October 2018 Archives - The Instrumentalist

Scholarship Matters

theinstrumenta — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 23:06:30 +0000

One of my favorite courses as an undergraduate was History of the Symphony. It was taught by Charles Warren Fox (1904-1983) who was the first musicologist hired at the Eastman School of Music. Fox had been educated at Cornell where he studied psychology and musicology with the famous Otto Kinkeldey. Fox helped found the American Musico-logical Society and was editor of its journal as well as editor of Notes, the publication of the Music Library Association. He taught countless numbers of students sharing his love of the Haydn Symphonies among other works.

Fox was a legend even when I studied with him in the 1960s. There were many stories about his genius. One I particularly liked was that each afternoon on his way home, he stopped in the Eastman Sibley Music Library and checked out four books, each in a different language. That was his evening reading. The next morning, he returned the books and checked out four new volumes. As a struggling German language student at the time, I wondered if I would ever get to the point of reading Goethe in the original language let alone three other books in different languages. I was in awe of Charles Warren Fox.
Another professor of mine told me that Fox had risen to fame early in his career because of an article he had written where he traced the progression of an incorrect fact through years of publications. His point was when writing an article don’t rely on any previous research. Start again and verify everything. According to my professor, this was the standard Fox held authors to in his years as editor of the Journal of the American Musicological Society (JAMS).
When writing program notes for our local symphony, I was researching Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678-1741) flute concerto known as Il Gardellino or the Goldfinch concerto. The work in three movements (Allegro, Cantabile, Allegro) was written in 1728 and published in 1729. The exact title is Concerto in D Major, RV 428, Op. 10, No. 3 “Il Gardellino.” I had just bought a new Italian dictionary and decided to look up the word Gardellino. It was not listed, but Cardellino was and it meant “The Goldfinch.” Today 289 years later, the word is still improperly used in research and on music and recording publications. It is easy to see how this mistake was originally made. The font for the G could have been easily confused with one for a C. Charles Warren Fox was right—check the facts.
Did you ever wonder about the authorship of some of the items in the Taffanel et Gaubert Complete Method? When I was a student, William Kincaid mentioned that the Mozart Cadenzas were by the Belgian musicologist and composer Francois-August Gevaert (1828-1908). Later I read that the etudes were by the Italian flutist Giuseppe Gariboldi (1833-1905) (See The Flute by Ardal Powell, p. 222) and the famous T & G No. 4 is based on the scale patterns from The Flute School, Op. 205 by Wilhelm Popp (1828-1903) (Idea first shared by Trevor Wye). The Popp version uses the melodic minor form throughout rather than the inconsistent minor forms in the Taffanel. While this probably will not influence how you practice and play these studies and scale patterns, it is interesting to know their derivation.
A good part of my job as editor is to check facts and verify the assumptions authors make. I am amazed that writers who graduated from The Juilliard School of Music spell the name of the institution incorrectly. Certainly today with the access to Google and other search engines a moment here and there would improve scholarship immensely. Composers are especially sensitive about the spelling of their names: Copland rather than Copeland; Handel rather than Handle; and of course, the two with the same sounding name – Haydn and Heiden.
With the beginning of the school year and performing season, take the time to set a new standard for yourself and your studio. For each piece studied, research the composer and the society in which he or she lived. Research the style period and other art forms from the time to discover influences the composer may have had. Listen to as many recordings as possible. Compare performances and verbalize or write down comparisons. For works with more than one edition, peruse various versions as newer ones may have fresher scholarship although the older ones are also important.
IMSLP () is a wonderful source for finding the first editions of works. Often it is the manuscript that is uploaded there, so you can see what the composer intended before it was engraved and published. Most of the early French Conservatory examination pieces may be found here. These editions are lovely and, in many cases, the printing font is larger and easier to read than the modern printed editions. You may download and print several copies at once so in your studies you can mark up the music for what you need at the time.
Michel Debost shared with me that he wondered if we could tell the composer’s intent by how close together the notes were in Baroque pieces, especially when it applied to figuration. After looking at many manuscript scores, this may be a distinct possibility. If possible try playing Baroque and Classic music on a traverso. You are welcome to perform early music on a modern flute, but you will make different decisions if you have played it also on a traverso.
At the start of the fall season make new goals and attend as many live performances as you can this year. The pieces you enjoy may lead to discovering new repertoire for the flute and even better you will be supporting your colleagues. Scholarship matters and our lives are richer for it.

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The Myth of Mozart’s Poverty

“According to legend, perpetuated in the Academy Award winning film Amadeus, Mozart died in poverty and was thrown in a pauper’s grave. Let’s set the record straight. Mozart’s average annual income for the last decade of his life, as my own research shows, was approximately $300,000 – he earned a great deal of money but quickly spent that and more, in the end leaving about $100,000 in debts.[i] But lest there be any doubt about Mozart’s attitude toward money, consider what he wrote in 1782 soon after his arrival in Vienna: ‘If [the Emperor] wants me, he must pay me, for the honor alone of serving him is not enough. Indeed, if he were to offer me one thousand gulden and some Count two thousand, I should decline the former proposal with thanks and go to the Count.’[ii] As to that pauper’s grave, burial in a common plot was standard for 80% of the populace of Vienna at this time.[iii] Mozart was no starving artist.”

[i] See also, William J. Baumol and Hilda Baumol, “On the Economics of Musical Composition in Mozart’s Vienna,” in James M. Morris, On Mozart (Cambridge, 1994), pp. 72-101, and Volkmar Braunbehrens, Mozart in Vienna: 1781-1791, trans. Timothy Bell (New York, 1986), pp. 424-428.
[ii] Letter of April 10, 1782, in Anderson, Letters, pp. 799-800.
[iii] Volkmar Braunbehrens, Mozart in Vienna: 1781-1791, trans. Timothy Bell (New York, 1989), p. 421.

– Excerpt from Craig Wright, The Hidden Habits of Genius (Harper Collins, to appear 2019), chapter “Money Matters”

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Thoughts on Playing In Community Groups

theinstrumenta — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 22:51:04 +0000

Regina Helcher Yost wrote in the January 2018 issue about proper etiquette in the flute world. She stated some excellent points that add to a player’s professionalism and contribute to success and congeniality in the section and orchestra when subbing or when in a new position. Many of us are not in the professional world but very happily play with friends, in community groups, local orchestras, bands and wind ensembles. We love using the skills we honed as students and continue to work for improvement.
At times those local groups need a sub, and you, as an excellent, reliable flutist, might get called. I have been on both sides of the call. I have been asked to sub, and I have also needed to call in some help. All of the items Ms. Yost talked about apply, but there are a few other points I would like to mention for those working with a community group.
If you live in the area, you may know people in the group or who have subbed with them. Ask them for a heads up about the level or climate of the ensemble. Remember that no matter what you see as the level of the group, these are people who love to play music and are trying to do their best. They know you have been called in, perhaps at the last minute, because you can handle it. You don’t need to show them that you are better.
When you arrive, introduce yourself to the section. If you don’t already have your assigned part, accept what you are given.
When warming up, don’t show off your fast runs or fancy repertoire. If you are not playing principal, don’t run through the principal’s solos.
You might be a better player than the principal or others in your section. Don’t fret over that or get an attitude. Just blend in with them. That person’s spouse, parents, kids, or friends came to hear them play the solo, not you.
Be cautious about offering suggestions or corrections. Just play your part correctly. After hearing you, they might figure it out. At this level, things might not come on the first try but they usually do come. Compliment a part well played. If there is a point where you can help, offer it as a suggestion.
Don’t send a bad look when someone makes an error. They are all trying. The people in the ensemble may have full-time (non-music) jobs, kids, and not a lot of practice time but they are there every week. Some have more love and loyalty than skills. The regulars can get a bit frustrated too – at themselves or others. There is that person who has been there for 30 years and is past their prime. Or the one who doesn’t have an ear for tuning. Appreciate their efforts and dedication.
I have been on both sides and met some terrific new people while subbing. I also have had kind flutists come in to my ensembles who I know are far more skilled than I am, but who let me play my part and do my best – because this is my chance to do what I love. I appreciate them. I try to learn from them and I thank them for contributing to our organization. Remember, we are all doing our best and loving every bit of it. – Lynn Hansen

Send questions, comments, and ideas to editor@flutetalkmagazine.com.

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In Memoriam

theinstrumenta — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 22:25:51 +0000

Jack Benton Moore (1929-2018)

Flute-maker Jack Benton Moore died in Bloomington, Indiana after an extended illness. In 1973, after working at W.T. Armstrong for 25 years, he began making flutes under his own name, Jack Moore Flutes. He made flutes in precious metals for flutists around the world. Moore was a lifetime member of the National Flute Association and served as president of the Flute Industry Council. He loved his family, fishing, music, and the Chicago Cubs. Memorials may be given to the Jack and Marilyn Moore Graduate Flute Fellowship, Indiana University Foundation, Showalter House, P. O. Box 500, Bloomington, IN 47402 or Central Christian Church, 418 W Franklin St, Elkhart, IN 46516.

Lloyd E. Gowen (1932-2018)

Lloyd E. Gowen, former flutist with the San Francisco and Opera Orch-estras, died June 7th in Walnut Creek, California at the age of 85. He was a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music (1954) and played with the Buffalo and National Symphonies before joining the San Francisco Symphony in 1956. He taught flute privately and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Mills College, and Stanford University. His professional legacy will live on through his students who are playing in symphonies around the world. His hobbies included cabinetry, marquetry, wood carving, photography, and the game of Go. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Curtis Institute of Music ().

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College Colleagues

theinstrumenta — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 22:20:56 +0000

Editor’s Note: Often you learn as much from fellow college students as from the teachers. During my studies at Eastman my colleagues included Susan Levitin, Marjorie Clark, Philip Swanson, Nancy Howe, Paul Brittain, and Leone Buyse. Joseph Mariano kept a small black book where each fall he carefully noted the names of the incoming class. He often referred to when Robert Willoughby, Doriot Dwyer, and Walfrid Kujala were students as being a golden age of the flute. Walfrid Kujala shares his memories of his classmates.

I entered the Eastman School in 1942, but due to military service, I graduated not in 1946, but in 1948. I originally had been accepted to study at Curtis with William Kincaid, but because of WWII, the Curtis Institute was temporarily eliminating the woodwind and brass departments due to war-related endowment income losses. Eastman came to my rescue. Oddly, this same thing happened to Julius Baker ten years before in 1932. Baker had been accepted at Curtis, but due to the heavy endowment losses in the Great Depression, he was denied admission for a year. He studied for one year at Eastman with Leonardo De Lorenzo (1875-1962), and then went to Curtis with Kincaid in 1933.
De Lorenzo was an Italian-born flutist and the first flute professor at the Eastman School of Music. He was a strong advocate of the open G sharp flute mechanism and required all of his students to switch to that system. However, the only student who successfully rebelled against that requirement was Julius Baker!
Baker (1915-2003) played in the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago symphonies before becoming principal flute of the New York Philharmonic in 1965. He held this position for 18 years. He taught on the faculties of The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Carnegie Mellon. In 1948 he gave the first U.S. performance of the Jacques Ibert Flute Concerto with the CBS Symphony in a nationwide broadcast. (Marcel Moyse, to whom Ibert dedicated the concerto, gave the first performance in Paris in 1934.)
I first met Baker (via telephone) when he called me in 1954 to congratulate me on my new job as assistant principal flute with the Chicago Symphony. He spoke to me in Finnish (my boyhood language learned from my immigrant parents), so of course, I asked Baker how he had learned the Finnish language. Much to my surprise, I found out that when he was a young boy in Cleveland, he lived near a Finnish neighborhood and had picked up the language from his many Finnish playmates. At that time, Cleveland and many other northeast Ohio cities like Warren (my birthplace) had large Finnish immigrant populations.
Robert Willoughby (1921-2018) was in the class of 1942. He went on to play assistant principal flute in the Cleveland Orchestra and principal flute in the Cincinnati Symphony. He taught at Oberlin College, Peabody Institute and the Longy School of Music of Bard College. He also became a Baroque flute enthusiast and helped pave the way in its American revival.
Doriot Anthony Dwyer (b. 1922) was in the class of 1943. According to her bio, while at Eastman she encountered her first gender bias. Dwyer was permitted “to play first chair in certain symphonic band selections, but was never selected as first chair for the student orchestra.” Upon graduation she played second flute in the National Symphony and Los Angeles Philhar-monic before playing principal flute in the Boston Symphony from 1952-1990. She taught on the faculty of Boston University.
I will never forget the time when I performed the Walter Piston Sonata on a freshman class recital in Kilbourn Hall in 1942. Dwyer came up to me afterward and complimented me effusively. That really made my day! It turned out that we both became great fans of Walter Piston, not only performing his sonata many times but also his quintet for flute and strings (the scherzo of which is a great triple-tonguing etude). Some years later Dwyer performed the world premiere of the Piston Flute Concerto with the Boston Symphony, and she also made the first recording of it with the London Symphony, along with the Zwilich Concerto and Bernstein’s Halil. It is one of the favorite recordings in my collection. (Piston’s ballet score, The Incredible Flutist, is also a delight.)
Willoughby, along with Dwyer, were the two flutists at Eastman who were my role models. Being four and three years older than me, and both of them possessing a very friendly and caring demeanor, I felt that I could approach them with questions, or ask them for advice, at any time – and I certainly did. They were my heroes!
My roommate at Eastman in 1942-43 was Allen Jensen from the class of 1945. He eventually played principal flute in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Another classmate was John Thomas (1922-2012) from the class of 1947. John and I played in the Rochester Philharmonic with Joseph Mariano for two years. John played second flute, and I was on piccolo. Then he went to the San Antonio Symphony as principal flute. In 1954 when I went to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as assistant principal flute, John came back to Rochester to take my place in the Rochester Philharmonic. He taught for many years in the Eastman Preparatory Department. His music library was given to the Rochester Flute Association and is housed at the Hochstein School of Music & Dance.
Murray Panitz (1925-1988) from the class of 1949 played principal flute in the Philadelphia Orchestra. While at Eastman, Panitz decided he was going to change his major from Music Education to Applied Flute. Everett Gates, his advisor, asked, “And, what do you want to do?” to which Panitz replied, “I am going to be principal flute of the Philadelphia Orchestra.” And by golly he did, from 1961 to 1989.
The class of 1950 included Albert Saurini (1928-2015) and George Hambrecht (1924-2011). Saurini had been born in Rochester and played principal flute with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from 1953 to 1989. Hambrecht, who was from Syracuse and had studied with his father who was a flutist in the Syracuse Symphony, served as principal flutist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1962-1990.
Before that he was second flute with the Cleveland Orchestra under Geroge Szell for seven years, and prior to that we were colleagues in the Rochester Philharmonic flute section for two years. I was always impressed by his limpid tone and thought of it as a good model for my own sonic improvement. Hambrecht was a fascinating conversationalist, and for many years was co-host of a weekly radio show, Goes to the Pops on Cincinnati’s WMKV. He was also a licensed pilot.
By the way, Julius Baker was also a pilot. During the two years (1951-53) that he was principal flute of the Chicago Symphony, he would often commute between Chicago and New York, piloting his brand new Ercoupe monoplane in order to fulfill his Bach Aria Group concert commitments in New York and other cities.
And lastly, from the class of 1951, is Roland Moritz (1926-2013) who played second flute in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His father was the orchestra’s longtime principal bassoonist.
Among the flutists in these classes between 1942 and 1951 there was of course a friendly rivalry, but besides some of the invaluable artistry that rubbed off on us from Joseph Mariano’s inspiring teaching, we also learned a great deal from each other.
And finally, I would also like to add that over the many years of my own teaching experience, I have learned much from my students. And for that I remain forever grateful.

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Keep Your Flute Safe

theinstrumenta — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:29:22 +0000

Fall bring the start of the new school year or season for students and professionals alike. While adjusting to a new schedule, take the opportunity to establish new rituals. Take steps to prepare instruments for much use and travel to avoid mishaps of loss or injury. This list of tips will help you to keep your instruments safe and sound as well as provide advice for what to do if the worst occurs.

Preparation
Make sure your instruments are insured. Various policies are available through professional organizations and instrument insurance specialists. For students, a rider on their parent’s home insurance is possible. Carefully check renter insurance policies. Obtain an appraisal for all instruments from the manufacturer and keep it current. Appraisals are available on company websites. It is best to renew the appraisal every year after the August NFA convention when manufacturer’s price lists are updated. Register the instrument’s serial number with the manufacturer, especially if it was purchased from a third party.
Schedule a COA, (clean, oil and adjust) before school starts if at all possible. Preventive maintenance is always best. Reacquaint yourself with good maintenance habits, including how to assemble the flute correctly. Expensive flute repairs can be avoided with proper and thoughtful care of the instrument.
Take a picture of each of your instruments including the case, headjoint and serial number. Make note of the full description, such as off-set G key, C# trill etc., as well as the name and contact information of your insurance company, policy number, and serial number. Be sure to keep a copy of your appraisal and insurance policy in a separate place than your instrument. A paper copy as well as a scan on your phone and computer works well. Make note of other items of value in your flute bag such as flute stands, cleaning equipment, metronome, tuner, recording device, etc.
Purchase an outer case for your instrument to protect it from weather and travel. Some things to consider are whether you walk, drive or take public transportation. Depending on your location, consider a bag that does not advertise what is inside. Think about the weight of the bag and how it will be carried. Put a tag on the bag to identify it as yours and include contact information in case it is lost. It may be helpful to put a distinguishing element on it so you can quickly find your bag amid similar ones at rehearsals.

This bag is good because it does not advertise that there is a valuable instrument inside – but don’t leave it on the back of a chair in a restaurant.

If you use a locker, purchase the best lock on the market. A key lock is usually better than a combination lock. Make a copy of the key and secure it at home for emergencies.
Establish habits regarding the location of your instrument. Do you take it home from school every day? Do you leave it in a locker? Where do you put it when you arrive home? Where do you store it if you are away from home? Be consistent. Once something becomes habitual, you are more likely to follow the routine when you are especially busy or frantic.
If you take your flute into a restaurant or other place of business, never leave it unattended or hanging on the back of a chair. A flute can safely lay on your lap during a meal. Instruments should never be left in a car unattended. Take it with you. In a hotel, ask for a safe in your room or at the front desk. Use instrument security at conventions.

Take a picture of your instrument and keep a detailed description of it.

Shipping Your Flute
It is preferable not to ship a flute for repair, but it may be necessary. Keep the box the flute was originally shipped in and use it again. Packing a flute securely prevents damage. Put a card with your name, address, email, and phone numbers inside the case. The repair person or company can advise you on which company to use to ship your flute. Check your insurance policy to see if it protects against theft or damages in transit. Be sure the company knows where to ship the flute back to you. Ask them to call or text you when it has been shipped. College students may want to ask their teacher if the flute can be shipped back to them at the school to avoid it sitting on apartment steps.

Traveling by Plane
Pack instruments securely in carry-on luggage that is as small as possible. Carry a copy of your appraisal and proof of purchase. When going through security, open the case if questioned and follow the agent’s directions. For more specific information refer to the tips sheet provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation, air-travel-musical-instruments as well as a guide provided by Chamber Music America at pdf/Flying-with-Musical-Instruments.pdf.

If Something Happens
What should you do if your flute is lost or stolen?
• Start by retracing your steps to make sure you did not leave it in a classroom, restroom or bus. Text your teacher and friends to keep a look out for it.

• Contact the instrument room office and main office of your school to look out for it.

• Check with any applicable lost and found locations.

• If on campus, call campus police.

• After 24 hours, contact your insurance company and the instrument company. You will need: policy name, number, phone number for claims, a description of the flute including model, serial number and replacement value.

• Check pawn shops and yard sales in the area.

• Post information on a stolen flute list such as www.musicalchairs.info/flute/stolen. Other community online groups can also help.
In my experience, unfortunate situations occur especially when students are rushing through their busy schedules. In one case, a student took a bus to and from school every day with the same bus driver. When she left her flute on the bus one frantic day, the driver knew her and secured the flute and returned it to her. Another episode involved a piccolo. Numerous students had similar black gig bags. At the end of an ensemble rehearsal, the student hurriedly thrust her piccolo into the nearest bag. Later, when she prepared to practice, the piccolo was not there. Two weeks later, another student found the piccolo when she was cleaning out her bag.
Take the time this fall to make careful preparations and organize your case and paperwork. This will help avoid problems in the first place and allow you to swiftly take action if the worst should happen. With proper thought and preparation, hopefully this will never happen to you!

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Creative Recital Programming

theinstrumenta — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:22:56 +0000

Recitals are signature elements of a performing artist’s career. I begin my recital planning process by thinking of the entire production from start to finish as a gift to the audience, a gift to myself, and a gift to the gods of flute. It is important to put forth one’s best efforts into every step of the recital if the recital is to be a success. The desire to create a more interesting recital is an excellent starting point.

For the last 17 years I have directed a summer children’s theater program in addition to performing on the flute and teaching. We perform up to 10 improvised musical theater shows each summer. This has given me extra opportunities to discover what works and what doesn’t work on stage in front of an audience. Over the years, I have found that ideas from these productions and my solo and studio flute recitals have frequently cross-pollinated. The following are some thoughts to consider when programming recitals.

Understand the Goal
As programming ideas begin to formulate, remember that sound, especially musical sound, can have many functions. Music is a transformative medium that can entertain, educate, and enrich. A recital may have practical functions as well including promoting a performing and teaching career, meeting degree or university requirements, or even selling tickets. Keeping the purposes of the recital central during planning can bring clarity to programming choices. Sometimes I want to give a thoughtful, diaphanous outpouring of my soul, and other times I simply want to play something flashy or beautiful. Carefully consider why you are giving the recital and what goals you would like to accomplish before selecting music.

Appreciate the Audience
Music is meant to be heard, so I keep the audience in mind during programming and preparation decisions. Without an audience, musicians have little impact on the world. Remember that fun and meaningful ways to spend time are plentiful. Know that your audience has given you the gift of their attention and attendance. Reward them with your best ideas and efforts. Be musically generous and go above and beyond to create an event that will allow them to experience something meaningful.
Consider your own experiences as an audience member as you make decisions. In college, our performing arts ensemble had an artistic night on the town at the beginning of each semester. The cast would go to dinner followed by attending a live performance. These opportunities to watch other artists inspired us to give our best when we performed ourselves. I have adopted this practice for myself and attend concerts by inspiring flutists and musicians as often as possible.

Express Yourself
If you perform music you love, the audience will have the opportunity to experience your passion. Select pieces that reflect your vision and interests. Program music that makes you feel alive. You will know you have chosen well when you lose track of time and space while planning. Select music that makes you feel reckless abandon or want to dance around the kitchen. As you progress as a flutist, your inclinations will naturally change. In my undergraduate days, it was easy for me to gloss over Baroque and contemporary music as not being my thing, but later I discovered the beauty and supreme architecture of the music of Bach and Hindemith. I cannot even fathom how I missed that before.
Music is a communicative art. Con-sider who you are (or aspire to be) as an artist and what you want the audience to experience at the recital. How do you want your listeners to feel? People listen to music because it makes them feel something, so start by selecting music that makes you feel something.

Be Open to Inspiration
Good ideas flow more effortlessly when I am rested and relaxed. On project planning days, I prefer to wake up naturally without an alarm clock, exercise, and then eat a light, healthy snack. This allows me to generate my most creative and usable ideas. I find that complaining rips me out of my creative space, so I try to resolve any impending issues before planning. Keep the creative channel clear. Every person is different, so discover the best ways to bring yourself into the receptive mode.

Consider Themed Recitals
Every spring I host a themed studio flute recital. A few favorite ideas have been The Elements of Flute, The Colors of Flute, Heroes and Villains, Animals, Flutes in Wonderland, The Moon and the Sea, My Favorite Things, and The Theatrical Flutist. For the Holidays of the World recital, we performed one piece from each holiday. Students can dress in costume for their performance and even design cupcakes for the reception. After the Hollywood Stars recital (which featured a red carpet and parents disguised as paparazzi), each student received a World’s Best Flutist Academy Award, and we practiced giving award acceptance speeches at lessons the next week.
With the rich and diverse repertoire of flute music available today, it only takes a few moments browsing an online music store or help from a knowledgeable flutist to locate a wealth of recital ideas. YouTube and iTunes search engines can also be valuable resources. You can also find ideas while attending live performances or digging through music at regional and national flute conventions. I periodically ask friends on social media for ideas which has led to a wealth of new programming ideas and has an added benefit of involving future audience members in the idea phase. If all else fails, I invite several of my most creative music colleagues to lunch for a bit of brainstorming. Whenever I have a great recital idea that I am not going to use immediately, I write it down in a notebook for future consideration.

Collaborate with Fascinating Artists
Audiences love innovative connections. My last solo recital included a modern-folk-fusion, improvisatory solo dancer, a visual artist who painted while we performed, and colleagues who performed on voice, flute, piano and cello. One of my favorite performance memories was when I improvised an underscore for Jonah and the Whale at Fort Worth’s Kimball Art Museum in conjunction with the local, funky Hip Pocket Theater. People enjoy watching artists collaborate with each other.
While taking an improvisational theater course at Four Day Weekend (A Second City style training academy), I learned that we are more creative collectively than we are individually. I realized this also applied to music and the flute. Dynamic collaborations bring exciting recital possibilities to the table. In graduate school, I was a member of The Company, an international performing arts troupe which traveled across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Besides being regularly spoiled by the opportunity to collaborate with wildly talented dancers, artists, actors, vocalists, and poets, we learned how to quickly adapt our repertoire to different venues and audiences.

Be Interesting
Artists should strive to live interesting lives and bring those experiences into their music. Allow your natural inclinations to dictate recital programming. Learn to walk through daily life noticing interesting images and ideas, and then save them for when you need them. Know that there is only one of you in all of time and space and learn to tap the vital creative energy that flows through you.
Fill your life with travel, friendships, conversations, podcasts, books, museums, performances, and even television or movies. Inspiration can also be found in the natural world. A well-rounded, diverse education is a great asset. Be curious about your environment and all you encounter. Your natural inclinations will surface in your music, and this will set your work apart from others. Music, as an academic discipline, is a humanity. Allow your humanity to shine through your choices and ultimately in your performances.

Take Risks
I enjoy growing as an artist and expanding my knowledge. While I prefer much of my solo or chamber recital endeavors to be within my limits as a performer, it can be thrilling to attempt something new or challenging that I am not quite completely sure I can pull off. Stretching past comfort zones can be wildly rewarding and provide opportunities to grow. With the many fantastical modern and experimental flute compositions available today, there are ample opportunities to expand our repertoire. A boat in the harbor is safe, but that is not what boats are made for. Dare to dream big.

Find the Flow
After selecting recital pieces, consider the order in which to perform them. In your production the pieces you have carefully selected will be performed in succession as a cohesive event. Program order and design can make or break a recital. For many years it was common practice to perform works in chronological order. This may not be the best choice. Thoughtful consideration of the program’s flow can delight and surprise listeners.
People tend to remember what they heard first and last, so I prefer to perform my most intriguing or best pieces as the opening and closing numbers. I may start with a showstopper and end with a peaceful, lyrical piece, or the opposite, but either way, I consider the arc of the progression of sound. Sometimes I separate the most harmonically or rhythmically complex pieces to allow the listeners space to process what they have heard. Think about whether similar pieces should go near each other or be separated.
Another consideration is the length of the pieces and whether there should be an intermission. In many cases, a clear-cut order will naturally surface. Think about unusual piece combinations to interest the audience. For example, you could start with a lyrical followed by a technical one, or begin with a sensible standard and then add an experimental work. For each recital I create a playlist of recordings of the pieces and listen to it for several weeks to find the most natural order. Try not to overthink it, and do not overlook the possibility of an encore.

Stay Flexible
Embrace any unexpected changes along the way. Regardless of how well you have planned, a spirit of flexibility will only make everything smoother. The unexpected idiosyncrasies of your recital are part of the show. I believe this is also why recordings, even incredible recordings, will never replace live musical performance. Small or large changes to the recital program may need to be made at some point. Learn how to adapt to make the best choices.

Promote Your Recital
The world will not realize how fantastic your next recital is going to be unless you tell them. I have been to many recitals by high-caliber performing artists with almost nobody in the audience. This breaks my heart. The world is rapidly changing, and if musicians do not adapt to these changes, we may eventually be playing for empty halls.
If you do not have someone to promote your events, get on social media to announce the upcoming project. In just moments you can invite practically everyone you have ever met. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Evite, MailChimp, Pinterest, email, and a few old-fashioned posters, your project can be quickly and stylishly announced to the world.
For my recent Supernatural Flutist recital, I posted promo blurb announcing that Michael Jackson’s Thriller would not be on the program, but I would be performing The Phoenix, which is similar because it is about a zombie bird. The pieces do not sound remotely alike, yet several of these cleverly worded promo blurbs brought more people to the concert than I ever expected. Make sure your potential audience knows what is going to make your performance innovative and exciting.
Word of mouth is also a great way to promote recitals. If you make your recitals truly amazing, your audiences will want to return time and time again. Hopefully the end result of all your hard work will be thrilling performances for audiences who are growing increasingly interested in the musical sounds only you have to offer.

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Planning The Supernatural Flutist Recital

I began with the idea for The Supernatural Flutist recital because I have been interested in magical and supernatural powers since childhood. I chose to learn the flute because I had read about magical flute powers in the Pied Piper. (I distinctly remember opening my flute case for the first time and being shocked that the flute was silver, not wooden.) Just thinking about the project felt thrilling, and I knew I could give it my best. I am also known for incorporating multi-disciplinary elements into my recitals, so I kept an open mind in considering collaborations with artists, dancers and actors while planning.
Fortunately the flute repertoire is filled with a rich and diverse collection of magical pieces to consider programming. I wanted to include chamber pieces with my colleagues Allison Stanford, soprano, and Hsinyi Wang, cellist. I also wanted a flute duet to play with a former flute student, MK Raplinger, before she left for graduate school. This narrowed my initial repertoire searches to certain instrumentation. I generated a list of my top 12 ideas and then scaled down to one hour of music with one piece from each major time period.
I opened with Marais’ Les Follies d’Espagne. While the entire recital was not performed in chronological order, this was the oldest piece, the only piece for flute alone, and the only piece I performed from memory. As a result, this felt like a strong opening. The folia (which literally means madness or empty-headedness), an ancient Iberian fertility dance, was presented as a magic formula. Next I moved chronologically to one of Beethoven’s earliest chamber works, Duo #1, which provided the perfect opportunity for a cello collaboration. Even though I consider much of Beethoven’s music supernatural, I was stretching the connection to the theme here. In the program notes, I pulled the tempo marking from the first movement, Allegro comodo, and wrote on the magical associations with the Komodo dragon.
Having recently fallen in love with Ian Clarke’s music while performing Maya, Hypnosis was the next logical inclusion. Hypnosis is on the fringe of the mystical arts, and the piece was absolutely beautiful when my pianist Taiko Pelick and I sightread it. The Phoenix (a staple in magical bird lore) and Une Flûte Invisible included Allison Stanford and MK.
On Saturdays I meet to speak French with my friends at a local cafe to discuss the vicissitudes of life and keep up our language skills. Given my extreme appreciation of all things French, I try to play at least one French piece on every recital for my friends and for myself. While Une Flûte Invisible is not exactly about a ghost, the title does have ghost-like connotations, and the text references the enchanting powers of love.
With an audience filled with flutist friends and colleagues, I also like to feature at least one hidden jewel on each recital – something not found in standard repertoire. While I normally perform a newly composed piece, I had recently received a box of music that had belonged to my high school flute teacher, Ruth Gudeman. While digging through the box, after almost fainting upon finding markings on her music from her lessons with Georges Barrèrre, I discovered The Comet for solo piccolo and piano. Having completely neglected the piccolo on my last recital, The Comet’s bouncy, fun melodies felt perfect. In Greek mythology and in blockbuster movies, comets have long been associated with supernatural powers, so the inclusion was easily justified.
For the final piece, I knew I wanted to include Hungarian music and a finale that was also danceable as it would feature a solo dancer from the TCU School of Dance. Last summer Texas Christian University awarded me two travel grants for research in Budapest, and I had fallen in love with the rich Hungarian harmonies and enchanting melodies. While Doppler’s Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise came to mind first, I ultimately chose Andersen’s Hungarian Fantasy. Although it is spelled differently, fantasy is from the same Latin root as phantom, and Hungarian folklore is rich in magical associations. With a showstopper ending and an improvisatory folk-inspired texture Hungarian Fantasy was the perfect piece to feature dancer Liam Evans for a spectacular grand finale.
Throughout the recital, TCU visual artist Shelby Johnson painted on stage left while the musicians performed. The amount of correspondence to logistically pull together a recital with five musicians, dancer, and visual artist while simultaneously meeting the university scheduling requirements was astronomical, but it proved well worth it.
While I know my audiences love watching me perform, I am also aware of the sacrifice of time and energy they spend to attend the performance. As a token of gratitude I invited the Three Danes Bakery to cater the reception. Andersen was the composer-in-residence at Tivoli Gardens, a Danish amusement park in Copenhagen that I had visited on a short connecting layover to Budapest, and it is always a nice touch to have the snacks match the recital’s theme.

The post Creative Recital Programming appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Advice for Students and Teachers, Helping Students Progress from High School to College Music Programs

theinstrumenta — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:05:21 +0000

photo courtesy of Indiana Wesleyan University

Tips for Aspiring College Flutists
by John McMurtery

John McMurtery is a member of the New York City Opera orchestra, principal flutist of the Peoria Symphony, and a substitute flutist with the Chicago and Detroit symphonies. He is Associate Professor of Flute at Western Illinois University.

Over the years I have met many talented high school flutists wondering what college will be like, especially if they decide to pursue a degree in music performance. With today’s emphasis on the college degree merely as a means of getting a job, parents and teachers often ask if a performance degree will be worth the considerable time, expense, and uncertainty of employment after graduation. They also wonder if their student is talented enough to make it in a world of increasing competition and seemingly dwindling full-time jobs. The good news is that there has never been a better time for musicians to forge their own paths as performers. They can take advantage of their educational opportunities to create a life in music they truly want.

The College Audition Process
Visit every school to which you are applying, and take a lesson with each prospective teacher for whom you will audition. Listen carefully to any feedback you get during the lesson, and take their suggestions to heart when practicing. You might even have more confidence later at the audition, knowing what that particular teacher will be listening for. Demonstrating improvement in the areas you worked on in the lesson shows you are teachable, open to suggestions, and work hard. These are all ingredients for success at the college level.
One other bit of advice about preparing for the audition: memorize all of your scales. Most serious high school flutists know their major scales very well, but not as many are as proficient in the three types of minor scale. Knowing all of the scales makes you a better musician and prepares you for your college theory classes. Freshman theory can be a major hurdle for some music majors. I have witnessed many talented musicians drop out of college or change majors after their first year because that one class proved too difficult.

Performance Expectations
It can be quite a shock to go from one band class every day in high school to a college environment where you might be placed in orchestra, wind ensemble, flute choir, and a chamber ensemble. This will be in addition to the solos, etudes, and excerpts to prepare every week for private lessons and flute studio class. You will be playing and performing a lot. You will also be expected to keep up with academic classes. Many performance majors tend to think their academic classes are less important than their flute practice. This is a mistake.

Health
College often means lots of late nights, irregular eating schedules, and other factors that can affect a student’s health. Some miss a lot of lessons and class time due to health issues that in some cases are preventable. Sleep well, eat well, and get enough exercise, even if you think you don’t have time. You will be much more productive as a result.
Develop a support network of friends, professors, and trusted advisors. Remember that your professors are committed to your development and are invested in your success. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Work Ethic
In high school you worked hard to make your city’s youth orchestra, All-State or All-Region ensembles. You may have been a star player. In college you may find quite a few flutists ahead of you in the pecking order. In the beginning it can be a motivator to practice, but I have noticed that the most successful students develop their own work ethic that comes from the desire to be as prepared as they can for every performance, not just getting a higher chair placement.
In high school if you are a standout player, people will tell you how wonderful and talented you are. Believe them, but also realize there are many wonderful and talented players out there. What separates the successful ones is the ability to keep going, often without many external rewards, for a long period of time. There will be days that you feel on top of the world and are convinced you will have a big career, and other times when you will question why you got involved in music in the first place. Take comfort in knowing that all successful people go through this, and that your ability to ride this emotional wave is an important part of your education as a musician.
Don’t live and die by ensemble seating audition results. Learn from every role you play. Playing second flute well requires a completely different (and just as important) skill set as playing principal. Many flutists don’t enjoy playing piccolo, but if you are asked to do it, just do it. It helps many flute skills, including control, flexibility, and the ability to lead a whole orchestral wind section when necessary. Not to mention it can be great fun.

Ensemble Skills
Much more will be required at this level. A college student often has many more hours a week of ensemble playing than a high school student. The expectations from directors will be much greater. Awareness of one’s role in the ensemble becomes a higher priority, and the ability to problem-solve and work with one’s colleagues should develop to an advanced level. Skills such as refinement of intonation and vibrato become more highly prized.

Instrument
A good flute is an important investment. The better the flute, the better you will sound, and the more confidence you will have as a performer. Get the best instrument you can afford.
Immerse yourself in the culture of music, both on and off campus. You will most likely be required to attend recitals by students and faculty, but don’t stop there. Attend visiting artist recitals as well as concerts off campus. Hang out with friends who are serious about their musical success. Go hear a local orchestra with friends and discuss the concert afterward. You can hear some incredibly inspired music making, no matter where you live. You will also learn that even the world’s best musicians occasionally make mistakes or have an off night. Everyone is human.

Career Building
Say yes to as many opportunities as you can. Make friends with composers and perform their music. Volunteer to play in your community. That is how you gain experience, share your music with a wider audience, and maybe even meet people who might help you later in your career.
Finally, realize that you are in charge of your own education. Take a keen interest in learning, and opportunities will come your way, no matter which school you ultimately choose.

* * *

Preparing for Different Expectations
by Adah Toland Jones

Adah Toland Jones is Professor of Flute at Texas State University, Principal Flute with Austin Opera and Victoria Bach Festival and plays frequently with the Austin Symphony. She holds BM, MM and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a DA degree from Ball State University where she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Citation. She is a Burkart artist.

Making the transition from high school to college is challenging for any student, no matter what academic major they choose. Expectations and demands made on the student shift to increased individual responsibility, starting with separation from parents and home and continuing into the rigors of collegiate level course work. Choosing music as a major carries additional requirements such as more intense practice and the study of unfamiliar subjects including music theory, aural learning and music history that a majority of students may not have been exposed to previously.
When flute players audition at Texas State University, I look for three factors: passion, potential and a sense of curiosity or inquisitiveness. I encourage prospective students to meet with me prior to the audition so we get a chance to get to know each other and for them to see if they are comfortable with my teaching style. It also provides an opportunity to give them input about any improvements to be made before auditioning, assess their level of commitment, and evaluate their flexibility in trying new concepts.
Many students have had little to no private instruction and have experienced only what their high school band has to offer. Some do take part in Region Band or Orchestra, at times progressing through to Area and All-State. There is also the opportunity in most schools to participate in solo and ensemble contests. These are all opportunities that can broaden their musical experiences.
Success at the high school level, while an important factor, does not always translate to success at the college level. Many of my students excelled in high school and were first chair in their bands. Now at the college level, the bar is much higher. At most high schools in Texas, flute students work on three etudes chosen for region band auditions and then possibly one solo and/or one ensemble piece for the solo and ensemble contest in the spring. The amount of time spent on these, especially the three etudes, is extraordinary. The required etudes are announced at the end of July and the auditions are usually in November or early December. Numerous clinics are given across the state, and there are performance guides available online. These etudes are very difficult, and some students are trying to learn them without any private instruction leaving the door open for learning bad habits. Solos are sometimes chosen quite late, and often students pursue repertoire that may not be appropriate for their level of development. My advice for these students is to contact local teachers in their area who would be willing to help in the preparations.
Lessons on one’s instrument at the college level, usually referred to as Applied Music, will be a main focus for all music majors. The difference in expectations will probably include the following: The amount of preparation involved will increase substantially. Mini-mum practice time will most likely be two hours a day. The expected amount of repertoire to be covered in each lesson and throughout the semester will also increase. For example, a freshman may be required to prepare two to three etudes a week and possibly parts or all of one to two solos. Scale requirements will be rigorous and include memorizing all major and minor scales and arpeggios. Development of technique will include learning various patterns and warm-ups either through the use of various books such as Taffanel and Gaubert, Maquarre Daily Exercises or Reichert Seven Daily Exercises and ones written by the professor.
Besides musical expectations, students should also be prepared to attend numerous concerts, listen to recordings regularly, research composers and styles and read articles online or in flute journals such as Flute Talk and The Flutist Quarterly. Students will be encouraged to venture beyond knowledge of the flute and to listen to other musicians, absorbing their approach to sound, phrasing and overall musicality. Being intellectually inquisitive is a valuable attribute that will lead students to a more in-depth and informed understanding of composers and musical styles.
When teaching flute pedagogy, I start each semester with a discussion of the qualities of a good teacher, which I find are also qualities of a good student. It is a substantial list, and I have revised this into two short lists. The first are all words that start with the letter P. After doing this for several years, I found a similar list in a book by Peter Loel Boonshaft titled Teaching with Passion, Purpose and Promise. To start your thinking about these qualities, start with these P words: Persistent, Proud, Patient, Poised, Positive, Prepared, and Passionate. Some other words that are important include Flexible, Enthusiastic, Committed, Consistent, Organized, Receptive, Open-minded, Diligent, Creative, Reliable, and Eager.
As students prepare for their college experience, keep in mind these ideas. Be prepared. Bring all materials to your lesson. Complete assignments in a timely manner meeting all deadlines. Be prompt and ready to go. Greet your teacher with a smile. Be honest and tell your teacher if you have not practiced something rather than trying to bluff your way through. Be open, curious and willing to try new things. Try to develop your own personality in your playing. Communicate with your teacher and work together to set and reach reasonable goals. Treat your teacher and colleagues with respect, tolerance and kindness. Keep focused and concentrate on the task at hand. Try to maintain a positive attitude. Enjoy your lessons and focus on the effort and process as well as the end result. Trust your teacher and respect their time and commitment. Be your own best friend in your practice sessions, lessons and performances. Relish your successes no matter how small.
It is also important to take care of your physical and mental health in this transition period. Being on a college campus is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, explore a new area, and enjoy activities that are available. However, the rigors of studying music, or any major, can take their toll through lack of sleep, change of diet, stress, and pressure to meet demands and expectations. Trying to handle this new lifestyle on your own can be overwhelming at times.
Make connections with upperclassmen who have been through similar experiences and seek help through the many resources that are available for students at all universities. Do not be afraid to ask for help and be sure to communicate with someone you trust about your feelings and concerns.
Enjoy this time in your life as it will establish your path forward and help you to grow as a person and a musician.

* * *

High School Super Star to College Flute Major: Spanning the Chasm
by Wendy Webb Kumer

Wendy Webb Kumer, founder and director of the Flute Academy in Pittsburgh, maintains a thriving teaching studio and has served as adjunct professor of flute at Duquesne University, Slippery Rock University, and most recently West Liberty University.

The following are my observations as a teacher with feet planted firmly in each realm – a neighborhood studio and a college studio. I tell my students that there is a program out there for everyone. They can range from small liberal arts colleges with modest music divisions to large state university music schools and stand-alone conservatories. Each will have an array of required skill levels and repertoire expectations, and the one that might accept you may not be the school of your dreams. Admission into a college level music department varies greatly. So, here’s how to prepare for audition success and beyond.
The attributes of a good player are well defined. No matter what the level, they will include tone, articulation, intonation, rhythm, phrasing, colors, dynamics, tempo, etc. Striving to perfect these areas at every stage during your formative years will aid in quick progression to high technical proficiency. Sixty years ago, teachers kept students on shorter leashes, and by age 18 many were skilled in scales, etudes, and technique but played only Handel Sonatas as their solo repertoire. Today, Mozart Concerto in G often is introduced in middle school. Bach Sonatas are on contest lists for high school, as well as Burton’s Sonatina and the Taktakishvili Sonata. The times have changed, but the measure for excellence has been consistent. Players are judged on how well and beautifully they play, while factoring in the difficulty levels.
High school students who sit first chair in their band, win a spot in MEA festival bands, and even go to state still will need a private teacher to navigate the college audition process. The typically required two contrasting pieces and excerpts should be chosen carefully and polished to a shine. Most school-aged flutists take a 30 or even 45-minute lesson each week. This bumps up to one hour per week when stepping onto a college campus. Preparing that much music, consistently, every week can be daunting. A responsible private teacher will help ease that transition starting as early as the freshman or sophomore year of high school by assigning more music, requiring more practice time, and striving toward excellence in every area of playing. I like to treat all of my students who exhibit an obvious love for playing and practicing as potential music majors.
Taking them as far as they can go until they reach college is a good plan for every student. There is no need to wait for them to decide to become a flute major – just take them there. They can decide later, even much later, if their skill sets and practicing habits are in place. In my earlier years of teaching, I would wait for the student to ask about majoring in music. By the time they did, it was often too late to get them ready.
For college auditions, choose repertoire that the student learned long ago, junior year or even earlier. It has to sound confident and steady, the way a piece matures only when it has settled into the mind and muscles. A new piece is like a shiny penny – really appealing and not as boring as that old stuff – but the judges will know that it was worked on for only a few lessons. They will hear the insecurity and all of the flaws. If a piece is older and has been performed for competitions, there will be fewer surprises and present a truer picture of how well a student plays. Sloppy newness never impresses. Make sure the technical difficulty level of the chosen repertoire matches the current playing level. Too easy will undervalue a student and too difficult will highlight flaws. When choosing contrasting pieces, choose from different time periods, tempos, textures, keys, and meters.
From a high school band room to a college orchestra is quite a leap. To help bridge this gap I like to expose students to the highest levels of playing as early as possible. I start with group classes for all ages and levels. We all play together and concentrate on a single skill – trills, breathing, vibrato, intonation, tone, colors, etc. Then I take them to recitals of college flute majors, college faculty, and symphony players. If they are interested in competing at any level beyond the school program, I start them as young as possible. Look for elementary, middle, and high school division competitions at local flute festivals, MTNA state, division and national, and NFA. Take students to try flutes at a regional store, at festivals, and at the convention. Do everything to get them to expand their horizons beyond the local school. I also encourage summer music camps and festivals where they will meet students from everywhere. The more they experience live flute music being played by others and themselves, the more mature their own playing will become, and their expectations will evolve toward realistic goals.
Choose an appropriate list of potential colleges. If a student is good, but takes only a 30-minute lesson each week, plays basketball, swims, and is on a robotics team, it is a safe bet that Juilliard is not in his future. Match each student to the school, flute teacher, and department. Start talking about this early on in high school. Find out if they want a large state school with a marching band or a school that will let them minor in journalism. A small, intimate department with picnics in the professor’s backyard or a larger program where they can remain more anonymous until ready to emerge. It is a big world with plenty of choices so it helps to narrow the field. Visiting these schools will help make these decisions clearer. Summer camps at prospective colleges are a good way to get a feel for the campuses.
Make sure your students pay attention. Have them be alert always. At each lesson, introduce them to the student before and after their lesson. At competitions, make time to listen to all of the other competitors in their age category and beyond. Greet them and meet their parents and accompanists. The students they hear and meet at these events will turn up at summer flute classes, future auditions, and competitions. They will become their colleagues in college and will serve with them on committees when they volunteer for NFA. These are their flute friends for life – students with a similar intense interest, commitment, and drive.
Going from top dog at the best high school to a lowly freshman at a far-away music school need not be traumatic if a student is prepared musically, competitively, and socially, and is ready to work hard at a level several notches higher in time and intensity. Have students attend music major for a day programs at local colleges, take a lesson with a potential future teacher, join the Facebook page of a flute department, contact current flute majors at their favorite schools, and stay in touch with other flute majors from their school who are music majors. Prepare them to be last chair in the lowest band and at the same time to be first chair in the wind ensemble. As long as there is a seat, there is a place from which to learn and improve.

* * *

Advice for Teaching High School Versus College Flute Students
by Julia Bogorad-Kogan

Julia Bogorad-Kogan, principal flutist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and winner of a Grammy Award for best recording of chamber music, is on the faculty at the University of Minnesota. Her solo CDs are of Handel sonatas and Paris Conservatory repertoire.

I have had a series of highly talented and motivated high school students, and I enjoy helping them get into the music school or conservatory of their choice. My teaching of these students is not qualitatively different from the way I teach my college students, but rather is on a continuum based on the progress of each one. I like to instill some basic concepts with each student: the ability to find a round, warm, resonant sound with a low register equal in fullness to the other two registers, and a basic understanding of embouchure so that we have a vocabulary for discussing intonation and how to make color changes. I use Marcel Moyse’s Tone Development Through Interpretation as a vehicle for playing dynamics while playing in tune and for coloring the phrase. Andersen and other etudes develop facility and the ability to bring out the voicing of simultaneous polyphonic lines. I help students develop an understanding of musical language: consonance versus dissonance, how to discern a phrase shape, and how to relate the phrase shapes to each other to create the structure of the piece, like small archways which together form a great cathedral.
I include a study of Baroque ornamentation, and then we examine how in later periods of music, ornamentation was incorporated into the music by the composers themselves. We study a Mozart concerto in this regard before applying the concept to later works. They go on to explore the French conservatory pieces and then the many other genres of music that incorporate these concepts of phrasing, structure and musical language, albeit in different styles. Even as we forge into twentieth century and contemporary works, I like to continue working with the students to find musical language and gesture. My goal is to help students notice both innovations and the ways in which almost everything we play rests on a musical tradition that came before.
As students work on all of these concepts, mindful practice is important. Twenty minutes spent concentrating on a beautiful new way of playing is much more effective than five hours of mediocre practice. The unique factor in teaching talented high school students is that they need to interrupt this aforementioned education long enough to perfect their college audition pieces for immediate performance.
For college students, in addition to the above curriculum, I put an emphasis on gaining a strong familiarity with orchestral excerpts. When I auditioned at age 22 for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, I passed each round until I was the only candidate standing, but the audition committee was not entirely convinced. They asked me to come back the next day and play something completely different. Luckily, in my two years of excerpt classes with James Pellerite at Indiana University, we had studied and memorized virtually an entire excerpt book, so at my final audition, I played through page after page of the excerpt book, just as I was used to doing in class. This won me my job. I want to give my students the same sense of security as they head into auditions.
This technical security, important as it is, is only one factor in learning a piece. The experience of repeated listening to a new piece, coming to understand and perhaps love it, is a joy similar to reading a great novel. I direct students to the great wealth of performances available online. While many students show great virtuosity in the standard excerpts, they often need a much greater familiarity with the piece as a whole. For example, rarely do I find a student working on the Brahms Symphony No. 4, fourth movement solo who can sing the opening eight measures of that movement and recognize the passacaglia form. Students are also unlikely to correctly identify the instrumental accompaniment to J.S. Bach’s aria Aus Liebe as being only two oboes da caccia, and few students have noted the strategic positioning of that particular aria in the drama played out in the St. Matthew Passion.
Practicing only an excerpt is like learning only your lines in a play without knowing what the other actor is answering back to you or the plot of the play. How can you possibly give a meaningful rendition of your lines?
I also help students find recordings of the great performers of the past. They should know, for example, David Oistrakh, Pablo Casals, and William Kincaid. I feel an urgency to pass on this musical heritage to a new generation, so well-versed technically but seemingly springing out of a test tube rather than from the fertile ground of the past.
I empathize with my students. It can be daunting preparing for auditions in this age of ever greater technical prowess. Yet it is through gaining intimacy with the music itself that we experience why it is that we play.

The post Advice for Students and Teachers, Helping Students Progress from High School to College Music Programs appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Playing Contra

theinstrumenta — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:49:45 +0000

Question: I will be playing contra in our local flute choir this year. Many of the scores do not have a contra part. Do I double the bass part or do I not play on these selections?

Answer: You should play the bass parts on contrabass if there is no contra part. After hearing the piece with the added depth of the contra sound, the conductor will decide whether to keep contra on the part or not.
Bass is often the lowest part in flute choir music because contrabasses were rare when flute choir music started becoming popular in the late 1970s. Few composers and arrangers at the time knew about the instrument, and as a result, they did not include it.
If you are given a piece without a contra part that was written or arranged recently, the composer may still not know about contras or else did not want them in the piece. However, as the part was given to you, assume the conductor wants contra on the part. It will not hurt anything if you play the bass part, and it may improve the piece.
Depending on the difficulty of the work and your abilities on the instrument, the bass part may need to be edited. Deciding how to do this becomes the challenge. Ask for your music ahead of the first rehearsal so you have time to look it over.
The contrabass is not as agile as the bass. The tonal response time is longer; the keys are larger and take more time to move up and down; and the sound cracks into higher pitches easily. Evaluate bass parts carefully to determine where the contra would be the most effective.
To learn how to edit a bass part, start with a work at a moderate tempo with longer note values and short predictable scale patterns. This sort of part will require the least amount of editing, and the entire piece is probably playable. Consider taking any third octave notes down an octave.
Once you feel at ease with the instrument and the piece, consider not playing during a few soft passages to vary the texture. Music is more interesting if there are textural changes. Write out by those passages or draw a circle around them. Be sure to practice leaving the notes out. If the conductor does not like it, he or she will let you know.

If a piece has extended passages of long sustained notes and you are the only contra player, be aware that the audience will be able to tell when you take a breath as the bottom will drop out. Listen for spots where other instruments are changing notes and take breaths in those places. Try playing in the same octave as the basses to blend your sound into theirs. If there are no such options, taper elegantly and try taking a breath just before a downbeat. Come in on the downbeat at the same dynamic level you were playing before the breath.
For pieces with faster tempos, less time to breathe, leaps to the bottom notes of the instrument, arpeggios, low turn-arounds and fast tongued notes, editing takes more thought and planning. (Memorize and add difficult spots into your daily practice.)
Start with the playable passages of the more challenging pieces and during rehearsals, listen to the basses playing the parts you are temporarily leaving out. When confronted with an extended passage of fast, tongued notes, consider playing only single notes on the main beats of the bar. If a measure of 4/4 is all tongued 16th notes, play only four short notes in that measure; one each on beats 1, 2, 3 and 4. The notes will match the pitches on those beats. If there is a mixture of 16th and 8ths, play the 8ths.
Some sort of marking might be needed as a reminder of the notes you have chosen. I like to draw a new stem in the opposite direction of the printed one. In a group of 16th notes, draw a new stem from the first note of each group. A colored mark from a highlighter pen also makes them easier to pick out.
The secret to playing all of the notes of extended tongued passages successfully is to make the air do the work. Blow through the notes; make them as long as possible. Keep your tongue soft and broad and the air strong.
Fast slurred passages may require extra practicing. Because the lyrical aspect of the passage is likely to be disrupted by playing only some of the notes, it is best to play all of the notes or don’t play at all. Stay with the beat or do not play.
Slow slurred passages will be affected by breathing issues. Be sure to start with a good breath. Try playing softer, take more frequent short breaths, or occasionally leave out less important notes like the second note of a group of four to take a breath. Strive to take in more air with each inhale and use it more efficiently.
Playing only on the downbeat of 3/4 bars can help a waltz-like piece or section be more effective. Given a strong downbeat, the other parts will bounce off your note.
Dynamics play a big role when deciding whether or not to play a passage. The contra is certainly capable of playing softly, but since the basses are already covering this part, you can provide additional dynamic contrast by not playing when it is piano or softer.
Once edits have been made, practice is essential. It is surprisingly difficult to play some notes and ignore others. If the instrument belongs to the choir, be sure to ask to take it home or to come early to rehearsal and practice. The contra takes time to learn to play confidently. You can work out rhythm problems at home on another flute, but there is no substitute for hands-on experience with a contra.
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