Andy Scott, saxophonist and composer, is the saxophone tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and vice-president of the International Saxophone Committee. He was a recipient of a British Composer Award in 2006 and divides his time between performing and composition. TheBadTemperedFlute is a collection of ten pieces commissioned and performed by Paul Edmund-Davies, Clare Southworth and Andy Findon with Craig Ogden, guitar; Lauren Scott, harp; and pianists Tim Carey and Peter Lawson.
   And Everything Is Still for flute and piano was commissioned in 2008 by the Royal Northern College of Music and dedicated to Paul Edmund-Davis. I really enjoyed My Mountain Top, an eight-minute piece for alto flute and narrator. The writing, which is haunting, liquid, and sensitive, offers a perfect vehicle for Edmund-Davis to demonstrate his artistry.
   Both the Sonata for Flute and Piano (2003) and the Sonata for Flute and Harp (2002) were commissioned and performed by Clare Southworth. Southworth is joined by Tim Carey, piano and Lauren Scott, harp on the CD. Besides being beautifully performed by all artists, Southworth’s execution of the jazzy rhythms, extended techniques, and lyrical passages show what an outstanding performer she is.
   Flutist Andy Findon is featured on three shorter pieces, Eighteen, Fujiko, and Paquito. Eighteen is for solo flute with jazzy elements and some extended techniques, while Fujiko is for flute and piano and Paquito for flute and harp. Findon has an expressive singing, haunting sound and fluid technique. This CD, featuring the works of one composer, is certainly worth a listen.
Edge
Flute Music from the Periphery of Europe

Paul Taub, Flute; Artur Avanesov, Piano; Nathan Whittaker, Cello; Valerie Muzzolini-Gordon, Harp; Matthew Kocmieroski, Percussion; Mikhail Shmidt, Violin; Natasha Bazhanov, Violin; Julie Whitton, Viola; David Sabee, Cello; Roger Nelson, Piano

   Seattle flutist Paul Taub’s recording presents works by composers of the former republics of the Soviet Union. The first track, Namu-Amida-Butsu for flute and piano (2001), is by Armenian composer Artur Avanesov. The composer writes, “The title of this piece is a Japanese expression. It has many translations; for me, however, the most important is ‘I accept the power of the illuminated.’” Avanesov also noted in his diary that the music reflects, “lost gardens in Yerevan, spring 2000; blooming trees, foreign planets, pure prayers; all the fallings-in-love; reminiscence of Chopin through the Japanese flute” but goes on to say the music is never descriptive. The composer is the collaborative pianist on this performance. 
   Peteris Vasks’ Sonata for unaccompanied flute/alto flute (1995) incorporates elements of Latvian folklore and sounds of nature (such as birdsong). The first and third movements are titled Night and are based on the same musical material. They utilize performance techniques of multiphonics and simultaneous playing and singing. The middle movement Flight features virtuoso writing for the flute to explore the image of a lost butterfly trying to find her way towards a distant light. 
   Other compositions on this CD are by Giya Kancheli (Georgia), Elmir Mirzoev (Azerbaijan) and Sergei Slonimsky (Russia) for mixed consort chamber ensembles. Taub has worked extensively to promote Soviet/Russia composers in America and American composers in the former Soviet Union. and

Michel Pignolet de Montéclair
Six Concerts for Two Transverse Flutes without Bass

Marie-Céline Labbé, Transverse Flute; Marion Treupel-Franck, Transverse Flute

   While Pignolet’s music is not well-known, it provides a glimpse into  musical life at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries. Michel Pignolet (1667-1737) began his musical career as a choir boy at the age of eight at the Saint-Mammès Cathedral, a musical institution established in the Middle Ages. At the age of 20, he set off to Paris to make his name. Eight years later he was listed in the tax records as a dancing and instrumental teacher. In 1697 Ballard, a music publisher and dealer, brought out Montéclair’s (as he was now calling himself) Nine Serious or Drinking Airs, two other volumes of similar content, and his most important work to date, the Serenade, or Concert, divided into three suites for violins, flutes, and oboes. In 1699 Montéclair was engaged as a member of the orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music, a position he held for over 40 years. He is credited with bringing the double bass into the orchestra. He continued to compose throughout his career publishing these Six Concerts between 1721 and 1724. The Concerts contain 64 duos written in the French and Italian style.
   These works are exquisitely performed by Marie-Céline Labbé and Marion Treupel-Franck. Labbé, originally from Quebec, has been a member of the Vienna Academy since 1991 and has performed with various baroque orchestras throughout Europe. Marion Treupel-Franck, from Munich, teaches traverso at the Richard Strauss Conservatorium and the Hochschule for Music in Munich and has performed with various baroque orchestras. Both have recorded and toured extensively. This recording was made at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, Basse-Bodeux, Belgium. and

The Silverwind Duo:
American Kaleidoscope

Nicole McPherson, Flute, Andrew Seigel, Clarinet

   In 2005 the Silverwind Duo commissioned Sy Brandon to write Kaleidoscope. The piece was inspired by the ever-changing geometric shapes that one sees when looking through the children’s toy. The shapes are depicted in Triangles in 3rds, Quadrangles on 4ths and Pentagons on 5ths. The work is scored for a variety of pairings of instruments from the flute and clarinet families. 
   The oldest composition on the recording is Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite (1973). Each bagatelle in this set quickly captures the style, atmosphere, and mood of early 20th century dance forms. Each movement is only slightly longer than a minute but offers ample time for the Silverwind Duo to show their excellent chamber music playing skills. 
Other compositions on the recording are by composers Gary Schocker (Airheads), Jane Brockman (Shadows), Cynthia Folio (Developing Hues), Robert Wykes (Three Faces of Friendship) and Philip Parker (Games). For anyone contemplating a flute and clarinet recital, this repertoire is some of the best around. Nicole J. McPherson and Andrew Seigel are both teachers at SUNY/Fredonia. American Kaleidoscope was recorded at Rosch Recital hall, SUNY/Fredonia, in 2009. Emeritus 20102/2010 Emeritus Recordings 

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Create a Timeline
   Since games and crafts can make excellent partners, I usually create a Timeline first. This can then be used with other games like Composer Bingo and Name-That-Flute-Tune. Place the timeline on a large bulletin board and have students use colored pushpins to identify the composers and musical style periods.
   This activity helps students understand how musical periods relate to world history. Students should not try to add every possible historical event to the timeline. One student might have a particular interest in political events, while another might include art and literature. The focus should be to relate historical events to composers’ lives and musical style periods. For example, learning that George Washington and Franz Joseph Haydn were born in the same year allows an exploration of the differences and culture contrasts of life in a young country with that of the sophisticated Austrian society. Another interesting thought might be to note that William Shakespeare did not have the music of J.S. Bach to listen to for inspiration, but Bach did have the writings of Shakespeare to read.
   My timeline packet includes: pages listing composers for each musical style period (color-coded by period), pages listing historical events (color-coded by musical style period), a roll of paper 12" x 6′ or sheets of paper can be taped together to form the timeline. I also provide students with a marking pen (Sharpie), ruler, tape, glue, and stickers from a scrap-booking store.
   Encourage students to be creative. The goal is a well-designed, concise, and informative timeline. Display completed projects in the studio, public library, recital, a local music store, or at a student’s home.

Composer Bingo
   Bingo is one of the most popular games. While there are many possibilities to add a musical twist, I construct Bingo games based on composers, general musical knowledge, rhythmic patterns, and musical terms. The games can be played with groups of several students up to 50 or more. 
   The purpose of Composer Bingo is to help students become familiar with a composer, his life, style period, and compositional output. Each student is given a set of Composer Cards, that they put in order based on dates, and a Bingo card listing five musical style periods where the letters of the word B-I-N-G-O would usually be placed. Underneath the letters are 25 composers’ names. I have made over 50 Bingo cards for each Bingo game. It is easy to create more on a computer; just move and exchange composer’s names to make additional cards.
   The teacher (or another student) has another set up composer cards. The teacher selects one randomly and reads the musical style period, biographical information or a list of compositions, but not the composer’s name. The amount of information given can be adjusted to the reflect the students’ musical knowledge. The players figure out who the composer is and place a marker in the appropriate box on the card. Students are generally allowed to refer to their Composer Cards (there are over 100 in my game set). The rest is classic Bingo.

General Music Bingo
   This version of Bingo helps students become familiar with terms relating to dynamics, tempo, style/expression, musical forms, and the proper names of musical instruments. This can be a good game to play with less advanced students. As the announcer reads from an information card, he identifies the category and reads the definition of the word. For each word correctly identified, a marker is placed in the appropriate box on the card.

Rhythm Bingo
   This Bingo game develops aural skills. The Bingo cards are organized by simple meter (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) and compound meter (6/4, 6/8). Under each of these headings, 25 rhythms are listed. The announcer selects a rhythm which is listed with a suggested metronome speed and taps the rhythm. For each rhythm correctly identified, a marker is placed in the appropriate box on the card. Usually the announcer needs to tap the rhythm several times. Because this is a difficult game for young or rhythmically challenged students, I often pair a younger student with an advanced student.

Name That Flute Tune
   This game helps students develop visual and aural recognition of musical line. It is most appropriate for beginning and intermediate students, but can also be fun for advanced students in a separate setting. Students bring anthology publications they own. Standard examples might be: Forty Little Pieces for Beginning Flute Players; A Treasury of Flute Music; 24 Short Concert Pieces; and Flute Music by French Composers. CD sheet music also works well, and is often a good choice for camp or masterclass settings if prepared packets are provided.
   Depending on the nature of the groups (number of students, ability levels) students may play this game in teams or as individuals. If teams are used, one person is designated by the team as the speaker. The teacher states what anthology or collection they will be playing from and then plays a short section of a piece. Hints may be given, such as this is a piece from the Baroque Period. The section does not have to be the beginning of the piece, but certainly may be. When a student recognizes the piece, he raises his hand and is given the opportunity to identify it. If he is incorrect, then the next person who raises his hand is given the opportunity. If no one is able to identify the piece, another section is played; this continues until it is identified.
   When this game is played with advanced students, it resembles those old college “drop-the-needle” exams. It is often fun to see if these students can identify pieces having only heard one or two notes.
    I often add a twist to this game by having the student who correctly identified the piece place a pushpin above the composer on the group Timeline and then read two historical events that occurred within 30 years of the composer’s life.

Spin-To-Begin, Pick-The-Pro, Away We Go!

   This game is appropriate for every age and playing level. While it can work with one group of flutists, the ideal situation is to have two or more groups: one or two groups of less experienced players (elementary or middle school flutists) and another group of more experienced players (high school flutists or teachers). Spin a bottle with the younger group in a circle. The person the bottle stops on selects a duo, trio, or quartet to be performed. Then spin the bottle to pick a member of the more advanced groups. Continue spinning the bottle until the number of people to play that piece are selected.
   Give the group a few minutes to look over the selected music. This is an opportunity for the more advanced flutists to teach and assist the younger students. Then the group performs the music for the rest of the students.
   This delightful activity gives students the opportunity to enjoy performing an impromptu concert with people at varying levels of playing ability. In addition, it brings out the best in everyone: advanced students learn through teaching and assisting, beginning and intermediate students gain confidence through playing with others. A wide range of music should be on hand. Participants are also encouraged to bring music for more variety of music.
   After the performance, begin the next round so everyone has an opportunity to participate as a player and audience member. Advisory notice: This game is so popular with players of all levels (and ages) that when you schedule it, you might wish to double or triple the length of time you allow.
   The study of music often creates a very competitive environment. Games and activities that are fun and purposeful provide a wonderful opportunity to educate and unify. The 20th-century British composer Malcolm Arnold said, “Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is.” If you wish students to enjoy practicing, playing, and performing with others, let them play.              

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Job Openings
   The Chronicle of Higher Education (available in university libraries) lists job openings in higher education as does the College Music Society. It is worthwhile to join and become active in the CMS as it provides excellent networking opportunities. Attend the CMS conferences and participate in the sessions. Flute Talk also lists job opportunities on a regular basis.

Credentials
   A completed DMA or DM is the most common academic requirement, although an MM with substantial teaching and performing experience is often considered as well. Get your academic credentials in order.
   Look like a professional. Join the NFA and become an active member. A serious candidate for a college flute position performs regularly at conventions or large regional festivals. If there is a local flute club in your area, become a member and volunteer your expertise, time, and talent. Work on hosting a flute festival to develop skills in networking, organization, time-management, programming, and knowledge of the community.

Be Prepared
   Candidates should demonstrate knowledge of flute repertoire, pedagogical techniques, and areas of new research. They should have the ability to recruit and possess a comprehensive knowledge of the arts. Besides being able to teach studio flute, they should know how to teach music theory, aural skills, music appreciation and music history. Additional skills in teaching music education, music business, and music technology make you attractive to the search committee. Other non-teaching attributes that will be of interest to a search committee include expertise in marketing, publishing, web design, entrepreneurship, and other closely related fields.
   College teachers are expected to collaborate with the artistic and academic community of the university. Begin now and develop projects with local dancers, filmmakers, and artists. Let your creativity shine in application materials by including DVDs, CDs and fliers of these projects.
   College professors also serve on academic committees that prepare accreditation reports, write grants, set policies, and review tenure requests. Get experience with committees in your community, whether music-related, a non-profit, or government; this will give you experience that most other candidates will not have. 
   If you have limited teaching experience, find ways to acquire more. Present masterclasses and teach private lessons at local middle and high schools. Organize a flute ensemble at each school and present regular concerts. Have mentors observe you and make suggestions for improvement.

Application Materials
   Read the job listing carefully to be sure the position fits your qualifications and follow all instructions. Place materials in a folder or notebook in the stated order to make it easy for the search committee to read them. Submit the application before the published deadline if possible. A late application signals that you do not have much concern for timeliness.

Red Flags
   There are specific things in a vita or resume that cause search committees to question the qualification of a candidate. These red flags include a candidate who has been ABD (all but dissertation) for longer than five years or has had several jobs in just a few years. Don’t indicate in a cover letter that you are leaving a current position because of problems with colleagues or students. Never exaggerate or lie on a resume because the truth will come out. The music world is small and there is always someone on the search committee who knows one of your references. One call can make or break a job search.
   Search committees generally have three to six members, including several non-flute wind faculty members and a teacher from an academic area. For diversity, some institutions suggest a non-music committee member so prepare materials accordingly.

Cover letter and CV
   The cover letter should give a snapshot of your qualities. You also want to demonstrate that you work well with others and will make things run more smoothly. They want someone with energy and creativity as well. If you merely restate the contents of the resume, you lose an opportunity to sell your outstanding qualities. Research the school and look at its catalog and mission statement. Explain how your skills will enhance their program. Let the committee know that you are familiar with their school. Show that you will be a good fit for their school and music program.
   When applying for a college teaching job, focus your CV and order the contents according to the published position description. List degrees first, followed by teaching and performing experience. The cover letter should be no more than three pages. The CV can vary in length, but most are ten pages or less depending on the job and your experience. If you send a paper copy, use fairly heavy paper stock in white, ivory, or light cream. Use clips or staples to hold it together, but do not use a notebook or any binding. Processing paper applications often involves scanning or copying them for each search committee member, so make it as easy as possible for this person.
   On the cover letter and CV your name can be centered at the top, at the far left, or at the far right. If the name is on the far left, it should not flow past the center point of the paper. Use a standard font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica, with a point size no smaller than 11 or 12, and make your name is no larger than 16 (if you enlarge it at all). A sans serif font (like Arial) works well for headings. Serif fonts (Times New Roman) are easier to read for paragraphs of text. Be consistent – too many fonts or font sizes is distracting.
   Use at least 1" margins. Smaller margins make the text too wide; this is hard to read and looks unprofessional. Check to see that you have no widows and orphans (these are words or short lines at the beginning or end of a paragraph that are alone at the top or bottom of a column) when you print. Copies of newspaper reviews of your performances should be legible. If they are not, include text or translation alongside. If the review or article is in a publication, extract the review in a way that will keep the application compact. Make a copy of your pages and check whether there is anything in your resume that becomes unreadable when copied.
   Contact information should be found and easily read. Tiny print is easily overlooked. Committees look at many applications and want this information readily available. It is acceptable to have your name listed on the top or bottom of each page. What looks good on your computer screen may appear differently on another computer. If you send an electronic application, save the documents as PDF files.
   Before mailing an application, read through the material completely for errors and spelling mistakes. Have two mentors read cover letter and CV for organization, content, accuracy, and thoroughness. Some applications and letters of reference have been received that are addressed to other institutions or with names spelled incorrectly. 

References
   Each time you apply for a position, notify your references and obtain their current phone numbers and email addresses. Let them know where you are applying, the deadlines, and give them a copy of the job listing. Reference letters older than three to five years are looked upon slightly less favorably unless they are from a major international star (for example, a 1995 letter from Rampal). Balance older letters with current ones. Letters of thanks to your references can serve as a reminder to them in case they have forgotten to send your letters.
   Some schools will notify you when all of the material has been received (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) but many will not. A deep applicant pool guarantees that top candidates will get all materials submitted promptly. Be a thorough, low-maintenance applicant.

Recordings
   You should have an easy-to-navigate website where your recordings, current CV, and relevant teaching materials are posted. Make recordings available online if possible. A single zip file via Digital Dropbox is clean and simple. Audio recordings may be requested initially or for the semifinals, so have them ready. The search committee probably will not know every piece on your recording but they should be able to hear the quality of the playing. Listen to each recording all the way through before sending it out. If you make the copies yourself, play them on different devices to be certain they read correctly with a good sound. Each year committees receive applications in which recordings are unusable due to bad sound quality.
   Label each track on the recording so that the movement shows up when the CD is playing. An unlabeled CD means that someone will have to take time to identify and label each track, a time-consuming process. That person may not know your repertoire which may lead to errors. Put a printed playlist in the CD case and your name on the CD. (Unlike competitions, there is generally no need for secrecy in the job search.) Make the CD look as professional as possible. Using a magic marker to label the CD is not wrong, but it does not present a professional effort.
   Do not send more recordings than requested. If the committee asks for one, send one. Generally, the primary CD should include a wide variety of styles and composers. Additional recordings may specialize in a single area (all chamber music, all solos with orchestra, or your dissertation composer) or it can elaborate on the materials in the primary CD. When mailing a CD, package the jewel case in bubble wrap rather than in a shredded newspaper envelope or Styrofoam peanuts.

Online application process
   More schools now use an online application process. The past school year was the first year each of the UMKC Conservatory’s search committees could view complete applications and listen to recordings online. It was a big success and saved time because committee members could review the materials at their own convenience on any computer. With this in mind, check your documents both in hard copy and electronically to see if they have the intended file integrity. For example, your CV might be read on an iPad – will it come across well?
   For online applications, save the cover letter and CV as PDF files so they retain formatting when posted, viewed, and printed. Name files clearly and consistently, such as [Last Name, First Name, School Abbreviation, and Cover Letter] and [Last Name, First Name, School Abbreviation, CV]. This step makes it easier for those organizing the search process.

The Next Step
   The search committee reviews all of the material, narrows the field to about twelve semifinalists, and calls references. The most common reasons for applicants not moving to the next round are insufficient teaching experience (quality or quantity), insufficient performing (quality or quantity), and insufficient qualifications for the position. If a candidate possesses the desired qualities and phone references are positive, the committee selects three or four finalists for interviews.
   The chair of the search committee notifies the candidate if more information is needed, such as additional references, recordings, or other materials. Generally the school will not divulge whether you are in the semifinals or where the committee is in the deliberation process.
   Applicants can usually email the contact person to find out if all materials have been received. If the application process was completed and letters of recommendation and transcripts have been sent, be patient. Depending on the academic time-table, schools can contact candidates in late winter or spring for interviews. Later rounds of hiring to replace departing faculty may mean a late spring or summer search. If you are not selected, keep working on your application and  improving your skills and try again.     

The Interview

   If you make it to the interview, this is the time to demonstrate to the search committee why you are the best candidate. Prepare for the interview as you would a recital. Do your homework, practice, and give trial performances. Solicit family, friends, and teachers for suggestions and criticism.

Do:
1. Look and act professionally. Dress well and use your best manners. You do not want to look more like a student than a professor.
2. Pause and think before answering a question. Give a concise but complete answer. You do not want to ramble on for several minutes and go off the topic.
3. Be sure to respond to the question asked. Sometimes applicants answer with what they want to talk about instead of what was asked.
4. Speak in complete sentences. If you answer with a quick yes or no, it shuts down the conversation. If you do not fully understand the question, ask for clarification.
5. Be enthusiastic but don’t overdo it.
6. Prepare questions for the committee. It shows that you have researched the school and the position. Often the questions you ask show the search committed that you are a creative thinker and would be an asset to the department. Many professors lack creativity but would love to have it. When someone comes in and shows that they can think realistically and creatively, they are impressed.
7. Show your passion for the flute but express your other interests too.

Don’t:
1. Use poor grammar or slang phrases. Tape yourself in a mock interview to check for irritating verbal or physical expressions, such as “like” or “um.” Often colleges offer classes or other help for interview preparation.
2. Make negative comments about former employers, colleagues or teachers.
3. Let your cell phone ring or even buzz during the interview. Turn it completely off.

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Tuition: To Pay or Not to Pay
My studio curriculum includes private lessons, group technique classes, and an optional flute choir class. There is a small additional fee to participate in the flute choir. I have found if I do not put a nominal fee for the flute choir class, the class is not viewed as having value. I have a large studio and almost everyone participates in flute choir. 

Performance
   Each December and May we present a studio recital. The program features flutists playing solos and flute choir performances. Sometimes there are students who are not ready for a solo, but in the safety net of a flute choir can enjoy the benefits of a public performance. The experience and confidence they gain eventually enables them to perform alone.
   The flute ensemble comprised of six and seven year olds is often one of the highlights of the recital. These young flutists perform like professionals. I emphasize stage presence and recital etiquette right from the start. Topics include how to walk on stage, adjust music, begin together, watch each other, playing accelerandos and ritards, the cut-off for the final note, bowing and acknowledging the audience. Another benefit comes from the younger students watching the older ensembles. When flutists graduate from high school, they are offered the opportunity to perform a solo with the flute choir.
   The flute choirs have an active public performance schedule in addition to the studio recitals. Our traditions include Christmas caroling at Starved Rock Lodge (one of the largest state parks in Illinois) and a spring concert at the Hegeler Carus Mansion (a historical landmark) in addition to performances for church services, private parties, and weddings. These make the flute choirs a visible asset to the community. The top flute choir has performed at the 37th Annual Principal Conference in Peoria and twice at the Chicago Flute Club Flute Festival.

Continued Benefits
   Since the flute choir program has been going for a while, I now have an adult flute choir made up of former students who played flute in high school and college. Now after starting a career and a family, they are able to return to flute playing as a hobby. Many of these flutists are parents of my younger students.

The Essentials
   Should a flute choir sit or stand? I prefer having the flute choir stand for rehearsals and performances. This encourages the development of good alignment and breathing habits. Most rehearsals are 50 to 75 minutes long. If you train flutists to stand properly from a young age, they accept that as how to play in a flute choir. No one complains.
   We rehearse at my studio. This is where I also keep the large flutes (alto, bass, and contra) and several file cabinets of music. My students enjoy learning and performing music from all genres – everything from classical transcriptions to a Beatles medley. Currently one flute choir is working on a Lady Gaga medley for an upcoming performance. The flute choir usually plays without a conductor; this offers a true chamber music experience as flutists listen and watch their colleagues. Concert dress varies according to the venue from concert black to studio tee-shirts.

Fundraisers
   Several years ago we started a scholarship fund to provide financial assistance to flute students attending flute camps. Through the years we have made and sold CDs on which each student in the studio performs. This project has taught me a great deal about obtaining mechanical licenses, designing covers, and the duplication process. This year the theme for the studio CD is Americana/Patriotic repertoire. 
   We have also raised funds to sponsor guest artists in our community. We host an annual Flute Day and a Visiting Artist series. Guest artists have included Rhonda Larson, Greg Pattillo, Patricia George, Steve Kujala, Jim Walker, Mike Garson, Shanna Gutierrez, Ali Ryerson, and flute professors from the various Illinois universities. Besides providing scholarships, these funds have helped the studio purchase a contrabass flute.

The Next Step
   Fourteen years ago I added a Summer Flute Retreat. The weeklong masterclass program is housed at a local community college. My former university flute professor, Gerald Carey, teaches alongside with former student Rachel Bailey and colleague Ellen Huntington. While this program was organized primarily for my students, we now have students from other cities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Mississippi, California, and New Jersey attending. Since the community college does not have dorm facilities, my students host the out-of-town students. Many of these flutists have become life-long friends.

You Can Do It
   I highly recommend adding a flute choir or ensemble program to your studio program as the benefits are immeasurable. Students not only develop musically but develop life-long friendships. A whole generation of students in my community has literally grown up together sharing their love of and passion for the flute. They support one another; if one student is having trouble with a passage, another will say, “let’s figure out how to make that easier for you.” It is truly a remarkable situation.   

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Fast Technique
   Julius Baker outlined a good course of study to develop technique with students. His curriculum of scales, arpeggios, 3rds and 6ths, seventh chords, etc. and volumes of etudes are as valid today as in the past. Many teachers are implementing Baker’s ideas well with students; however, students still complain that they do not have enough technique. If students are practicing well and regularly, then there are several other additional concepts to explore.

Well-playing Flute
   If the flute is not sealing well or if the tension in the springs is not even, no amount of practice by the student will build an effortless technique. Check your student’s flute and, if necessary, have the flute repaired by a master craftsman.

Metronome
   If students do not practice technical items with a metronome, they will not know if they are going faster today than yesterday. Encourage students to use a metronome daily and note the metronome markings in a journal each day. For many exercises, students may stay at the same metronome marking for several days or weeks until the patterns become easy. Do not speed up until the exercise sounds and feels easy.
   Students should also explore practicing technical material with different rhythmic patterns, articulation patterns, and dynamics. Practicing in chunks first is always the best idea. Encourage students to play with light fingers moving from the third knuckle back from the nail except for the left index finger. The fingers should be close to the keys. Practicing scales with a fast trill or mordent on each note will help students learn to move the fingers quickly and with economy of motion. Practice this exercise in the mirror to be sure the finger is articulate in its movement.

Air Speed
   Fast notes should be played on one long puff of air. If air speed increases or decreases during technical passages, then they will not sound or feel smooth. In order to learn to play with even air, try the following exercise. If a technical passage is eight counts in duration, play the first note of the passage for eight counts keeping the air speed even. Use a tuner while playing the long note. If the needle is still for the eight counts, then the air speed is even. Have students repeat this exercise until the air speed is even on several attempts. Once it is even, play the notes of the passage with this even air stream. Many times if students think of having the fingers lead the air stream, the same results will occur.

Alla Breve
   In the elementary stages of learning the flute, many flutists learn to count by pumping the end of the flute with a metronome. I believe this is a concept that each flutist should learn to employ, but also learn to omit. If a student is playing a two-octave scale in sixteenths and moves the end of the flute on every two sixteenths, there is only a certain tempo the flutist can execute the scale. Likewise bouncing the end of the flute on each grouping of four sixteenths limits the tempo. However, bouncing on every eight or sixteen sixteenth notes can allow the flutist to play more quickly. For example, rather than playing the opening movement of either Mozart Concerto in 44, playing alla breve will free the fingers to move effortlessly and quickly. When a student is having difficulty playing any passage fast enough, encourage him to try playing passages in simple meter in cut-time or alla breve and passages in compound meter in one.

Slow Technique
   Slow technique is the technique that most students and less experienced flutists think is easy, and professionals know is not. Larger intervals (a fourth or more) are more difficult to execute than intervals that are stepwise. When playing most intervals, several fingers must move. In lifting more than one finger at once, there is a chance of lifting the fingers in a rippling motion meaning that the notes in between the written notes sound.
   The way to avoid letting these unwritten notes from floating into the melody is to subdivide the beat and move the fingers as a unit at exactly the correct time. Practicing counted or measured vibrato on each note of the phrase will help assure that the vibrato speed is constant throughout the phrase and that the vibrato does not stop and start on each note. I often set the metronome ticking the major beats and also clicking the subdivisions to help students count the subdivisions.
   Clarinet professors talk about legato fingers. This means the fingers move gracefully from one note to the next with purpose and control. This is a good thought for flutists as well. For intervals of a distance of a fourth or more, slightly lengthening the note before the skip makes the notes of the passage appear even to the listener. Increasing the vibrato speed just before skipping to the next note will also make the interval sound smaller.
   If there are challenging intervals in a slow movement, practice each one separately. Set the metronome on q = 60. On each click, slur from the first note to the second placing four or five vibrato cycles on each note, four to eight times. Repeat this exercise if necessary to develop a smooth connection. While doing this, consider the speed of the air and the angle of the air when playing the two notes. Low notes may be played with a high embouchure setting, but high notes cannot be played with a low embouchure setting. Use a mirror to examine the aperture size. Many times a smaller aperture (but not tight) makes intervallic connections more fluid.
 
Final Product
   Record and video tape slow and fast technical passages as the eyes are often more acute in their deductions than the ears. With patience and diligence students should be able to conquer passages that require a controlled slow and fast technique. Practice never produces a final result, but it is a continual process of learning and exploration to reach an artistic performance.      

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   Listening to Bill Hebert discuss life and music is heart warming and fascinating. At 88 years old, he says the trick to staying healthy is “good vitamins and a good attitude.” Hebert served as the piccolo player for the Cleveland Orchestra for 41 years, starting in 1947. He played under the batons of George Szell (1946-70), Lorin Maazel (1972-82), Christoph von Dohnányi (1984-2002), and Franz Welser-Möst (2002-present) as well as many guest conductors including Pierre Boulez. In addition, he was the flute professor at Kent State University and the Baldwin-Wallace College. Hebert officially retired from the orchestra in 1988, but rejoined the orchestra for a three-week tour to Spain, France, and the Canary Islands in 1991 when Mary Kay Fink, current Cleveland Orchestra piccolo, was pregnant and unable to travel.

Early Studies
   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 comments, “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.”
   After the family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Hebert studied with the legendary second flutist of the Boston Symphony, James Pappoutsakis who also arranged for him to play in a training orchestra. “It was an all-Greek orchestra comprised of professionals in other fields who loved to play music. I was one of the few non-Greeks. We played a lot of 7/8 rhythms in those days. Pappoutsakis also arranged for me to play in the MacDowell Club Orchestra where Arthur Fiedler conducted. This orchestra was financially sponsored by the Strauss family, of blue jean fame. If Fiedler was unable to conduct, one the Strauss family would guest conduct. I think the Strauss family lent financial backing to the orchestra for the occasional conducting opportunity. Fortunately as I recall, Strauss was a good enough conductor”
   It was about this time that Hebert got his first professional flute. “Mr. Pappoutsakis wanted me to get a better flute, so my mom borrowed the $75 down payment from our parish priest. The flute cost $295. My mother asked Verne Q. Powell if he would take my old flute in trade for some off the price. Powell told her that he would take the flute because he wanted to build a lamp and would use it for that.”
   Hebert had always loved the piccolo players in marching bands. “I decided that was what I’d like to play in addition to the flute. I also learned by this time that rehearsals kept me out of mischief in life.” He is a self-taught piccolo player. A cousin bought him his first piccolo as a graduation present from junior high school. This was the piccolo he played to win his audition with the Cleveland Orchestra.
   Hebert was part of the National Guard band which was put under federal control after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The band was immediately shipped out. Hebert continued to play with the Army Band during WWII for the next five years. He was stationed in the South Pacific where his duties included carrying ammunition, being a stretcher bearer, and of course, performing in the ceremonial events and public concerts. There were only 28 men in the band, and he was appointed the drum major since he was the tallest in his unit. “The other men were almost all Italians and much shorter than I was. The band members just needed to be able to see someone.” Hebert was discharged before the war ended and enrolled in Juilliard when he was 23 years old. At Juilliard he studied with Arthur Lora, who played principal flute with the NBC Symphony and on Broadway. Lora had an awareness of the musical business and advised, “If a third tier orchestra has an opening for principal flute, take it. If a second class orchestra has an audition for second flute, take that. If a first class orchestra has an opening for piccolo, take it.” This was the advice that Hebert followed when he heard about the piccolo opening in the Cleveland Orchestra.

Cleveland Audition
   The audition process was very different then. “Excerpts were not published and readily available like they are now. When I heard about the job, I wrote my friend George Madsen (piccolo in Boston Symphony) and Pappoutsakis and asked which solos might be asked of me in an audition. Madsen sent me a rather long list, and the only things that were published were some Wagner opera excerpts. I went down to the East Side Library in Manhattan every Tuesday night for a month and hand copied the parts they suggested for two or three hours. By the time of the audition, I had a lot of the major piccolo excerpts prepared and played Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 and a few other things during the audition.
   “There was no audition committee. Only Cleveland Orchestra conductor George Szell and the orchestra manager were in the room. Szell asked where I had played before, and I drew a smile from his face when I told him I had been in the Army bands for five years and to please not hold it against me. Szell wanted to hear me sightread, but told me it would be hard to find something new for me to play since I had everything in my notebooks. Szell chose the Wagner ‘Magic Fire Music’ from Die Walküre. Instead of the normal divisi of the parts for 2 piccolos, this part had both piccolo parts written out continuously. I had previously practiced a copy where the divisi parts had been written out, and so as I played the combined part, I left out a 16th here and there in order to take a quick breath. Szell saw that I was not having too much trouble, so then he began conducting, changing the tempo at will, and I followed him like a glove. He said, ‘I want this man’ at the end of the audition. They still had to listen to five other people after me (there were only a few piccolo players auditioning), but he had already chosen me. It was only later after I came back to finalize things that I even played the flute for him.”

Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra
   “Szell was a musical giant and a fantastic conductor. He was all business, austere, and rather like a Prussian General in that he did not spend much time with the members of the orchestra. He had no idea how to do small talk. Before the season started, we had nine rehearsals, no concerts, just rehearsals so he could teach the orchestra what he wanted us to do. His rehearsals were so thorough that he could have walked away from the podium and we could have continued on without him. We were so well disciplined.”
   Although Szell came to Cleveland in 1946, he did not deem the orchestra ready for a European tour until 1963. During his first year as music director, he fired 20 musicians, and hired 20; he did that the following year as well. Hebert was hired during Szell’s second year of orchestra’s transformation. “Szell balanced personnel of the orchestra between younger players from the United States, particularly the wind players where the level of playing was so strong, and older string players with the European training and traditions.”
   Hebert traveled to over 50 countries on tour with the Cleveland Orchestra over the years. The first 13-week European tour in 1963 took them behind the Iron Curtain. “The State Department was sponsoring this tour as a cultural exchange.”
   Hebert said, “Szell had two vices, both of which I enjoyed. He liked to play golf and bridge. When we were on tour, we would try and put together games so he could join us. He was quite content to play bridge until he drew a bad hand, then he would excuse himself from the table as if he had a sudden headache.”
   “The orchestra played Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 my first year on the job. By mistake, I came in one measure too early the first time in the Scherzo. Then on the second statement, I waited an extra bar so it came out right. As we were packing up after the concert, I said to myself, ‘This may be my first year in the orchestra, but it may be my last.’ I just knew Szell would want to speak with me about that mistake, so I decided to beat him to the punch. I knocked on his dressing room door after the concert and said, ‘Maestro, I’m very sorry that I laid such an egg out there on the stage tonight.’ He replied, ‘Yes, it was very nutritious and it should last you for a long time.’”
   Hebert related, for one concert, “Szell had programmed the Berlioz Dance of the Sprites which requires two piccolos. John Rautenberg had just joined the Cleveland Orchestra and was playing second piccolo on a silver piccolo. During the morning rehearsal Szell observed the two piccolos, my wooden instrument and Rautenberg’s silver piccolo. Szell stopped the rehearsal and demanded that only wooden instruments be used. Rautenberg, who had just left the Indianapolis Symphony, was low on funds and unable to afford the purchase of a good wooden piccolo on such short notice. He decided to paint his instrument with black shoe polish. At the following day’s dress rehearsal, Szell nodded with complete approval upon seeing the two black piccolos playing the Berlioz with animated gusto.”

Practicing and Teaching
   “I used a warm-up routine tailored to the needs of the week. If my part featured lots of low third flute parts, then I would make sure to work on long tones in the first octave on flute. If it was a part featuring lots of high and soft piccolo playing, I would concentrate on that. But always, I would put in a good 30-45 minute warm up routine.” Hebert says that the two areas of piccolo playing that always need the most attention are intonation and playing softly, particularly up high.
   In order to get his students familiar with the tendencies of their individual and particular instruments, Hebert asked them to create an intonation map. “I would ask students to play every note in a chromatic scale at a mf level while a friend looked at the tuner. The friend would write down the tendency of each note. Likewise, we would do this for each note at a pianissimo level and a fortissimo level. This is the first step in beginning to work on intonation, just knowing the tendency for each note.”
   Another favorite exercise of Hebert’s is the arpeggios from Taffanel and Gaubert (pages 38 and 39 from the complete version: 1, 3 and 5 of the triads). “I suggest that students play this with no crescendo at all, and better yet, with a diminuendo, as you go higher. You need to figure out which muscles are used in order to be in control, in tune, and soft.”
   Hebert has about 20 former students who are professionals in the music business, either teaching in college positions or playing in orchestras. Among them are Martha Arrons, Cindy Meyers in Boston, Brian Gordon in Phoenix, and Donald Gottlieb in Louisville. On his teaching style Hebert shares, “I enjoy looking at each student and helping him to solve his individual problems. I take a personalized approach.”
   Hebert uses alternate fingerings frequently. When on tour for the last time with the Cleveland Orchestra playing Mahler’s last symphony, (the unfinished tenth), he remarked that the hardest part for the piccolo was the third octave F#. “This came in the first movement, but the second movement is titled Purgatory. I suggested to the conductor that Mahler must have gotten the names of the movements mixed up.” Hebert uses the right middle finger for the third octave F# and also covers the end of the piccolo slightly with his right pinky finger for the desired effect.
   Hebert received the NFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 at the convention in Columbus, Ohio. He says he misses concert performances but does not miss the rehearsals. When asked how the business side of the symphony world has changed over the years, Hebert replied, “The role of ICSOM (International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians) in helping to better the living standards of symphonic musicians has been monumental. Prior to the establishment of that entity, local union boards had almost complete control over negotiations with symphony managements on wages, size of orchestra, length of service, pensions, and health benefits. The forming of a symphonic representative on the American Federations of Musicians Board opened the door to very helpful negotiations on a more equal footing during contract negotiations.”

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Words of Wisdom

How do you view your role as a piccolo player in an orchestra?
   The piccolo is part of the flute section, of course, but most of the time it’s soloistic. Very little writing uses the piccolo either as a part of the flute section or as one voice in a chord that is supposed to blend. Most of the time, the piccolo is in a leadership role.

What about the common complaint: “I can’t play the flute anymore after I’ve practice piccolo?
   I sometimes come away saying that. I think it all depends on the way you practice. I have a colleague in the Cleveland Orchestra who is the second clarinet as well as the Eb clarinet player. I’ve heard him warming up, and he has a unique way of practicing. He’ll play an F major scale on the Bb clarinet and then immediately pick up the Eb clarinet and practice the same fingerings. He practices both instruments in tandem, and he always sounds terrific on both.
   For me, the type of challenge I have from week to week determines what I concentrate on. If Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony is coming up, I practice double-tonguing with the metronome set up to q = 160 a good ten days to two weeks before the concert. If the program includes a Shostakovich symphony that has some high notes marked pianissimo, I practice a lot of long tones and slow arpeggios. If we’re playing “Dance of the Mirlitons” from The Nutcracker Suite, however, I play a lot of low register articulation on the flute.
   In general, someone who might be put on the spot from week to week to play either instrument should practice both instruments in a systematic fashion. I often get calls from former students who want a brush-up lesson because of an upcoming piccolo audition for some orchestra. They start practicing piccolo only two weeks before they arrive and wonder why they can’t compete. It’s got to be an ongoing process.

Do you enjoy teaching?
   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.

From William Hebert – Playing Piccolo with Pride, Flute Talk, February 1988

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