Answer: Developing more efficient practice strategies will help you to maximize your time, focus, and productivity in the practice room, and it is one of the most important skills for musicians to learn.
    One of the best ways to increase efficiency and productivity during your practice sessions is to enter into each session with specific goals to accomplish within the time you have available. When you enter a practice session without manageable goals, you run the risk of aimlessly going through the motions of practicing without critically listening to and evaluating what you are doing. Mindless practice  inevitably results in sloppy and insecure performances. Strive to practice with a purpose and schedule practice sessions as you would work or other obligations.
    The first step is to establish long and short-term goals for your playing. What do you want to accomplish in a year, a semester, a month, a week, tomorrow, and today? To set these goals, you should first identify the weaknesses in your playing and figure out the best methods for improving them. When you set goals in advance, and organize practice sessions around meeting these goals, you then know exactly what to focus your attention on during practice time and will increase your efficiency and productivity.

Practice Journal
    One of the most effective tools for establishing and tracking your playing and practicing goals is to maintain a practice journal or notebook. It will help you track what you would like to accomplish during each practice session, keep you focused on your tasks, and help you to plan ahead and track your progress. (See an example below.) A practice journal provides a reminder of where you were when you began your session and where you would like to be by the end. It also serves as a motivating tool to remind you of your progress and accomplishments.
    When organizing a practice journal, structure each practice session into three parts: tone, technique and repertoire. Whatever your available practice time, divide it into these three parts. For example, if you have ninety minutes to practice, devote thirty minutes to work on tone, thirty minutes to work on technique, and thirty minutes to work on repertoire. Schedule practice sessions with plenty of additional time for breaks, allotting at least two hours of practice time, spread throughout the day, to complete ninety minutes of dedicated practice.
    One third of your available practice time will be dedicated to tone work. During this time, focus on posture, breathing, tone and expressive studies, vibrato studies, and exercises to improve intonation and articulation. (Of course, this may vary depending on your individual goals.) The time dedicated to technique will include scales, arpeggios, technical studies, etudes, and sightreading.
    The repertoire portion should include solo repertoire, orchestral excerpts, chamber music, and ensemble repertoire. Divide repertoire into pieces that are in progress and those that are new, allotting the most time and attention to those pieces that need the most work or have upcoming deadlines. Maximize your time by isolating and working to master difficult passages in small sections each day, strengthening your weaknesses. Avoid mindlessly playing through entire pieces and playing only the sections you can already do well. Strive to rotate through repertoire you cover each day so that in the course of a week you have given attention to all of it.

    If your practice time is limited, you may feel that focusing so much on tone and technique will not leave enough time to learn all of your repertoire. Remember that every day that you practice, you are working to improve your playing for tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. Spending time working on fundamentals every day will eventually help you to learn all of your music faster.
    Critically listening to yourself and analyzing what you are doing as you practice is the single fastest way to improve your efficiency and productivity in the practice room. An excellent tool for helping you to analyze and listen to what you are actually doing while practicing is to record yourself with a video or audio recorder. Often you do not hear what is actually coming out of the instrument as you play. Recording yourself and listening back to small sections will help you to hear and evaluate exactly what is happening and get to the root of problems very quickly.
    These are all valuable tools for improving your efficiency in the practice room. However, they are only effective when combined with engaged ears and mind. Every time that you are in the practice room, strive to listen critically and objectively evaluate what you are doing as you do it. Focus your attention to identify problems and create solutions in your playing. Concentrate your efforts and maximize your time by striving to play passages correctly every time and be patient and persevere as you work to improve upon your weaknesses.

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Traditional Masterclass
    When Michel Debost was teaching a traditional masterclass at Pocatello Flute Week, a student asked, “In a traditional masterclass what is the role of the teacher and that of the student?” Debost said the masterclass teacher should spend half of his time teaching the student and the other half entertaining the audience. The student should consider the experience as half lesson and half performance.

Participatory Masterclass
    The masterclass teacher for a participatory masterclass is generally one who has developed a strong pedagogical curriculum besides being an excellent flutist and musician. To prepare the handouts, the teacher should have a strong overview of the subject with explanations and exercises that have proven success. Primarily, the participatory masterclass teacher should have a well-thought out agenda with times allotted for sharing stories about famous players and teachers. The important thing is to make the curriculum as rich as possible so that everyone goes home inspired.

Assessing Your Studio
    When I first moved to Idaho, I wanted to continue the flute week masterclasses that I had begun in my teaching in Illinois. However, in Idaho there were few flute teachers, so the playing level of the students coming into my program was low. The first thing I did each year was to start about 20 beginners who would develop into well-taught, informed flutists who would eventually become leaders in my university program.
    I was very interested in the work that Robert Dick was doing at the time. I felt like his ideas were the future of flute playing and flute repertoire; however, he was not the type of teacher that my studio needed at that time. My students would benefit more from someone who had figured out how to start beginners, knew how to help them advance quickly and efficiently, and could direct them to new goals. Dick’s teaching would come later when they were better prepared for it.
    The first years I was the only teacher, but as their playing level improved, I selected outstanding university professors who had experience starting beginners and taking them from the elementary level through a college curriculum. I also wanted to hire teachers who had taught flute methods to music education majors because I knew they would have a sense of the continuity of the curriculum. We continued to improve until we were ready for masterclass teachers like Michel Debost, Trevor Wye, and William Bennett. One of the most important decisions in creating a successful masterclass is selecting the right teacher for your community.

Getting Started
    Select the length of the class. Do you want to host a one-day event, a three-day event or week-long event? For years, I hosted a week-long event, but with people’s increasingly busy lives, I found that either a one-day or three-day event was best attended. One-day masterclasses are usually held on a Saturday or a Sunday.
    Selecting a good date helps ensure a successful event. Avoid fall dates that conflict with football games and parades. Most flute clubs hold flute fairs in the spring and longer classes in the summer for a reason. (For ideas about masterclass programs, see the Flute Talk March 2017 Directory of Summer Masterclasses online at .)
    Select a location for your program. Consider classrooms or recital halls in high schools or colleges. One of the classes I teach each summer is held at a local hotel in Portland, Oregon. The hotel offers special room rates for participants, and we pay a rental rate for the teaching space. With this room comes a supply of fresh coffee, tea, and water. We are given a key to the space so flutes may be locked there during breaks and off-site meals.
    With some masterclasses, the guest artist also presents a recital. I often have played duet recitals with the masterclass teacher. This can be a good way for you to present yourself to your community, especially if you are developing a new program. I treasure the duo recitals I played with Michel Debost; they were a wonderful musical experience for me. To increase revenue for the event, open the recital to the community. The ticket sales will offset the masterclass teacher’s fee, the cost of hiring an accompanist, tuning the piano, and perhaps stage hands.

Hiring a Masterclass Teacher
    Make a list of possible teachers. Since the number one choice on your list may not be available for your date, have a plan B. Select a teacher with strengths that match your students’ needs. While most professional masterclass teachers are comfortable with the traditional masterclass format, many have never taught a participatory masterclass. Hire someone on their known strengths, not for what you hope they might present. Check out their ideas beforehand by talking with others who have attended their masterclasses. Don’t hire a Baroque master to teach contemporary techniques. Be sure their overall concepts about playing and teaching the flute are in consort with yours.
    Make a budget that includes the masterclass teacher’s fee as well as the cost of the rental space, copying handouts, and so forth. Most masterclass teachers’ are paid for travel, food, and housing expenses as well as a fee for the class. Payments for a one-day class without a recital are in the range of $500 to $1500. A recital will add another $750 to $2000. Several times I have been able to hire a masterclass teacher because I was flexible about dates and was able to host a masterclass with the artist on a free day in between two previously scheduled events. The flute societies in Portland and Seattle have worked together for years to host the same guest artist on a Saturday in Portland and on a Sunday in Seattle to cut down on transportation costs for the artist and exhibitors. If you hire a non-US citizen as the masterclass teacher, you will need to check about obtaining a work permit for the artist. Many of the flute manufacturers graciously underwrite the work permit and perhaps the travel expenses or part of the artist’s fee. Additional support may be found through a grant from a local or state arts organization or from a local music store in exchange for the opportunity to exhibit at the event.

Making the Call
    Contact potential guest artists by email or phone. Be organized and  clear in your initial contact. List what you want the person to do and the dates of the event. Ask the guest artist’s fee. I have been surprised several times that the fee the guest artist wanted was much lower than what I was prepared to pay. Ask if you should purchase the airline ticket, or whether they prefer to do it themselves and be reimbursed. Most like to purchase their own so they can select the time of travel, airline carrier, and collect frequent flier miles. Several times I have had parents in my studio donate frequent flier miles to the flute event.
    If the guest artist agrees, you may wish to write a simple contract, although this tends to be somewhat rare. In all of the years, I have been teaching masterclasses, there was only one time when a host failed to pay what was agreed upon. Luckily, I had underwriting from a flute manufacturer so I did not lose too much.
    Once the teacher agrees, ask for publicity materials. This will include several high-resolution pictures, including a headshot, a current biography, a list of the repertoire for the concert, and perhaps a list of recordings and publications. (High-resolution photos are generally one MB or larger. Photos taken from websites are usually low resolution and will not print well in publicity materials.) Ask for a photo that has not been actively on Facebook, Instagram, or on a website. You want your event to seem fresh and up-to-date. Also, discuss whether the guest artist is comfortable with your recording or streaming the masterclass. Guest artists will have varying thoughts on this.
    Invite artists to sell their CD and publications at the event. You may have a student or a parent take charge of this aspect. Remember to have a cash box with some change. Arrange to hire a pianist for the guest artist’s recital and for each performer if you are hosting a traditional masterclass.

Advertise
    Make a one-page flier that includes information about the event and a registration form. The form should include the participant’s name, address, phone number, contact information, year in school, list of three recently studied etudes and solos, current school/college, private teacher’s name, email address, tuition, who the check should be made out to, and your contact information. Early registration benefits, such as a slightly reduced tuition, will encourage many to make a commitment more quickly. Start building a database so that recruiting in future years is easier.
    Send this flier to all area flute and band teachers in hard copy and attach it in an email to as many area flutists as you can. Facebook can be another good venue for dispersing information. Write a press release for the local newspaper and ask for it to be included on the weekly arts page if possible. Place posters in colleges, middle and high schools, community music schools, and music store windows. Consider offering a discounted price to teachers who bring five or more students to the event.

Day of the Event
    If this is a traditional masterclass, make a program listing what each performer will play along with a short paragraph-long biography for each performer. The program should also include a biography of the masterclass teacher and information about the upcoming recital. Provide water for the masterclass teacher and the performer. If the event is in a larger hall, supply a microphone so everyone can hear the teacher’s comments clearly. At the end of the class don’t forget to say thank you and provide the payment without the teacher having to ask for it. 

The Participants
    While most masterclass teachers would rather you did not record their sessions, some may agree. I encourage students to bring a spiral notebook to take notes. The act of writing information down is the first step into incorporating it into their playing. In a traditional masterclass, the performing students should thank the masterclass teacher after their time is over and then return to the audience and sit quietly until the entire class is over. After the class, the student should take a few minutes to write comments in a journal for future reference.

Trades
    When there is little money to bring in masterclass teachers, a practical option is to do a trade with another university professor. Doing this creates more opportunities for students of both studios to learn from other teachers.    

The post Planning a Masterclass appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

What is the preliminary exam?
    The preliminary exam, affectionately known as “the prelims,” is comprised of two parts: a written exam followed by an oral exam. Its purpose is to expand on the knowledge gained from coursework and help students prepare for their dissertation. Once students pass the prelims, they are officially a doctoral candidate with ABD (All But Dissertation) status.

When is it taken?
    The prelims take place once students finish their coursework, which is typically after the second year of study. In my program at the University of Minnesota, DMA students are required to submit a GDP (Graduate Degree Plan) for approval by their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies after the second semester of study. The GDP outlines the courses a student has taken and is planning to take throughout the degree. Once students fulfill these requirements, they are ready to schedule their exam. In my program, the prelims take place during the same semester students first register for thesis credits.
 
Selecting a Committee
    In my program, the committee is made up of four professors: the primary advisor who is also the applied lessons professor, a professor from the music history/theory department, a professor from the student’s major field of study and a professor the student selects. Choose committee members who are familiar with your playing and academic work. Discuss the exam with them before it takes place. Their intent is not to make the exam something to fear.
 
What is the written exam like?
    Each committee member submits an essay question to the student’s primary advisor for the written component of the exam. Once the questions are distributed, students have one week to complete the essays. Questions focus on a student’s performance and pedagogy specialties, research pursuits and dissertation topic. Sample questions from my written exam are listed below.

Question #1 Analysis (Provided with flute and bass line excerpt)
    Consider the enclosed flute part and bass line. When and where might they have been written? What instruments might have played this piece?
    A. What articulations and/or slurs might have been used in the flute part? If notes were articulated, what syllables might have been employed?
    B. Discuss the original interpretations of the rhythm in this movement. How literal or free might they have been?
    C. Based on your analysis of implied harmony and structure of these two voices, write your plan for dynamics throughout the flute part. Write about your basis for your decisions.
    D. Discuss the role improvisation might play for each instrumentalist involved in performing this piece. Then choose four measures of the flute part and write out your ideas for ornamentation in these measures.
 
Question #2 Pedagogy
Part 1
    A. Discuss how you might present the topic of sound production on the flute to a college freshman. Include such areas as embouchure, tongue and mouth position and breathing.
    B. Discuss how you might present the possibilities for changing the pitch on the flute to a college freshman.

Part 2
    This question is directed towards auditioning undergraduate and graduate music majors at a college, university or conservatory. Select and provide a review of excerpts you would use in auditioning undergraduate and graduate flutists into a comprehensive ensemble program. The goal of these auditions is to help prepare students for auditioning beyond college and provide sufficient evidence that will lead toward positioning students into a wind ensemble and symphony orchestra pool of players, similar to your experience here at the University of Minnesota. Additionally, these auditions must serve as a vehicle for assigning parts within a section and use of piccolo. Include the musical excerpts you would use and your rationale for using them. Your response should be double spaced and minimum 8 pages in length.
 
Question #3 Baroque Rhythmic Alteration
    Discuss rhythmic alteration in music of the Baroque Era, including over-dotting, underdotting, notes inégales, two-against-three notation, and rubato. For each category, give at least one specific example, write out in modern notation how the rhythm should (or might) be executed, and provide the historical justification for the rhythmic alteration you propose.
 
Question #4 Learning Techniques
    Give a minimum of three non-instrumental techniques or processes that you would use in practicing learning a piece of music. Talk about each technique and how it relates to the music or instrument. Also, how would you choose to use to a particular non-instrumental technique for a particular need? (Phrasing, breathing, rhythm etc.).
 
Completing the Written Exam
    For me, the most challenging aspect of the written exam was completing the essays efficiently and well in a short amount of time while raising a puppy, training for a marathon and balancing work, teaching and performances. An approach that worked well was to create an outline for each question and prioritize questions based on the amount of time they would require to complete. The music history question took the most time because of the research it required. I gathered sources and started my research while I began to flesh out the outlines for other questions. When I begin writing, I never start at the beginning. Instead, I write the body of the essay first and the introduction and conclusion last. I formulate my thesis statement once I conduct my research and have the evidence to support my argument.
 
Preparing for the Oral Exam
    The oral exam is scheduled once you receive notice that you have passed the written exam. At the University of Minnesota, it takes place no later than two weeks after the completion of the written exam. The oral exam is simply a scholarly discussion on the topics of your written exam. The committee members may choose to ask follow-up questions, ask you to analyze the score of a relative work, or ask entirely new questions derived from the original topics. Be prepared to discuss your dissertation topic and research methods. For example, I was asked to describe and name examples of composers and works from the Rococo period, name compositional techniques used in Varese’s Density 21.5, name the principal flutists of the major symphony orchestras in the United States, name recordings I would suggest my students listen to in order to prepare for an ensemble audition and analyze a section of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.
    After you pass both components of the preliminary exam, you are officially ready to start writing your dissertation and well on your way to graduating with a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree.

The post What to Expect: The Doctoral Preliminary Exam appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Sharon Sparrow has been a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since 1997. In 2014 she was appointed and tenured as assistant principal flute. She has also performed with the Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Seattle Opera Orchestra, Memphis Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and Hong Kong Philharmonic. She is currently the flute instructor at Wayne State and Oakland University and presents clinics throughout the United States. In 2016, her book Six Weeks to Finals: The complete system for Audition Success was published by Theodore Presser. A dedicated advocate of musical education, Sparrow strives to promote awareness and enjoyment of classical music, especially with children. She has written and hosted children’s shows for both the Cuttime Players and the Detroit Symphony, and regularly performs in local schools, hospitals and retirement centers as part of the DSO’s Community Enrichment program. Sparrow is a graduate of The Juilliard School (BM, Julius Baker) and Mannes College of Music (MM, Thomas Nyfenger) and also studied with Geoffrey Gilbert.

What were your early musical studies?
    I began piano lessons when I was five. In the fifth grade, I wanted to play in the band. Since percussion (especially bells) was the most similar to piano, that is what I wanted to play. However, in those days only boys were allowed to play percussion, so I chose the flute because it was small and portable. I had a rough start and in the sixth grade sat 23rd chair out of 23. Then the band director switched me to oboe because I could read music so well. I had a horrible relationship with the oboe and decided to really apply myself to the flute. My first private teacher helped me immensely. She was a junior in high school and was a beautiful person inside and out. I wanted to be just like her. She promised me that if I learned all my scales, arpeggios, and etudes, she would assign me the Chaminade Concertino for solo and ensemble festival when I was a freshman in high school. My next teacher was John Oberbrunner, principal flute of the Syracuse Symphony. He was an experienced teacher with many successful students, including Sandra Church of the New York Philharmonic. He is the one who inspired me to go to Conservatory. Although the whole time I was studying with him, I was really torn between becoming a flutist or a pianist.

Why did you choose flute over piano?
    I chose flute because it is an instrument you can always play in a group. Following my senior year in high school, I attended my first orchestral summer camp as a flutist, and the experience of playing in that orchestra was intoxicating! At the time, I just felt so much more isolated playing piano.

What were your college experiences?
    After high school, I attended SUNY Purchase in a program where you were allowed to seek a teacher on your own. Since the school was very close to New York City, I played for Julius Baker, but he did not take me as a student right away. In the meantime, he arranged for me to study with Alan Cox, an amazing teacher who started me on long tones, vocalization techniques, and Taffanel et Gaubert. He also introduced me to recordings of singers – people like Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. I remember a lesson on the Schubert variations where he taught me to play the theme in a way that changed my life and how I heard music. In about eighteen months, Baker began teaching me at his home in Brewster, New York. After my sophomore year, I transferred to The Juilliard School to continue my studies with Baker.

What were Baker’s strengths as a teacher?
    He never had the philosophy of “be like me or play like me.” He saw your individual gift and encouraged you to bring it out. Mr. Baker taught me to sing through the instrument. I remember him constantly telling me to “SING, honey, SING!” When you were not singing through the flute, he would often pick up his flute and demonstrate. Those moments when he would play were incredibly inspiring.

What was the environment like at Juilliard?
    It was incredible. I was so inspired by my peers – Sue Hoeppner, Marina Piccinini, Amy Porter, and many others who all brought something different to the instrument. When I was accepted, I felt I was pretty much bottom of the barrel and had no idea people could be this amazing on the flute. One of the most beneficial things was what I absorbed from hearing my classmates and then trying to figure out how they did what they did.

After graduating from Juilliard, what were your studies with Geoffrey Gilbert like?
    Mr. Gilbert had twelve students from all over the world at a program in Deland, Florida. We had weekly masterclass, weekly studio class, and a private lesson with him. The students were very close and collegial so we often worked together. I also had the privilege of accompanying the other students at their lessons to help pay for my time there, so I absorbed a lot.
    Gilbert’s teaching emphasis was mostly on technique. He felt if you were not a technical master on the instrument, you could not bring everything else that was required to it. He would accept nothing less than 100% in every area. Whatever I might have missed at Juilliard, I solidified for the rest of my life during that year. I can’t say it was enjoyable, but I appreciate having that bank of knowledge to draw on for my entire life.
    He also had a very different concept of sound. At Juilliard, I had a certain concept of sound. To hear this other master teacher who had a completely different approach inspired me to think differently about colors, and reinforced that there is more than one way to make a sound on the flute.

What was the next step towards a career?
    When I was in Florida, I became best friends with Linda Toote, who was at that time principal flute of The Florida Orchestra. She insisted that I leave Florida and do whatever it took to get a master’s degree with Thomas Nyfenger, her former teacher at Yale, so I auditioned and was accepted at Mannes, where I was able to study with him.
    Nyfenger was absolutely brilliant as a person and as a musician. I will never forget my first lesson with him where I played the Karg-Elert Sonata Appassionata. After that lesson I thought I had never known anything about music until that hour. I had studied with great piano teachers and had been to Juilliard, but somehow, he opened my eyes to music making in a way that I had missed up until that point. We had a fabulous relationship, and I feel like I learned how to be a musician from him, in every way possible – how to phrase, how to color, and how to use the harmony to shape a phrase. It was not about the flute (although he knew better than anyone how to teach the logistics of playing the flute); it was about being a musician.

Does your teaching style reflect a blend of these three master teachers?
    I was so fortunate to have access to those three completely different styles. I emphasize a solid foundation of technique with my students, like Mr. Gilbert. I am always telling them to “SING,” like Baker did, and I am constantly drilling into them how much the harmony matters and how they need to know the context to color a note and play a phrase like Nyfenger taught me.

What led you to write a book on auditioning?
    I took a lot of auditions and found I was very inconsistent. I would make the finals one time and not get out of the prelims in another. I felt I was a solid player and knew the excerpts, but each audition seemed like a roll of the dice. Auditions are very different than playing a recital, going to school, practicing in the practice room or playing in an orchestra. When the Detroit Symphony job was advertised, I decided to develop a plan. It had to be efficient as I had two toddlers, a full-time orchestra job, and had just recovered from a debilitating illness.
    I developed a system to incorporate not just practicing the excerpts, but to train the brain while training for the event. I realized that when I auditioned, I felt like it was someone else playing my flute. I needed to figure out a way to match practice performance to my audition performance. The goal was to take the mystery out of auditioning.

What are the basic concepts of your method?
    While I offer ideas about practicing, I also focus on mental training and instruction on the art of taking auditions. Through the years, many excellent methods have been developed for honing your technical skills in the practice room; however, mental preparation and the actual practice of auditioning have been overlooked. The method is extremely organized and paced so you don’t get bored with the excerpts. It is important to find new ways to look at the excerpts musically and technically and to prepare in a way that will satisfy the audition committee. I have been on many audition committees and now understand what they are looking for in the candidates.

What are audition committees looking for?
    They want to hear people play in tune, play in time, and play musically. Your musical idea might not match that of each member of the committee, but you have to have a knowledgeable musical intent for everything that comes out of your instrument. While the instructions play in time and play in tune sound obvious, many players think that they are doing this when they really are not.

What are some practice techniques to work on playing in tune, in time and musically?
    Most of it has to do with recording yourself often and playing back your performance with a metronome and tuner. For example, record the Stravinsky Firebird Variation. Play it back with the metronome clicking. If the playback does not match the metronome especially in the rests, you are not playing in time. It is the same with the tuner. In the opening of Beethoven Leonore No. 3, for example, if your playback has out-of-tune notes, then you are not playing in tune. When you employ these techniques, you learn where your internal gauge is actually set and can make adjustments. The more times you do this, the better you will get. This method actually changes the way you hear yourself while you are playing.
    The same goes for phrasing. I can think I am playing a beautiful phrase yet on playback I surprisingly might not hear anything happen at all. A lot of people record themselves, but when they listen without a metronome, tuner or a specific goal of what to focus on, they just hear the music the same way they thought it sounded while playing. They reassure themselves that everything is fine when it is not. Setting specific goals for each playback asks you to listen to yourself differently.

How can people overcome nervousness when auditioning and performing?
    With the aid of sports psychology books, I studied athletes and their training methods. I also have worked with coaches who train individuals to find their full potential self. I believe in the visualization techniques that most suggest. For example, an excellent technique for musicians is to do a complete mock round, but without the instrument. Begin by closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and simulating an entire round in your head where you play each excerpt effortlessly and enjoyably. Positive self-talk is another key element. All words – spoken, written, or thought – should have a positive spin beginning at least six weeks before the audition.
    These techniques can also help younger flutists preparing for auditions and performances. Most young flutists have not learned to use the fear and nervousness they encounter when performing to their advantage. I would start with several small excerpts from their piece because they are shorter in duration or perhaps certain sections from solo repertoire. Overcoming nervousness is not the issue, it is learning to use that feeling to your advantage that is the key.

What is your daily practice routine when not preparing for an audition?
    The most consistent thing about my practice routine is long tones. I strongly believe in a long tone warm up along with some technique work every day. I practice them many different ways to keep it fresh. Beyond that it depends on how much time there is. I am always looking for the next most difficult etude. There is also a lot of prep time for upcoming recitals or for what is on my stand at the DSO.

What are you doing this summer besides performing with the DSO?
    I will be teaching at the Interactive Flute Retreat, a non-competitive masterclass, located in this amazing house in South Haven on Lake Michigan. This year I am adding an Orchestral Excerpt Immersion Day. As part of the program I will give a recital. In the meantime, my colleague in the Detroit Symphony, piccoloist Jeff Zook and I are working on a duet version of the first Six Telemann Fantasias which will be published by Presser for the 2017 NFA Convention. Besides that, I will be touring in Asia for three weeks with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

    For as long as I can remember, I wanted to pursue a career in music. Nothing else inspired or excited me as much as being part of a musical experience. Music was my passion from the youngest age I can remember. I did not come from a musical family, but I caught the bug from taking piano lessons. I can honestly say I am truly living the dream. I somehow worked my way up to a position in an amazing orchestra, and I have wonderful students. If anything, perhaps I am too immersed in it. I hardly have time for anything else because I have so much passion for every area of music. It is unending, what you can do.

The post A Conversation with Sharon Sparrow appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Adah Toland Jones

    Adah Toland Jones, professor of flute at Texas State, is principal flute with the Austin Opera and the Victoria Bach Festival Orchestra and plays frequently with Austin and San Antonio Symphonies. She holds BM. and M.M. degrees and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a Doctor of Arts degree from Ball State University where she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Citation. Former Texas State students have gone on to attend such prestigious graduate schools as University of North Texas, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Illinois, Ball State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, and Texas Tech University. She is a Burkart artist. 

    At Texas State University I have had the opportunity to guide numerous students as they make plans for continuing their education after leaving my studio. Finding the right graduate school is an involved process and takes time and patience.
    Start by being sure of your career choice before moving ahead with graduate school plans. As an undergraduate, seek your professor’s advice about attending masterclasses, flute events, and the NFA convention. This will help you immerse yourself in the flute world, make connections, and more clearly understand the rigors of the profession. From the first semester as an undergraduate, start building a résumé by keeping track of recital and concert programs, attendance or performance at masterclasses, honors and awards, and work and teaching experiences. By junior year, if you feel confident in your current program and future plans, start looking into the numerous choices for graduate school.
    Many schools require pre-screening, usually by December of senior year, so you should start preparations in the spring of your junior year to have appropriate repertoire chosen and a clear plan of how to proceed. Design a chart of expenses that you will incur. There will be money spent on pianists, recording sessions, application fees and travel expenses to take auditions. Start saving as soon as possible to eliminate the stress of the financial considerations when the time comes.
    Consult numerous resources. Publications such as Flute Talk and The Flutist Quarterly provide articles, interviews, masterclass listings and information about summer activities. Get advice and information from people who are currently working in the field that interests you. Start with your flute professor and with professors in other areas within your music program and also with contacts you have made in your outside endeavors. Go to the library and read college catalogs and search the Internet for pertinent information about your top school choices.
    Get organized and make a journal of questions, ideas, and goals. Keep folders for paperwork and organize ideas in folders on your computer. Make lists or charts of various schools to keep track of requirements, audition materials, financial details and deadlines.
    Devise a chart for repertoire requirements to see what kind of overlap there might be. This will assist you in streamlining your preparations. How many schools require a Mozart Concerto? What schools ask for a Bach Sonata? How many ask for orchestral excerpts and which ones? What are the technique requirements?
    Throw out a large net. Try to find a balance between your dream schools and those that may be more realistic choices. Try to strike a balance between finding the right teacher and the quality of the college or university. Location considerations might include whether there will be opportunities to hear your professor perform, professional groups that perform in the area, teaching and performing opportunities for students. Research the programs thoroughly before you apply. Know whether there are good faculty members in multiple areas, high-caliber performing ensembles, chamber music, and so forth. Having enough choices to have a Plan A, B and even C will provide options you are comfortable with if you do not get into your first-choice school.
    Be versatile and consider combining your interests to include more than just flute performance. Other areas to explore could include music theory, music history, research, ethnomusicology, world music ensembles, or jazz combos. The possibilities are endless. If you play another instrument, determine whether there are opportunities to pursue instruction on that instrument as well. Pianists might want to look at chances for accompanying. Look into programs that have entrepreneurship elements to their degree or community outreach programs. Courses in business or arts administration can be valuable.
    You will need to get recommendations from several sources for your applications. Contacts that you have made while an undergraduate will have current knowledge of your work. You never know when people will change jobs or retire, so update recommendations regularly if you postpone graduate school. When possible, letters of recommendation that have been made confidentially carry more weight. If you have the choice, always waive your right to view recommendations. If available, develop a Placement File where letters can be submitted and kept on file.
    Prepare thoroughly for auditions. Always be sure to prepare auditions with the support of your undergraduate applied teacher. Check audition requirements very carefully. These may vary considerably from school to school. If pre-screening is required, be sure to submit exactly what is required and send the highest quality recording possible. Allow plenty of time for recording sessions as this process can take several tries to get the best result. Put your best foot forward at the beginning of the CD or the audition committee may never listen to the rest.
    Visiting prospective schools is highly recommended. Auditioning in person gives you a chance to experience the environment where you may be studying and lets you see if the teacher is someone with whom you would work well. Find out how you will fit into the program and if you like the location, the facilities and the overall atmosphere in the music school. Attend classes, talk to administrators and, most importantly, talk to students.
    Prepare all other materials carefully. Have at least two people proofread all application materials. Be sure to make all deadlines. This is crucial and can affect not only admittance but also any scholarships, fellowships or teaching assistantships. Be proactive in following up on the application procedure. Keep in contact with the flute professor and graduate advisor to be sure everything moves forward smoothly.
    Study for any tests that are required for admittance and then be prepared for any placement tests after you are admitted. A majority of schools require theory and history placement exams and require classes if you do not score in an acceptable range. This is not something to cause concern, but be aware that most of these remedial classes do not count toward your degree. On a positive note, they can be very helpful as review of important material and may lead to a better understanding in other classes that you will take.
    Be sure to carefully research financial considerations. Keep track of tuition rates and other fees. Living expenses may vary greatly in different areas. This is an important consideration when mapping out your finances and making a final decision. Look into all scholarships and assistantship possibilities thoroughly.
    The legwork that you do as an undergraduate will really pay off when the time comes to move on to graduate study. Find a place that speaks to you,  provides the program and experiences that match your goals, and where you will feel motivated to excel.

Jennifer Amox

    Jennifer Amox is a lecturer at Henderson State University, where she teaches applied flute, music theory, and music education technology. Amox is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, where she studied with Diane Boyd-Schultz, and Henderson State University, where she studied with Shelley Martin. She is currently writing her dissertation to complete a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Flute Performance at the University of Memphis, where she studied with Elise Blatchford and Bruce Erskine.

    The last lesson usually occurs in the same place where the first contact began. When potential college students first visit our campus, the flute studio students and I take them to the coffeehouse. The prospective students and I make small talk as I buy them a caffeinated beverage, and then I leave so that they are free to ask the studio members the real questions about campus life that they do not feel comfortable asking me.
    We have visited this place several times over the course of their academic careers. It has become a place of solace away from the expectations of the studio with the flute in hand. We have dined with guest artists and planned repertoire for recitals and competitions here. We have mapped out graduate school audition plans and resumes for job searches. Sometimes emotional meetings have taken place here too. In this very booth, there are memories of tears cried into a coffee cup after a particular stressful week. There are echoes of not-so-gentle warnings that performance is slipping to a level below the expectations they have set for themselves. Scales and Bach sonatas happen in the studio, but personal growth happens here.
    We return to this place – just the two of us – for the sake of nostalgia and to signify the transition from my role as teacher to facilitator. This event is not the last contact. It usually occurs after a culminating performance, such as a senior recital, long before graduation. Most of my college students are music education majors who have internships their last semester, thus the senior recital may be scheduled nine months or more before commencement. We will see each other several times after the “last lesson,” but this event signifies the termination of the syllabus contract we have entered together.
    Before the student arrives, I remind him or her to bring any borrowed materials to this last meeting – sheet music, Pneumo Pro, recordings, etc. I rarely receive all of the borrowed items at this last lesson, but the message serves as a reminder to begin the searching process before vacating their dorm rooms and apartments for the final time. A stack of materials miraculously appears on my desk during finals week, usually with an apologetic note attached.
    Sometime before this final lesson, a marathon duet-reading session occurs – Kuhlau interspersed with Schocker, Uebayashi, and Mower. Duets have always been viewed as a reward in the studio for effective preparation, so it seems fitting that our last musical moments would be spent playing together.

“Duets with you always felt like a mutual love and understanding for music and a desire to just have fun with it. It also led me to see reading music with other people as potential opportunities to share and create memorable sessions.”
– Corey Barta, BA, Henderson State
MM Texas Woman’s University

    Videos of their studio class, convocation, and recital performances are compiled into an unlisted YouTube channel. We have revisited these performances over the years when self-doubt and frustration make progress seem impossible. We review them now as a celebration as we sip our coffee. There are giggles and gasps, but there is always a smile of pride at the end.
    If I have done my job properly, the students have now come to see me as merely a resource in their own self-directed quest. The curriculum I set is replaced by their own as they begin to carve their own niche in the music world. In the years leading up to this moment, we have discussed their long-term goals and the steps needed to accomplish them. We take this opportunity to reflect upon those goals and to create new ones. We ask the hard questions:

    •    How can I help you become the person you want to be?

    •    What do you plan on giving to the world?

    •    How are you qualified to do so?

    •    If you are not qualified yet, what are the next steps you need to take in order to get there?

    We have been asking these questions for years, but the students have not considered them as seriously as they do now that they are going to graduate. My role now is to write recommendation letters, sign graduation applications, and serve as a sounding board as they plan their future.

“The thing that I remember most about our meeting after my recital was sitting down and talking about what I wanted to do with my life, about things that would have to happen to get there, and hearing what some of the realities of working and getting jobs in music are. I am so thankful for that  talk. You sent me out to go after whatever I wanted, but you gave me information that was not sugar-coated and full of false ideas that I would leave Henderson and that everything would magically fall into place all at once. Instead, you told me about the realities that I would face and gave me a few extra tools and ideas to help me along the way.”
– Nicole Jackson, B.M. Henderson State
M.M. University of Memphis

“I think the most valuable part of our last lesson was just encouragement. You made me feel like I was capable of making the right decision for my life and whatever I felt called to next was valid. That made me feel so validated and so much more confident that I had the ability to make the next incredibly scary decision. I knew that going forward, I had someone who actively believed in me and wanted to help me.”
– Claire Howard, B.M. Henderson State
M.M. commencing fall 2017 Texas Tech Univ.

    Now the coffee cup is empty. We exchange hugs, and I watch them walk out the door as a professional ready to face the world.

Diane Boyd Schultz

    Flutist and piccoloist Diane Boyd Schultz has given solo and chamber performances in the US, Canada, France, the UK, Russia, Romania, and Austria. She has performed as flutist and piccoloist of the Dallas Bach Society, Alabama Symphony, Terre Haute Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, and Richardson Symphony Orchestras. She is a prizewinner of several national and international competitions, including the Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition and the National Federation of Music Clubs Orchestral Winds Competition. Schultz is professor of flute of the School of Music at The University of Alabama, where she is also a member of the Capstone Wind Quintet. Previously she was on the faculties of Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Illinois Universities. She is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

    I cannot believe how quickly four years have passed. Ever since I met you at All-State Orchestra your senior year in high school, I knew you would be a fantastic music educator.

    I was so pleased when you came to study with me, particularly after hearing from your high school private teacher how diligent you were in your musical endeavors. I have enjoyed watching your musical and personal maturation, though at times you tried to do too much in your quest to have new musical experiences. While your brief flirtations with tenor saxophone and trumpet were a bit detrimental to your flute embouchure, you gained valuable insight from playing in ensembles with those instruments.
    I watched you at your first NFA Convention, where you worked with other musicians in the Collegiate Flute Choir, learned about practice strategies involving the entire musical score, and answered a question a year later related to the session I presented. You learned a great deal about tonal focus and variation at that first NFA experience, and you also explored a variety of repertoire, which you displayed at your junior recital. 
    What I will remember most, perhaps, is your enthusiasm for learning and your positive attitude, and these attributes will serve you well in your professional life. I knew I could count on you in studio class to provide insightful and constructive comments to your peers, to try new things with zest, and to retain a positive attitude. The younger students looked to you for guidance as they prepared for their first convocation performance, guest masterclass experience, or summer festival audition.
    You did not always practice those DeLorenzo etudes enough or start the memorization process in a timely fashion, but you brought everything together by the end of your time at the university. You learned from your mistakes and eventually found a method for time management, so that by your senior recital, you were excited, prepared, and confident. You performed expressively and with solid technique and showed so many nuances. While I was so proud of you and your recital, I could not help but think how you had finally arrived at a wonderful musical place – just in time for graduation.
    I have no doubt that you will be a successful music educator as you move to your new job and that you will bring a wealth of knowledge to your students. I will not say goodbye since I know you will be back on campus for events on occasion. Please stop by the studio and say hello. You have been an integral part of the School of Music’s life for four years, and you will be missed in so many ways. I look forward to seeing the trajectory of your professional life in the coming years. By now you know that I have a policy of “service after the sale,” and I will be happy to assist you after your graduation should you have questions or concerns or need help with your flute section.

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