This year Jeffery Zook celebrates his 25th season as piccoloist with the Detroit Symphony. Currently on the faculty of Oakland University, Zook is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Michigan, and Royal Academy of Music. This summer he and DSO flutist Sharon Sparrow premiered Telemann for Two!, which is the adaptation of the solo Fantasias for two flutes, at the National Flute Association Convention.

Where do you place your cork?
    For my Burkart piccolo, the mark on the cleaning rod is in the center of the embouchure hole. For my 1970 Powell piccolo, however, I push the cork in a tiny bit. This helps the top register notes sound a little higher.

How do you align the headjoint with the body?
    The middle of the embouchure hole is centered with the first key.

How do you care for your wooden piccolo?
    I use the piccolo flag obsessively. Sometimes I use almond oil on the headjoint.

Do you wear one or two ear plugs?
    For extremely high and loud piccolo concerts I wear one ear plug. If it is a pops concert I might wear two. I also own a pair of hearing protection silencer headsets, like those used in the rifle range or on the ground at airports. These are great for practicing Shostakovich at home for extended periods of time. The hearing protection silencer headsets are also useful to help young flute students realize how much they can blow. If you play with them on for a few minutes, you will feel and hear a difference. Around my house, these are called my Princess Leia headphones.

What alternate fingerings do you use on a regular basis?
    My all-time favorite is C#6: 0230|1004 (no left thumb) which corrects the flat pitch on most piccolos. Another one is touching the right-hand pinky over the end of the instrument while playing the top A. This trick works well for pp high A – as in Mahler’s Symphony No. 6

How do you warm up?
    I just bought the Nicola Mazzanti piccolo book and have been using that lately. I find the singing and playing exercises improve my tone and set up for the day.

Do you have any tuning tricks when playing in an orchestra?
    When playing tutti ff woodwind passages, the Eb clarinet can be quite flat. I usually resort to fingering everything down a twelfth (when possible) and overblowing at the third partial. This makes it loud and flat and is a nice compromise. The blend works better than trying to lip everything down.

What are your thoughts on vibrato when playing the piccolo vs. the flute.
    As with most aspects of the piccolo, you need to use a lot less effort and motion than you do on the flute. If you use the same amplitude of vibrato in the 3rd octave of the piccolo as you do on the flute, the sound is going to be hysterical. Find a mechanism to create shimmer that involves the slightest of movement for fast vibrato (as in something melodic like Procession of the Sardar from Caucasian Sketches). The vibrato needs to be in the sound, not around it. Also, thinking of this mechanism when ascending into the higher octave helps to increase the air speed. Concentrate on the vibrato and the support, rather than the blowing, to create a free sound in the third octave without harshness.

What are the top five (or ten) excerpts a piccolo player should know well?
    The Jack Wellbaum book Orchestral Excerpts for the Piccolo lists these the best. Because the piccolo is so prominent, I suggest studying and learning the difficult passages to all of the Shostakovich Symphonies. There is some really exposed soft playing in Symphony No. 11and some fast technical passages in Symphony No. 15 that I encourage students to learn and memorize for the challenges they create. This prepares them for when they appear in their music folder one day.

Which piccolo players have influenced your playing?
    When I was in college, I remember hearing a concert of the Pittsburgh Symphony where Ethan Stang played Ravel’s Rhapsodie Espagnole. I will never forget the rich dark sound he produced. I had never heard anything like this before. It changed my idea of the piccolo sound completely.
    After graduation I studied with Clement Barone, who was my predecessor in the Detroit Symphony. During his 35-year career with the Detroit Symphony, Barone recorded extensively. You can hear him on the Detroit Symphony Orchestra recordings with Paul Paray, but most amazing is his later recording Bacchus & Ariadne: Suite No. 2 by Albert Roussel under Neeme Järvi. Barone embodied the true bel canto style of playing – placing emphasis on lyricism and singing beauty in every note.
    Nicola Mazzanti has come to Detroit several times in the past decade, and I have enjoyed watching him perform and teach. He is a huge inspiration and good friend. I am now exploring solo piccolo repertoire that I never knew existed, and my physical approach to the instrument has benefited from listening and observing him and playing for him.    

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    Occasionally concerned clients ask me if their instrument could be making them sick. Inevitably it follows a news story that has made the rounds on social media regarding conditions with catchy names like trombone lung, saxophone lung, or the most recent, bagpipe lung, which resulted in a confirmed fatality. These are all cases where lack of instrument cleaning created a favorable environment for various strains of fungi to flourish. The spores are then transferred to the respiratory system of the player, causing illness and occasionally permanent damage. The risk of mildew is less with flutes than some other instruments, but it still occurs enough that flutists should take precautions.

A Fungus Among Us
    Mildew and mold fungi are constantly all around us. While beneficial and necessary for many natural processes, in high concentrations spores can be harmful. Many types of fungi require certain conditions of temperature, light and humidity to thrive. The inside of a wind instrument can provide ideal conditions for explosive growth.
    Compared to other wind instruments, flutes have a much smaller degree of moisture flowing through the instrument. While the concentration of moisture is lower, it can still be enough for mildew to get a start. Dissolved sugars and minerals transported by the breath – the same compounds that can create sticky pads – are valuable nutrients for fungi. Additionally, the porous surfaces that are common in instruments and cases provide wonderful habitats for fungus.

A Bit about Biology
    Mildew and mold have two components: a vegetative part and spores. The vegetative part is the organism that actively grows and can easily be taken care of by common cleaning solutions your technician uses. The spores are the reproductive part that are designed to spread on air currents and are revealed by a telltale old instrument smell. Every time you catch a whiff of that mustiness, you are inhaling many thousands of microscopic spores. Daily exposure to spores from a wind instrument is exponentially higher than from the normal environment. This can be a serious health hazard.
    Fungal spores are one of the most perfect reproductive systems nature has devised. The spores have an outer casing that is incredibly tough. This shell can withstand extreme heat and cold, blasts of radiation, every over-the-counter cleaning product, and even the most blistering insults. Then after lying in wait for years or decades, when the right conditions exist, the spore can germinate. There are chemicals that can break down the outer shell but are so caustic or toxic they cannot be used safely on musical instruments. The only recourse with musical instruments is to remove all of the harmful spores from the equation.

Maintenance Concerns
   In order to prevent fungus from getting a foothold, good maintenance practices such as making sure your mouth is clean before playing and swabbing out the instrument afterwards are crucial. Every wind instrument in regular use should be professionally cleaned at least every 12-18 months. There are things the player cannot and should not clean on their own. If an instrument is to be stored for a period of time, try to keep it in a place where the relative humidity is below 50%.
    If the instrument or case gets wet, do not close it up or store it in a locker. This will guarantee a mildew problem. Instead find a safe place to set the instrument or case and arrange the wet pieces so that air can circulate around them. A low power fan will help. Refrain from using a hair dryer or other more aggressive applications of heat to the instrument. It is also a good idea to consult a technician right away to make sure there are no lingering issues.

The Smell Test
    The easiest way to detect a possible mildew problem is the smell test. Musical instruments should not smell like anything. Different strains of mildew will carry different scents. Some take on a fruity or sweet aroma, while others are odorless. Most often, however, they will have a musty basement smell. An instrument does not have to be old to harbor a colony of fungus. Just a few instances of not swabbing adequately can provide the right conditions for a problem to develop. If your instrument or case has any lingering scent, consult a professional.
    Allergies to mildew and mold are quite common. Be aware of physical reactions that accompany being in proximity of an instrument suspected of having a mildew problem. Symptoms can include a tickly throat, congestion, and headaches. Combine mildew allergies with asthma and the situation becomes dangerous. Even if you are not sensitive to the mold, it could cause serious issues for others who sit near you in rehearsal.

The Road to Recovery
   A mildew infestation can be abated, but is very difficult. The microscopic spores grab on to soft surfaces quite easily, and removing them from materials such as felt, cork, or case lining fabric is extremely difficult. All of the soft materials must be removed from the equation. This usually means the remedy is an overhaul plus a new case. (Cases sometimes can be cleaned, but it is often cost prohibitive.) The porous materials need to be replaced and every square millimeter of the instrument’s surface needs to be scrubbed to make sure there are no spores left to continue their biological mission. In the instance of some student model instruments, it is possible for the mildew abatement to exceed the value of the instrument.
    I sometimes hear people say, “it doesn’t smell too bad,” or “it’s always smelled like that.” Mildew is a biohazard and should not be accepted as normal. When your health or the health of a family member is at risk, having a job done right is very important. Find a technician who appreciates the seriousness of mildew. Vacuuming out the case, applying baking soda, or letting it sit in the sun are common quick fixes, but will not solve a persistent problem.    

Mildew Tip No. 1
Do not use Febreze, Lysol, or other products to treat mildew yourself. It will not succeed, will allow spores to spread, and could damage your instrument.

Mildew Tip No. 2
Replace or launder your swab regularly. It could be the source of a mildew problem.

Mildew Tip No. 3
Be aware of messages from your body. Some mildew spores do not have a smell trigger but can still cause a reaction.

Mildew Tip No. 4
With a severe mildew problem, the case must be replaced at the same time the instrument is cleaned or the spores will persist.

Preventing Mildew
Swab after every use.  Even if it is just playing for a few minutes during lessons, swab it out. It does not take much moisture to cause a problem.
Play with a clean mouth. No food or drink other than water while playing and at least rinse well beforehand. Dissolved sugars feed fungus.
Wet cases are serious. If your instrument or case gets wet, never close it up and trust it will be fine drying on its own.
Avoid cross-contamination. Do not transport a mildewed instrument in a clean case or vice versa, even just to the shop. Neither are clean after this happens.
Trust your nose (or a friend’s nose). Do not ignore an aroma in your case. It is easy to become desensitized so get a second opinion, or alert a colleague who may have mildew. Get it remedied before it becomes more serious.  “Doesn’t bother me” is ignoring a biohazard.

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It’s the Aperture
   The aperture is the opening between the lips. To find the natural shape of the aperture, take a breath, close the lips, and then blow out letting the air escape between the lips. The opening produced is call the aperture. Use a mirror to examine what it looks like.
    In 1967 Roger S. Stevens published his excellent book Artistic Flute: Technique and Study. In Section 1, pages 14-16, Stevens presents 18 photos of professional flutists’ embou-chures. Each is distinctive in its own way. Stevens writes, “The purpose of these illustrations is one of demonstrating the wide variation in embouchures capable of producing a good flute tone. The one thing which is common to all these embouchures…
is a regularity in the shape of the aperture regardless of the irregularity of the lip producing it.”

Off-Sided Aperture
   Many flutists have a teardrop on their top lip. To form an appropriate aperture, they should move the aperture slightly to the left. This works well since the flute is played with the flute off to the right side, with the end moved forward away from the right shoulder. A few flutists with teardrops have moved the aperture to their right. This is less successful because the end of the flute has to be held too close to the right shoulder, and the player’s right shoulder will eventually hurt. The ideal when playing flute is to slightly expand the shoulder blades off the rib cage as if you are giving yourself a big hug.
    When traversos were first made, the embouchure hole was somewhat circular. However, through the years, a lip plate and riser have been added, and the embouchure hole itself has been subjected to under- and over- cutting. Since the embouchure hole is no longer symmetrical, flutists can no longer approach the embouchure hole as if it were.
     When starting beginners, watch carefully when they form their first apertures. If there is a teardrop, place the headjoint slightly to the player’s left. (When looking at the flutist, it will be on your right.) With players of all levels of advancement, check to be sure that the natural aperture is similar in size to the embouchure hole of the flute. Many of the flutes today have slightly longer (from the crown to the body) embouchure holes. If the embouchure hole is too large for the player’s aperture, the flutist may develop a small tremor in the upper lip. The embouchure hole and the aperture should be perfectly matched and aligned. Students with shorter arms have a tendency to bring their arms closer to their bodies which ultimately affects this placement. Check this placement periodically to be sure the alignment is correct.

Placing the Headjoint
    Place the headjoint in the chin rather than on the chin. Generally, the back edge of the embouchure hole (the part closest to the player) should be placed where the texture of the chin skin changes into lip skin. The bottom lip will overlap over the embouchure hole covering between 1/4 to 1/3 of the embouchure hole. The bottom lip remains flexible to execute octave changes, tone color changes, and intonation adjustments. Many flutists place the lip plate too high on the lip. This reduces the amount of flexibility of the bottom lip. However, flutists with unusually thick bottom lips may have to place it higher and find other solutions to the previously mentioned issues.
    The lip plate should be firmly in the chin with more pressure on the player’s left side of the chin than the right. This angle occurs because of the shape of the embouchure hole and the necessity to push the end of the footjoint forward and away from the right shoulder. The headjoint functions best when the embouchure hole is level. While it is easier to play with the embouchure hole tilted back towards the player, the tone will be closed, and intonation will not be true.

Size of Aperture
    The aperture will be closest to an oval shape when playing in the low register. As you go up the register, the aperture becomes smaller. Joseph Mariano, legendary Eastman School of Music professor and soloist, suggested playing everything on an embouchure that is set high, reflecting that you can play low notes on a highly set embouchure, but not high notes on a lower set embouchure. For a generic sound, I prefer setting the aperture size and lip position for the third harmonic partial. To find the third harmonic partial, students should finger a low D (D4 or fundamental) and over-blow an octave (D5) and then on up to A6. Once they reach an A6, they should memorize or map that lip position.

Speed of Air
    The speed of air is very important in making a beautiful sound. An even speed of air will prevent bulbing on a note or making football-shaped notes. Reducing the size of the aperture can increase the speed of the air. William Kincaid and his student John Krell both talked about gripping the air stream. They were suggesting slightly reducing the size of the aperture.

Angle of the Air
    When playing the flute, we vary the angle of the air as it hits on the blowing edge in order to change octaves, change colors, and to improve intonation. The angle of the air is controlled by the aperture as well as the position of the jaw (how open your mouth is) and the tongue. For healthy flute playing we teach the drop the jaw or hang the jaw position to reduce any jaw movement and to prevent the onset of TMJ. The aperture and the air stream should do the work in flute playing.

Embouchure Flexibility
    Once the aperture is formed, the next step is to develop flexibility or the ability to aim the air stream to different locations on the wall. Have students place the left hand palm in front of the face with the knuckles touching the nose. Take a breath, close the lips, and then blow out letting the air escape between the lips. Now with the air stream draw a line from the base of the hand up to the knuckles. Notice how the jaw, lips, and tongue interact to accomplish this. These movements are much larger than are used in artistic flute playing, but it is good to know how much movement is possible.
    Practicing harmonics is an excellent exercise to work on changing the angle of the air. Ask students to pick any note in the low octave, perhaps starting on low D and overblowing up the harmonic series and back down again. They should not roll the flute to accomplish this goal. The embouchure hole should be level and stable. Practicing the harmonic series up and down will help them discover the correct balance between the speed of the air and the angle of the air to get the best results.

Embouchure Strength
    Embouchure strength is defined as being able to hold a note steady (tone color and intonation wise) for a length of time. It does not mean that flutists should have lips of steel, but just the control to be still. Practicing high notes overblown from a low harmonic for 15 to 20 seconds each is an excellent way to develop this skill. Once this is accomplished, ask students to  practice making a crescendo or diminuendo on the note.

P and B Attacks
    Flutists all experience times when they cannot get the aperture small enough. Practicing P and B attacks is an excellent way to improve this skill. Pick any third octave note and start the note with a P or B. This means the note is started with the lips together with no presence of an aperture. When watching in a mirror, it is obvious how small the opening in the lips can be. Many professional flutists begin third octave solos that are marked pp with this attack.

Conclusion
    In my teaching I have changed very few flutists’ embouchures. I prefer through my teaching of various exercises and etudes for students to evolve their own embouchures. They should play with a natural face that is not doing anything that will damage the embouchure in the future. A student with a different mouth shape than me is not a problem. I prefer to diagnose by sound rather than sight. While I do play with the corners down, I have had students who have a natural smiling set of lips when they are not playing the flute. This is the position of the lips that they should base their embouchures on rather than trying to mimic mine. In the case of flute embouchures, it is not a case of right or wrong, but more a case of what works or not.     

Editor’s Note: As the Stevens book is out of print, Canadian flutist Larry Krantz obtained permission to place these photos on his website:  

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Big Romantic Picture
    During Gustav Mahler’s lifetime (1860-1911), the inspiration of Richard Wagner was still very much alive in the minds of German and Austrian Romantic composers, but overall, change was coming. Artists on all fronts gradually sought to find new forms to embrace the approach of a new paradigm, Modern Individualism.
    Nietzsche wrote of a superman and nihilism, which inspired Richard Strauss to compose Also sprach Zarathustra (1896). Schoenberg found his new 12-tone system to be a perfect fit for the German Expressionists’ exploration of the dark corners of the subconscious, while in France Claude Debussy and the Symbolists, along with their Impressionist cohorts, dissolved the boundaries of tradition in their own manner. In Russia, young Igor Stravinsky took note.

Faustian Flute
    Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1894) marked a turning point in French aesthetics and ultimately changed the entire course of Western music. For flutists, the piece provided a foundation for the identity of generations to come; the strength of which continues undiminished to this day. Debussy almost certainly believed that the intimate, sensual, and personal voice of the flute was the ideal vehicle to carry the message of the new age, finally turning the page on Wagnerianism.
    Conversely, Germanic composers since the High Baroque had long struggled to find a place for our beloved fife in their musical language, and the late 19th century Romantics were no different. They favored grandiose expression to communicate the big ideas of the time. For example, Mahler’s 8th Symphony, “Symphony of a Thousand,” features enormous choruses and a gargantuan orchestra to grapple with Mahler’s own inner turmoil concerning Catholicism, Heaven and Hell, Faust and the Eternal Feminine, and, well, just about everything else. On the surface the flute, with its comparatively limited range, appears to have gotten lost in all the hullabaloo.
     This is a debatable point, however. For example, few would argue that the flute is not utterly central to Schoenberg’s forward-looking Pierrot Lunaire, one of the landmark German works of the new age. Ironically, Mahler, bridging the gap between the old and new worlds, may have understood the nature of the flute just as well as Debussy.
    I believe that the flute is so crucial to Mahler’s 4th Symphony, which is often regarded as his most beautiful and concise work, that the piece could not exist without it. In fact, Mahler used the evocative nature of the flute very effectively in other works too. His final Das Lied von der Erde elevates the flute to transcendental beauty, and his first major orchestral work, Das Klagende Lied, features a story about a mysterious flute-like singing bone.

Simple but Not
    The theme of Mahler’s Symphony #4 (1901) is childhood and its complex yet naive state. This is of importance to flutists in particular, because of all the states which the flute is capable of expressing, the mysterious quality of naïveté seems innately and singularly organic to the instrument. For example, it is no accident that Ravel begins his Mother Goose Suite with the flute.
    I think this uncanny ability of the flute to project childlike wonder may be due to the apparently simple, yet curiously amorphous process of producing tone, in which the player must both create both an air reed and resonance without touching the vibrating edge. One must feel the vibration across space and use the imagination. Even more, to a very large degree the instrument seems to project the energy of the particular individual playing, much of which cannot be fundamentally altered. This personal sound is perfect for capturing the deceptively simple nature of childhood wonder.

Flute in the 4th Symphony
    Mahler’s early symphonies tend to touch upon themes first developed in his earlier songs, particularly those that were based upon a collection of folk poems called Das Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn). The entire fourth symphony grows out of a song titled Life in Heaven from 1892. Its text describes a childlike view of heavenly pleasures. He expanded the song into the fourth movement of the symphony where it is performed by a soprano soloist. Much of the thematic material in the symphony can be traced back to two contrasting thematic cells, originally from the song.
    Fully orchestrated, both themes are introduced by the four flutes. The first opens the symphony, featuring a strangely haunting melody of grace-note half-steps and open intervals in the minor mode.

    The second is a directly contrasting thematic unit in A major, which is declamatory, joyful and carefree in character. Again it is introduced by the entire flute section in unison:

    The use of the flutes to introduce each theme is central to the piece. The first theme in E minor evokes the naive, mysterious and sometimes frightening world of childhood. Its elements are then symbolically subordinated to accompaniment, along with a scale motive, with the appearance of second theme. This theme becomes the dominant melody of the symphony and develops into the transcendental music of the final movement. It retains the opening grace-note motive, but in whole steps, and in contrast to theme one, features thirds, long notes, and dotted rhythms. It is harmonically centered on the dominant scale degree. The entire symphony can be viewed as an exploration of the relationship between theme one and theme two.

Journey
    In order to achieve this, Mahler takes us on a journey from the Neo-Classical first movement  into the second movement, which thematically develops the contrasting elements. It establishes the idea of two worlds. One is mysterious and derived from theme one, which is depicted first by the horn and flute and then by the distorted music of the solo violin. The other is a heavenly world that is gradually revealed in the dreamy passages at numbers 3, 9, and 11. The themes of these sections originate from the second theme in the first movement and are characterized by whole-step trills, the interval of a third, and occasional dotted rhythms in a major key.
    The third movement, Ruhevolle, grows from these sections, morphing into a set of variations over an ostinato based on theme one, in a manner very similar to the slow movement of Beethoven’s 9th. Interspersed with sections in the minor mode, these variations gradually accelerate in tempo and climax at number 12. This is where the real turning point in the symphony occurs with a sudden transition to E major. The originally innocent-sounding theme two, first stated by the flutes, now is transformed into the bold statement of the horns at measure 320.
    It is difficult not to draw parallels with Beethoven’s 9th symphony in which the first three movements of the symphony are somewhat of a prelude to the final movement. However, whereas Beethoven composed an entire section of music to start the fourth movement in which previous material is discarded before proceeding further, Mahler brought about change suddenly, like a moment of epiphany which alters things to come. This is an idea that Mahler explored in all of his early symphonies but perhaps never as clearly as in the 4th.

Final Say
    The finale opens with a lovely, simple folk melody that sounds entirely new but is actually derived from flute theme 2. The initial second-inversion major triad has been quietly developing during the piece and now becomes central to the symphony. Its basic elements (the major mode and the emphasis on the dominant) coalesced at the climax of the slow movement and now reach their final destination in this melody. This music always accompanies the textual passages concerning the joys of heavenly life as seen through a child’s eyes. One cannot avoid thinking that this music must have been very personal to the composer, whose own childhood was marred by poverty, an abusive father, and the death of siblings. Music from flute theme one is also very important in the fourth movement and always accompanies text concerning the humbler duties of heavenly life, such as fishing and cooking.
    The final passage of the symphony, beginning at number 12, is one of the most famous and beloved passages in music. Almost all of the melodic material is related to flute theme two, sometimes quoting it directly, as in the following English horn motive.

    In the last bars, the essential nature of the theme is finally made clear and accompanies text expressing that no earthly music can compare with the music heard in heaven. The flutes have the last word, with their dotted rhythm from theme two, accompany the text: “To pleasure all things awake.”

 
    The question still remains: did the identity of the flute actually get lost in the maelstrom of German Late-Romanticism? What the flute lacks in range it makes up for in character, as Debussy was keen to point out. Admittedly, while the flute was not recognized as a serious voice for sonatas and concertos, its importance in the context of ensemble and orchestra actually grew at the turn of the 20th century as composers looked for more personal expression through detailed and novel orchestration.    

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    After playing assistant principal flute for 17 years and acting principal flute for two years with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Philip Dikeman became associate professor of flute at the Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University. This year in addition to teaching at Vanderbilt, he has accepted a one-year position as acting principal flute with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. 
   
What was it like to make the transition to academia after playing in the Detroit Symphony for almost 20 years?
    The last few years I was playing in the DSO, I started to feel that I wanted to make a change in my professional life.  At that point I had played in an orchestra almost 25 years (5 years in the Hong Kong Philharmonic, then 19 in Detroit).  When the DSO went on strike in 2010, it was an eye-opening experience for me and made me reassess my life in many ways.  Part of that included looking at other possible professional opportunities.  The strike lasted six months, and about halfway through, I saw a posting about the position at Vanderbilt.  I decided to apply and made the final cut for an interview on campus.  Honestly, I had never taken a standard type job interview (other than summer jobs in high school and college) as all my interviews had been auditions up until that point.  Preparing for that interview was quite a different experience for me, and I asked for help from a number of friends who are in the academic world.  I even had one give me mock interviews over the phone, which was very helpful.  At first I felt my interviewing skills were terrible because I would sometimes stumble over my answers and get really frustrated.  Just as with practicing for an audition, however, the more I did it, the more comfortable I became with the process. 
    The process was so different than anything I had experienced before.  For an orchestral audition you save your energy and focus for the time you are onstage playing.  For my college interview, I had to be very focused for the entire day.  It started with a rehearsal in the morning with the faculty quintet, then a meeting with the search committee, lunch with the committee, a short rehearsal for my recital, my recital, a masterclass, a meeting with the students, dinner with the committee, and finally back to my hotel room where I pretty much collapsed.  What I distinctly remember about that day though was that it felt so great to be doing something productive after having been on strike for three months.  Even though I was involved in strike concerts the DSO musicians organized, there was a lot of downtime that made it very difficult to stay positive.  When I left Nashville after my interview, I remember feeling so good about the school and experience, that when I was offered the position about six weeks later, I was confident it would be a great fit.  The transition was fairly easy although certainly there are times I miss playing in an orchestra.  This past July, however, I was asked to fill in as acting principal in the Nashville Symphony for the 2016-2017 season.  Taking on that position has been a lot of fun although it is a challenge to coordinate my teaching and orchestra schedules.  My students have been very flexible and understanding, so that has helped quite a bit.

What is your general curriculum for a four-year undergraduate program?
    My curriculum varies somewhat depending on the student, but especially with first year students, I tend to reinforce the basics to strengthen a foundation for playing.  If a student is already doing well in that area, there is always room to expand with added tonal exercises and technical studies.  I give a technique exam at the end of every semester, although for the current semester (and spring of 2016), I broke up the exams so that rather than one big exam at the end of the semester, I tested students regularly throughout the 14 weeks.  Those tests usually include scale work (major and all three forms of the minor scales) as well as selected etudes.  I choose different repertoire for each student with the goal of having them play quite a bit of standard repertoire throughout the four-year program.  I like to have every student working on something different just to give everyone exposure to as much repertoire as possible in flute performance class.  This semester there is some overlap for various reasons, and it will be interesting to hear and discuss multiple performances of the same work in class.
    The biggest advantage in attending a liberal arts institution is the opportunity to explore other interests.  I always wanted to play in an orchestra, but when I attended Oberlin, my incoming class was one of the first that were required to take at least 24 credit hours in the College of Arts and Sciences.  At Vanderbilt, I encourage my students to pursue other areas of interest, but they also know I expect them to keep up their flute studies.  Currently I have students double majoring in music with economics, Spanish, communications, and pre-med. 

Who were your influences in developing your curriculum?
    My biggest influences were my teachers: Robert Willoughby, Tom Nyfenger, and Glennis Stout.  With Tom Nyfenger I learned to expand my interests in terms of repertoire and explore new areas.  Although I want my students to study the standards, I love finding new pieces that are not as well known to them or me. I recently discovered the Sverre Jordan Sonatina and am having a student play it for her Junior Recital.  Nyfenger also affected how I think about sound. At my lessons he would play a lot, and I would listen to his tone.  I found that really helpful as I developed my own sound.  I don’t think I sound exactly like him, but I have always tried to think about the gorgeous focus he had in his sound, and the vibrancy and energy his sound had for me. 
    Robert Willoughby taught me the importance of creating a firm foundation by mastering the fundamentals.  When I entered Oberlin, he had me adjust my embouchure from a tighter approach to a much more flexible one.  I found it difficult to let go of the security I felt with a tight embouchure, but when I finally realized the value of the adjustments, it opened up a whole new world for me in terms of sound. (I am sure Glennis Stout addressed this when I was younger, but I thought what I was doing was good enough and did not understand its importance until later.) Some of my current students have this same issue in varying degrees.  It is always a bit frustrating for them at first, and I can tell they definitely want a quick fix. Once they tap into the technique, it is amazing to see the transformation. 
    Willoughby also emphasized the importance of pitch.  When I work with students, I always try to make them aware of how essential it is to play with good intonation.  When I was at Oberlin, I spent countless hours in a practice room where a Strobe tuner was kept.  For those who remember them, the goal was always to get the spinning wheels to stop. When they did, that meant you were playing the note perfectly in tune.  Nowadays there are so many wonderful apps on smart phones to accomplish the same goal. 
    How to play a phrase and general musicianship were other important parts of Willoughby’s teaching.  To this day, I still remember a performance of the Oberlin Woodwind Quintet where they performed the Taffanel Quintet.  Willoughby’s execution of the final line for the flute at the end of the first movement was absolute perfection – shaping of the line, color, dynamic, control, flawless technique – and completely natural music making!
    The strongest memory I have of my lessons with Glennis Stout was that she introduced me to the French style of playing.  Stout was one of those who studied with Moyse during the summer (she also went to Eastman and studied with Joseph Mariano, as did Willoughby).  For me to study with her in high school and then move to Willoughby was a very natural progression. 

What led you to orchestral playing?
    During the winter term of my junior year, Willoughby gave me the opportunity to work with John Rautenberg, who was the associate principal flute of the Cleveland Orchestra.  Rautenberg had offered to give lessons to a current Oberlin student, with the focus being on orchestral excerpts.  The plan was for me to drive into Cleveland three times a week for a month to have lessons with him.  This turned into an opportunity to observe rehearsals with the Cleveland Orchestra, eat lunch at Rautenberg’s house, and then have what often turned into a three-hour lesson.  He made up a list of standard and not so standard repertoire that he expected me to learn completely.  I remember playing some very tough works for him, and then he would expect me to go home and prepare all new material for a lesson two days later.  It was tough, but it forced me to learn how to practice even more efficiently.  I also got through a massive amount of repertoire in the month.  With having moved so many times since then, I somehow misplaced the list he had me work from, but I do think it played a pivotal role in helping me decide to work for an orchestral position.
    With regard to auditions, I remember Willoughby saying, “Plan on taking quite a few auditions before you win one.”  Well, I was lucky and unlucky because I took two auditions as a college senior that went really well. I think that gave me a false sense of security, and I realized quickly in the auditions that followed that preparation was always the key.  I kept working on that aspect of my playing. I played in what is now the National Repertory Orchestra in college, and the orchestral program the LA Philharmonic used to have – the LA Philharmonic Institute – when I was at Yale.  By the time I finished my degree at Yale, I took the audition for principal in Hong Kong and won it.  My best friend from Oberlin was already playing in the orchestra; it would have been a tougher transition without that help.  Living in Asia made taking auditions tough and expensive.  Flying back and forth to the states was also incredibly tiring.  I probably took five to seven auditions while I was living there and luckily won a couple of positions after being there five years.  

What was your role as assistant principal flute? 
    As assistant principal flute in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, I was responsible mainly for the first flute parts on the first half of a standard concert and for playing alto flute when the repertoire (Stravinsky Rite of Spring, Ravel Daphnis et Chloe, Holst The Planets) required it. Although those opportunities did not come along on a weekly basis, they did occur a few times a season.  Doing something like Daphnis or Rite of Spring in some ways was easier because I only focused on playing alto.  For something like The Planets or Mahler Symphonies, I would play 4th flute/2nd piccolo many times, and occasionally those parts would also include alto flute.  I always loved playing alto flute and piccolo could be fun, too, but required a lot of practice to feel comfortable performing on it.  I remember recording Copland Symphony No. 3 with the DSO at one point and practicing one piccolo lick countless times. I should add that I had a terrific situation in Detroit with Erv Monroe as principal of the section. Erv was always generous when it came to throwing some big pieces my way. I got to play the symphony half of the concert many times during my tenure with the DSO.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Flute Section in 2001

Playing soundtracks live with films seems to be a new programming strategy for symphony orchestras.  What sound tracks will you be performing this year in the NSO and what are the challenges of this type of performance?
    This year the NSO will play the soundtracks to Home Alone, Jurassic Park and the first two Harry Potter films. I did a few of these types of concerts with the DSO too. The conductor had a small screen next to him at the podium, and my sense is there was a timer running at the bottom of the screen for him to follow.  It was definitely his job to keep us in sync with the film.  I remember doing the Wizard of Oz and practicing like crazy to get some of those passages.  The music was really hard in some spots and fast.  In playing that music, I had great admiration for the studio musicians who did that work back in 1939. 
    Since I have been in Nashville, I have done some studio work which has been interesting.  For studio recording, you wear headphones, and everything is synced by the use of a click-track.  It definitely took me a little while to get used to that approach instead of following a conductor.  It is a skill that takes some practice. Your instincts tell you to stretch a phrase here or there, but you really can’t.  The advice I’ve gotten over and over is “follow the click track.”  With a ritard, the click adjusts for it, but the click determines the ritard, not the player.  The reason for that is that different sections may record on different days, and everything has to match up.  I just did a session recently for something where the strings came one day, the brass another, and the woodwinds were the final group to be recorded.  Although I have never run into a situation where someone got upset because a mistake was made, the producer does expect you to come in and read something down pretty much perfectly in the first or second take.  It can be fun, but also stressful because you see the music for the first time when you arrive at the session.

Do you play piano?
    Piano was my first instrument, and I started learning from my mom.  I played seriously up through my sophomore year at Oberlin.  In fact, I entered Oberlin as a double major on flute and piano.  It was a great situation for me because once my flute colleagues knew I played, I ended up accompanying for quite a few of them.  It meant getting to go to a lot of extra lessons with Willoughby, which was terrific.  I do recall him saying to me quite a few times, “Why can’t you play this on the piano like you would on the flute?”  I realized that although I really liked playing piano, flute was the better option for me.  After three semesters, I dropped the piano major. Of course at the time I said that I would keep playing, but my piano skills have suffered over the years.  I was playing difficult things when I accompanied my colleagues – Prokofiev, Sancan, Reinecke, etc.  Now it would take probably a good year of regular practice to get that skill back.  I still play for students in lessons on occasion but regret not keeping up my playing.

What kind of music do you listen to? 
     If I listen to music just for fun, I do not always listen to classical music.  If I do, I tend to gravitate towards Bach.  One of my piano teachers absolutely loved Bach and always had her students working on something by him.  If I listen to something more contemporary, I love singers like Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett.  I also like younger singers too – Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, to name a few.  I like some country singers – something that I started listening to prior to moving to Nashville.  I think Dolly Parton is absolutely amazing and also enjoy Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill. 
 
Do you record your practicing?  
    I record myself often when I practice.  I encourage my students to do the same because I feel it is such a great learning tool.  I currently use a ZOOM H5 recorder which was a bit of an investment, but even using an app on a smartphone can be really useful for practice sessions.  If a student is making a recording for a competition or audition, I always advise them to use the best equipment available. I also have a video camera that I use in my weekly flute performance class at Vanderbilt.  I will record each student’s performance and then upload the videos to a website that allows them to download and watch them.

How do you teach playing between the notes? 
    One of the best exercises I like to do to focus on playing between notes is practicing harmonics, but slurred.  It is definitely more challenging this way, and I always tell my students to play between the notes.  Many times I hear students play the fundamental note and then quickly jump to the second partial (one octave higher).  They also tongue the next note, rather than slur into it.  Adjusting the articulation from tonguing to slurring makes it more challenging, plus the idea of playing between the notes is more evident with the slur.

How do you teach embouchure and tongue placement?  
    I am definitely of the opinion that flutists should play with a very flexible type of embouchure.  I focus on keeping the corners down but using the upper lip to help guide the air and the bottom lip to help stabilize the pitch.  I also advocate practicing in front of a mirror.  I was taught at a younger age the French style of tonguing where a tiny point of the tongue comes through the lips to give a pristine beginning to each note.  I use this type of articulation pretty much all the time when I begin a phrase.  I find it useful when I have to begin a phrase on a very soft, high note.  Once I start playing though, I tend to tongue inside the mouth, and the placement varies depending on the type of attack I want.  I do feel I get more front to the note if I tongue a little further back.  If I want a softer beginning to the attack, I place my tongue slightly more forward – about where the top front teeth and the gumline meet.

How do you align the flute?
    Generally, I line the headjoint up with the first two keys of the body, and then turn it out just a tiny, tiny bit.  The idea of “one-third covered, two-thirds open” is my general approach.  The idea of covering more than that does not work well for me, and I feel it negatively affects pitch as well as the general sound. 
 
What is your weekly schedule like?
    This year my schedule is pretty busy.  I have a full teaching load at Vanderbilt, which also includes coaching two chamber groups, playing in the Blair Woodwind Quintet, and being on various committees that meet regularly throughout the semester.  In addition, I have added the symphony schedule this year which is on average eight services per week.  When I first said yes to playing in the orchestra, I did talk to my Vanderbilt colleague Leslie Norton, who plays principal horn in the NSO. My thinking was that if she could do it for all these years, I could do it for one. The first week was pretty rough, but it has gotten easier.  My students have been very flexible which has been a big help.  I have added teaching on Monday and Tuesday evenings and schedule lessons during the day whenever I can throughout the week.  Concerts normally happen on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday afternoon too. I have also done more studio work this year which takes up a bit more time, but it is also fun, and I like doing it.
 
What advice do you have for students who are preparing for auditions?
    Overprepare.  Be incredibly organized about putting together the material you will need.  I would make an audition book for each audition I took and then have it spiral bound.  It was so much easier to take it with me that way, and I could pull it out and practice something if I had a few minutes.  I also would encourage anyone taking an audition to record themselves a lot.  You can learn so much from listening to a recording of yourself. I encourage my students to do this.  Play for as many people as you can, even if they do not play the flute.  Creating an environment where you practice playing for a panel (even if it is just one person), can make the actual audition so much easier.  I also think making a set of flash cards with the name of a piece on each one is helpful.  When you practice, mix up the cards and select them one at a time to get used to playing the material in many different orders.

How do you find balance in your life?
    Right now I don’t feel like I have much balance as it is pretty much work all the time.  I do relax by swimming pretty much every day, and my dogs are a huge distraction.  I also try and spend time with friends as often as I can even if it is just having coffee or a meal together.     

    Philip Dikeman is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (BM, Robert Willoughby) and Yale School of Music (MM, Thomas Nyfenger). On the completion of his degree at Yale, he was named the George Wellington Memorial Scholar for outstanding musical and academic excellence. After graduation Dikeman played principal flute with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra for five years and a partial season with the San Antonio Symphony before joining the Detroit Symphony in 1992. He has also played guest principal with the Minnesota and St. Louis orchestras, as well as guest associate principal flute with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He won first prize in both the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition and the Orchestral Audition Competition and was a member of the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings for 18 seasons. For the past five summers he has taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts as a Valade Fellow Instructor in Flute. In 2014 he was Program Chair for the NFA Convention. He is also a Verne Q. Powell Artist.

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Answer: This is a challenging issue for every flutist. While it is essential to make long tones a staple of your practice routine, there are additional steps that will improve your breath control. Daily work on vibrato and harmonics exercises will also help you become efficient in tone production. A high maintenance tone uses too much air too quickly.
    First, check your posture and make sure your shoulders and neck are relaxed. Take several breaths where you are aware of the inhale and the exhale. Conscious breathing is a powerful way to calm the mind and body. Oxygen is restorative and helps you to be more alert and energetic.
    Put breath marks in your music so you know what you are working towards. If you have questions about where to breathe, ask your teacher or listen to CD performances by musical performers. Learning to control breathing is about consistency, so try to breathe in the same places each time you play the music. The teacher’s section of Flute 101: Mastering the Basics by Louke & George shares these breathing points based on the teachings of William Kincaid:

•    At the end of a phrase (may be 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 bars)
•    In a rest
•    After a long note or a tie
•    After 1 (as in 2,3,4,1 phrasing grouplet)
•    Between repeated notes or syncopated figures
•    Where the composer or conductor indicates

    When playing, breathing has a direct relationship to the tempo. Avoid the tendency to freeze your breathing in performance. Strive to breathe in tempo to the pulse of the music and the flow of the phrase. 
     If there is a particular passage where you consistently run out of breath, think about whether you are playing too loudly. Try it again and decrease the volume by one dynamic. You may also be moving around too much. Check your posture and realign yourself.
    If you are still having problems, set the metronome at a slightly slower tempo than marked. Select one note per bar and hold it for every beat of that measure. Go through the entire phrase by playing only the single note you selected for each bar. When the number of notes is greatly reduced, you have time to concentrate on air flow. There are no distractions as it is just the one note and your breath. When you arrive at the last note of the phrase, play it for as long as you can. Repeat this exercise, but this time play two notes per bar. Repeat this process until you are playing all of the notes. It is effective to practice this exercise daily until the performance. 
    Another useful exercise is to set the metronome to twice the indicated tempo. Play the entire passage over and over again, each time decreasing the metronome by one notch until you reach performance speed. This will teach you to use air efficiently. These exercises develop consistency and will boost your confidence.
    Of course, it is easier to be consistent in the practice room. Playing for teachers and colleagues adds another level of challenge. I knew a brass player who prepared for auditions and significant performances by running up and down a flight of stairs several times and then grabbing his horn and playing the passage. This simulated the shortness of breath that performers often experience when playing with nerves. Remember the audience wants you to do well, so enjoy the performance and the preparation.   

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