Do you use one or two earplugs?
    When I practice piccolo, I almost always wear earplugs in both ears. There are occasions when I do not use them, but only if I am playing something very soft and not too high. I have custom musician’s earplugs with two different filter levels, 15dB reduction and 25dB. I use the 25 in my right ear and 15 in my left. (This is a tip I picked up at a panel discussion at a NFA convention.) Musician earplugs are a bit of an investment, but I feel that it is absolutely worth it. They are the best option to reducing volume while still being able to hear the sound, or a close approximation to it. I practiced with foam earplugs before I got these, and I suggest that my students use some form of hearing protection when they practice. When I am at work, I wear plugs when I feel it is necessary. If we are playing a Pops concert, then I need the 25s because of the amplification. There are times, however, when I just use one for my right ear, if I do not have time to put both in. 

What alternate fingerings do you use on a regular basis?
    I do not use that many alternate fingerings, but I do use L23 R14 for a higher C# in Shostakovich 6 and L13 R23 for the high F# in that excerpt. There is a pp second octave C at the end of “Romeo at the Tomb of Juliet” from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Suite, and I use L123 R14 for that. It is quite sharp on my instrument, but I find it much easier to bring the pitch down a bit and hold it for four bars, rather than hope I can keep the pitch up. I also usually play the 3rd octave G# with R23 added. 

How do you warm up?
    I warm up by playing some chromatic long tones, descending from middle D, and then ascending a little from the same starting point. I also warm up on Taffanel et Gaubert #1 and usually some Reichert, quite often #1. I usually play a bit on flute before moving to piccolo, and my warm up may vary based on the repertoire for the week.
 
Do you have any tuning tricks when playing in an orchestra?
    I think that the trick is to know your instrument’s tendency and work with a tuner, especially using a drone to practice different intervals. It is all about training the ear. You have to really listen across the orchestra and know who you are playing with (score study is important for this). Know what pitch the fixed pitch instruments are tuned to (celeste, keyboard percussion, harp, etc.) as it may vary from the tuning pitch of the group. Be flexible and willing to work on sections with your colleagues.

How does vibrato differ between the piccolo and the flute?
    I feel that vibrato on piccolo is usually a bit more narrow and faster than on flute because of the higher range. The vibrato you would use on flute on a high B-flat is going to be faster than what you would typically play on a low C. I think a narrower vibration is better so the airstream does not get affected. With a smaller aperture, the air speed is faster and it cannot handle a wide fluctuation.

What are the top 5 or 10 excerpts a piccolo player should know well?
    I think that the Piccolo Excerpt Book by Jack Wellbaum is indispensable to anyone interested in piccolo as well as Walfrid Kujala’s book Orchestra Techniques for Flute and Piccolo: An Audition Guide. Apart from that, I think that Shostakovich’s Symphony #6, Beethoven’s Symphony #9, Rossini’s Semiramide, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Daphnis et Chloe, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #4, and Ippolitov-Ivanov’s Caucasian Sketches are all important to know.    

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    On June 5th, the day before Robert Willoughby’s 95 birthday, family and former students gathered to celebrate his life at the Wentworth Marriott Hotel and Spa on the island of New Castle, NH, just across the island from Bob’s home. This is the hotel where Bob had performed several summers in his youth and where he and his wife, Mac, spent many happy times through the years. A few days before the event, former students – many of whom have successful careers as orchestral players, university teachers, chamber musicians and soloists throughout this country and abroad – were solicited to share a favorite memory or saying from lessons with Mr. Willoughby. At the celebration each person in turn shared one of these 95 lessons, as well as other favorite stories and memories. With his usual good humor and enthusiasm, Bob added to and corrected as appropriate, asking for some of his own favorite stories from those gathered.
    The following reworking of the submissions are a tribute to Robert Willoughby on his 95th birthday. They are tangible evidence of a lifetime of extraordinary teaching and are presented with admiration, respect, and gratitude from his students and colleagues including Francesca Arnone, Angela Blueskies, Mary Boodell, Sarah Brady, Leela Breithaupt, Joy Cline (Phinney), Trisha Craig, Tim Day, Philip Dikeman, Judy Dines, Marisa D’Silva, Aralee Dorough, Greer Ellison, Mary Kay Fink, Leonard Garrison, Susan (Hahn) Graham, Adrianne Greenbaum, Eileen Grycky, Vanessa Holroyd, Danielle Hundley, Katherine Borst Jones, Jim Lyman, Michael Lynn, Robin McKee, Vanessa Mulvey, Linda Pereksta, Juliana Perez, Diana Powers Rettie, Wendy Rolfe, Jennifer (Clarkston) Rundlett, Peggy Russell, Emma Shubin, Pat Spencer, Nancy Stagnitta, Sarah Swersey, Elizabeth West, Courtney Westcott, and Lisa Wienhold.

1. I think the best lesson from Bob has been the enthusiastic and unflagging support he has offered decades after my graduation. He is the model of a perfect gentleman and mentor.

2. Integrity and intelligence, always learning.

3. He gave his most to each of us in every lesson. We were all students with great potential in Bob’s eyes.

4. His teaching was so fine and he treated everyone with such respect.

5. Vibrato, Legato, Rubato. Always!

6. Lum—-pa, Tee——ta! (How to think of appoggiaturas)

7. Musical solutions resolve technical demands.

8. I don’t care what you do with the phrase, just do something.

9. Make me love it, make me hate it, but don’t bore me!

10. Okay, Ella Fitzgerald, how about starting the vibrato at the beginning of the note?

11. Play the structural melody only, one note per bar.

12. Move down with the strong beats, up with the weak beats.

13. 99% of the time, the peak of a phrase is on beat one or three.

14. Practice musically with no vibrato for a week – or more.

15. Once we have heard it once, we don’t care anymore. This simple concept can really solve lots of phrasing challenges, especially in Bach.

16. Rubato in the Allemande of the J.S. Bach Partita. Steal time to set up the breaths. Then give back time in an organic way. Pacing makes it all make sense.

17. Pendulum image for timing and feeling of heaviness and lightness in the phrase.

18. You have a beautiful sound, but you sound like a pop singer. (Vibrato too slow and wide)

19. Keep the vibrato going from note to note through the phrase. When I could finally do it, my flute felt more connected to my inner voice.

20. Say something convincing. The instrument is the least important part. The best players can make the worst flute sound terrific.

21. Use a wider vibrato to project in a big hall. (Brahms Symphony No. 1 solo)

22. While playing in the orchestra, if you are already playing your loudest and the conductor tells you to play louder, just move energetically, and the conductor will be satisfied.

23. Read favorite passages from the Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame aloud to demonstrate nuance and phrasing.

24. Think analytically about playing the flute.

25. Any fingering that works is ok. Pick up your pinkie on high E, it is easier and it sounds better.

26. Use the Kincaid vocalise exercise to warm up – for sound and phrasing.

27. Practice purposely, never mindlessly.

28. Always consider the natural balance issues of the flute and compensate for them. (Long notes are louder than short notes. High notes are louder than low notes. Slurred notes are louder than tongued notes)

29. Breath and melody. Ride the flow of air.

30. If you’ve said the chord the first time, don’t emphasize it the second time! (Bach Sonata in E Minor, BWV, second movement)
 
31. You are too good for this kind of playing. Show me something better next week.

32. Know the piano part for any piece played. Pay attention to the bass line in Baroque music.

33. Everyone is treated with equal respect.

34. Intensity, imagination, decision making and how to practice.

35. 8:00 am lesson! Insatiable cheerfulness.

36. Have a good sense of humor, especially during less than ideal situations.

37. Let me tell you that you are doing too much with regards to dynamics and phrasing. I have never told anyone they are doing too much!

38. Expression shouldn’t always be with time; it can be with dynamics, articulation, vibrato, and shape.

39. His belief in teaching the great repertoire rather than glitzy show pieces. Every piece has his words of wisdom imbedded in every measure. (Prokofiev Sonata, Messaien Merle Noir, all the Bach Sonatas and Partita, CPE Bach Partita, Roussel’s Joueurs de Flute, Density 21.5 and many more.)

40. Learn modern flute and Baroque flute. Explore historical context and challenge yourself.

41. Why are you phrasing that way? You have to have a good reason. Be a thinking musician, not just a flute player.
 
42. Start with the skeleton of the piece finding the basic phrase structure – then add the other notes. Breathing and phrasing will fall into place, making more sense.

43. Rubato and timing: the train slows down and picks up speed but never stops at the station.
44. Practice the siren exercise,  pitch bending for control.

45. Vibrato is an expressive tool. Practice different widths and speeds and changing intensity. Vibrate on appoggiaturas and not on resolutions.

46. Don’t step too loudly on the resolution note and don’t play it too long, lest it sound loud by default.

47. Music is not static. Phrases are going to or from somewhere.

48. Use silence/pauses for increased expression. Hardly anyone ever waits too long.

49. Recognize and show off hemiolas in Baroque music.

50. Crescendo into a weak note to provide a smooth, legato transition between intervals.

51. Explore whistle tones, but don’t overdo them. They can be surprisingly tiring. Warm up with note bending and harmonics – and scales in groups of 6s.

52. Listen to cellists and singers and musicians other than flute players to learn about phrasing and color. (The three tenors)

53. Use the air to resonate the sound of 16th passages – especially going down. Blow through the lines.

54. Search out unusual composers – play contemporary music and find hidden or neglected pieces.

55. The dynamic level before the breath should equal the dynamic level after the breath.

56. Imitate the look of the bulldog to find the relaxed embou-chure. (To drop the jaw)

57. Use puffs, i.e. tongue-less attacks, to begin the day for relaxation of the embouchure.

58. The unevenness of the scale, (strong and weak notes) on the Baroque flute is the beauty of the instrument. Beauty comes in all forms even if it does not fit the usual expectations.

59. Notes of the same rhythm within a beat or longer, may be played unevenly. This makes all the difference for expressive playing.

60. Do you want to borrow my arm? (After student plays Brahms 4 conducted by RW)

61. I thought I might look like one of those cartoon characters with eyeballs spinning hopelessly as I worked to process information, make solid choices, and defend them eloquently, both verbally and musically.

62. Find the internal structural notes of the phrase and base your interpretation on this musical foundation.

63. Keep air pressure up even as you get softer.

64. Don’t shoot your wad all at once!

65. You’re a budding genius.

66. Why are you playing it that way?

67. How about some sightreading? (to an unprepared student)

68. To counter one’s desire to physically move vertically on every beat, move in a horizontal line.

69. Sing everything out loud, with your voice to find natural legato and phrasing.

70. Music first. Tension and release. Merely having musical intention is not enough for creating an expressive performance.

71. Large intervals invite time. Practice playing between the notes by filling in the intervals chromatically, then with a scale, etc.

72. Lean on the first note of a slur.

73. Practice starting a note with a soft attack, like a singer.

74. The importance of mastering fundamentals: the art of cheek puffing, legato line, tonal flexibility, shaping notes and expressive phrasing.

75. Strive for a first class musical performance without the listener being aware of the mechanical/technical aspects.

76. He is an expert at timing, in life and music, always with humor.

77. How many ways can this phrase be played?

78. Always so many questions. Why are you phrasing to this note? Why not that one? Where is this line going, is it here? Are you sure it is not here?

79. I find I never run out of air if I’m always breathing.

80. He has patience, beyond measure, no matter the level of the student.

81. Always be sure to have a beautiful first and last note, no matter what happens in between.

82. Release your note the way a singer would so that the air can replace itself.

83. Lead. Don’t shy away from the goal of the phrase – go courageously forward.

84. Start at the end of the phrase to find the last possible sub-phrase that makes sense, then find the next sub-phrase. Find the structure, skeleton, the focal point of each phrase.

85. Less tongue, more sound.

86. Be your own best teacher, an artistic architect.

87. In a class or a lesson, always say something positive before giving a criticism.

88. Follow your heart when making life decisions, as well as when playing the flute.

89. Explore and perform music of our time. Commissions. Com-posers: Heiss, Martin, Musgrave, etc.

90. You know where I will be sitting. Just look at me. (To calm student recital nerves)

91. Give ‘em hell! (Advice before a recital to inspire courage.)

92. His goal is for students to become thinking, self-sufficient musicians.

93. Uncompromising intonation. Your C# is sharp! Don’t play sharp. Go work with the tuner. The end!

94. Inspire students to rise to a new level. Always have a smile and a gentle manner.

95. It seems impossible to single out one thing that we learned from you, when we feel like every professional success we have ever had was made possible by your teaching. We think of you every day and strive to emulate your incredible model to our students and our own lives. You are an incredible musician and an extraordinary human being.

The post Robert Willoughby 95 Lessons appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Cork
    Depending upon the climate in which you teach, the cork may need to be replaced as often as every six months to every few years. The fit of the cork is very important to the ring in the sound and the pitch of the flute. Since the headjoint is tapered (gets smaller) towards the crown end, the cork should be fitted with the same taper. The flutist should be able to make small adjustments to the placement of the cork, so the cork should not be waxed into place. A well-fitted cork should be dropped in from the tenon end of the headjoint and find repose with the plated end of the stem assembly in the center of the embouchure hole.

Placement of the Cork
    Use the line on the flute cleaning rod to position the cork. The line should be in the center of the embouchure hole. However, you may find that moving it a quarter turn in either direction will improve the intonation and response of the flute. This is true for the piccolo too.

Wash the Headjoint
    If you feel comfortable removing the cork/stem assembly, wash the headjoint. I prefer Dawn dishwashing liquid because it takes the grime and stickiness off quickly. I usually wash my headjoint weekly. I like the sound better and the feeling of it staying anchored in my chin because it is not greasy. I wash the headjoint more often if I have been sick. 

Alignment of the Flute
    Check the tenons to be sure they are round and have no dents. Clean the tenons and the tenon boxes with rubbing alcohol to be sure they are clean and grime free. Do not get any alcohol on the pads. Give students a gentle reminder to carefully align the tenon and box straight on (not at an angle) before assembly as this will help the tenons stay round.
    Through a lot of experimentation I have found that the headjoint works best when the embouchure hole is level and pointing up to the ceiling. However, it is easier to play when the embouchure hole is pointed back towards the lips. There are two problems with this alignment: pitch and the lack of the higher harmonics in the tone. Flutists enjoy playing in this position because it is easier. Playing with the embouchure hole level means that the flutist must be in good shape and practice embouchure flexibility and strength exercises daily. I think this is a small price to pay for better intonation and a ringing sound.
    To play fast it is better to have the keys of the flute level just like the embouchure hole. This means when the finger is lifted, gravity helps put the finger and key down. If the keys are rolled back towards the flutist, the flutist will have to do all the work of lifting and lowering the fingers. With the keys level, flutists gain a nanosecond here and there which can make technique seem easy and fluid.
     If the embouchure hole and the keys are both to be level, align the flute using a yardstick with the line in the center of the D, E, and F keys and the center of the embouchure hole. Mark on the headjoint with a red or black marker to make aligning the flute easy and accurate each day.
    The headjoint should be pulled from the body approximately one-quarter of an inch. Use a ruler to check this measurement as most people easily confuse one-quarter of an inch with one-eighth of an inch. I often mark a series of quarter inches at the top of the first page of the student’s warmups. If he looks at this distance day after day, eventually he will memorize the distance to pull the headjoint.

    Align the footjoint so the little finger easily fingers a C fingering. This may mean the rod on the footjoint is farther away from the flutist rather than being in the center of the right-hand keys. Since flutists play more Cs than Bs in performance, it seems logical to align with the notes flutists use most.

Check the Pads and Felts
    Play each student’s flute to be sure all of the pads are sealing, and felts are still in position. If you find any issues, refer the student to a repairperson. Most student flutists should have a COA (clean, oil and adjust) at least once a year. Professionals may schedule COA’s every few months depending upon playing demands.

Check the Case
    If a student is playing a hand-me-down flute, very likely the parts in the case may have come unglued allowing the flute to rattle around. The flute should fit quite tightly in the case so it  is not damaged in transit. Either re-glue the parts or send the student to a repairperson who may have replacement parts for the case. Periodically flutists will need to replace the case. A case cover greatly enhances the life of a case and the safety of the instrument. Just as all flutes vary somewhat in design, cases vary in design too. It may be best to buy a case from the same maker who made the flute.
    Vacuum the case. Most flutists have never vacuumed their cases. The dirt, lint and whatever else is present in the case can easily get into the key mechanism and cause problems. A clean case is an easy thing to do to help keep a flute playing properly. Tell students to vacuum their cases every few months.

Check the Cleaning Cloth and Flag/Mop
    Cleaning cloths should be washed periodically. I have four or five cloths that I rotate bi-weekly. I prefer 100% silk because of its absorbency and lack of lint. Since silk scarves are rarely sold in department stores anymore, check resale shops such as Goodwill etc. Most of my favorite cloths were purchased for 50¢ or less. If you use a flag or a mop-type cleaning stick, replace it yearly or more often for sanitary purposes. After a cold, be sure to wash or replace your cleaning tools.     

The post A Fall Checkup appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Sarah Mitchener
Junior, University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Sarah Mitchener is a junior flute performance major at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she studies with Dr. Tadeu Coelho. 

    When I left high school, I didn’t necessarily think I had all of the answers, but I certainly believed I knew more than I actually did. Needless to say, freshman year of college was one huge reality check. Through some eye-opening experiences, I gained a decent amount of wisdom and musical understanding that I still carry with me today. 
    First off, I don’t want to say, “You know nothing,” but really, you know nothing. I wish that I had entered my first year with a more open mind. You certainly have a decent amount of knowledge, but the more receptive and thirsty for knowledge you are upon entering college, the more you will be able to retain lessons, input, and advice. Allow yourself the opportunity to be molded as a flutist and allow yourself to be teachable. That is so important in teacher-to-student relationships.  
    Speaking of lessons, record them (with your teacher’s permission, of course). Record everything. Start recording yourself from day one, whether it be excerpts, a small passage of a piece, or your warm ups. As a freshman, I did not have a good strategy for recording myself, in terms of how long I spent recording one excerpt or piece before moving on to the next. More often than not, the first take was the best, and each mistake I made from the next take onward caused my attitude towards the process and my playing to snowball downward.
    Since I did not record myself often enough (daily), it created pressure and anxiety when I did record my playing. I soon realized that when you record yourself, you receive instant feedback on how you sound. Keep in mind that how you sound to your own ears is not at all how you sound to the rest of the world. Recording yourself allows you the chance to experience what everyone else is hearing. A video recorder will give you a sense of your posture and how that may be affecting the sound. Go over recordings with your teacher or other studio members to receive additional feedback. 
    One of the greatest lessons I learned that I wish I knew entering my freshman year was in regards to feedback and criticism. I cannot stress the phrase “Take it with a grain of salt,” enough. If you end up performing often, whether it is for the studio, your teacher, or the general public, you are bound to receive verbal feedback on your performances – some good and some bad. Understand that there is something to be learned from everything you hear, whether you agree with it or not. With every piece of criticism, try to find at least one element that you can apply to your playing. If you happen to not agree with a word that was said, try to put yourself in the speaker’s place and figure out what in your playing could have inspired that thought. You will likely take lessons from teachers whose opinions are a stark contrast to your own teacher’s words, but there is something to be learned from everyone. Some of the input you receive will be more difficult to hear than others, but choosing to approach learning with an open heart and mind will be more rewarding in the long run; everything is a lesson. 
    Finally, the key to growth is fundamentals. It is incredibly easy to get wrapped up in the complexity of the repertoire and etudes you work on, and everything seems to get piled on at once, especially in your freshman year. Do not, however, abandon the fundamentals, including long tones, scales, harmonics, focusing on how your fingers lift and touch the keys, hand position, and embouchure placement. Everything you do builds from here. The harder you are on yourself to polish the foundation of your playing, the greater everything else will begin to sound.

Noah Livingston
Sophomore, St. Olaf College

Noah Livingston is a sophomore at St. Olaf College where he studies flute performance with Dr. Catherine Ramirez. Past teachers have included Alicia McQuerrey and Carol Gilkey.

    One of the most important things I learned during my first year at St. Olaf is that self-motivation is essential to success. Your professors are there to help you along the way, but ultimately you have to be the driving force behind your development as a musician. This means finding the time to practice and practicing efficiently, so that you can come prepared to each and every lesson and rehearsal.
   You also have to create opportunities for yourself. Ask your teacher about local competitions and masterclasses and apply for them. Research summer festivals and workshops and send in audition tapes. Explore chamber music and other performance opportunities within the music department at the college. Basically, use all the resources at your disposal and always seek out ways to improve your musicianship.
    It is also worth mentioning the social dynamics of a college flute studio. At first I was terrified to play in studio and was shaking like a leaf for the whole performance. As I got to know the other flutists, I became increasingly at ease. I realized that my peers wanted me to succeed just as much as I did and that everyone in the studio was there to support and learn from one another. Now some of my closest friends are my studio mates. When it is your turn to play in studio for the first time, remember that studio is a learning experience, not a competition, and that all the other students are on your side. Fellow flutists are frequently friendly.
    On a more general note, get lots of sleep. College can be stressful, and you want to be operating at 100%. Prioritize getting eight hours of sleep every night, even if it means skipping a party or saving biology reading for later. You are doing yourself a total disservice by practicing or studying into the wee hours of the morning. Do yourself a favor and let your brain recharge.

Amanda Wilk
Graduate Program, Indiana University

Amanda Wilk recently graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.M. in Flute Performance and a B.A. in German, and will be attending Indiana University Jacobs School of Music to pursue a master’s degree in Flute Performance in the fall. As an undergraduate she studied with Dr. Diane Boyd-Schultz, and will be studying with Thomas Robertello at IU.

    Before college I really had no notion of performance anxiety. Sure, I got nervous when I had to talk in front of large crowds or when I had a solo in band, but who doesn’t? Being nervous is a natural part of life – it happens to literally everyone. I had no idea how bad performance anxiety could be until my junior year of college when I decided to take the flute seriously.
    When I started college, I was a music therapy major. I enjoyed playing flute in high school and thought that I was pretty good but never in a million years did I think I would ever pursue a career in performance. The further I got into college the more I realized I wanted to be a professional musician. I started caring more about my playing and eventually switched to performance. While I felt much happier when I found my calling, performance anxiety really started to kick in. The more I cared, the more I shook when I played an exposed part in a piece. The more I shook, the more I started to freak out and overthink every single detail of my playing. The more I overthought and overanalyzed, the worse I played. Performance anxiety is a perfect example of the snowball effect, and it is not pretty.
    Everyone handles performance anxiety differently, and not everything works for everyone. Some of my friends try physical remedies. I know a few who eat bananas an hour before a concert, and one who does jumping jacks to get her blood pumping. Others try a mental approach of imagining the audience in their underwear, while another treats the performance as a rehearsal in fancier clothing. The following mental tips work for me:
1. Perform as much as you can. The more you perform, the more you get used to it.
2. Make sure you are prepared. You may still shake, but you will be less likely to make a mistake if you know what you are doing. (Side note: slow practice is your best friend.) 
3. Remember that people come see you perform because they want to hear you be successful. No one goes to a concert hoping for your ultimate demise. 
4. Try to clear your mind and only focus on the music. This one is tough to do, but try to make whatever is happening in your personal life not affect your playing. 
5. Do not overthink! This is very important. If you mess up, move on. Don’t focus on that one mistake. I have found that if you hang up on even the tiniest of mistakes, it will affect your playing, and you will continue to play mistakes.
6. Remember one performance does not equate to how you are as a musician. We are human. Everyone has bad days, and everyone makes mistakes.
7. On that note, try not to focus on other’s opinions. I have found that the more I worry about what others think, the more nervous I get. Everyone is going to have different thoughts. At the end of the day, only your opinion matters.
8. Finally, remember why you perform: to share your passion and love for music with those who are willing to listen.
    Performance anxiety cannot be cured overnight. In fact, you may never completely get over it (which is okay because it is not the end of the world). You can minimize its effects and make sure that it does not dominate your life. Some of these tips may help you and some may not. It is a process of trial and error to find out what works for you. I have found that performance anxiety is more of a mental game for me, but I would also recommend trying out various physical tricks that may help. Performer’s anxiety is frustrating and discouraging, but tenacity can and will lead you to success.

Nicole Jackson
Graduate Program, University of Memphis

Nicole Jackson is a graduate of Henderson State University (BM Music Education). She is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Memphis. 

    When I began college, I was a quiet freshman who did not venture too far out of my comfort zone. Sometime during the first semester I became friends with a few of the other students in the flute studio. We would often hang out outside of rehearsals, and I began to realize how important it was to have friends who understood all of the challenges that I was facing in my own playing. As my first semester came to a close, the other flute students and I began preparing for ensemble placement auditions for the following semester. It was during this time that I realized how important it is to have positive relationships with the other members of the flute studio.
    Each day they would set aside time from their own practicing to help me prepare for my placement audition. In return, I would often listen to their excerpts and provide any feedback that I could. This practice continued long after we had finished our auditions. We would get together often to listen to each other play before other auditions, studio classes, and recital hearings. The results of this practice began to reach further than just making our individual playing better. Being able to do this as a group taught us all how to listen critically to one another’s playing, how to take criticism in a positive way, and how to diagnose and fix a problem when we heard it. Ultimately, it allowed us to develop an atmosphere of mutual respect where we were able to emphasize our strengths and strengthen our weaknesses. This experience helped me to understand that I was surrounded by some of the most valuable resources for improving my musicianship.   
    I have found these types of connections to be vital in maturing as a young musician. Competition is a wonderful thing when it is healthy, but there is also something wonderful that can happen when your approach to others in the studio turns from “I want to beat him at the next ensemble audition.” To “Hey, that was cool! Can you teach me how to do that?” I saw a huge change in my musicianship and teaching ability when I shifted from a competition-driven mindset to one that focused on learning from everyone in the studio. These are the people you will continue to play with for the rest of your career  and your connections can prove indispensable.  
    Even if you end up at a school where this is not the immediate atmosphere of the flute studio, do your best to make it a positive experience for all of those you interact with. Make friends and sightread duets. Ask them to help you with a piece you are struggling with, or even build them up when they are really struggling with their own playing. Music can be a difficult career, so why make it harder than it has to be. Learn from and help those around you. 

Indigo Fischer
Sophomore, University of Colorado Boulder

Indigo Fischer is a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she is studying flute performance with Christina Jennings.

    Unlike most people, my first year of college was not my first year of living away from home. I left my little hometown of Eureka Springs, Arkansas before my junior year of high school to attend Interlochen Arts Academy, a fine arts boarding school located in the woods of northern Michigan. This early transition to a conservatory-like high school was very similar to what most people experience going to college. Due to Interlochen’s intensely busy and professional atmosphere, I quickly had to teach myself skills that would keep me afloat and continue to be important in college.
    Time management is critical because time in college is sparse, and time as a music major is all but nonexistent. I found out freshman year that planning out daily practice times is extremely beneficial. Routine times of practicing throughout the day became as fixed and non-negotiable in my schedule as going to class. With all of the tasks that have to be done and little time to do them, structuring the day hour-by-hour is the path to success. I kept track of all of the practice sessions, rehearsals, classes, lessons, concerts, and other obligations going on during the school year by using Google Calendar. Its accessibility on both my computer and phone means that I can conveniently add an event to my schedule the instant I learn about it. 
    I use Google Drive to organize all of my video and audio recordings, photos, essays, and current resume and bio. This way, if I need to search for or share information, I can easily and quickly access everything I need through the app on my phone. Spending a bit of time to organize your professional documents always saves time in the long run. I also have a Google Doc (similar to a Word Document) with my bios in chronological order, so that whenever I need to submit a bio, I copy my latest version, paste it to the top of the document, and update it accordingly. That way, my most current bio is always at the top of the Doc, but I can use older versions below for reference if needed. A word about bios and resumes: no matter how young or lacking in experience you are, start writing a bio and resume. Don’t be intimidated by professionals’ extensive resumes; yours will be like that someday. Start early and refine the document as you gain more experience.
    Slow practice is worth its weight in gold. Each time we practice something, we are making that neural pathway stronger (read The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle for more on this topic). So practice slowly and ensure that you are building the correct pathways the first time. Slow practice also gives your physical body time to catch up with your mind. Once slow practice has set a firm foundation on a certain concept, you are ready for more gestural, faster practice. Never skip the step of slow practice and dive directly into hurried practice at the cost of making mistakes. 
    There is so much to learn, and so many opportunities to do so. Soak up every bit of knowledge like a sponge. Keep a flute notebook and write down information that catches your eye. With all the frustration that comes with being a musician, don’t forget how incredibly fortunate you are to be creating art and doing something that you love.

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Some Things to Avoid: Instrument Disasters

Nicole Jackson
    In my first semester of college, I managed to make third chair in the wind ensemble. For our first concert, I was doubling flute and piccolo on one of the pieces. I had been in classes all morning and afternoon on the day of the first rehearsal. I found myself literally running to the rehearsal immediately after another class. I managed to make it with about five minutes to spare, so I got my flute and music out and began to warm up, still a bit frantic from my busy day. Rehearsal started, and everything seemed to be going well until I remembered that the piece we were rehearsing was the one I played piccolo on for the last half. Luckily, it was in my bag right next to me. As soon as we stopped to work on something, I reached down to get the piccolo ready for later in the piece. I was so concerned with getting my piccolo out that I completely forgot about my flute sitting in my lap. When I sat back up to put my piccolo case in my lap, I knocked my flute out of my lap, and it hit the music stand in front of me as it fell to the floor. I was mortified. The director stopped what he was doing to ask what happened and if everything was okay. I sheepishly answered and began to pick up my flute only to realize that one of the keys was bent pretty badly out of shape. Needless to say, as soon as the rehearsal ended, I drove to the closest repair shop to see if they could fix it quickly so that I did not have a broken flute for my first lesson with my new teacher the next day.

Sarah Mitchener
    No matter how flustered you get for an audition, lesson, or masterclass, take care of your instrument. Don’t skip steps, don’t overlook caring for it, and whatever you do, don’t force it. I had an audition for a large orchestra piece coming up quickly, and I was auditioning on both flute and piccolo (though I was more hopeful for piccolo). In my frantic scrambling around before leaving home after a break, I forgot to grab my piccolo cleaning flag to put in my bag. I had returned to school before I realized that I had forgotten it. I only had 24 hours before my audition, and clearly needed a cleaning flag, since moisture builds up in a piccolo much more quickly than a flute. I decided to go to the nearest band store near campus to check up on their supply of cleaning utensils. I was gravely disappointed. However, they did have a clarinet cotton brush swab which looked small enough that it could fit into a piccolo, with some trimming up of some of the cotton. I hurried back to school, found some scissors, and set to work. I trimmed it down to what seemed about the size of my piccolo flag and called it a day – and didn’t bother to try it. The day of the audition, I arrived on campus and began to warm up both on flute and piccolo. About 15 minutes before my audition, I decided to swab out the piccolo. I took out my newly-formed piccolo swab and tried to stick it in the piccolo. It went partially in and then came to a screeching halt. In my infinite wisdom, I took it out and tried from the top of the body of the instrument. When it still didn’t fit, I gave it a small push into my piccolo. It gave way, all right, and the next thing I knew a chip of the top of the body fell to the ground. With only a few minutes before my audition, I played a few notes that weren’t extremely clear. I found however that with more air, it would all come out. Although I won the piccolo part, my instrument was not in good working condition. The moral of the story: be kind to your instrument, and it will be kind back to you!

Amanda Wilk
    Before getting my current flute, I played on a used flute from 1999. The flute sounded fine but was aesthetically unappealing. Whoever played on it before me had acidic hands, and it was tarnishing to a point where it turned my fingers green. It seemed to break at the most inconvenient moments. When I was a sophomore, I was principal in the University of Alabama Symphonic Band. We were invited to play at the Alabama Music Educators Association convention. The day of the concert my flute broke, and I had to play a fast solo passage. No one had a spare instrument, so I had to play the solo passage with about five different alternate fingerings.

More Things to Avoid:
Bring Your Music & Avoid Injury

Indigo Fischer
    In a musical situation that is already highly stressful, you want to minimize the anxiety caused from factors out of your control in order to focus on the music. For example, always check that you have all of your music far in advance. This past fall, on the morning of the Colorado Flute Association Collegiate Competition, I realized that I had left one of the judges’ copies of one of my solo pieces on the copy machine in my college’s music library. Without three copies for the judges, I would be disqualified from the competition. There was no way for me to retrieve the forgotten copy before my bus departed. Thankfully, I was eventually able to print a copy off at a library near the competition venue. I arrived at the venue with just enough time to register, change clothes, and have a five-minute warm-up before it was my turn to go onstage. Somehow, despite all of the trauma of the morning, I won second place!

Noah Livingston
    My freshman year was relatively non-catastrophic, but I do wish I could have avoided developing wrist tendinitis. It set in after I went home for Christmas break. I was practicing a lot, and one day I started to feel pain in my right forearm. Despite my best attempts to ignore it, the pain only worsened, sometimes flaring up immediately after I began to practice. As soon as I got back to school in January, I asked my flute professor about the symptoms I was having, and she referred me to a physical therapist on campus. It turns out there is a woman who comes to St. Olaf each Tuesday specifically to help injured musicians. At our first meeting she identified that a combination of over-practicing and an unhealthy hand position were giving me troubles. I carefully followed the regimen of arm stretches she taught me and slightly altered my hand position, and within a couple weeks I was playing completely pain free. If you are ever in a situation where it hurts to play your instrument, don’t be afraid to get help. Playing through the pain will only lead to further injury, and that just is not worth it.

    We want to hear from you! If you are in college or graduate school, share the most unexpected or difficult thing you faced when you went to college. How did you solve a tough problem? What do you wish you had known before leaving high school? What should current high school flutists do to prepare better? Email us at editor@flutetalkmagazine.com.

The post Everything You Do Builds From Here, Reflections of Current and Recent Flute Majors appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Professional musicians often perform the same work multiple times. While students often wish for a second (or third or fourth) chance to perform a piece, hoping to correct mistakes, professionals who have mastered the music instead face a different challenge as they strive to keep the music fresh and exciting after many repetitions. There are many scenarios in which professionals are required to repeat performances:

    Soloists may play the same recital multiple times.

    Orchestral players usually play the same program two to four times within a week.

    Opera and ballet musicians give multiple performances of the same works over a given period of time.

    Orchestral musicians for a musical show may play the same music for years.

    In all of these scenarios the performers are responsible for doing the best they can; however, depending on the situation, a good performance will also require varying degrees of collaboration with colleagues.

Musical Shows
    This can be the most difficult to keep fresh because looking at the same music day after day can easily become mind-numbing. Musical theater can be like Mission Impossible – it can present many exciting challenges – should you choose to accept them. There is the challenge of working with colleagues in the orchestra. A show that goes on for a long time will have frequent substitute players, so the first challenge is to work with new colleagues so that everyone is comfortable. Accept what new players bring to the music while still keeping things somewhat as they always are. New people will not always be in the pit; there will be new singers on the stage as well. Hopefully, they too will want to bring something special to each performance, and that may mean changes in timing or dynamics. Within the context of the group performance, continue to bring something of your own talents and vision to the music as well.

Ballet
    A ballet is probably the most challenging forum in which to keep things fresh. Because it is important to keep the music (especially tempos) the same for the dancers, there is much less room for individuality. However, I will never forget hearing Andy Lolya of the New York City Ballet performing Claude Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun. It was very slow and very beautiful. That gorgeous piece provides a wonderful chance to vary vibrato and tone colors and to make the piece your own with each performance.

Opera
    Opera, my area of greatest experience, can provide an excellent forum for making a piece fresh and different each time. The conductor, of course, will be a great part of that. I loved conductors who never did a piece the same way twice. Valery Gergiev was such a conductor. That “by the seat of your pants” kind of music-making provides an excitement that provokes individuality without even thinking about it. Even with conductors who want to do the same thing every time, however, there is room for freshness and individuality in performance. Singers may change their interpretations or new singers may join the production, so that too provides variability. Hopefully, colleagues will also try to bring something special to each performance. As you blend with them, listen to what they are doing, and try to answer in an interesting way – perhaps echoing or answering what they are saying. With the cooperation of the conductor, you might decide to take a little more time on a particular phrase. If you do something special, very likely not only will the conductor appreciate it, but colleagues may pick up on it  and perhaps go on to add their own touch to it.
    Performing with singers is a particular challenge. They are not sitting in front of a score as the instrumentalists do and tend to be freer with the music as a result. Be aware of what they are doing, be flexible and go with them – imitate them, wait for them, and do whatever is necessary.
    The Mad Scene in Lucia de Lammemoor by Gaetano Donizetti is a perfect example of working intimately with a singer. I was fortunate during my time at the Metropolitan Opera to perform that scene standing in the front of the pit so that I could view the singer. The singers varied from those who attempted to always do the same thing to those who were wildly different each time. My job was to follow, to imitate, and to make music with them; but interestingly and most importantly it was also to make the singer comfortable. Once they were sure that they could count on me to be there with them, they felt freer to do what they would like to do. My favorite soprano with whom to do the Mad Scene was Ruth Ann Swenson. When we arrived at the cadenza, I knew that she was completely comfortable. There were passages where I echoed her and passages where I played with her. We both took time between phrases and had so much faith and comfort with each other that it was always together. On more than one occasion, as we practiced the opera in the rehearsal room, we played the cadenza perfectly together with my back to her and no conductor. We performed it many times over the years, and I am quite sure that no two performances were the same.

Orchestral Concerts
    In orchestral concerts the personnel usually remains the same, and the concerts are performed within a short period of time – most often the same week. That being said, again depending on the rigor of the conductor, this might offer the most room for individuality with each performance. Probably there will be less flexibility with the tempos and yet the musicians should try to say something special each time. I was privileged to hear a wonderful example of that this New Year’s Eve. The New York Philharmonic performed Camille Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals on a live telecast. There can be nothing simpler than the clarinet’s statement of the cuckoo’s theme – two notes over and over. New York Philharmonic’s principal clarinet, Anthony Magill, gave an absolutely entrancing performance in which each statement of those two notes said something different than all the others. It was fascinating.

Recitals
    Professional soloists often perform the same works again and again. However, even musicians who are not professional soloists will perform many of the same pieces more than once. The last thing you want to do is to play a piece in the same way as when you first learned it. Prepare them anew each time and bring all the knowledge and experience you have gained in the meantime. Experience should give performers confidence. With that most often comes the joy of saying what we would like to with every performance.   

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