July 2019 Archives - The Instrumentalist

The Ictus

theinstrumenta — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 18:58:19 +0000

Recently I attended a chamber music concert where there were many fine things about the performance, but the group was not rhythmically together or with the conductor. They were close at times, but in other places the tempo stretched or rushed in order to place chords together. As I looked at the conductor and each of the fourteen or so performers, I noticed several were tapping their feet while others were bobbing the ends of the flute to the beat. What concerned me is that this tapping and bobbing did not match the conductor’s ictus.

The Ictus
In conducting, the ictus is the exact point in each beat of the conducting gesture that indicates the pulse of the music to the ensemble. In foot tapping the ictus is the moment when the foot touches the floor just before its return to the up position. In flute bobbing, the ictus is the exact moment when the end of the flute is no longer going down, but is about to go back up to normal playing position.

Problems
The old saying “You get what you conduct” applies here. Many conductors are not careful in indicating the ictus. It tends to be more prominent in faster, staccato or marcato passages and absent in lyrical passages. If an ictus is not present, players look to someone else to indicate where to play – the concertmaster in an orchestra and the flutist whose part begins the composition or has the prominent line in a flute choir.
Assuming the conductor’s ictus is well-defined, then it is each player’s responsibility to play with it. This means that they should look up at the beginning of the composition and then at least once every measure or two. For flutists with vision problems (bifocals, trifocals, etc.) this can be a problem because when they look up and then back down, it may be difficult to find their place in the music or wait for the music to be in focus. For these cases, some memory work of the music may be required for the sake of good, accurate ensemble playing. Practicing looking up at the conductor each measure or two should be a drill during the warmup part of flute choir and other large ensemble rehearsals. With practice anyone can do it well, but without repeated practice, it will never be conquered.
In classical music, the chord changes are usually on a strong beat. If one group is early on the beat, then their entry clashes with the previous chord. If another group plays late on the ictus, then their note hangs on too long into the next chord. For a brief moment everything might be okay, but overall the approach to the chords is not clean or accurate.

Articulation Issues
Many flutists cannot play exactly with the ictus because when articulating, the tongue is too far back in the mouth. William Kincaid, the father of the American school of flute playing, suggested putting the tongue in the aperture, letting the air stream build up behind, and releasing the tongue on the conductor’s ictus. He laughingly called this “spit-ccato” tonguing. This is exactly the same type of tonguing as the forward or French (probably more correctly called German) tonguing gesture. (This is taught by having the student spit a grain of rice or a fig seed.) Flutists of all ages and levels of development should practice the following exercise on several scales each day. After the release of the tone, the tongue is replaced in the aperture during the rest to be ready to play the next note exactly on the ictus. Using a metronome with a background of four sixteenths ticking helps the player place the note on the beat.

Where’s the Beat?
Student and amateur flutists often play before the ictus. Seasoned professionals (especially those who have played in orchestras their whole careers) play late on the beat. To win an audition, you must play on the beat. Rhythm is both a talent and a discipline that must understood and practiced.

Pointing the Feet
To become cognizant of where the ictus is, have students sit on the floor with their legs stretched out in front and their toes pointed up. Next, they should take the index fingers of both hands and point them at the ceiling. Then pivot the index fingers towards the feet and as they turn down, quickly point their toes with the feet bending at the ankle. Practice this with the metronome set at q = 72. Most students do this best when the speed is similar to their heart beat. Saying down/up, down/up when doing this helps the less coordinated. Explain that at the moment the toes stop going down and begin coming up is the ictus. Each week work to increase and decrease the tempo from the starting point of 72. I always practice this exercise with students. It is good for me too.
After several weeks, begin the lesson using both feet and then transition into first the left foot only and then the right foot only. Return the metronome to q = 72. The left foot will move on 1-and and the right foot on 2-and. Be sure the movement of the feet is articulate and not mushy. The movement from the ankles should be as clean and as simple as possible as if imitating a modern dancer.
Repeat these exercises until students are comfortable, and the exercise seems simple. Then move on to foot tapping. In many flute studios foot tapping is considered a bad thing. I use it as a step to learning to playing with the ictus. Since children learn coordination from large muscles to smaller muscles, I teach foot tapping using both feet first and with the feet bending at the ankle. This seems like a simple concept, but I have found that many middle school students have difficulty moving at the ankle. You may have to spend some time reteaching the previous exercise to develop this movement. Many students have grown up primarily indoors with little exposure to movement and consequently have weak body awareness. Rectifying this is something to cultivate. Eurhythmic exercises are helpful.
The feet move down on the number part of the beat and up on the and. This motion should be clear and concise. Practice this with a metronome until students are comfortable, and the gesture seems simple. Then explain the concept that the moment the feet touch the floor and begin the ascent is called the ictus, and this is where they should place notes to play in time. Practice this at varying tempos both below and above 72. Point out that when the beat is faster the distance the feet move is shorter. Once there is success, move on to tapping only one foot which will probably be the right foot.
Besides working with a metronome, record a mix of sixteen bars in varying tempos and genres. Have students find the beat and tap (and perhaps clap their hands) to the beat. Work in simple meter first (beat divided by two) and later incorporate compound meter (beat divided by three).
One of my theory professors at Eastman mentioned in passing that we each should feel the beat in some part of our bodies when playing. In the theory sequence, a large amount of time was spent each on rhythmic reading. While doing this, the right hand conducted the beat pattern, the left hand tapped the background (eighths or sixteenths) on our desks, and we counted aloud. As we became proficient, we sang the music with the correct pitches. The important part of this exercise was how many body parts were involved in doing rhythmic reading. Perhaps that is why the Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings with Frederick Fennell are considered to be so fine. The rhythm is impeccable.
Periodically I work with my flute choir on foot tapping. We are always surprised at how difficult it is for everyone to do it exactly at the same time.

Flute Bobbing
After a student is proficient with foot tapping, then teach flute bobbing. Flute bobbing is when a flutist moves the upper body in unison with the end of the flute as if cueing a breath. The gesture is small but very clear. The flute is firmly in the chin, and the weight of the flute may rest more just above the left index knuckle. This gesture is used primarily for cueing; however, it can be used as an aid for getting all of the players in an ensemble playing on the ictus.
Put the metronome on quarter note = 72 and have the flutist move on beats one and three. By removing the movement on beats two and four, the flutist has time to prepare the next gesture. At this point beats two and four will serve as preparatory beats. Practice this in the mirror with you making sure the student’s gesture is the same distance as yours.

I had a flute choir at one time comprised of flutists of a wide variety of levels of playing. As a group we practiced this in the mirror, drill team style, to get everyone moving exactly the same. We all were surprised at how difficult this was. At the point where the flute stops going down and begins going up is the ictus. The goal is to get everyone to play exactly on the ictus. Counting subdivisions is a big help in achieving this.

Playing Off the Beat
Musicians regularly play notes on the beat. Because it is so common, they become sloppy in preparation and note placement. To revisit the preparation needed to play accurately on the beat, at each flute choir rehearsal or private lesson, we always play a few scales where the flutists play only on the off-beats. (In other words, the numbered beats are silent and they play on the ands.) Since this is less familiar, they count more accurately to place the notes correctly. After playing a few scales off the beat, we return to playing scales on the beat. The off-beat counting strategies are easily transferred to playing on the beat. This exercise also heightens rhythmic awareness and may help in reaching the goal of playing exactly on the ictus.

Intonation
When everyone does not play on the ictus, intonation problems occur because the weakest, non-rhythmic players play before the beat. These people become the ones setting intonation. If everyone plays on the ictus, then intonation will be greatly improved.

Long Term
This skill is something that should be practiced regularly. Once you play in an orchestra where there may be a lot of rubato or accelerando, the tendency is to go with the flow. Then the weeks, when there is a conductor who has excellent stick technique, it becomes apparent how sloppy the ensemble has become. Low flute players especially should work on not being late on the ictus because of the slow response of the instruments. A metronome set to subdivisions is a helpful aid. Having good intonation and ensemble playing is the reward for diligent work.

The post The Ictus appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Everything I Know about Piccolo I Learned from Baroque Flutes

theinstrumenta — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 18:51:28 +0000

When I was an undergraduate first discovering the joys of early music, new music, and auxiliary flutes, one of my professors urged me to focus in on a narrow area of specialization sooner rather than later. I resisted because I could not imagine giving up any of the instruments or styles of music that I loved. I am now decidedly mid-career and still cannot fathom giving up any of my instruments. While specialization might seem like the most direct route to the highest skill level on an instrument, experience on another instrument – or several – can yield insight and new perspectives.
The overlap between Baroque flute and piccolo is an especially interesting one because, at first blush, the main thing they seem to have in common is the ability to highlight all of the flaws in one’s playing. However, there are a surprising number of concrete ways that piccolo playing can be improved by an understanding of historical flutes and cultivation of some basic similarities of approach.

Air
Baroque flute and piccolo both have smaller apertures than modern flute, as well as narrower, tapered bores. Each requires its own kind of delicacy of approach, and can easily be overwhelmed with too much air, or by playing with excessive air pressure. Piccolo generally needs less vibrato than flute, and Baroque flute is customarily played without breath vibrato at all. In both cases, this can take vibrato off the table as a means of obfuscating pitch or masking other flaws in the sound.
Approaching the piccolo as an extension of the flute can sometimes lead people to play as though they are in the extreme high register of the flute, while they are actually in the middle of the piccolo’s range. It can result in entirely too much air pressure, and reactionary tension in the embouchure from holding back against that pressure. It is also easy for the upper torso and throat to lock up when playing piccolo, in part because of the closer proximity of the arms to the rib cage, and an attendant tendency to pull the arms or tuck the elbows against the ribs. All of this tension and pressure can lead to a lot of cracked attacks, and raspberries when players try to taper the end of a note. Baroque flutists often speak of trying to make the instrument ring, rather than choking off the resonance by forcing too much air.
One of the ideas I have found most useful in cultivating a more beautiful tone on any flute came from Baroque flutist Claire Guimond. She advocates approaching long tones with a goal of finding the best possible “airing” for each note (as opposed to merely the correct fingering). This idea is also helpful for finding the level of air pressure where the piccolo responds better, rather than forcing too much air into that tiny instrument. A helpful mindset for doubling in general is to try to deal with each instrument on its own terms and pay attention to what it seems to need from you. Instruments will generally let you know whether what you are doing is working by how they respond.

Pitch
Broadly speaking, when playing either piccolo or Baroque flute, players must take more responsibility for accurate placement of pitch. Good intonation comes from acceptance of this, rather than regarding it as a problem with the instrument itself. Your playing on both instruments will benefit from a cheerful assumption that the instrument is not fundamentally flawed. (After all, nobody argues that the violin is fundamentally flawed or horribly retrograde for not having frets.)
Recognize also that your perception is skewed by the instrument to which you are most accustomed. For example, if you have played the same flute for many years, you may be barely aware of the pitch adjustments you are likely making all the time. (Altern-atively, you may be playing out of tune much of the time in a way that is so familiar that it sounds correct to your ear.) Are the second- and third-octave Ds really that much worse on your piccolo, or are they just in a different place than where they happen to lie on your flute? This itself is a benefit of doubling. Playing the same instrument all the time can leave you with blind spots in your listening and perception.

Tuning and Temperament
Different systems of tuning and temperament are standard topics of study for historical flutists, but many modern instrumentalists know little about it. In equal temperament (what you have with an electronic tuner or synthesizer), the octave is divided into twelve equal semitones. Unfortunately, this means that all of the other intervals within that octave are bit out of tune, by varying degrees. An acoustically pure perfect fifth, for example, is a little bit wider than the fifth produced by equal temperament. A similarly beatless major third is considerably narrower than it appears in equal temperament. This tuning system does not result in well-tuned chords, but it has come to be regarded as a necessary evil for modern keyboard instruments, though good piano tuners tweak the tuning to make it sound better. This is one of the reasons why an electronic tuner has only limited usefulness.
Just intonation is a system that uses intervals tuned according to simple mathematical ratios, producing pure beatless intervals, but it results in scales that are so uneven that they sound odd to modern ears. In orchestras and bands, where pitch is flexible, it is impractical to try to employ this tuning system (even though some people claim that they do). A truly beatless major third, for example, is so much flatter – about 14 cents – than an equal tempered major third, most modern conductors would find it objectionable. In addition, music rarely moves slowly enough for this to be achievable. What flutists can do, however, even when tuning intervals against a piano, is to temper – or adjust – the pitch to be better in tune with the surrounding harmony. This relies on an understanding of the harmonic underpinning and how to adjust a note based on your role within the chord.
The principles of tuning and temperament are especially important for piccolo players because of the physics of playing in a higher octave than everyone else. Stephanie Mortimore, Principal Piccolo of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, has written an excellent article on some of the particular challenges of piccolo tuning (further information on page 31).
Even though piccolo players dwell in a higher octave, they are not necessarily sharp most of the time, as some assume. More often frightened or tentative piccoloists play flat, and it can be easy to get caught in an intonational shame spiral, where a player is spooked by a pitch problem, gets softer in the wrong way, backs off on the support, and goes even flatter. Then the intonation problem makes the piccolo stick out even more. That flatness is especially problematic because an interval that is too narrow sounds more offensive than one that is too wide (one of the reasons why trill keys are designed to produce slightly wide intervals). Therefore, when you are unsure of your pitch while playing the highest note in a chord, it is better to err a little on the high side, without overdoing it. Charlie DeLaney, former flute professor at Florida State University, used to joke, “It’s always better to be sharp than out of tune.”
Practicing various intervals over a drone will improve your ability to make real-time adjustments and will train you to be able to tune according to what you hear, rather than according to what you see on the dial of a tuner. A good regimen is to begin with a unison, then move systematically through other intervals above the drone pitch: octave, perfect fifth (widening slightly), perfect fourth (narrowing slightly), major third (narrowing considerably), etc. Piccolo players should also practice tuning intervals several octaves above the drone, because they are so often in a completely different octave from everyone, making all of this even trickier. Doing this without vibrato will allow you to hear the beats that occur when an interval is out of tune.
This is another case where piccolo players can learn from players of other instruments. Brass players often play chorale-like passages, and many prominent horn players create comprehensive charts to illustrate exactly how many cents a pitch should be raised or lowered in nearly every conceivable harmonic context. Baroque flutist Rachel Brown advocates practicing lip bends to the point where you can bend each pitch over the interval of a third. Once you have the ability to place a pitch virtually anywhere, it becomes purely a matter of knowing where to put it in a particular situation.

Alternate Fingerings
As a young player, I was often scolded for using middle-finger F sharps, and was slightly ashamed of the fake fingerings I used when my teacher was not looking. My experiences with historical flutes completely expanded my thinking about alternative fingerings.
There was no single standard flute fingering chart in the Baroque Period, and most charts prescribed different fingerings for what modern players would consider to be enharmonic equivalents. The fingering for G flat is higher in pitch than an F sharp, for example. This has to do with the aforementioned likely function within the chord: In G major, F sharp often functions as the major third of the dominant, D major. Therefore, it needs to be lower in pitch.
Margaret Neuhaus’s Baroque Flute Fingering Book compiles the fingerings from twenty-one different charts, in many cases offering eight to twelve different fingering options for a single note. I learned to treat these many options as useful and viable alternatives, and I believe that the correct fingering is the one that is most suited to the occasion or works best in a particular context. Baroque flutists become accustomed to learning a battery of options for certain notes, sometimes for dynamic or pitch adjustments. Often they opt for a series of consecutive notes that then can all be lipped or adjusted in the same direction, rather than having to adjust back and forth between sharp and flat fingerings. The idea that there is one correct primary fingering for each note – one that is true and morally superior to all others – becomes, quite frankly, quaint.
My piccolo playing has benefited greatly from this approach, and I have accumulated a small mental stockpile of useful alternative fingerings. There are nearly always trade-offs, so the use of an alternative fingering depends on context. Several good fingerings that allow certain upper-register notes to be played more softly also tend to be sharp and have to be adjusted downward. Sometimes, on either instrument, a fingering that might give you the overall best result for the given circumstance is not necessarily the easiest, so one gets accustomed to awkward combinations. Jack Wellbaum’s and Walfrid Kujala’s excerpt books include information about essential alternative fingerings for piccolo, along with excellent illustrations of context, pros, and cons.

Doubling in General
If these historical sources of information and understanding are useful on piccolo (the magnifying mirror of the flute family), then they are surely also beneficial for flute playing in general. Besides these concrete examples, there are other more general advantages to instrumental cross-training that include a refreshed perspective, a way to break out of auto-pilot, increased physical and mental flexibility, and heightened musical empathy (from experiences like playing the continuo line on bass recorder in a performance of someone else’s solo sonata).
One of the things I love most is the variety in my days, and how I always have something new, challenging, and engaging on which to work. There are times when I do wonder whether it would be easier to narrow my focus. Then again, I was recently given a beautiful 1830s six-keyed flute pitched at A=430, and I am just starting to get to the point where I don’t have to think so hard about the fingerings!

Further Reading
Ross Duffin, How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should Care). W.W. Norton & Company, 2008.
Walfrid Kujala, Orchestral Techniques for Flute and Piccolo: An Audition Guide; An Inside Look at Symphonic Performance Traditions. Progress Press, 2006.
Stephanie Mortimore, Taming the Beast: Stephanie Mortimore Revolutionizes Your Piccolo Intonation. Article on the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra’s website, 2014:
blog/2014/4/14/taming-the-beast
Margaret Neuhaus, The Baroque Flute Fingering Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Fingerings for the One-Keyed Flute, Including Trills, Flattements, and Battements, based on Original Sources from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. Flute Studio Press, 1986. (Out of print, but available through Inter-Library Loan.)
Jack Wellbaum, Orchestral Excerpts for Piccolo. Theodore Presser, 1999.

The post Everything I Know about Piccolo I Learned from Baroque Flutes appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Speaking Confidently to an Audience

theinstrumenta — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 18:42:37 +0000

Question: In studio class the professor makes us introduce ourselves and describe the piece we are playing. I get so nervous doing this. What can I do to speak more confidently in public?

Answer: Verbally introducing yourself to the audience is an opportunity to connect with your listeners, a skill that will serve you well as a music performer or educator. As audiences become increasingly more selective in their choices to attend performances, your speaking skills can be a vital component of what makes a performance memorable. The human voice is an intimate vehicle that holds the power to enhance an artist’s connection to listeners. Your professor is giving you an excellent opportunity to practice this in studio class. Sparkling, confident speaking is quite similar to sparkling, confident flute performance. Here are a few suggestions that may be helpful.
Make soft eye contact with the audience when speaking. Depending on the size and acoustics of the room, you may need to adjust elements of your introduction, for instance the tempo, volume, or vocal inflection. Usually in a formal situation, one should speak slightly slower with extra projection. Maintain a confident posture. Warm up your voice before the performance. Remember that what you are saying is as important as how you are saying it. Deliver your words as if you are speaking to a friend to reinforce a connection to the audience. Stay hydrated so your voice functions at maximum capacity. The audience will be able to tell if you are not comfortable, so keep practicing until you feel prepared.
Be brief and clear with your words. Listeners have come to hear you play flute not recite an epistle, so give them a short snippet. Announce your name followed by one interesting fact about yourself, or in the case of studio class, your academic year and degree. Don’t forget to introduce any other musicians performing with you. Proclaiming “I will be performing Poulenc’s Sonata for Flute” is both incorrect and neglectful of your accompanist.
State the name of the piece and the composer. Be sure to check pronunciations of unique words. In some cases, this is enough of an introduction. However, most of the time I choose to tell the audience something about the piece, composer, or my experiences preparing the piece. Be intentional and fascinating with this. I take into account who is in the audience when determining how to configure this statement. Listeners like to be part of the inside scoop but avoid telling them things they already know.
You may want to take a moment to educate if you have a younger or non-musically trained audience but keep it brief. At one of my recent studio recitals, an older student was presenting a Bach flute sonata so she explained to an audience of younger students and their families, “Listen to the masterful conversation between the flute and piano.” It made the performance quite magical for everyone.
Of course, to come up with a compelling introduction of the piece, you will need to research the piece and composer, exploring the piece as fully as possible, much in the same way you would do for writing program notes. The first few times you introduce a performance, you may want to write out the exact words you are going to say and then rehearse them like an actor would rehearse a script.
Practice speaking your introduction in a mirror or for a good friend or your teacher who can give you honest feedback. Video or audio record yourself, so you can evaluate yourself. Watch the video recording without sound to evaluate body language. I do this for my flute performances as well. It is important to both look and sound confident on stage. You may even want to watch a few skilled performers on YouTube announce their pieces to gain insight into how they navigate through introductions. The next time you are at a live performance of any kind, observe how the performers vocally interact with the audience.
If you should feel nervousness coming on while speaking, take a deep breath. This will engage the parasympathetic nervous system which induces calmness. Nervousness is just one of the many manifestations of fear that show up in the lives of artists. A little bit of nervousness means that you care about your performance, so send that energy into your performance. Just make sure nervousness sits in the back seat of your car. Do not let it drive the vehicle. The more you practice, the less nervous you will be. Hopefully your excitement about the piece will soon overcome any residual fear.
Additionally, if you want to further refine your public speaking skills, consider taking a semester of speech, acting, or voice lessons to develop more confidence. There is an art to speaking eloquently on stage that can be developed with further study, not entirely different from how you improve your flute skills. Experts in these field have much to say about perfecting the art of public speaking in their books and podcasts.

The post Speaking Confidently to an Audience appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Planning a Flute Festival

theinstrumenta — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 18:38:31 +0000

This past April, the Madison Flute Club hosted the 16th annual Wisconsin Flute Festival. My involvement with the festival planning committee extends back to 2013, and 2019 marked my third year as Festival Director. Over the past seven years, it has evolved from a small, local festival, into a reputable, full-day event that draws participants from across the United States. The components of this success and growth include detailed attention to the target audience, festival format, budgeting, and marketing. The following are some ideas that can serve as a guide for developing a flute event.

Audience
Defining a target audience forms the foundation for an event. This could include anyone from beginning flutists to professionals. It also may include other musicians beyond flutists, community members, and music educators. Two goals of the Wisconsin Flute Festival are to connect flutists of all ages and abilities with one another and to present high-caliber performances of diverse flute repertoire to the attendees and Madison community. As a result, the target audience includes flutists of all ages and abilities as well as non-flutist concert-goers. When defining a target audience, create a profile for a typical or ideal attendee. What are their interests? How advanced are their musical skills? Where do they come from? Are they in a particular age range? How participatory of an experience do they want?

Format
Once you have defined a target audience, you are ready to create the format of the event. Since our target audience is quite broad, we strive to offer an option of interest to everyone for each hour of the day. This might be a performance and two or three participatory or lecture sessions on various topics. Past events have included Flute Lover’s Warm-up Exercises, Navigating Orchestral Auditions, Making Good Recordings, Style and Genre in Tele-mann’s Fantasias, Piccolo Techniques, Low Flutes Petting Zoo, and Yoga for Flutists, as well as flute choir reading sessions and masterclasses. There is also an exhibit hall with flute manufacturers and retailers from across the country that is open for the duration of the festival. We offer three levels of competitions for middle school, high school, and collegiate flutists with plans to add additional competitions, as funding permits.
Based on the target audience, however, the format for your event might be quite different. Private studio teachers seeking potential students could host a flute day that includes an informational session on choosing an instrument, instrument assembly and care, and private lessons. Participating in group classes and playing in ensembles with current students creates an enjoyable and inclusive introduction to your studio.
A university seeking to recruit students or to interact with the local community might offer a flute day to connect with flutists from the region or around the state. This type of flute day could offer sessions on pursuing music in college, choosing a college, and audition preparation. A final concert might allow attendees an opportunity to play in an ensemble with current students and watch a performance by the professor and university students. Opening the final concert to the public at no charge can strengthen the relationship with the local community by providing an invitation onto campus and access to the arts.

An example of a promotional poster

Budget
Developing a budget is imperative to running a financially responsible event. During my time as festival director we have taken steps to drastically improve our budgeting process, developing a robust template that provides the financial framework during the planning process. If you are starting from scratch, sketch out a list of all possible expenses with cost approximations. It is best to over-estimate expenses during the early years of an event, as there are almost always surprises, and be conservative in estimating income. Some of the major expenses that we incur are venue rental, piano moving and tuning, guest artist fee, competition prize money, and marketing.
Earned revenue streams for the Wisconsin Flute Festival include registration, competition and masterclass fees, advertisements, exhibitor registration, lunch purchases, and more. Registration is the most significant source of earned revenue, so the financial stability of the event relies on a strong turnout. Contributed revenue streams, monetary and in-kind (contributed goods or services) donations, provide approximately 55% of our revenue. Donations from generous individuals, monetary sponsorships provided by specialty flute companies and flute makers for featuring one of their artists, and in-kind donations of pianos and design services are examples of contributed revenue that we pursue. As a practice, we record in-kind donations as income and also as an expense so there is a full accounting of what it takes to produce the festival. As a non-profit organization, we also have the opportunity to apply for grants from foundation and government sources and utilize university and community space for reduced cost.

Marketing
Marketing an event can be done through a variety of mediums including social media, e-mail, print, radio, and television platforms. The quality of the marketing materials matters greatly in today’s world of media-saturated consumers. All materials should be in full color, and if you lack adequate design experience, consider employing a graphic designer to assist with the creation of promotional materials. We partner with a local graphic design firm, in exchange for sponsorship recognition, to create marketing materials that can be adapted for digital and print marketing. The marketing strategy that works effectively for us is:
•    A dedicated, modern website, that is scalable for desktop and mobile viewing, with all pertinent registration and festival information.
•    A Facebook page and Instagram account to promote the festival with information about the guest artist, presenters, performers, exhibitors and sponsors. Paid and organically promoted posts are utilized on Facebook.
•    A small quantity of 11"x17" posters with essential event information to distribute to local schools, businesses, and community event boards.
•    A moderate quantity of 8.5"x11" posters to distribute through the state library system for display in all public and academic libraries.
•    A large quantity of postcards that are mailed to school music programs around the state and to larger flute retailers and local music stores for distribution in their shipments and stores. Non-profit bulk mail rates are quite affordable.
•    A press release sent to local radio and television stations and print media.
•    Selective follow-up with a personalized e-mail to the most relevant media contacts.
•    Advertisements on websites such as the National Flute Association and local city and regional events calendars.
Develop a timeline for when to implement these strategies. Always allow for slow responses or time for additional marketing measures if needed when creating this plan.

Appeal
Every interaction attendees have with an event, from the first promotional materials they encounter, to the registration process, to subsequent communication about the festival, needs to be high quality. While the offerings of any festival or event are arguably the most important aspect, spend some time and attention on the little things such as branded lanyards and name badges, welcoming and clear directional signage, detailed program books, and well-trained volunteers. These small details add significantly to the quality of your event.

We strive to make the Wisconsin Flute Festival an attractive event to attend and pride ourselves on hosting an event that is professional, educational, and enjoyable for all involved.

Wisconsin Flute Festival Planning Timeline:

The post Planning a Flute Festival appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Utah Symphony Flute Section On Creating a Unified Sound

theinstrumenta — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 18:28:12 +0000

The Utah Symphony was founded in 1940 and became internationally known under the leadership of Maurice Abravanel who was the music director between 1947-1979. He led the orchestra on four international tours, released over 100 recordings, and began a music education program. Today his recordings with the Utah Symphony of the French works by Milhaud, Honegger, Satie, and Varèse are considered some of the best. Abravanel was followed by conductors Varujan Kojian, Joseph Silverstein, and Keith Lockhart. In 2009 Thierry Fischer was selected to be the music director. The orchestra is comprised of 85 musicians and since 1980, the symphony is one of the few 52-week orchestras in the United States. In 2002, a merger created the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera.

What is your role in the orchestra?
Mercedes Smith (principal flute): In an orchestra the principal flutist performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist. The trick is to know which role you are playing and when you are playing it. Playing soloistically is not about being loud and taking lots of rubato, it is about choosing the right sound and tone colors in the right moments. If I am playing a solo, I will probably use a faster air stream, regardless of the dynamic, to help the sound project. I might also use more vibrato or a brighter tone color to help cut through the rest of the orchestra. However, when it is my turn to blend, I might do the opposite – less airspeed, less vibrato, and a cooler tone color that will lead to a more transparent sound and allow other voices to come through more clearly. The ability to change tone colors quickly from a soloistic sound to a more transparent sound is one of the most important skills for any orchestra musician.

Lisa Byrnes (associate principal flute): We are one of the few 52-week orchestras with only three players in each section of the woodwinds. Consequently, I play principal sometimes, but primarily second flute. I consider myself fortunate to be able to perform both roles. One of the biggest challenges is switching back and forth because each role requires such different skills and a completely different mindset. When playing principal, I need to play with a projecting soloistic sound and yet still have the utmost control in soft playing. I have to lead well, make decisions, and play with confidence and consistency. This position allows more artistic freedom and creativity which is the reward to playing principal.
Playing second flute means being a team player – blending, being a chameleon, and playing in the shadow of the principal. I rely on my ear and intuition when trying to achieve a perfect blend and accurate intonation. I need to know when to get out of the way and when to play out. Playing in tune, changing tone color and being sensitive to vibrato usage according to what the principal does is vital to creating a unified sound. Doing these things effectively requires a lot of control which in many ways is more physically challenging. Because I am trying to match someone else, I am not necessarily playing in my most natural way. Playing principal allows me to be much more free and natural. Playing both makes me a much more well-rounded flutist.

Caitlyn Valovick-Moore (piccolo/utility flute): My role is often to blend into the sounds of my colleagues. I achieve this by listening to the tone color and vibrato coming from the section and making sure my sound complements theirs. Playing piccolo and utility flute involves wearing a lot of hats; most weeks of the season I play both instruments. It is a challenge, requiring flexibility and awareness of your role in the section at any given moment. I have times when I am the soloist or I am sitting on top of the wind section line, and there are times when I am playing second, third or fourth flute.
When I am on piccolo, if I am in unison with the flutes, my job is to be a part of their sound, and I make sure to match vibrato. If my voice is the highest, then I still listen to make sure we are playing in a unified way so that my articulation and note lengths match. I also check the balance to make sure I am singing out but not over-balancing.

How do you achieve a group sound?
Byrnes: Blending can be one of the most challenging aspects of playing in an orchestra. There are many things to consider: tone color and timbre, intonation, vibrato or no vibrato, articulation length, rhythmic accuracy, ensemble, balance, style, phrasing, just to name a few. Knowing when to play less or when to stand out is very important. If you know the pitch and color tendencies of your instrument as well as the tendencies of other instruments, it will help you play in tune. Get to know every single note of your instrument intimately. When it comes to playing in a cohesive musical style, players should learn the different time periods of music including appropriate articulation, strong-weak inflection, phrasing, vibrato, and ornaments.
When playing second flute, I am constantly thinking about blend and balance, when to back off and when to play out more. As a general rule, I usually play one dynamic level less than the principal unless the section is marked forte or I am asked to play out more. When playing in unison, I try to be in the shadow of the principal. I use vibrato according to what I hear the principal playing, but generally a lot less when playing second. Understanding the airspeed and direction that the principal uses with softs vs. louds helps me blend well in different dynamics.
Even though I am generally following the principal, it is also important to play with confidence to avoid being late on entrances or note endings. There are plenty of instances where the second flute needs to support the line or play out more – playing in harmony, bringing out a moving line while the principal is on a long note, trading off the line, an obligato line, possibly a lower register passage, and bringing out something unusual in the music.

How do you select substitute musicians when a work requires additional flutists?
Byrnes: We have a small list made up of local flutists. Substitutes are selected from an audition as well as past experience with the orchestra. We are very fortunate to have good subs throughout our woodwind sections. Some of the more obvious traits we look for is a blending sound that is not too bright or too loud. It is important not to use too much vibrato or stand out with an individual style. It can also be distracting if a player moves too much, making it difficult to follow the principal winds. A good substitute player should be easy to work with, flexible and perhaps a bit understated like a chameleon. We work with an extremely detailed and perfectionist mindset, and a substitute should come in and do the same thing. That can be a real challenge for someone who does not do it every day with the same players.

Smith: I mostly listen for the kind of sound a person chooses to use as well. A person can play soloistically and expressively and still be successful in a sublist audition (or section flute audition) as long as they have a sound that will not stick out too much. Of course, this is subjective and a sound that works with one orchestra might not be successful in another. Some things that can cause concern for me in terms of blend are too many attacks that are accented or even explosive, vibrato that is too wide or fast too much of the time, struggling to consistently play very short notes, and sustaining very quiet playing in tune.

Valovick-Moore: I look for people with a sound that fits in and allows me to still hear the rest of the section so I can match pitch and style. Good pitch and rhythm are a necessity. Excessive movement can be distracting, and only the principal should cue entrances. It is also important to sit in a way that allows the principal to be seen for cuing.
I also want someone who is comfortable on piccolo. It is helpful to have matching brands, so that the general tone color is similar, but the most important thing is being able to match balance and pitch. The second piccolo should be aware of balance in unisons and not overpower the first piccolo or stick out. If the second piccolo is playing harmony, then a more equal balance is necessary. When playing second piccolo from the second flute chair, players should be extra aware of balance and pitch, as it is still the job to match the other piccoloist, not vice versa.

Who decides who plays which parts?
Smith: The principal flutist is responsible for creating all of the rosters for each concert. The Utah Symphony employs three full-time flutists and then hires substitutes as needed. For pieces that require three flutes the assignments are very self-explanatory: I play principal flute, Lisa plays second flute, and Caitlyn will play third flute/piccolo. For works with just two flutists, Lisa, as associate principal, will usually play on concertos or other pieces on the first half of the concert. The associate principal also plays whenever the principal is sick or taking time off. Works that only require one or two of us allow for the others to rotate out of that piece. I try to make the assignments as fairly as possible so that everyone gets the same amount of rotation off. I generally make the assignments as far in advance as possible, and then send them out to the others for feedback.

What is a typical rehearsal schedule?
Valovick-Moore: A Masterworks week generally consists of two or three concerts. If we have three concerts, one of them is a run-out north to Ogden or south to Orem, and the other concerts are at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake. We have four to five rehearsals for these concerts, depending on repertoire, the music director’s wishes, and the orchestra’s schedule. If it is a four-rehearsal week, we have a single rehearsal, followed by a double the next day, and then a rehearsal the day of a concert. Five-rehearsal weeks usually involve two double rehearsal days followed by a rehearsal the morning of the concert. Typically, we have another concert happening during these weeks, such as an education concert, a movie, or a concert with a guest artist. In addition to 18 weeks of Masterworks programs, we perform four operas, five to six movies, four to five Pops concerts, and have a 12-week summer season. Education concerts are an important part of the orchestra’s mission, and we perform about 40 full orchestra education concerts and 15-20 chamber orchestra concerts.

Did you have a particular teacher who influenced your orchestral playing?
Byrnes: I was fortunate to work with Richard Woodhams (former principal oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra) when I attended Curtis. We had woodwind sectionals every week. Tone production and tuning were discussed on a regular basis. During that period, I worked a lot on long tones and listening for the overtones or ring in the sound. This really helped me understand the relationship between good sound and good intonation, and how to blend better with other players. In addition, I heard Mr. Woodhams perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra every week, which made a substantial impression upon me. I also absorbed a lot of great musical information from other faculty and the many talented students at the school.

Valovick-Moore: My study with Mary Stolper greatly influenced my orchestral playing, and I had orchestral repertoire classes at DePaul and Northwestern, and in addition, Mr. Kujala had us learn important flute repertoire, like Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, and Brahms Symphony No. 1. In studio class he taught us what to listen for, how to play the music with the appropriate style, and corrected balance and intonation.
The orchestra director at DePaul, Cliff Colnot scheduled wind sectionals, and from him we learned the importance of balance and tuning chords. If the balance is off, an octave or chord can sound out of tune. An example of that in an octave would be if the low note is too soft, or in a chord, if the third is the loudest note. Everything could be in tune on a tuner, but the sound might not be right or ringing. Fixing balance can come down to intuition, or experimentation. Is the top voice too loud, or does the lower voice need to support more? Is the third of the chord too loud, or the fifth? Knowing what part of the chord you are, and who you are playing with is also important. You need to look at scores and listen to recordings. Minor thirds get raised, major thirds get lowered, and the fifth is two cents sharp.

Smith: In the short time I spent studying with Jeanne Baxtresser she completely changed my sound and vibrato. For the first month of my freshman year she had me play all repertoire with no vibrato at all, and I practiced vibrato exercises separately. We practiced different vibrato speeds and depths, making sure that I was vibrating equally above and below the correct pitch and ensuring I could play with a vibrato that was inside the sound rather than on top of the sound. After a month we then started to slowly incorporate vibrato back into my regular playing, first by using vibrato only on the long notes and as the weeks went by gradually adding vibrato to the smaller note values.

Do you have any tips on improving intonation?
Byrnes: Working with a tuner on a regular basis is essential. When it comes to intonation, be sure to compromise as flexibility is often the name of the game. In an orchestra, oboes sit in the same row as the flutes, and clarinets and bassoons are behind in the next row. Realize that most likely these other musicians cannot hear you in the same way that you hear them. It is important to be a team player so be diplomatic when working on intonation.

Valovick-Moore: When I was younger, I would play duets with friends to work on my intonation, and sometimes would make a game of trying to match pitch. Have one person pull out or push in the headjoint, and the other person has to match the pitch. I also suggest putting the tuner on a drone and work on matching it. Get comfortable moving pitch around to hear what being sharp or flat sounds like and train the ear to recognize which way to adjust when you are out of tune. When working on intonation, leave vibrato out, so that you hear a pure sound without the variations of pitch that come with vibrato. When you are comfortable matching unisons and octaves, listening for the ring in the sound and an absence of beats in the sound, move on to fifths, thirds and sevenths. Taffanel et Gaubert #10, #12, #8, and #9 are extremely useful for this. Good section intonation comes with taking care of your own business first. Be comfortable hearing when you are out of tune and adjusting to fix it.
Flute choir can be a good time to work on good intonation. Parts may be doubled which provides an opportunity to blend and match vibrato, or if you are the second player on the same part, you could also not use any. Vibrato that does not match is just going to sound like two people playing out of tune with each other.

Smith: My goal is to be as flexible as possible. It is much easier for the flute to bend pitch than it is for other woodwind instruments. It is easier for everyone if I can make a quick intonation adjustment. When practicing with a tuner, remember that just because the tuner says you are in tune, does not mean that the note will be in tune in context. For example, the principal flute will very often play the third of the chord on the very last note of a piece. In order to sound in tune, a major third must be played 13.5 cents flat and a minor third must be played 13.5 cents sharp. Practice to be able to bend every note both flat and sharp 13-14 cents. I think about the intonation for every single note I play and am constantly making adjustments.

Do you have any tricks for counting long sections of measures of rests?
Byrnes: Know the music well. Study the score and listen to recordings. Write in cues. Use your fingers (discreetly) to keep your place.

Smith: Counting rests does not have to be scary. If I have a long stretch of rests, I will write in cues (entrances of other instruments or sections) that help me to know I am counting correctly.

What other advice do you have?
Smith: So much of playing principal flute is about flexibility. Whether it is bending pitch to tune a woodwind chorale section, adjusting the tempo to accommodate the conductor’s rubato, or simply trying out a new musical interpretation, flexibility is a critical skill. Sometimes you are the soloist and sometimes you are not, and these changes can happen very quickly – often within the same measure.
Arrive at the first rehearsal armed with knowledge of the score and an informed musical interpretation. For example, I might decide that I want to play a Brahms symphony with a warm sound, using a round vibrato that is not too fast, and will be careful to play certain short notes with a bit of length. This is very different from how I would approach a piece like Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, which might require sharp, percussive attacks and a wider range of tone colors, from pastel and impressionist to more angular sounds with very fast airspeed and laser-like projection. I also consider the expressive qualities of the music and practice solos in many different ways (tempi, rubato, breathing, etc.) before the first rehearsal. This helps me to be more comfortable performing spontaneously in concert and also makes it easier to follow any requests the conductor might make. Sometimes conductors will allow you to play with complete freedom, or they may ask you to do something unexpected instead. Make the best of these requests, maintain a good attitude, and remember that doing challenging things outside one’s comfort zone is an opportunity for growth.

Valovick-Moore: Playing piccolo well requires courage. Do your homework – work with a tuner, a metronome, and recording device so you are well-prepared going into rehearsals. Embrace the instrument; do not be scared of it. During your first experiences playing piccolo, you may be tempted to play passages an octave lower, but this is not the character of the piccolo. Practice so you are prepared and go for it. I primarily listen to the instruments around me (woodwinds and violins) to fit my sound into those sections. Because of the tessitura, playing piccolo is like putting frosting on the cake. It should be beautiful.

***

Mercedes Smith, Principal Flutist
A Texas native, Smith served as Principal Flutist of the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet Orchestras for nearly a decade. She has performed with the Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Houston Symphony, and served as Prin-cipal Flutist of the Pacific Symphony during the 2010-2011 season. Awarded first prize in the NFA 2010 Young Artist Competition, She was also the second prize winner of the 2007 Haynes International Flute Competition and top prizewinner of the Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition Smith has performed multiple times in Carnegie Hall, Europe, and Asia, and performed as guest Principal Flutist for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2018 European Tour. Currently on the faculty of the Miami Summer Music Festival, she also has performed at the Grand Teton Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Tanglewood, Music Academy of the West, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and Marlboro Music Festival. She was accepted as a scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music at the age of 16 and studied with Michael Parloff, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Ronda Mains. She is Board Chairman of Salty Cricket, an organization in Salt Lake City that provides after-school orchestra programs.

Lisa Byrnes, Associate Principal Flute
Byrnes serves on the faculty at the University of Utah as Adjunct Asso-ciate Professor of Flute and also was on the faculty at Brigham Young Uni-versity. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at the Curtis Institute of Music and a Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with some undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music. Her major teachers were Julius Baker, Jeffrey Khaner, Timothy Day, Bonita Boyd, Richard Sherman, and Caryl Mae Scott. She held the position of Acting Principal Flute for the 2011-2012 season with the Utah Symphony and was previously a member of the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson-Thomas. She also held the position of Principal Flute with the San Francisco Opera/Western Opera Theatre as well as the Sarasota Opera Company. She has performed in summer music festivals including Tanglewood, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Chautauqua Music Festival and the International Music Festival in Evian, France. She has performed as a concert soloist with several orchestras and has been on the faculty at Humboldt State University Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop for 25 years. She has performed chamber music with groups including The Left Coast Ensemble, Alternate Currents, Nova Chamber Series, Intermezzo Chamber Series, Three Fish and a Scorpion and Sundays@7.

Caitlyn Valovick-Moore, Piccolo/Utility Flute
Valovick-Moore joined the Utah Symphony in 2008, and served as Acting Associate Principal Flute during the 2011-2012 and 2014-2015 seasons. She also performs with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, and is on the faculty at the University of Utah as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Flute. In addition, she performs chamber music with the Nova Chamber Music Series, the faculty recital series at the University of Utah, Sundays@7, and Intermezzo Chamber Music Series. Prior to her Utah Symphony appointment, She was a member of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and was a prizewinner in the NFA Piccolo Artist Competition. A native of northern Michigan, she attended her final two years of high school at Interlochen Arts Academy and went on to receive her Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University and her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. She has studied with Mary Stolper, Walfrid Kujala, and Stephanie Mortimore.

* * *

Playing Tips for Exposed Flute Parts in the Orchestral Repertoire

Smetana: The Moldau

Byrnes: Smetena’s The Moldau starts with a solo in the second flute that sets the mood for this beautiful work about the Moldau River. Visualization can help you create a feeling of ebb and flow. When the first flute enters in measure 3, the musical line really gets going. The goal in this excerpt is to create a seamless line as if it is played by one flute. Both players should play with the same kind of sound, use a gentle articulation, play evenly, and pay special attention to the written dynamics joining one line to the next. Your mind should be thinking about both parts for continuity, not just your own. Be proactive, not reactive, otherwise you will be late. Think ahead and look ahead.

Dvorák: Symphony #9 in E minor, “From the New World,” Op. 95, B. 178

Byrnes: In the first movement of Dvorák, the composer gave solos to the first and second flutes, as well as a small four-bar solo to the piccolo. This piece is an excellent example of musical material that is the same solo in all parts, but may be played differently each time it comes back. The two main solos start in the first flute part near the beginning of the movement when things are getting started, in tempo with possibly a happy characteristic. Next comes the piccolo solo which could be echoing the horn, and finally, near the end of the movement, the second flute has the same two solos that the principal played earlier but in different keys. Perhaps this time it is like a memory or might have a melancholy sound. The final solo occurs near the end of the movement, so it also has a different mood, and there may be more flexibility in the tempo. Dvorák may have purposely chosen the second flute’s low register to change the mood or character of these solos. Second flute players spend much of their time in this register.

Mendelssohn: Symphony #4 in A major, Op. 90

Byrnes: Here at the beginning of the second movement of the symphony is an example where both flute parts are equally important. Each line complements the other. When the second flute is in the low register, it can play out more to balance the first. Stylistically, you will have to play according to what the conductor or the principal wants. Since it is considered religious in nature, it is sometimes played very purely with minimal vibrato, or you may be asked to play with a full-bodied sound and a singing expressive vibrato. I have performed it both ways.

Prokofiev: Symphony #1 in D major “Classical”

Byrnes: In the fourth movement of Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony two flutes trade off the same material. Both players should be equally technically proficient and consistent. The second flute should match the pitch and articulation of the first flute.

Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Byrnes: This has a somewhat difficult variation for the flutes. There are several important things for the second flute to consider in this excerpt. In variation A, second flute starts alone and plays a fast-articulated motif in the low register. Have courage, and come in with confidence. Both flutes trade off for several bars, building in volume until they come together in rhythmic unison. It is written in harmony, so bring out the second part. It must be perfectly aligned with the first flute and played with a short articulation. Several bars later, the flutes take turns playing an arpeggiated figure, so be sure to match the volume and energy of the first flute. They come together once again in perfect rhythmic unison and harmony.

Valovick-Moore: Fundamentally, listen to your section mates, it is more about following each other than being with the conductor’s stick. The piccolo matches the flutes’ style, note length, and articulation. Sometimes to better match the articulation of the flutes, I begin with a breath attack rather than a tongued attack. Listen to the sound of the principal flute and take that sound and go from there. If you are passing a line to someone else, release gently, not abruptly, allowing the phrase to continue, do not disappear too soon before the line is handed off.

Mozart: Don Giovanni, K.527 “Overture”

Smith: When I play in orchestra, I always think about whether I have the leading voice at any given moment. This simple passage from the overture shows a place where the second flute has an important moving line. Although I may be playing the upper note, it is the second flute’s harmonic line that needs to come through the texture. In this example I would clearly attack the top E with a vibrant ringing vibrato and then immediately reduce the dynamic slightly and significantly reduce the vibrato to allow the second flute’s line to be heard. Sometimes we even trade off attacks like tolling bells – each with a clear, prominent attack and a quick decay (diminuendo) to allow the other voice to come through the texture. It is important to recognize which phrases should be played in a very sustained way and which should have much more decay and transparency.

The post Utah Symphony Flute Section On Creating a Unified Sound appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

NFA 2019: Salt Lake City

theinstrumenta — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:49:43 +0000

The four days of the convention are filled with a variety of events such as concerts, lectures, workshops and participatory flute choirs. Each day’s schedule includes programming for many different interest groups, from jazz and historical flutes to piccolo, flute choir, or pedagogy. The evenings bring everyone together with a flute choir concert in the lobby, followed by a celebratory Gala Concert. The Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening concerts are all scheduled in the Utah Symphony’s world-class Abravanel Hall.

Gala Concerts
   The Thursday evening concert celebrates the first full day of events. Joanie Madden and Cherish the Ladies open with energetic Irish music and story-telling, and Hungarian flutist Gergely Ittzés performs his own composition, A Most International Flute Festival, in which he recreates the sound of the world’s flutes on a modern instrument. New York City jazz flutist Christian Artmann and his quartet close the concert with an innovative take on jazz and the flute.
   Featured flutists on Friday evening’s Gala Concert include the Cincinnati Symphony’s Randy Bowman, the new University of Kansas flute professor Daniel Velasco, Milwaukee Symphony’s principal flutist Sonora Slocum, and Italian piccoloist Nicola Mazzanti. The concert features new works by Leonardo Cárdenas, Alessandro Cavicchi and Michael Chertock, as well as the Liebermann Sonata. Hybrid arts ensemble The Fourth Wall, with flutist Hilary Abigana, adds dramatic content to the event with their staged performance of A Toy Soldier’s Tale, composed by Brett Abigaña.
   Saturday’s Concerto Gala concert brings four works for flute and orchestra to the stage. Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Principal Flutist Chelsea Knox performs Eldin Burton’s flute concerto and University of Illinois professor Jonathan Keeble performs Richard Prior’s Concerto. Recent Kobe Competition winner Hélène Boulègue performs Theodor Verhey’s concerto, and Atlanta Symphony principal flutist Christina Smith will play André Jolivet’s concerto.

Special Meal Events
Prior to Saturday’s Gala Concerto Concert, the awards banquet honors the two Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees for 2019, Susan Milan and Emerson DeFord. Tickets are available, and all are encouraged to attend. Other ticketed meals involve the Food for the Day’s Journey breakfast, with Marianne Gedigian speaking, and the Flute Lover’s Lunch, with Nancy Toff.

International Participants
This year, performers are traveling from many countries including Belgium, Brazil, Finland, France, Italy, Hungary, Mexico, Panama, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Myrna Brown International Scholarship winner is Khanyisile Mthetwa, currently the principal flutist of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra who will perform a full recital of music from South Africa.

Headliner Recitals
Headliner recitals feature dynamic and varied performers. The Thursday recital includes Baroque specialist Na’ama Lion on traverso, and Stephanie Jutt performs music from Latin America. Friday’s recital is called Masterworks by Master Teachers, and features Bonita Boyd, Jonathan Keeble, John Thorne, and Linda Toote. Saturday’s recital includes chamber music between families – natural or constructed. Belgian piccoloist Peter Verhoyen performs with his son, Pieter-Jan Verhoyen, playing music by Debussy and Ravel, and Carol Wincenc shares a duo recital with her former student, April Clayton, playing music by Utah composers.

Tribute Events at the 2019 Convention
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Awardees, Emerson DeFord and Susan Milan, have tribute events organized by former students and colleagues on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. In addition, NFA Founder Phil Swanson (1939-2018) will be remembered by friends, students, and colleagues on Friday evening. The musical community acutely felt the loss of flutist and composer Katherine Hoover (1937-2018) last fall, and she is honored at the convention through more programmed works than any other composer. Bonita Boyd pays tribute to her memory with a performance of South Wind: Zephyr, a movement of the Four Winds concerto, at the final concert on Sunday.

Flute Choir
Flute choir events are convention highlights. Groups applied from throughout the United States, and groups selected are from all over the country as well as Panama. There are three flute choirs with membership selected through competition – high school, collegiate, and professional – that will perform concerts on Sunday after several days of rehearsal. The Crosswinds of the West Adult Flute Choir is open to serious adult amateurs through pre-convention sign up. For drop-in participation, there are flute choir reading sessions, one of which focuses on new ensemble repertoire for low flutes. For anyone who wants to participate, join us for rehearsals for The Great Salt Lake Flute Orchestra, conducted by John Bailey and open to all convention attendees, beginning on Wednesday, July 31.

More Performances
Among the many fantastic scheduled performers are Catherine Boyack, the 2018 Young Artist Competition winner, and several well-known international flutists on recitals. These include Sami Junnonen, Susan Milan on a shared recital with Brazilian flutist Rogerio Wolf, and a recital shared by Gergely Ittzés and Hélène Boulègue. A series of four Chamber Music Summits include a variety of mixed chamber ensembles. The Submerged concert starts with a premiere work by Miguel del Aguila, played by the Hat Trick Ensemble, and continues downward into works for lower and lower flutes, including ensembles.

Premieres
There are NFA commissions by Mary Kouyoumdjian and Alexandra Gardner that will challenge participants in the High School Soloist and Young Artist Competition. These will be officially premiered by Marianne Gedigian and Hilary Abigana after the conclusion of the competitions. The winning piece from the Flute Choir Composition Competition is to be performed by the auditioned Collegiate Flute Choir. In an NFA premiere, a work for five flutes and piccolos by Martin Amlin will be performed by Zart Dombourian-Eby, Linda Toote, Leone Buyse, Mary Stolper, and Helen Blackburn. Carol Wincenc will perform a new work she commissioned from Jake Heggie.

Participatory
In addition to listening and enjoying the music of other flutists, the convention provides attendees opportunities to participate and play. The dynamic group Project Trio, featuring flutist Greg Pattillo, has offered to provide an opportunity for flutists to play with the group. In honor of Katherine Hoover’s memory, composers Valerie Coleman, Nicole Chamberlain, and Amanda Harberg will sponsor a Flute Composing Speakeasy, in which the composers teach a masterclass on their own music, followed by a session in which flutists bring their own self-composed works to perform. Utah native James Brinkmann presents a lecture recital called “L”-Evating Art: The Artistic Listener, in which participants produce a communal piece of art as part of the experience.

Youth Flute Day
For several years, NFA conventions have included youth events. This year’s Youth Flute Day will be on Saturday. The schedule includes a variety of educational programming for flutists ages 9-18. Participants will benefit from Sightreading Olympics, a Glissando headjoint introduction with Tammy Evans Yonce, an interactive workshop called Work and Play, and Flutist FAQ: YFD Edition – a series of small group discussions with members of the NFA’s Youth Engagement Committee about topics important to young players, such as taking care of the flute, purchasing a new instrument, playing with braces, alternate fingerings, piccolo, and low flutes. Youth Flute Day participants will also be treated to an encore performance by the High School Soloist competition winner.

Masterclasses
Many convention masterclasses participants are chosen through NFA competitions. This year, the Jazz Masterclass teacher is Holly Hofmann. The Masterclass Performers Compe-tition has two classes for its winners, taught by Gergely Ittzés and Susan Milan. The High School Soloist Competition also selects participants for a high school masterclass, taught by George Pope. The Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition features Christina Smith teaching the class after the audition, and Peter Verhoyen has the same role for the Piccolo Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition. Open masterclasses, where anyone can volunteer to participate, are scheduled for Baroque music on Friday, taught by Na’ama Lion, and for adult amateurs on Saturday with Angeleita Floyd.

Late Night Events
For those who are up for late night entertainment, join us for a beverage and more from Joanie Madden and Cherish the Ladies on Thursday, a flute and piano duo with Christian Artmann and Laszlo Gardony and the Luce-Caliendo Duo on Friday, and the Jazz Flute Big Band on Saturday. If you stay up too late you can find a good cup of coffee in the morning from many outstanding nearby cafes.

Lectures
Lecture presentations are a part of every convention, and this year’s offerings provide flutists with some important opportunities. Copyright lawyer Catherine Lake addresses common questions that arise with the use of print music and recordings. A session of Lightening Talks brings attendees an hour of short presentations on a variety of subjects. Other lecture topics include Romantic Era Instruments, Cancer and Women’s Health, William Kincaid’s Performance and Pedagogy, the Prokofiev Sonata, and Movement Analysis.

Jazz
In addition to featured performances by jazz flutists Christian Artmann, Holly Hofmann and Ali Ryerson, jazz events appear throughout the convention. 2019 is a year for the Jazz Flute Big Band Competition, for which ensemble members have been selected through a competitive process. Saturday’s late-night event will feature this ensemble after many hours of rehearsal. Other notable jazz events include the Jazz Masterclass, taught by Holly Hofmann, and a Jazz Summit concert, featuring flutists Ali Ryerson, Nancy Stagnitta, Kim Helton, Shivhan Dohse, and Carla Campopiano. Philippe Barnes performs his own compositions on a short concert which fuses jazz with Celtic music.

Local Features
   The convention location inspired many NFA members in their proposals, including a variety of elevation-related titles. Flutists from Salt Lake City and the region proposed a truly excellent selection of events. The flute section of the Utah Symphony presents a concert featuring each of its three members.
   Brigham Young University Professor April Clayton is featured with Juilliard Professor Carol Wincenc on the Saturday headliner concert, performing music for flute duo by Utah composers. Pedagogy Through Chamber Music, including demonstrations by young flute and harp duos, will be presented by Suzuki teachers Nancy Wood and Artamisha Farnsworth, and the Celebrating Utah concert features many members of the Utah Flute Association as well as music by local composers.
   These are just highlights of the full convention extravaganza. It was only possible to schedule a small percentage of the excellent proposals to present and perform. If you can’t join us this year in Salt Lake City, start planning ahead for Dallas in August of 2020. If you are interested in presenting or performing, the Program Chair for that convention, Jennifer Grim, and her team will look forward to hearing your performances and ideas. Proposals are due by October 1, 2019, for the 2020 convention. I hope to see you in Salt Lake City!

The full schedule and list of works to be performed are available online at .

Things to do in Salt Lake City

Assembly Hall at Temple Square

Salt Lake City is the hub for the Wasatch Front, a chain of cities along the Wasatch Mountains that runs from Nephi to Brigham City, a distance of 141 miles. About 80% of Utah’s population resides here. Besides observing the beauty of the sun shining on the Wasatch Mountains, you will notice how wide the streets are and how long the blocks are. When the city was being laid out, Brigham Young wanted the design to allow enough room to permit an ox-pulled wagon team to turn around without “resorting to profanity.” Major streets run north/south and east/west. At the center of the grid is Temple Square, the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Temple Square
This area includes visitor centers, The Tabernacle, the Conference Center, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, The Beehive House, Church History Library, Family History Library (for genealogists), and the Assembly Hall among others. The 360-member Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square rehearses weekly on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM for their Sunday morning broadcast, Music and The Spoken Word, the world’s longest-running continuous network broadcast. The 90 to 120-minute rehearsals are open to the public in the Conference Center beginning at 7:30 PM. To attend the Sunday morning broadcast at the Conference Center, the doors open at 8:30 AM, with everyone seated by 9:15. The broadcast begins at 10 AM and last approximately 30 minutes.

Architecture
The Salt Lake City main library, designed by Moshe Safdie, opened in 2003 and in 2004 received an Institute Honor Award from Architecture by the American Institute of Architects. Other buildings of interest are the Thomas Kearns Mansion (now the Governor’s Mansion), the Capitol, the Kearns building on Main Street, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, and the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

The Olympics
In 2002 the XIX Olympic Winter Games were held in and around Salt Lake City. The Olympic Cauldron can be seen at the Olympic Cauldron Park at the Rice-Eccles Stadium. There is also a visitor’s center, and the Hoberman Arch. Other Olympic sports venues are in or near Park City, Kearns, and Heber City. World-class ski and summer resorts close by include Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley where activities range from horseback riding and mountain biking to hot air balloon rides and river rafting.
Shopping
Just across the street to the south of Temple Square is the City Creek Center Shopping Plaza. It includes many high-end stores, restaurants, and office and residential space. A few blocks to the east is Trolley Square, an indoor/outdoor mall with shops, restaurants and a movie theater. Of special interest to book lovers is Sam Wellers book store that specializes in new and used books and music. Also to the west of city center is The Gateway shopping mall.

Family Options
Other activities to explore include the Clark Planetarium, Hogle Zoo, Lagoon Amusement Park, and the Great Salt Lake. Of special interest to train buffs is the Golden Spike National Historic Site, where in 1869 the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Summit on the north side of Salt Lake City.

The post NFA 2019: Salt Lake City appeared first on The Instrumentalist.