September 2018 Archives - The Instrumentalist

Learning to Listen, The Sound of Silence

theinstrumenta — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:34:35 +0000

Simon and Garfunkel’s first big hit from their first successful album, The Sound of Silence (1964) begins “Hello darkness, my old friend.” The song is easily found on YouTube, both in the original version, with two voices and acoustic guitar, and several later arrangements, including one by Sting. The original lyrics were somewhat complex and thoughtful and come from a time when telephones were attached to the wall, there were no computers, no Instagram, no Facebook. People did research using encyclopedias and wrote papers on typewriters. In those days to find quiet, it was easy to close a door, go to a nearby park, or a library.
Today, we live in a clamorous, noisy time. One can hardly go into a public place without hearing piped-in sounds, designed to manipulate listeners into constantly buying, eating, feeling, walking. Then there are the ubiquitous phones and earbuds. For many people, silence has become something rare or even to be avoided. Constant sound and chatter are necessary to many to feel comfortable.

Exploring Silence
So how can someone who aspires to be a fine musician learn to listen, hear and play with individuality and finesse in this cacophonous environment? The answer is in the sound of silence. Silence is golden – seek it, sink into it and enjoy it. Learn to listen to your own thoughts with interest and respect. (Put your phone and earbuds far enough away so you cannot hear or sense them at all.) If this is difficult, start with a 10-minute break from electronic devices and noise. After a few sessions you will lose some surface chatter and begin to hear things that may surprise you. As more ideas and feelings come to the surface, you will realize how aware and thoughtful your mind is. After a few days you might be able to stretch the time to 15 minutes.
When you are comfortable with the silence, read a poem out loud and then take time to think about it. What is the most important idea? Is there a climax, a special thought, or a surprise? How would you emphasize that? Consider the tempo, the spaces, the rhythm. Read it again and record it. Then listen and repeat till satisfied.
Find a favorite solo piece, preferably one with some rhythmic freedom. (For flutists, Syrinx is great choice.) Listen to it and consider the silences. What happens if they are too long or too short? Pick up your instrument and experiment with the pauses. What happens when you lengthen or shorten them? What happens if you play the phrase differently? Then see what happens if you move from a small room to a large hall or from a dry space to a resonant acoustic one. Do the tempi and the pauses stay the same? Try this with other pieces as well.
Take a solo piece you would like to learn. Your job is to make it come alive; to take the marks on the page and turn them into living sounds. Do not listen to any recordings or performances of this piece. Rather, stay in your silence and play one phrase. When you can play it the way you would really like to hear it, go on to the next phrase. Continue adding phrases until the end. Now, if at this point, you hear someone else’s interpretation and it is not just the same as yours, stick with your own ideas. Don’t imitate. If, after careful consideration, you decide a certain phrase or detail is better than what you worked out, figure out why. This is how you grow as a musician.

Attending Concerts
As you attend performances to hear famous works and to experience new sounds and styles, talk with your friends about what you expect to hear and what you think will be your favorite pieces of those you do not yet know. Chances are you will learn something about the program. (If you must take your phone, turn it off before you enter the hall, and leave it off until the concert is over.)
The sounds and combinations, be it orchestral, chamber music, or vocal, will often surprise you with their richness and variety. During the music, notice what moves you, and, if there are stretches that you do not care for, try to figure out why. Intermission is a good time to compare notes with your companions.
Learning to listen is an important skill for anyone, but particularly valuable for those planning to spend major time and effort with music. “The sound of silence” is more than a quote from the past; it is a key to hearing yourself and learning and developing taste and skills to successfully present musical materials from the ancient past to the works of today.

The post Learning to Listen, The Sound of Silence appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Making the Switch

theinstrumenta — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:29:24 +0000

I was sitting in a flute sectional at the Tanglewood Music Center in the summer of 1983. Doriot Dwyer, the principal flute of the Boston Symphony was coaching the flute section on Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, and I was playing the piccolo. I had no idea what I was doing.
I remember switching back and forth quickly from flute to piccolo in the third movement and feeling uneasy. At one point I picked up the piccolo to play one of the solos and, after trying to set my embouchure, blew, and nothing came out. Doriot stopped the sectional, looked at me, shook her head, and said, “Well, you clearly don’t know where your sound is coming from. Once you actually figure that out, you won’t have that problem.”
I was so embarrassed and felt about two feet tall. However, this made me really think about what I was doing. In truth, I had spent hours looking into the mirror, trying to find the perfect looking embouchure on the outside of my lips, but I really was not considering what was happening on the inside. When I watched the great players of that time, such as piccoloist Clement Barone or flutist Julius Baker, they did not seem to have a lot of tension in their lips, nor did it look as if their embouchures moved very much at all.
In 1990 I decided to prepare a piccolo audition for the Michigan Opera Theater orchestra. The repertoire included several third flute parts such as Dance of the Mirlitons from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and The Humming Chorus from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (see below). After practicing the difficult high, loud, and fast piccolo excerpts such as Verdi’s La forza del Destino overture, I would pick up my flute to play the Puccini excerpt, which starts on a low D ppp, and no sound would come out of the flute.

Humming Chorus from Madame Butterfly rehearsal # 90

After about 20 minutes of playing long tones and some rest, I could muster out some tone. Unfortunately, it felt horrible and sounded like I was playing a kazoo.
Looking for answers, I asked an experienced doubler how he managed to go from saxophone or clarinet to piccolo so easily. He said, “As soon as I touch the horn to pick it up, I mentally picture what the embouchure looks and feels like on the inside. The act of putting the horn to my lips activates that new embouchure. It is an auto response now, but it took a lot of mental practice.”
I also discussed this with my teacher and predecessor in the Detroit Symphony, Clement Barone. He played in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 35 years. He used to complain that after squirreling around in the third octave on a Shostakovich symphony and then switching to flute, that the flute embouchure hole felt like blowing across a bathtub. He showed me such a passage in the third flute and piccolo part of Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 and suggested ways to work on making these low notes come out.
With Clem’s help, and through some experimentation on my own, I developed the following exercises to work on the internal aspects of the embouchure change from piccolo to flute and back. I now rarely suffer from piccolo lips, but I still see many players who are terminally tight. I know they suffer from the same severe fatigue I experienced, and they usually can never produce a truly soft sound on either flute or piccolo.
With these three exercises I learned to control my sound by relaxing. At first, I had to do them every day, but now I use them whenever I feel that my lips are getting too tight or that my flexibility is in jeopardy.

Whistle Tones
Whistle tones became my salvation when I was trying to regain my flute embouchure after high and loud piccolo playing as they are simply not attainable on the flute if the tension in the lips is too great. A whistle tone is made by fingering a third octave note and then blowing a very small amount of air – not even enough to get an actual pitch – against the outer edge of the embouchure hole. It will sound like a tea kettle going off. If you cannot get a sound, your lips are probably too tense.
Playing whistle tones provides a great opportunity to consider what the embouchure looks and feels like from the inside out and ask questions such as: Where does my embouchure begin? What shape is it on the inside where I can’t see? What do I imagine it looks like? Can I change its shape and size on the inside?
Start by fingering a top octave G and blowing a whistle tone. Try to hold the tone steady for nine seconds. If the tone wavers, don’t stop; just keep blowing and try to find the whistle tone. Breathe and repeat nine times.
Continue upwards by half steps to high C and then come back down to the G. When you are done, reward yourself by playing a normally fingered low G in the first octave. I am always amazed at how relaxed my embouchure becomes and how clear the sound is after doing this exercise.
Tip: If you can’t get the whistle tones to sound, start by separating your lips completely and then blowing as you bring your lips closer and closer together. Be patient. It may take several days to make a sound.
Practice Suggestion: Set an alarm for the top of the hour during multi-hour practice sessions. When the alarm goes off, change your location, find a clock with a second hand, and do the ten-minute whistle tone exercise. It is a great break and keeps you in touch with the inside of your lips.

Whistle Tone Warm Up

Breath Attacks
Just as a string player’s bow starts a string vibrating, the air column initiates the sound on the flute. Ask these questions: Am I using my lips to start the note? My tongue? My throat? How long is my air column and where does it begin? Remember, air is the source of the sound. Keeping the air column long and a moving air stream helps flutists not overuse the lips, tongue and throat to make the sound.
Lie down on the floor with your flute. With the right arm off the floor, blow eight C5 notes using a breath attack. Concentrate on keeping the lips supple with a strong, moving air stream. Take time to recover after each attack. Continue downwards by half steps to low C. If your sound fails at any point, return to C5 and descend again. Eventually you should be able to bark out eight low Cs with minimal tension in the lips.

Put A Cork In It
The following is probably the most difficult of these exercises, but I find it the most effective. Find an old cork that will fit in the end of the footjoint of your flute. If necessary, trim the edges of the cork so it fits easily. Inserting the cork changes the physical acoustic of the flute to a closed ended instrument. With your cork in position, you can now play a low Bb4 in the bass clef. You goal is to finger low B natural to sound a Bb a diminished octave below. This takes extreme control and relaxation. Again, if the sound does not come at first, it may take several days to find success. This will also work with a C foot flute as well. Slur chromatically down from D1. If you cannot get any sound your lips are too close together.

I suggest trying these three exercises in a different order each day until your lips can find a new suppleness and relaxation. Only you can judge how long you need to do this. Sometimes I sit on stage after a taxing symphony and warm down with these exercises before putting the flute away. This especially helps if I have to perform the next morning on flute, so I do not wake up with a case of piccolo lips.
Although I did not win the Michigan Opera Theater orchestra job, the experience forced me to learn what I needed to do to maintain the flexibility of my embouchure in order to move from piccolo to flute easily. Hopefully what I discovered will help you become comfortable making this switch.

The post Making the Switch appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Producing Guest Artist Events

theinstrumenta — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:18:20 +0000

The Greater Portland Flute Society (GPFS) has a long history of producing events with some of the finest American and international flutists. Each year GPFS produces a fall event that features a guest artist in recital and sometimes teaching a masterclass. There is also an annual April Flute Fair that includes a guest artist who performs a recital and teaches a masterclass and a workshop. As a long-time board member of GPFS, I have been responsible for the logistics and hiring of most of these guest artists since the mid-1990s. There are a number of important steps for flute clubs and university professors to consider throughout the planning process to ensure a successful event.

Mark Sparks

Planning and Budgeting
Once the organization decides to host an event, the first step is to determine a budget. This should include projected expenses and income. Here are some items in a typical budget.

Expenses:
Guest artist fee
Accompanist fee
Guest artist transportation
Guest artist lodging and meals
Venue rental
Piano tuning
Advertising
Printing programs, tickets, flyers, and posters
Refreshments for a reception following the recital

Income:
Funds provided by the flute club or university
Sponsorship may be available if the guest artist is affiliated with a flute company.
Grants are available in many communities to help fund arts events. Inquire whether there are any grant writers in your membership. Many grants are only available to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. (While GPFS has not written any grants in the last 10 to 15 years, in the early days this was a major source of funding.)
Commercial ads in the program from music stores, flute teachers, flute manufacturers, and other local businesses
Donations solicited from flute club members for specific purposes such as a guest artist fees. If your flute club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, these donations will be tax deductible.
Projected ticket sales
In-kind donations are non-monetary donations made by individuals for home hospitality or by businesses for free or reduced venue rental, piano tuning, etc.

Choosing a Guest Artist
Many flute clubs look to local guest artists from professional symphonies, universities, or even great area flute teachers. Sometimes local guest artists belong to the flute club and will donate their services or charge a reduced rate.
Another good source for ideas is the program booklet of the National Flute Association Convention. The NFA presents artists with national and international reputations as well as flutists who are in the early stages of their careers. Consider the expertise or specialty of each potential guest artist and craft an event that utilizes their strengths.
Contact flute manufacturers that sponsor flutists who perform on their instruments. They may be planning performance tours for these artists and be willing to cover all or part of the transportation expenses or donate a portion of the artist fee. If a manufacturer is sponsoring a flutist’s appearance, it is common to include an ad for the company in the program. Also ask manufacturers whether they would like to exhibit their flutes before the event and at intermission.

Jean Ferrandis Masterclass

Guest Artist Expenses
The costs for booking a guest artist can vary greatly depending on the person and event. It is important to balance your budget and plans before contacting potential flutists. Here are few things to consider.:
The Guest Artist Fee will depend on the length and scope of the event, the flutist’s prominence, and whether they are looking to fill in some dates on a tour through your region. If the event budget is low, consider performers or teachers from your area or possibly a more prominent flutist who lives in the area.
Transportation is an important expense if the artist lives in another city. This can vary from mileage reimbursement to the cost of an airline ticket.
Meals and lodging can vary from booking a hotel near the event venue to providing home hospitality. A per diem or reimbursement may be set up for the flutist’s meals or meals may be provided if the flutist is staying in a private home.

Booking the Guest Artist
Discuss availability, determine the exact date of the event if it has not been set, determine travel dates to allow for one or two rehearsals with a pianist (if applicable), and whether any sponsorship is available from a flute company. Some guest artists require a contract; however, in my experience, most do not. In 27 years guest artists have only canceled three times after booking. (Fortunately in each case, we were able to book another flutist in time for the event.) Still, it is good practice to keep all email and other correspondence discussing event details.

Collaborative Pianists
It is prudent to develop a list of excellent pianists who regularly perform with professional musicians, are familiar with many pieces in the standard repertoire for flute and piano, and are excellent sightreaders and confident performers. After confirming the event date and the guest artist, book the pianist.

More on Lodging
If using a hotel, inquire if there are any discounts for nonprofit organizations. If a member of the organization is willing to host the guest artist in a spare bedroom (and the artist is agreeable to the idea), this can reduce the costs. Ideally, the bedroom should have a private bathroom with fresh linens, towels, bath soap, shampoo, conditioner, a hair dryer, and other toiletries. Inquire about any food allergies or preferences. My husband and I have hosted many guest artists over the years, and since I also provide transportation to and from the airport, rehearsals, and the event, this arrangement is convenient for me and the artist.

Goran Marcusson

Choosing a Venue
There are many factors to consider when selecting a location. Determine the type of venue and any equipment that will be needed. Most recitals will require a piano, and if the venue is large, a microphone might be necessary for announcements. Most organizations work on a limited budget, so cost is a major consideration. Brainstorm suitable locations that are free or low cost.
Before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a concert hall, look into low-cost options first. Board members may belong to or know of a church that is available for free or minimal cost to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or to church members. Church sanctuaries come in a myriad of sizes with seating from under 100 to close to 1000.
Another option is to contact flute teachers at local colleges and universities (especially if they are members of your club) as they may be able to reserve a recital hall for free or low cost in exchange for free admission for the school’s students and faculty. Offer to list the school as a co-sponsor of the event in all publicity and written materials if the performance hall is provided for free. Find out the audience capacity, type of piano available, and whether there is a sound system. This type of partnership benefits both organizations.
Check with community music schools, piano stores, and larger music stores as some have reasonably priced recital halls. Middle school and high school band and orchestra directors in your area may have access to their school’s auditorium. Depending on the school district, the band and orchestra directors might have some discretion on the amount charged, particularly if the event would be considered an educational event with free admission for students and faculty.
Other factors to consider when choosing a venue other than availability are location, size, parking, convenience to public transportation, handicapped accessibility, availability of a good quality piano, a sound system, and whether refreshments are allowed for a reception.

Find a Partner
If there are other flute fairs or festivals in the region, one option is to piggyback on their event and schedule yours for the same weekend. GPFS has partnered with the Seattle Flute Society for flute fairs (ours is on Saturday and theirs is on Sunday) on a fixed weekend each year. It is only a three-hour drive from Portland to Seattle. Because it is so convenient, about 15-20 vendors exhibit at both fairs, including many major flute manufacturers and several companies that carry a large variety of flute brands and accessories. There are flute shops and music stores from Seattle that attend our Flute Fair, and several Portland shops that attend Seattle’s Flute Fair. Local music stores and flute repair businesses are also encouraged to become commercial members and exhibit. Another advantage occurs when we have the same guest artist for both flute fairs, which reduces transportation costs to the two flute clubs.
One of the other reasons our flute fair is successful is that our flute teachers encourage their students to shop for and buy new flutes at Flute Fair. This provides the students with a wider variety of instruments to try, saving the cost of shipping to bring in instruments on trial. Our exhibitors appreciate that there are many serious shoppers and potential shoppers attending flute fair.

Marketing
There are many free or very inexpensive ways to advertise events. Start with a Facebook page which can be easily seen by the organization’s members and viewed by their friends. Low-cost Facebook ads can be created that target a geographic area close to the event. Email event details to organization members, local flute teachers, and local band directors and ask them to share with friends and students.
Develop a list of arts websites that maintain listings of local events. Area classical radio stations, local newspapers, city or county arts organizations, and area flute societies usually will maintain listings of local events.
Write an article about the guest artist and event details in the organization’s newsletter to inform your members. Offering group ticket sales at a significant discount can really boost an event’s attendance. GPFS offers 10 or more group tickets at $5 each, which encourages more students to attend. Many of our flute teachers actively encourage their students to attend events. If events are not well attended, consider lowering your ticket prices.

Event Ideas
GPFS has held a wide variety of events over the years including:
•    Jazz concert (flutist with either piano, combo, or guitar accompaniment) and a participatory jazz flute workshop instead of a masterclass
•    Klezmer concert paired with a participatory klezmer workshop
•    Flutist/composer recital
•    Recitals by the flute section of our local professional symphony with each performing a solo piece or two and ending with an ensemble piece or two
•    Flute and guitar recitals
•    Recital of South American music
•    Recital of Eastern European music
•    Recital demonstrating historical flutes of different eras
•    Professional flute ensemble or mixed ensemble
•    Baroque flute recital
•    Low flute specialist
•    Piccolo specialist
•    Participatory workshops geared to teaching, jazz, klezmer, etc.
•    Performance anxiety workshops and panel discussions

Think outside of the box about the types of event that would appeal to your members. There are so many talented flutists who would love to be invited share their ideas with your group. Be creative.

* * *

Broaden Your Membership

Commercial Memberships
Flute organizations should solicit commercial members to their roster. Not only does it help members and businesses connect, but it also adds income into the budget. The GPFS has a large commercial membership. We give commercial members a business card size advertisement in each newsletter, and they are encouraged to write articles on such topics as shopping for a flute, differences in models and options, repairs, flute maintenance, and the difference between a COA and an overhaul.
Most commercial members also exhibit at the annual spring Flute Fair. Table fees from commercial exhibitors cover most of the Flute Fair expenses. Begin by talking to local music stores and also contact regional or national companies to tell them about your organization and invite them to become members. Some may join and pay the membership fee just for the opportunity to advertise to your members.

Student Memberships
Talk to school band and orchestra teachers as well as local flute teachers to encourage their students to join the organization. Have events geared especially for them such as masterclasses and competitions. At the annual flute fair offer panel discussions where students can ask questions of professional flutists. Topics might include how to select a college music school, audition tips, why it is important to attend a summer music program, or simply how to play the flute better.

* * *

The Greater Portland Flute Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Applying for nonprofit status has recently become simplified with only two federal forms to file and filing fees have been reduced. Organizations apply for an EIN or Employer Identifi-cation Number that is used on business accounts, tax returns, and documents, even if you have no employees. The other federal
form is 1023-EZ, Streamlined Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which is available for organizations with less than $50,000 in annual revenue.
There may be additional state forms to file, depending on where you live. Research your state’s requirements. Filing forms in the proper order is important to avoid delays. Nonprofit status can be obtained in as little as three or four weeks if everything is done correctly. It is required to be eligible for many grants. In addition, donations to nonprofit organizations are often tax deductible.
The Greater Portland Flute Society website is .

The post Producing Guest Artist Events appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Teacher’s Studio: Improving Fast and Slow Playing

theinstrumenta — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:06:17 +0000

There are two kinds of technique: playing slowly and playing quickly. Most students think playing slowly is easy and playing quickly is difficult. Professional flutists know the opposite is usually true.
If you are asked to play for church or a convocation with organ, probably your first repertoire choice would be a slow movement of a Bach, Handel, Marcello, or Telemann sonata rather than one of the faster movements. Flutists often hesitate to select fast movements of sonatas because of fears that they may not be able to finger or articulate the notes fast enough.
However, in slow movements, listeners can hear all of the places where the fingering is not articulate and clean. A few common intervals are playing from an F to an A, a G to a Bb, or an A to a C. With these intervals, it is easy to sound the note in between the two written notes. Any interval that involves moving more than one finger has the potential for sloppy fingering and these intervals can be particularly noticeable at a slow tempo.
There are of course pitfalls to fast works, but these movements often are composed of scale passages, thirds, arpeggios, and trills. Fumbling these gestures does shows a lack of knowledge and practice in these areas, but they offer concrete areas to practice and improve.
If you have ever had the preceding debate with yourself and hesitated over a programming choice, try the following exercises to improve your technique. With dedicated effort, your playing will improve in just a few months.

Slow Technique
The secret to developing good slow technique is counting subdivisions so you know exactly when to move the finger. Flutists are good at feeling a pulse, but rarely count carefully enough to always know which beat they are on. Pianists know what beat they are on because from lesson one they practice counting aloud. Of course, this is impossible on the flute because the lip plate is in the chin, and the tongue is busy with articulation. There are so many things happening at once that the last thing student flutists think about is counting 1, 2, 3, 4 with the subdivisions.
A metronome with a voice feature can be a huge aid in learning to count. I encourage my students to use the voice feature every time when learning something new and to also use it (with subdivisions) when practicing scales, thirds, sixths, arpeggios, seventh chords and broken seventh chords. Basically, the voice setting should be going for any theoretical technical material. I strongly suspect the aural stimuli registers in a different part of the brain than the ticking. People need this aural stimulation to imprint in the brain to be useful in playing accurately.
To better feel the subdivisions, look at the interval of F to A below. Before slurring this interval, practice rhythmically filling the interval in sixteenth notes. Use the T, K, Hah, TK or TKT, or try counted/measured vibrato to pulse the subdivisions. Do this each day.

The legendary flute professor Robert Willoughby was well-known for teaching his students how to make seamless slurs. I mentioned to him one time that I could always tell a Willoughby student from his slurs. He grinned and said, “I have worked very hard on that.” He had students fill in the missing notes – sometimes chromatically and sometimes diatonically. After they had played the interval many times filled in, they knew exactly where the lips needed to be and when to move their fingers. Here is an example of an octave with the notes filled in.

Fast Technique
A few years ago, I taught a student who brought each assignment to her lesson ready to play at the prescribed tempo week after week. Over the summer she learned all of the Paganini 24 Caprices and Andersen Op. 15. I was impressed. I asked, “How is it that you can play so fast so well.” She thought for a moment and said, “I had a band director in middle school who had playing tests each week. The flutist who could play it the fastest and the most accurately, would win. I wanted to win.” So, she had learned to play fast because she regularly had practiced the skill of playing fast.
If you want to learn to play fast, make a commitment to play something fast every day. Start by playing the first two notes of the following major scales. This interval is a major second. The fingering system on the flute overblows at the octave from E4 to C#5. This means that all of the chromatic notes from E4 to C#5 are fingered the same again, starting with E5 to C#6. Practice these two-note chunks slurred eight times, three times a day (morning, afternoon, and just before bedtime) for two weeks. Take a small or sip breath between each group of slurred notes.

The problem I notice with most flutists is that there is time lost between these two notes. The first note is held too long, and the finger does not initiate the motion soon enough for the second note. The movement of the fingers (except for the left index finger) should be from the third knuckle back from the nail. For the right hand, practice waving goodbye with the four fingers to get the proper motion.
Keep the fingers close to the keys, and practice in front of a mirror. Be sure the movement is simple and clean. The fingertip should touch the same place on the key each time it is lowered. The flute should be still with the elbows hung and pointed towards the floor.
In week three, continue with this exercise but add playing it in half-steps. This will set you up for playing chromatic passages. Remember to not lengthen the first note and move quickly on to the second note.

As you practice these duplets, analyze your movement. The fingers should be close to the keys with no extraneous movement. Everything should look and feel simple. Continue to take a sip breath between each group of two notes. The sip breath separates the vocal folds and opens the throat. An open throat contributes to a beautiful sound.
To connect the E4 to C#5 notes with the E5 and C#6 notes, you need to practice the two bridge notes D5 and Eb5. These are the notes where the left index finger is lifted.

In week five, put the whole-step and half-step duplet together to form a tetra chord. Practice playing the tetra chord slurred as fast as you can followed by a rest. Combining two tetrachords creates a one-octave major scale. Practice playing these one-octave scales slurred as fast as possible.
To build a fluid technique, continue to work in step-wise motion before adding in the larger intervals (thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths and octaves). Practice possibilities could be in the form of two-octave major and minor scales, two-octave modal scales, or two- or three-octave chromatic scales. Look for etudes by Gariboldi, Hugues, Andersen, or Berbiguier that are primarily step-wise in motion. Also check out the books of daily studies (vocalizes) by Wummer, Wood, Maquarre, Barrere and Reichert as there are many in each set of the seven daily exercises that do this. Between each slurred chunk of two, three, four or six notes continue to take a sip breath. Play each chunk as fast as you can because by practicing playing fast, you are conquering playing fast.

Tetra Chords

Mordents
Mordents are written either to be executed as either a half step or a whole step. Place a mordent on each step of a major scale. Check the key signature to know if it will be a half-step or whole-step interval. Rather that using a trill fingering, use real fingerings to improve coordination. (Of course, the mordent is slurred and a sip breath is taken between each note of the scale.)

You may apply mordent practice to anything in the repertoire. Rhythmically a mordent is short, short, long. This technique is fantastic for conquering awkward passages.
After a few months of daily practice or repetition, you should find that you are able to play better at both tempo extremes. Getting whole- and half-step intervals into your muscle memory will aid in playing passages at any tempo in band and orchestra music. Just like any other technique, the ability to play fast or slow is something that can be learned. It just has to be practiced on a regular basis.

The post Teacher’s Studio: Improving Fast and Slow Playing appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Exploring the Unknown, With Flutist Eric Lamb

theinstrumenta — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 22:58:11 +0000

Eric Lamb is an active soloist, chamber musician and recording artist. He is regularly invited to give flute masterclasses in Europe and South America and teaches chamber music and contemporary performance practice at the University of Auckland School of Music.

Why did you select the flute?
My father was a huge fan of the jazz flutist Bobby Humphrey. He bought a flute before I was old enough to play it and passed it around the family. At some point the flute (an open-holed, nickel silver Artley) came to me. I don’t remember not being able to play the flute, and all of the reports from my early childhood are that I could always make a decent sound. I taught myself how to read music by creating a color system for myself and marking up my grandmother’s hymn books. I would play the melodies, and my grandmother would sing along. This led to playing at family gatherings, and I was quite proud of myself. As I got older and began progressing in private lessons and at school, I never once considered not becoming a professional flutist. In my mind, I always was and nobody ever discouraged me or told me differently.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Detroit which has an excellent music education tradition. I was fortunate not only to have great music teaching in school but also to live in a city with a strong flute community. I began regular private flute lessons with Michelle May, a successful area flutist, violinist, and educator. I then went to Interlochen Arts Camp as a student of Julie Stone (professor at Eastern Michigan University), and it was there that I was introduced to Jeff Zook (Detroit Symphony). He was my teacher until I completed high school. I also spent a summer at Northwestern University studying with Walfrid Kujala.
I played in the Detroit Civic Symphony (age 15-17) and had masterclasses with Ervin Monroe (Detroit Symphony). It was through this young professional orchestra training that I got my first orchestral experience and was able to play for Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway, William Bennett and Carol Wincenc.

Who were your later teachers?
My entrance into Michel Debost’s studio at Oberlin was quite serendipitous. I was visiting my dear friend Claire Chase who had already completed a year of study at Oberlin. I had spent a year studying with Anne Reynolds and had planned on taking a semester off. Claire arranged for me to play for Debost. After I played the first page of the Ibert flute concerto, he didn’t say much – just that he wanted me to start in his class as soon as possible. I enrolled the next week.
I received a great music education at Oberlin, and after the rigorous training of Michel Debost and Kathleen Chastain, I was at a bit of a loss as to where to go next. I decided to take some time off, prepare for an international competition, and move to Chicago where I studied privately with Mary Stopler and Walfrid Kujala. They both, independently of one another, suggested I meet Thaddeus Watson (a former student of Wally’s and a classmate of Mary’s). Unfortunately, neither of them had his contact information but knew he was in Germany. I asked a distant relative whom I knew was living somewhere in Germany playing in an orchestra. As luck would have it, she was a colleague of Thaddeus’ in the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra. I booked a flight and flew over to reconnect with family and to have a week of lessons. My first lessons with Thaddeus were so great that I studied with him for more than five years. These lessons were intellectually stimulating because he brought his years of experience of making music on the highest levels. He has a keen interest in modern music and helped me navigate through almost anything.
I came to Thaddeus with most of my technical issues already sorted out. I had learned all of the major repertoire and major studies and exercises. I think that came as a real relief to him as he was and still is very busy performing in his orchestra in Frankfurt and all over Europe. Lessons were built on the practicalities of flute playing and the realities of making a living as a working musician. He gave me the space and time to practice, recommended me as an extra for jobs that he could not take on, and I otherwise busied myself playing lots of chamber music and learning German.
Thaddeus saw in me the chance to create an orchestral principal flute player, a lofty and noble goal for any teacher. The quickest and most efficient way of generating enough work to sustain myself as a flutist was to win a job. Our plan was to take an audition, any audition, win that audition and then make that my spring board into a career in Europe. I played a lot of Mozart G major expositions and orchestral excerpts at the time, much to my dismay. I learned early on that the audition touring experience is a very unique one.
During the early 2000s a lot of jobs came open. From big principal jobs in major orchestras to orchestra academy positions and rank and file spots in small German towns. Once I began getting invitations, I was taking auditions weekly. It was very expensive and a quick lesson in humility. I learned quickly that success in auditions did not necessarily relate directly to my growth as a flutist and not to be easily affected by failures. With each audition experience, Thaddeus helped me work through what I could take away from them, both the successes and the less successful moments. This constant self-reflection gave me the ability to maintain a sense of what my priorities were as an instrumentalist (intonation, articulation, truth to text, rhythmic integrity, etc.) without getting bitter or developing a chip on my shoulder. Even after all these years I reflect on how I have kept those values and try to translate that ethic to students.
During this time, I won a few major chamber music competitions in Germany with both my flute and piano duo and my flute, cello and piano trio. These wins got me on a regular concert tour schedule and I did not have to take on endless orchestral work. I was invited to participate in contemporary music courses with the major European ensembles including Ensemble Modern and Klangforum Wien in Austria and Germany. As my interest in chamber music and contemporary music began to take over, I stopped taking auditions in order to focus on what was to become part of my career path. Despite this shift in focus, I do not consider the audition training to have been a waste of time – quite the contrary. The focused work of preparing for orchestra auditions was exactly what I needed at the time to keep me organized in the midst of a new environment and to develop a clear and focused work ethic.

What took you to Italy?
After completing my graduate diploma, I was settled and happy in Frankfurt and decided to continue for another two years at the Musikhochschule in the Concert Soloists program with Thaddeus. At the same time, I was getting input from other flutists and teachers. I was open with Thaddeus about wanting to forge a less conventional playing career, and he suggested I seek out guidance from players who were also doing this. He played regularly with Chiara Tonelli, principal flutist of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, so I applied and was excepted into her masterclass in Fiesole, a breathtakingly beautiful town on the outskirts of Florence. Chiara is incredibly active as a chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. Our time together, although short, was very important for me. She is brilliant at finding musical solutions to technical problems. She became a generous mentor. When my performance schedule was too full to come down, she would take time from her touring schedule and I would fly to wherever the orchestra was and have a lesson in the concert hall or dressing room.
It was her unique approach to music making that really inspired me. She rarely played in lessons but was able to express herself in an incredibly clear way. It was also good for me to hear other traditions of flute playing. I was the only non-Italian in the class, and it was fabulous to hear how different they sounded compared to what I heard in Germany.
Chiara was the first teacher to tell me that she loved my playing. I remember playing the second movement of the Ibert in class and her saying that it was beautiful. She gave me the courage to stand behind my musical and artistic decisions, and I carry that with me to this day.

How did you come to work with your friend Claire Chase, the founder of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)?
Everything changed when ICE came into my life. As ICE began to take on more work and gain national and international attention, Claire needed a flutist she could trust. I had finally completed my education in Germany, and when she called, I jumped at the chance to face the challenges of living in New York. I had the great pleasure of spending five years with the group. I performed next to some of the finest musicians of my generation, playing masterpieces of the 20th and 21st century, working with the most important composers of our time, and nurturing future young composers, many of whom have reached fame through our work together. It was an unforgettable time in my life.
I loved the technical challenge of what we were creating – the newness of every moment and the level of engagement and focus in my practice that it required to perform on such a high level. Every concert that we performed during those days was of the utmost importance to us, and it was incredibly exciting to be around my friends and colleagues, each with the same dedication to getting it right. The urgency and energy were palpable and that is why the ensemble was and is so successful.
I particularly enjoyed when the ensemble grew in forces and tackled larger chamber orchestra standards, like Arnold Schoenberg’s Kammersymphonie or Olivier Messiaen’s Oiseaux Exotiques. It was in that context that I found the balance between my experience as an orchestral player and the chamber music that I loved.
The work was varied in terms of the types of contemporary music we played. It evolved into a mix of un-conducted chamber music, solo playing, recording, educational projects at both university and community levels, and chamber orchestra performances. Since the ensemble is self-governed, each core member is a part of aspects of curation and has a voice in the rehearsal process. I don’t think I was aware of how dynamic and unique that working environment had become until I left the group. Leaving was one of the most difficult things that I have done, but it was the right thing to do at the right time.

Playing with ICE in New York

How did you select music for your CDs?
After leaving ICE, I was looking for a way to take my experiences and move forward. Two recording opportunities fell into my lap at once – one in London for the contemporary music label NMC and one in New York. These were my first recordings as a soloist out on my own. I realized that focusing more on recording as a soloist and chamber musician would allow me to explore repertoire that I had not been performing in new and unique ways. My next recording project was an exploration of Bach’s two-part inventions in my published arrangements for flute and cello. Like many flutists, I tried playing through BWV 772-801 on the piano as a student, but exploring them in this way was quite different. I followed that up with a recording of Mozart’s Duo’s K. 423, 424 and other excerpts from The Magic Flute in my arrangements for flute and cello. Arranging and reimagining repertoire is incredibly satisfying.
I have always had an affinity for the music of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, particularly the solo sonata and concertos. Since these works have been already recorded beautifully by many of the greatest flutists, I decided to explore other composers of Bach’s time and look at the musical cultural context and how these composers and their compositions influenced the flute and its development as a solo instrument. I landed quite naturally on Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773).
Quantz, the teacher of Frederick the Great, made significant improvements to flute playing in the 18th century and wrote more than 200 concertos for the king to perform. The sheer amount of his creative output that is just waiting to be performed and recorded is amazing. I made it a goal to put some real energy into researching and getting the music out to the flute community. Soon after completing the Bach and Mozart projects, I began collecting, editing and recording a small volume of his Eight Caprices and other important works of the 18th century including works by Blavet, Braun, and Blochwitz, all flutists and composers of the time. I have also created a volume of Johann George Tromlitz’s (1725-1805) solo partitas and most recently have recorded four concertos (three of which are premiere recordings) of Quantz with the Kölner Akademie Orchester.
The art of recording has become a way to challenge myself to learn new things and I invest a lot of time and energy into it. I have discovered just how incredibly involved the process is and have taken on every aspect of it. I start by editing the sheet music to produce new, readable materials. I also learned how to produce recordings, write booklet texts, and find financial support for projects. I have a brilliant team of people who have helped me considerably and with each project it gets easier. There is something incredibly satisfying about seeing a project from the start to the end.
I have no real interest in making yet another recording of the Mozart flute concertos because there are already so many great recordings of the standard repertoire. What interests me is exploring the unknown and documenting it to the highest artistic standards, with the hopes that the music will have new life. My goal is to create a body of work that represents my journey as an artist. Each recording is a snapshot of where I am in my creative career. I try to find combinations of works that fit together in an intelligent conversation with each other and also to record works that should be explored more by the flute community. I have no shortage of ideas for this.

Calvin Peter Photography

What are your favorite etudes?
I love sightreading and enjoy spending afternoons devouring etudes that I find in the library, online or from friends. I am an Andersen etude kind of guy. I play them up and down, all of them, quite regularly. I demonstrate quite a lot these days in my teaching, so I like to have them under my fingers. I expect my students to play the Andersen etudes, and I encourage them to find as much music inside of them as they possibly can. Joachim Andersen (1847-1909) lived during a very rich musical time (he was a contemporary of Brahms), and I believe that his etudes are a window into this time, not just annoying finger exercises.

What types of pieces are you drawn to?
Inside each corner of the repertoire, from the 17th to 21st centuries, are works that I love and those that I do not connect with. I find that I am naturally drawn to really complex and technically difficult music, Brian Ferneyhough’s Cassandra’s Dream Song, for example. I think I play this kind of music well. I can circular breathe quite fluently, and therefore enjoy playing music that requires me to do it. As I learn music that really explores extreme dynamics, complex rhythmic structures and new notations, I try to make everything feel good and sound easy. I never forget to prioritize the basics of articulation, sound quality and intonation while coping with the extremities of flute technique.
Other than the really wild end of the flute repertoire, I spend a lot of time exploring performance practice of 18th century music on both my modern wooden flute and historical copies. There is an almost limitless amount of trio sonatas, quartets and quintets in various combinations of instruments as well as solo sonatas.

Why do you focus on solo and chamber performing rather than orchestral playing?
I think it is important for musicians to be honest about where their strengths and passions lay. I discovered early on that my temperament was better suited to chamber music, concertos, recordings and recitals. I enjoy entering into meaningful conversations about music and solving problems in collaboration with a group of musicians whom I know and respect. I have trouble with sitting down and following one person’s artistic vision. I have been fortunate enough to have had amazing chamber music partners from early on in my career. I particularly enjoy working with string players and have had a lot of brilliant string chamber music partnerships. Together we dream up works that we have always wanted to perform and put on concerts.
Many of my closest friends landed their dream jobs, in world class orchestras very early and are still finding this work deeply satisfying. Perhaps sometime I will play full time in an orchestra, but at the moment orchestral playing is only a small part of what I do professionally. From time to time I get a call to play in a major orchestra, and if I am free, I jump at the chance. There is no greater feeling for a flutist than to play a Mahler or Brahms symphony.

How do you select a recital program?
I find that recital programming is either very easy or very difficult. An idea either hits me like a ton of bricks, or I find myself pulling my hair out and avoiding it until the last minute. I think about my audience and how I can introduce new music to them in a thoughtful way. I was recently in Hamburg, Germany and paid a visit to the Johannes Brahms Museum. The walls are covered with concert posters and programs of the time. I was inspired by how varied and broad the programming was. Modern music was being championed and performed, and that inspired me to challenge the common notion that people don’t want to hear unfamiliar things in concerts. My experience has been quite the opposite. Usually the unknown or modern work on the program is what critics and concert goers respond to, write about, and remember. I have only had positive experiences when presenting well-played contemporary and unknown works, particularly when they are presented with more standard repertoire. I think that when people do not like this music, it is usually because the pieces are not played well. This is often the case in concerts of orchestral music.

I spend a lot of time listening to music and looking for composers throughout the centuries who are underrepresented in concerts today. I recently performed the Louise Farrenc’s (1804-1874) Trio for flute, cello and piano. It is gorgeous, quite substantial, and a welcome breath of fresh air from the Weber or Mendelssohn trios.
Once I know more or less what I am going to present, I think about the evening’s emotional arch and how I can carry energy through from beginning to end. I reflect on what time of day the concert is, how long the intermission should be (if there is one at all), and most importantly, the order of the concert. All of this attention to detail affects the outcome of the performance.
I am not interested in playing recitals of the greatest flute hits. Some concerts include absolutely everything, and I personally find that they have an inherent emotional disconnect. Don’t get me wrong, I love coming back to the anchors of the rich flute repertoire, it keeps me grounded and practicing. I just don’t want to play it all at the same time – it is like wearing too much cologne or too many accessories. What interests me most is programing that reflects a bigger artistic picture. I aim to curate thoughtful concerts, the kind that I would enjoy going to myself.

* * *

Warmup Idea

I rely on both Reichert Exercises Journaliers and Taffanel et Gaubert 17 Grands Exercices Journaliers de Mecanisme as the basis of my morning practice routine. As a student I was encouraged to commit both books to memory and this has served me well as it allows me to have an element of flexibility in my practice. In the Reichert, I play No. 2 and 4 in slow motion for intonation and freedom of sound. For me it is like a good morning stretch. In the Taffanel et Gaubert I am an advocate of the Michel Debost’s Scale Game. His approach to Exercise No. 4 forms the backbone of my technique. Over the years I have made my own variations which include microtones and circular breathing.

The post Exploring the Unknown, With Flutist Eric Lamb appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Beginning to Teach

theinstrumenta — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 22:42:23 +0000

Question: I would like to teach private lessons. What are some pointers for starting out with new students?

Answer: High school students are often asked to help out and teach the younger players at their school. I also encourage my college students to start teaching privately as soon as they feel that their fundamentals are in place and when they show an eagerness to get started on their teaching skills. Working with other flute players is valuable because it will help you notice and analyze problems in your own playing and learn how to come up with creative solutions.
The following are some general areas to focus on when first starting out with new students. For more specifics, consult your own teacher or a reliable resource such as beginner method books or online videos. Make sure you select good resources with accurate information.
In the first couple of lessons, assess the student’s abilities. Like the first visit with a medical doctor, give the student a flute physical that includes the following:

Proper Breathing Technique
Observe students as they begin to play and watch for lifting of the shoulders, sucking in of the abdominal muscles or other physical motions that are unnatural.

Good Use of Air
Listen for the constant airstream with a lack of tension that might restrict the flow.

Proper Embouchure
Be sure to check the size and shape of the aperture (opening in the lips), the centering of the vapor stream on the embouchure hole, the firmness of the corners without smiling, the placement of the embouchure plate on the lower lip, and the amount of tension in the lips.

Flute Alignment and Balance
Check that the headjoint and the rod on the footjoint are lined up with the middle of the keys on the body. Are the keys of the flute level to the floor without rolling in or out too far? Are the three main balance points in place? Make sure that the left-hand index finger rests on the flute just above the base knuckle; the right-hand thumb should be placed approximately under the first trill key just below the F key, and the embouchure plate rests on the chin. These are the three places that balance and support the weight of the flute.

Hand Position
Assess each student’s hand position, making sure to check the right hand thumb position which should be under the flute and not too far forward. The right hand pinky should not be too tense or collapsed, and the left hand pinky and ring finger are curved and not flat and tense. The left wrist should be bent in to give support to the flute and to assist in keeping the fingers curved. The left thumb should not collapse in toward the flute, and there should be a space between the thumb and base of the index finger. If necessary refer to some accurate photos and also demonstrate good hand position for students.

Posture
Check both seated and standing playing positions and watch for any areas of tension, slouching, and awkward elbow positions (raised too high or too close to the body). Look for cocking back of the right arm and the position of the head which should not look down too much or be raised by stretching the neck.

Articulation
Check for proper tongue placement for simple single tonguing and notice in particular that students are using the tongue to articulate and that they are not ending notes with the tongue.

Fingerings
Be sure to watch for accurate fingerings throughout the range of the flute. Invest in good fingering and trill charts for reference.

Rhythm
Assess students knowledge of the basic rhythm tree and be vigilant in listening for any inaccuracies.

Written Music
It is important to assess whether students can truly read music and understand the staff, accidentals, key signatures, rhythmic values, etc. Some students can get by at lower levels by learning by ear and memorizing it without really learning to read music.

Other Elements
Through observation and verbal communication, check range, flexibility between registers, and, for slightly more advanced students, knowledge of vibrato production and ability to double tongue.
After your initial observations, you should have a good understanding of where each student is in their flute studies. The first step is set realistic goals and make plans for how to accomplish them. Ask students to share their goals with you, and then express your own and see if there is common ground. However, you are the experienced player and should keep in mind general levels of achievement in the areas of scales, technique, tone production, etudes and solo material that you want to achieve. This sometimes can be difficult for younger teachers, especially when the student is close in age to them. Having a clear plan with goals will help both you and your students understand what they are working on and why.
Repertoire choices can be a challenge for beginning teachers. Learn about the sequential order of standard exercises, etudes and solos, and when choosing repertoire, find material that fits a student’s ability level and command of fundamentals. Your own teacher is a good resource in this area.
As you teach students, keep in mind the following concepts as they will lead to better success and overall enjoyment of teaching.
Show true interest in students. Meet them where they are and gently take them to the next step. Good teachers sometimes give students extra time and attention when it is needed or desired, and this can really pay off.
Respect is also crucial in building trust, and you should try to motivate students with a positive attitude. Enthusiasm is usually contagious. At the same time, while you want to be involved with your students, you have to be detached enough to remain objective. This can be a tricky balance.
Play for students to set an example of good sound, hand position, posture. Be a strong role model of good playing.
Be organized and methodical in your approach. Give clear instructions, follow through with any rules that you may have outlined and show consistency in lessons and expectations.
In addition to these pointers, it is important to develop materials to use with your students. This is where you can get really creative. Make up a lesson assignment sheet to keep track of your weekly expectations for your students. Another possible solution is to write assignments in a notebook that each student brings to lessons. Be sure to write down the information for yourself as well.
There are hundreds of books with wonderful exercises that you can use with students. You also can adapt them (using manuscript paper or a music writing program) or write your own exercises to personalize them for a particular student.
If you are planning on teaching numerous students for any length of time, you might consider developing a contract outlining your expectations for payment, attendance, policies for makeup lessons, and other logistics. It might be wise to get the signature of a parent or guardian as well as from the student. There are numerous samples available online that you can adapt to fit your situation.
Teaching others can be a wonderful learning experience for the teacher as well as the student. Observing your students will lead to greater self-awareness and allow you to be more analytical about your own playing. It is also enormously rewarding to watch your students improve and grow.

Send your questions to Ask the Pro to editor@flutetalkmagazine.com

The post Beginning to Teach appeared first on The Instrumentalist.