, the fife teacher suggested a switch to flute. Flute lessons were $1, a large expenditure for the family since their weekly income was $16 per week. Hebert commented, “It could have been any instrument: contrabassoon, trombone. Any wind instrument would have helped my lungs get stronger. Little did we know playing the flute would end up becoming my profession.”
    Later the family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where Hebert studied with the Boston Symphony flutist James Pappoutsakis who also arranged for him to play in a training orchestra.
    He was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II with the U.S. Army Band, and his duties included carrying ammunition and being a stretcher bearer as well as performing in the ceremonial events and public concerts.  
    After his discharge he attended the Juilliard School where he studied with Arthur Lora, principal flutist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the NBC Symphony. George Szell selected Hebert to join the Cleveland Orchestra as the piccolo player in 1947. He held this position for the next 41 years, playing under the batons of Szell, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Franz Welser-Möst as well as many guest conductors including Pierre Boulez. In addition, he taught at Kent State University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and at his longest teaching position, the Baldwin-Wallace Con-servatory, from 1950-1995.
    A well-respected teacher, many of his students are teachers and performers around the world. When asked whether he enjoyed teaching, Hebert responded with enthusiasm. “I thrive on it. I enjoy working with people who are serious and willing to work. I am basically a problem solver and have always been intrigued with why things happen. In teaching I have to come up with different explanations and solutions for different people. I enjoy a student who is serious, intelligent and has at least a modicum of talent, and lots of problems to solve. Intelligence is important: I have to be able to appeal to a student’s intellect in order for change to occur.”
    He was known for the caring approach he took with his students. Mary Kay Robinson remembers, “he taught the whole student, from the inside out. He cared about his students as individuals, each one unique and full of potential. Lessons often included, ‘let’s take a break. How about a glass of water? Let’s talk for a few minutes.’” She also comments, “He was very diagnostic and could spot a problem with the instrument or the performer and resolve it in short order.”
    Hebert was an extraordinary teacher and performer and received the N.F.A. Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He passed away at the age of 94.

For more about Hebert’s life and his teaching, two articles from the Flute Talk archives:
  by Cynthia Ellis (May/June 2012)

by Karen Yonovitz and Susan Waller (February 1988) – to come

The post William J. Hebert appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Check the Cork
    A day or so before the competition students should check the cork to be sure that it has not moved. At this time of year when the weather changes from day to day, the cork can shrink and move to another setting very quickly. If the cork is out of place, then when tuning to the piano A, the flute will be in tune for that note, but the relationships to the other notes will be out of sync.

Putting the Flute Together
    When a student is nervous, even basic concepts can fall by the wayside. Students often rush and do not check alignment before walking on stage. Judges can see this because they are constantly fiddling with the headjoint during the performance. A few days before a competition it is wise to align the flute and mark a few lines between the headjoint and the body of the flute with a felt tipped marker. The goal is to have the headjoint properly aligned with the body to create the desired sound and intonation.

Not Warming Up Well
    It is best to do a partial warmup at home or in the hotel before going to the competition venue. After arriving, they can finish the warmup. Advise them to pay particular attention to the time as they do not want to be warmed up too soon or not warmed up enough. Generally, warming up about 30 minutes before a performance time is a good rule to follow. The warmup should not be playing the competition piece over and over again. Rather it should include the types of flute techniques that will be used in the competition repertoire.
    If a performance piece includes many scale-type areas, students could practice slow, moderate and fast scales in those keys. Or, if a piece requires tapering of high notes, they can practice an exercise to help reduce the size of the aperture to make a beautiful, controlled taper. If the work has fast articulated passages, suggest practice in double/triple tonguing on all the notes in a particular register to be sure the tongue is placed well and can move easily. I like to practice trills to warm and relax my fingers. An option is to play a scale and trill each note.

Clothing
    Most performers do not practice in the clothing they are going to wear for the competition. This can lead to all sorts of problems especially in the area of shoes. In many opera companies, the female lead wears athletic shoes under her ball gown. Performing a lead role in an opera means many hours on stage. Standing in uncomfortable shoes for a long time takes a toll on the sound quality of the voice. To breathe well the body also should be aligned properly. Very high-heeled shoes throw off the balance and breathing is compromised. For men a necktie that is too tight or a shirt with sleeves that are uncomfortable when the arms are positioned to play the flute can be distracting and uncomfortable. All black clothing can be a bit boring. Bring a little more to the performance and dress up.

Check Out the Hall
    Most performers have never played in the competition venue. If possible, it is a good idea to go into the hall at an earlier time. This allows time to get used to the size of the room and lighting. If possible, it helps to play a few notes in the hall to discover what the acoustics are like. If the hall is very live and has a lot of reverberation, then notes should be played shorter so the tone projects with clarity. On the other hand, if the hall is dry and has no ring, then players can hold notes a bit longer and perhaps add more vibrato to create an artificial ring. So many competitors walk onto the stage and are looking around in awe when they should be concentrating on what they are going to play.

Walk Out Confidently
    When performing or competing, players should walk out like this is their favorite thing in the world to do. Everyone is nervous at this point, but this is part of the performance as well. Tell students to practice this element of their presentation. They should breath and move quickly and efficiently to the place where they will play, and smile and show animation as they walk on stage. This gives the impression of friendliness and invites the judges or audience to appreciate the performance. If a player demonstrates nervousness instead, the audience feels uncomfortable for them and may focus on that instead of enjoying the music.

Move the Chairs and Stands
    Especially with chamber music competitions, the chairs and stands may be set up for another group or at random. The ensemble will suffer if the chairs are too far apart. Ensemble playing is best when the players are close together so they can have good visual and breathing contact. Take the time to move the chairs to group’s preferred set up. The judges will also notice that the players know what they are doing.  
    If this is a competition in which a sonata is part of the required repertoire, it is usually played with music. Players should decide early in their practice where they want to stand in relationship to the piano. Some flutists like to stand in the crook of the piano while others prefer to play on the right-hand side of the accompanist. This should be consistent once decided. The stand should be closer to the piano than to the audience. The height of the stand is important to because the judges and the audience want to see the player’s face too.
    Before beginning to play, players should check the lighting to be sure that they can see the music. If the stand is too far forward to the front of the stage, it may not be in the optimum position for overhead lighting. Check to be sure all pages are in order. If there are copied pages because of a tricky page turn, be sure they are taped into place. If there is a sudden draft on stage music can go flying. The stand should be as low as possible. Practice at home should do this too. 

Play like a Rock Star
    While rock stars play in large venues, flutists mostly practice in small cell-like practice rooms. During preparation, students should practice in a variety of locations. They should learn to fill the hall with their tone and energy. Projection is not about playing loudly, but rather playing with confidence and a ringing sound.

Dealing with Mistakes
    During lessons and preparation, have students practice what to do if they make a mistake. It is easy to fall into the habit of making a grimace with every error. This then is likely to happen in performance as well. Judges and audiences may not notice a mistake if no attention is called to it, and even if they do hear it, a graceful recovery allows the musical mood to continue without interruption. A good mental approach is to move on and think about playing the next passage beautifully.

Practice Endings
    Help students decide what to do at the end of each movement and the finish of the work. If a movement ends in a taper, then they should be still after finishing the note. This is called holding the audience. If a performer remains still for a moment, the audience will not begin to clap too soon and break the effect of the finish. If the ending is a barn-burner, players should experiment with how to cut off the final note. The best performers do so with a smile and twinkle in their eyes, drawing the audience into the excitement of the moment. It is useful to record a video to see how the end each movement looks. This makes it much easier to see what can be done to make it smoother and more effective.

Keep Quiet After a Performance
    After playing, many people are keyed up and want to talk about what went right and wrong in their own and other’s performances. This is a bad idea. It is better to save these to discuss at a future lesson and just smile and be friendly with other competitors. Most likely they will be at other events in the future. No matter what the outcome – win or lose – it is important to be gracious and compliment other performers. The attitude someone displays will be remembered long after the results of a particular competition are forgotten.
    Competions can greatly add to a students’ development. With some advance planning and preparation, the experience will be more successful and joyful. I always emphasize to students, however, that competitions are just a snapshot of one particular moment in their playing. I have both won and lost when I played well and when I played poorly. What they take and learn from the performance is far more important.

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Who Am I Now?
    When examining almost any score, flutists will see that their roles are complex and ever-changing. Some-times things are clear: the second or third flute has the harmony part for an entire passage, and the principal has the primary voice. Perhaps one flute or the other has a small solo that should cut through the texture. Interestingly, this is often the case with the third flute part. Sometimes voices move together in thirds or sixths, neither having a solo, but all parts blending with other instruments sharing that material, or some duo or trio passages are meant to be heard in relief with all flutes sharing the spotlight. In some styles the flutes have roles that may incorporate all of the above in one passage, requiring subtle use of chamber music skills, great technical and tonal control, and knowledge of the score.

Clueless
    In the flute part there are few visible clues as to each person’s actual role. Often composers will courteously add the word solo above an entrance, but this is far from an explanation of the music’s true nature. English composers are famous for writing solo when the passage is nothing of the sort. Other times, solo can be literal and indicates that there is nobody else playing during that passage. This can be quite a surprise if you have not done your homework. Dynamics and other written indications are rudimentary. They are like a hallway sign pointing towards a distant door saying, Go This Way, without any indication of the door’s purpose, or what lies beyond.

Rachmaninov #2
    Modern pieces are famous for their devilish complexity, but even in the standard Romantic repertoire, there are passages that are quite Byzantine. The following section from Rachman-inov’s Symphony No. 2, Third movement, (one of the most beautiful wind passages in the symphony,) illustrates how challenging things can be. Try to imagine how many subtle adjustments have to be made in order for all the voices in this passage to come through. (A full score would be helpful at this point. See partial score, wind parts only, on pg. 24.)
    To play real chamber music within the orchestra, it helps to understand the context and basic construction of the passage. In the seven-part texture through the 7th bar of 55, Rachmaninov has given the principal motive of the movement (heard at the beginning) to the principal flute and clarinet. This motive is now used as an accompaniment to the melody (not shown) heard earlier in the lower range of the violins at 47. Here that melody takes a stronger central role, played again by the violins at mf in octaves. Winds are marked p, and must gauge their level according to the strength of the violins. The cellos play the obbligato, the harmony part is in the second and third flutes, divisi violas (not shown), and oboe, and horns, secondary cellos, and basses (not shown), along with bassoons, play the two-part fundamental harmonic layer. Bass clarinet, horn 1, English horn, and clarinet 2 interject the first theme in imitation. Obviously, for all of this to be heard, there has to be a great deal of creative giving way, especially within the structure of each measure. For example, flute 1 plays a little softer just a bit after the downbeat, so the moving voices in flutes 2 and 3 can be heard in the flute section.
    In bars 8-9 after 55, the top voices coalesce around the primary theme, the harmony parts are played by the brass. Bass clarinet, bassoons, and horns take the primary theme in augmentation (quarter notes instead of the usual eighths). Four bars before 56, the theme extends and fragments into many parts. Second flute takes a solo role with the second oboe at 56. As a result, flute 1 and others cannot play a literal forte in the sustained C# at 56 or it will interfere with the solo.
    In such a complex passage as this, where many voices compete for attention, knowing when to give way and let the other player through is just the beginning. Listening skills and attention to basic chamber music practices are important. With the many doublings, intonation can be very problematic, as is finding the right balance between blending with other instruments, blending with the section, and emerging proportionally when playing the moving line. Split-second timing and rhythmic flexibility are required to maintain the flow as the melodic material constantly changes hands. The balance between one’s own sense of the pulse, the perception of the conductor’s beat, and the rhythmic interpretation of numerous musicians can be challenging to achieve. One must pace crescendo and diminuendo carefully along with one’s colleagues in perspective with the whole texture.
    More specifically, note that the second flute, in the course of this one passage, begins in a quasi-accompanimental role (in harmony with flute 3), then moves to a reinforcing role at the peak of the phrase (with a unison forte with flute 1 and 3 but without interfering with the sound of flute 1), changes to a ghosting role (4 before 56 in unison with flute1 and at a piano dynamic), and finally has a solo appearance at 56 that has to be extremely full to cut through at all. None of this can be perceived by looking only at the second flute part. Most importantly, a different sound and use of vibrato should accompany each role. For example, the solo at 56 can have a full, rather continuous vibrato – if that is appropriate in the section. The ghosting role should be exactly opposite in nature: no vibrato, pp, and less present and focused in the tone.

Give Way
    Rachmaninov’s music, with its extremely dense contrapuntal texture and emphasis on extremes, is like a huge buffet in which all of the dishes are delicious and compete for attention on the plate. With so many beautiful lines in the texture, the music easily becomes muddled and constantly loud unless careful discretion is used on the part of the individual players in their respective roles. Many performances of Rachmaninov’s music are criticized for this fault.
    A chamber music approach to orchestral playing enhances works written in all styles, and all repertoire requires the same global awareness on the part of players and conductors. Whether Rachmaninov, Debussy, or Mozart is on the program, it takes time, knowledge and effort on the conductor’s part to achieve clarity in the texture. Things come together much more smoothly if the players are attentive to their roles. Take the time to understand your role and increase your appreciation of orchestral playing. Do your homework, and then give way. 

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Be a Detective:

How to Discover
Your Role in a Piece

1.    Find a score

2.    Listen to several performances or recordings and note differences in interpretation.

3.    Prioritize the music: mark which parts look and sound like they should stand out. Clues can be the dynamics, texture, primary and secondary melodies, or form. What looks and sounds like an accompaniment vs. the tune? You could even play some of the other parts to gain knowledge and have fun.

4.    Cross-reference those markings with the flute part. Write various prompts into your part to listen for various instruments. Basically, know if you play a central part, or an auxiliary part. (It is interesting to note that some composers, such as Berg and Schoenberg developed a system to indicate precisely these characteristics in their orchestra parts.) If you have some knowledge of music theory, it can help with understanding the harmony, which helps with characterization, intonation and interpretation.

5.    Avoid making your part too complex with added markings. Find an efficient system that helps you listen more and focus on your role as you play.

6.    Be flexible. Learn to play your part at different tempos and dynamics.

7.    Develop better chamber music and listening skills. Practice duets with a friend. Work primarily on balance (achieving a similar approach to tone and dynamics), giving way, and intonation.

The post Giving Way appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

What were your early flute studies like?
    Starting an instrument with a good teacher when you are young is essential for your basics, for your self-confidence on the instrument, and for your eventual development as a teacher. During my youth, I was very fortunate to have access to a good teacher. My paternal grandmother, an opera singer, taught me from the time I was three: how to read, how to listen, and how to sing. She told me about the composers, and I knew how to read music before I could read words. Because I declared that I wanted to be a musician, she also taught me unforgettable concepts for my career. For instance, I learned to be patient and to persevere in learning. She drilled into me that I would have to practice for hours every day of my entire professional life. She was my first teacher.
    In the 1980s in France, you could not start flute lessons before the age of twelve. I knew I wanted to become a flutist at age three, after hearing a Rampal performance. At twelve, when I was accepted by the Bordeaux Conservatory, I went wild on the flute. Apparently, everything on the instrument worked naturally for me.
    My second teacher, Stephane Boudot, was principal flutist in the National Bordeaux Orchestra. He taught me the fundamentals to become a flutist. He was an extraordinary flute player trained in the direct French tradition in Bordeaux, which was Jules and Paul Taffanel’s city. Flute is in the Bordelaise blood. Monsieur Boudot felt that teaching a student like me who said “I have no choice; I must be a flutist or nothing” was a serious challenge. As a consequence, he was extremely demanding with me. He would say, “You are gifted but you know nothing. And it is not because you are gifted that you will be a good professional musician. You will need a serious education. We will see.” Our relationship was sometimes confrontational. I was playing four or five hours a day but I didn’t practice. I just wanted to play. He always reminded me about the level I would need to reach even to be just an ordinary flutist.
    The Bordeaux Conservatory is a music school whose mission is to form possible professional musicians. The studies are pretty complete and structured in ten progressive grades for about ten years. Music theory, chamber music, instrument, music history, and harmony were a part of this curriculum. Since there are age limits to be able to audition for one of the two elites, Superior Music Conservatory in Paris and Lyon, you need to start early and follow the requirements every year. It is a lot of pressure, but it is useful preparation for a professional musician’s life. Then I graduated from three National Music Schools where I focused more on the orchestral audition repertoire, developing the necessary rigor for a professional orchestral life. I have been extremely fortunate to study with flutists who were also highly skilled musicians. The psychological aspect of long-term playing was always an important matter. The recurring question was (and is still): do you know what you are doing in terms of style and musicality? Are your technical skills and musical understanding appropriate to develop a long-term musical and instrumental life?
    After Stephane Boudot, I studied with Maurice Pruvot and Georges Alirol from the Orchestre de Paris as well as Jean Pierre Rampal, Maxence Larrieu, Robert Thuilliez, Catherine Cantin, and Michel Debost on a less regular basis. They were all highly experienced with strong personalities. After being given enough of a foundation first, these teachers really helped me become a more mature musician and flutist.

Did you like to practice? 
    I liked playing the flute for as much time as I could when I was kid. It took me a long time to realize I had to study and not only play. Everything came easily for me on the flute, so I could not understand why I had to really practice at that time. Maurice Pruvot – who was more musically oriented than technical – once deliberately asked me to play a scale. I got in a panic! He looked at me without saying anything. Finally he said, “And you want to be a musician? I think this is probably a joke!” I was so upset that I started to practice scales more than the other students and became a scales specialist. This short lesson put my playing on track for a long time.
 
Did you have lessons with Michel Debost? 
    I was not a regular student of his but I participated in many of his classes and had some lessons at his home. Michel Debost was an extraordinary flute teacher. He synthesized the instrument like nobody else. In a minute, he could provide an accurate, detailed diagnostic of your flute playing. As a fabulous flute doctor for students, his various bits of advice are still present in my daily professional life. His deep reflection on the instrument opened my mind to understand clearly my daily flute needs. Today I am very happy to share with students all over the world a little of what he helped me to understand.

What were your first experiences as a professional musician?
    I performed Cecile Chaminade’s Concertino with my school orchestra in Munich, Germany, at the Olympia Halle when I was 16 in front of 12,000 people. I was terrified, but I learned a lot about how to face an audience.
 
When did you decide to become an orchestral performer?
    I wanted to become an orchestral musician from the time I started the flute. As I listened to music for hours in my bedroom, I dreamt of being a part of what I listened to, playing the great symphonic repertory. I was fascinated by the orchestral sound mass, color, and various expressions. I also wanted to imitate my teacher who was an orchestral player.

What would you say defines the French School of flute playing? 
    To have an idea of what the French School of flute playing is, I think it is necessary to understand the cultural and geographic facts that influenced this approach to the instrument, especially from 1850 to 1960. After that time the French school started to become more international with Jean-Pierre Rampal’s approach. He took advantage of  recordings, TV, and traveling opportunities to make the flute popular. He considered the flute to be part of the king solo instruments like the violin, piano, or cello. France is a small country with micro-cultural diversity, and it has also been a highly-developed center for free-thinking intellectuals and philosophers for centuries.
    The flute became an important tradition in France due to a variety of factors, including the founding in 1795 of the Conservatoire de Paris, one of the best music schools in the world, and then a revival impulse there under Gabriel Fauré in 1911. In the late 1800s the Boehm system was exploited by Louis Lot, a genius of the modern flute in Normandy. The development of French technique is completely connected with the many different creative initiatives in composition. The variety in music compositions led to a variety of flute approaches. For example, to perform Debussy’s music, flutists had to develop a large number of sound techniques, while they required something else again for Poulenc, Jolivet, Messiaen, or Ravel. In every case, French flute music is technically demanding.
    French flute playing also advanced due to the very developed musical institutions all over the country that are free of charge. When young students start to learn an instrument in France, they receive structure on that instrument for years. That makes their execution clear, and with a strong basis in various instrumental techniques. Finally, under the impulse of some great teachers like Taffanel and Gaubert – who were not only flutists, but composers and conductors – the French School of flute playing is based on a broad, traditional knowledge of music.
 
What are your favorite etude books? How many etudes do you require the student to bring in each week?
    I have two etude books that I know from memory: Boehm 24 Caprices, Op. 26 and the slow Etudes modernes by Paul Jeanjean. Etudes are fundamental for students. I would recommend two to three etudes a week for those who want to build a deep knowledge of the instrument as a future professional player. They help to develop an ability to practice in a quick and efficient way. They also help with sightreading, understanding specific musical processes, and creating the necessary quick physical reflexes. Etudes are too often neglected during the study of the flute. However, there is a deep feeling of satisfaction as your playing becomes stable, controlled, and easier because you spend daily time practicing them.

What do you listen for when auditioning a prospective student?
    I check to see if he has motivation and if he can develop himself – if he is open to it. Some students just want you to say they are super. I don’t think that way. I am not judgmental at all, and in that situation, I ask myself: Can this student be receptive to what I have to offer? Can he be patient, motivated and resilient enough?

How are students today different from when you were a student? 
    For those who have a profound talent – and those who have the opportunity of education, social, familial, and financial support to engage themselves on the long and arduous path of becoming a professional musician – it is no different. Today, a majority of students have access to social media, which is a positive trend in itself, but the disparity of the musical content can create confusion and poor modeling. Teachers have a crucial responsibility to guide students through these overwhelming sources of information. 
 
Do you encourage your students to become flute performance majors?
    This job requires a combination of qualities and good opportunities. If you think that you want to be either a musician or a lawyer, then be a lawyer and make music for yourself. If you think that the only choice you have is to make music, then think about it again and be honest with yourself about your abilities. Be sure to seek the advice of a serious, experienced teacher.
    My advice to students is to love, have passion, be strong, and stay receptive. Find your own internal balance in life as much as possible. Make choices and follow them with a realistic knowledge of the requirements of a professional musician’s life. Also, find your own understanding yourself as much as possible, instead of imitating other flutists.

What should students know about preparing for an audition?
    It is a long and specific process. Be sure you know and understand what you absolutely need to be a great orchestral musician. Various and precise sound attacks, sound homogeneity, tone flexibility, rhythmic exactitude, logic, knowledge of the other parts, great capacity to focus and a healthy mental attitude.

Do you have management?
    I have management in Japan and I am surrounded by people who help to maintain and develop my solo career. You cannot have a significant solo career without any help or support. It can be from your orchestral position, a good manager, someone who believes in you, or financial support from various organizations or people.
 
What is your weekly schedule like?
    I divide my professional time between recitals, travel, personal practice, and students. I try to balance all of these aspects. I skype with students when I can’t teach them live.
    To maintain the level of playing I want performing is not enough. I must maintain technical skills by daily practicing exercises. I play Reichert, Taffanel et Gaubert, and Tassinari, mostly. Other exercises are more  research for me. Through exercises you achieve a better understanding of the music – its style, form, and sound, and you improve your ability to make music come together mentally, physically, and emotionally. The place where you practice is the laboratory; a stage is where you face the reality of your level and share it with an audience.

What style of music do you focus on?
    I do not specialize in only one style since I have to perform many kinds of repertoire for solo recitals. However, I know the French repertoire well and do a lot of research on it. I perform a lot of recitals of French music on Philippe Gaubert’s flute (Louis Lot: number 1986, made in 1874). That is unique, and I am working to bring out more authenticity in French music during the recitals. Based on extensive research on his archives since 2010, I have started to reorganize the Gaubert archives with his family in Paris. I have learned a great deal from his original manuscripts with his notes regarding style. Reading his correspondence with some of the greatest French creators and hours of conversation with his stepdaughter, Yvette Poiret Gaubert, has helped me to deeply understand the French style. After more than 250 recitals of French repertoire and making the Gaubert Vivant! documentary, I feel this music in my blood. I am happy to help many students from all over the world get better at this not-so-easy music.
 
Do you record yourself playing often?
    No. I believe more in developing the way one listens to one’s self. Internal hearing is important. External hearing is important as well because you need to play the instrument with a consideration for the acoustics and sound projection in various spaces. That is the reality for a concert player. I recorded a couple of solo CDs, but never in an acoustic studio. I recorded two full versions and chose the best takes from each. I think that makes it more lifelike. Each performance situation needs a different approach. Also, if you do not have professional equipment to record yourself, sound frequency will not be reproduced accurately. 
 
What kind of music do you listen to?
    I am kind of eclectic with my music choices. I want to have the largest possible knowledge of music and am always curious to discover new pieces. I think of myself mainly as a beginner in music. My approach is non-judgmental. I let the music come to me and try to understand how it works structurally and stylistically. I want to understand which techniques the composer used to express his intentions. I am also interested in listening to live and recorded concerts by soloists, mostly on the violin, cello, and piano. Purely for fun, my romantic side is fed by Puccini operas and Brahms chamber music. Schoenberg’s first period is a part of my life as well. 

Who are your role models? 
    Conductors who dedicate their entire life to connecting musical structure with sound balance through physical and gestural technique are, in my opinion, fundamental to work with or observe. Solo instrumentalists such as violinists, cellists, and pianists capture all of my attention as well. Their extended repertoire is, for a dedicated musician, a major source of musical knowledge. Those instruments are extremely demanding. Painters and philosophers are also a source of reflection for me, as well as some psychiatrists.

What are your professional goals?
    I want to bring new heights to my flute playing and understand the instrument in its most intricate parts. I try to transmit to students the great tradition of the art of French flute playing at its highest level. I am planning to make a historic recording of the Gaubert flute repertoire, playing on his own flute. I want to preserve and develop French flute playing throughout the U.S.       

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    Nicolas Duchamp is an internationally known performer and teacher. For many years he served as principal flutist for the National Opera Comique in Paris as well as being a soloist and chamber and orchestral musician with many orchestras. He has taught at the Conservatoire Gustave Charpentier as the assistant to Jean Ferrandis. He regularly presents masterclasses throughout the United States, Canada, Japan and France. In 2009, Duchamp created the concert and film homage GAUBERT VIVANT! honoring the life and work of Philippe Gaubert (1874-1941) at the request of Gaubert’s family. He has resided in the United States since 2013.

The post A Conversation with French Flutist appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Answer: One of the most important things flutists do is choosing an instrument. Finding the right flute is something you likely will do a number of times.
    Starting from the beginning are the student instruments everyone begins on. A beginner’s flute is usually chosen for the student or handed down from a family member. Hopefully, it is in good shape with the pads sealing well and has a good scale.
    The second instrument for most will be an intermediate flute – perhaps the student’s first with open hole keys. This is when you will want to involve your teacher – a person who knows you and your abilities and can steer you in the right direction. You will be looking for an instrument with a good sound that is even up and down the scale, good intonation, good projection, and an excellent mechanism. Pay attention to how it feels in your hands as there will be subtle differences between the makes of flutes. If your teacher is not available, many of the vendors have excellent flutists on their staffs who can help you.
    Your next flute will most likely be your first professional-level flute. When I was a student, flutists placed an order and waited for years. A month before the flute was ready, you received a bill from the flute company for the full price. When the flute arrived, that was it. Hopefully, you liked it, but if not, it was your responsibility to find another buyer for it.
    In my youth most flutes were made with C-footjoints. A B-footjoint was a special order. The legendary French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal actually liked a D-footjoint for Baroque music. Years later one manufacturer made a convertible footjoint to give the option of a D-, C-, or B-footjoint. Once B-footjoints became common, a new key arrived – the gizmo or high C facilitator. It was a special-order item, and I eventually had it added on to a couple of my flutes. The purpose of the key was to be able to play a soft high C.
    In those long ago days, headjoints were not thought of in the same way as they are now. While it was possible to go to the flute company and try headjoints, most played on the headjoint that arrived with the flute. When I was still in high school, I went to Boston and tried a number of headjoints for an order that was four years away. I chose a beautiful headjoint that played very easily, the style of which was played by a famous flutist of the time. I made a very common mistake and chose something that played close to what I was used to. Also, I did not know that it was possible to have a beautiful headjoint and a beautiful flute that did not match. By the time I was ready to purchase a flute, a completely different headjoint was called for. Now that flutists know the importance of the headjoint, having another set of ears is valuable for making a good decision, so ask your teacher to help you.
    During this time craftsmen who only made headjoints appeared on the scene. Their experiments led to some amazing discoveries. Headjoints are made in a variety of metals (14K, 18K, 10K, 9K, bonded etc.). Then there is the option of having a different metal for the riser or crown. Adding the extra weight of a gold or platinum riser can change the sound enormously, usually making the tone darker. Embouchure holes now feature under-cutting and upper-cutting and there are different thicknesses of the tube (.14, .15, .16, .18).
    Most flute shops offer a trial period option before purchasing. Take full advantage of this time. Try everything you can on the instrument such as playing loudly and softly in all registers. Look for ease of playing throughout the range and check the intonation with a tuner. Try tonguing in all registers and pay attention to the ease or inherent difficulties in the response of the flute. Most dealers also offer a free headjoint exchange for a year after purchase. 
    Flutists have gone from having basically no choices to having more  than could be imagined. There is almost an embarrassment of riches. So, when faced with all of these choices, what do you do first? I play a chromatic scale from top to bottom checking for homogeneity of the sound (timbre). If I like the sound, then I will play high notes really softly. I am looking for comfort or ease, good intonation and a beautiful sound. Next, I audition the lower octave assessing how much work it takes to play with full volume. Then I tongue in all octaves looking for clarity of sound with a minimum of effort. New flutes have a slightly different feel than one that is broken in, so it may sound a bit stiff and hard (not the key action, but the sound). The sound will indeed change and warm up as you play, however. This can begin even in the first few moments you play the instrument.
    If I am satisfied with all of these things and the intonation is solid, I will play a few solos or excerpts. Favorites of mine are Bizet Carmen solo, the Griffes Poem (checking the C#s and quality of sound in the opening) and the Ravel Daphnis et Chloe solo. If I am satisfied, then the Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream Scherzo is next. After that perhaps Bach (either C.P.E. or J.S. unaccompanied) or whatever I am working on at the time.
    I feel strongly that adding a wonderful headjoint to an inexpensive or inferior flute – while it will somewhat improve the flute – basically yields a wonderful headjoint with an inferior flute and not a great flute. It is important to have both a wonderful body and a wonderful headjoint. If they are a good match you will feel the entire flute working as a unit.
    Choose a flute that offers a big improvement over your previous instrument and especially has a fuller sound with a larger dynamic range and color palette. It is very important that the flute feels comfortable to you. Having someone else play the flute is not the best way to choose a flute. Your new flute should help you do things well that you were not able to do before. If you are comfortable with the flute, you will play your best.
    The sad thing is that flutes do not last a lifetime. Three times in my career I have “played out” my flutes. The first time was terribly upsetting. I could feel the flute losing its sound during a live telecast. Afterwards, I went to the flute maker and every repair person I could think of, and no one could bring back the sound. It never vibrated with itself the way it had before. By the third time this happened, I just went ahead and bought a new flute without getting upset. My feeling is that when people have had a flute for a long time and then decide they no longer like the sound, it is not because they have changed but because the flute has changed. The good news is that this is a wonderful opportunity to find another great flute.
    Once you have a professional job, you will want to have at least two flutes. It is important that they match as closely as possible. Several times on the day of a performance, I discovered that the flute I was intending to play had a problem. It was too late to go to the repair person, so I played on my other flute. In my last years at the Met, I had what all flutists dream of having – two flutes that were so close that I sometimes forgot which one I was playing! Having an inferior flute as your backup is not wise as you have a flute you will not want to play. Headjoints are not interchangeable as much as we would like them to be, so it is best to have a fantastic second instrument.

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