Flute Shopping

I, by no means, am the expert on shopping for flutes; however, I do have some thoughts on the process from my experiences as the person shopping and as a person helping someone else.  It can and should be a fun and exciting process, but it can also be a bit stressful.  There is a lot to consider when you are looking for a flute especially since there are so many options.  Not only are there many flute makers, each "brand" offers a variety of options in the material the flute is made from, the thickness of the wall of the tubing, the bonus keys and "cheater" keys ( I am looking at you split-E) that can make your life easier, the mechanism, the head joints and foot joints, custom engravings, etc.

While all of that is important, well, maybe not the engravings, what is most important is why you are even looking for a new flute.  Hopefully, there is a reason, a good one too since these babies can get pretty expensive.  If you have had your current flute for years, you have a relationship with it of sorts; this means you know what you love about it and what you don't.  If you feel your flute is holding you back from reaching your full flutey-musical potential, looking for a new flute is a good idea.  Thus begins my thoughts:

1)  Even if you think you know exactly what flute you want, be open minded.  If you are able, go to a flute shop like Flute World or Flute Specialists in person (physically place yourself in their shop...instead of the convenient online option), or to the specific flute maker's shop (Boston houses Brannen, Haynes, and Powell, which equals and awesome road trip) so that you can try the flutes in person.  Once you play the dream flute...you might find yourself dreaming something else because the original dream didn't quite live up to...your dream.

2) Again, if possible, bring someone knowledgeable with you.  This one might be a bit trickier, but the good thing is that Brannen, Haynes, Powell, and the like all have sales specialist who often know the ins-and-outs of their products extremely well.  If you tell them what you are looking for in a new flute they can help steer you in the right direction.  This is another time to remain open minded.  The sales specialists might offer a suggestion, a different flute or head joint for you to try once they have heard you play.  They can be amazing resources as an extra set of ears especially if they understand your complaints with your current flute (which you should bring and play for comparison) and your desires for you new flute.

2.5)  If you can't go to Boston (ain't nobody got time for that) and you can't drag your lesson teacher with you, you can always look into the trial programs of the flute super stores or flute makers.  They will give you anywhere from 4 days to a couple weeks to test the flute out.  Then you can take it to your lessons or ensemble rehearsals and give it a real life situation trial.  That's not a bad Plan B if you ask me.

3) Don't be nervous to play in front of the sales specialists or to be honest with them about what you think about the flute you are trying.  They can't help you if you aren't completely open and honest.

4) Never settle.  Yes, you have to stick to a budget and you might not be able to afford exactly what you want.  However, the worst thing you can do is buy a flute you don't like all that much or that isn't exactly what you want.  You'll probably just end up wanting another new flute in the not too distant future.  There is a flute out there for you - keep looking for it.  Never settle.

5) If budgeting is an issue, instead of buying a whole new flute (depending on what flute you are currently playing of course) consider upgrading your head joint.  A new and improved head joint could completely alter your perspective of your current flute and when you finally have the budget for your new flute, that new head joint will still work just fine.

6) Finally, as previously stated, know what you want.  Is your current flute too heavy?  Do you want to change the metal?  Do you wish you could play softer/louder?  Is there a certain color or tone you are looking for?  Consider your flute career: are you a soloist or a member of an ensemble.  There are many questions you should ask yourself in preparation for shopping.  Take the time to ask and answer the questions as best you can.

These aren't the only things to think about when flute shopping, but they are the first that come to mind for me and they are relatively important, don't you think?

I look forward to the day, hopefully not to far in the future, that I will get to go flute shopping.  I'm thinking either Brannen or Powell with a Lafin head joint (Mancke wouldn't insult me either)...I guess for now I will have to continue to make due with the Brannen I already have.  Sigh, my life is rough (please note heavy use of sarcasm).

But seriously, have you seen the new Powell Ruby Aurumite Flute?  Rose gold and a ruby...so pretty.

Phoning This One In - Orchestral Excerpts: Which, Why, What, and How?

There comes a point in every flute performance major’s education where the plague of orchestral excerpts begins; yet with so many orchestral works, how does a student decide which excerpts need to be mastered sooner rather than later?  Based off a collection of audition set lists collected between May 2007 and February 2012, a total of 11,  six works stand out among the rest: a Mozart concerto (usually G Major), Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, Brahms’ Symphony No.4, Debussy’s Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun, Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.[1]  Why do these excerpts consistently appear on lists?  What is the audition committee listening for?  How do you prepare these excerpts for a professional audition?  Knowing the answers to these questions give a flutist the foundation of how to prepare any excerpt for a professional audition because, in reality, excerpts aren't so different with regard to why they appear on a professional orchestral audition list.

There are certain aspects of playing that are assumed in a professional audition setting.  The committee is not listening for correct notes because if you are auditioning at a professional level you should already know all the notes.  What the audition committee is really looking for in your playing are the nuts and bolts: internal pulse and rhythmic precision, and good tone and pitch quality.  These qualities must be present in your playing.  However, while demonstrating your mastery in the foundation of musical performance you must simultaneously “move” the committee with your musicianship.  This includes “expressivity, musicality, … phrasing flexibility, and an overall sense of musical context.”[2]  In order to fully understand the musical context of the excerpt you are playing you should study a complete full score of the pieces so that you know the inner working of the interacting musical lines; you need to know how you fit into the big picture.  It is also important to listen to multiple reputable recordings to get the general sense of tempo and how the entire piece sounds.  “Members of audition committees are used to hearing the music performed in context.  They will sense a candidate’s familiarity—or unfamiliarity—with style, tempo, and orchestration.”[3]  In particular, the style with which you play can be very telling of your knowledge of the historical context of the excerpt; for example, the treatment of ornaments, such as trills, has been different throughout the musical eras.

The first excerpt you will play at a professional audition is a concerto; in most cases, the exposition to Mozart’s Concerto in G Major serves as your introduction to the committee.  Some orchestras will ask for you to play with an accompanist, which they provide, while others will have you play by yourself.  If you play with an accompanist make sure that you tune carefully to the piano; playing an accompanied solo gives the committee “a sense of the candidate’s ability to adjust to a prevailing level of pitch.”[4]  In other words, they want to know how well you play with someone else: do you feel the same pulse and are you listening for intonation.  The Mozart concerto is the first opportunity you get to demonstrate all of your nuts and bolts, such as rhythmic accuracy, and, more importantly, your musicianship.  Mozart’s Concerto in G Major is a piece that flutists will constantly work on throughout their career and often they will work on it with multiple teachers, all with different opinions on how to play Mozart.  The interpretation of the music is the icing on the cake; the musical lines are challenging in their own rite.  The interval jumps and demanding sixteenth passages make a very dense cake batter waiting to be cooked.  On top of that, at an audition you must prove to the committee that the way you play the concerto is how Mozart intended it to be played.  Because the parts do not include much indication on dynamics, style, or articulation, as good musicians of Mozart’s time would simply know how to play, it is your job to figure it out.  This is one example of when recordings are indispensable. 

Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 is the excerpt that defines the nuts and bolts of playing.  You will often find measures 1-36 and 278-360 on any given audition list, be it a principal, second flute, or piccolo audition.  The opening of the piece may not seem challenging, but the dynamics and intimate atmosphere of the “Adagio” mean that tonal control is the name of the game.  From measures 20-36, but in particular measures 20-24, you have to be consistent with your articulations; the sixteenth note triplets should be short while the eighth notes should be legato – this four measure passage must also maintain a soft dynamic and be constantly moving forward despite the rests and staccato markings.  It is also important that the vibrato used fits into the character of the delicate tone of the opening of the overture.  The solo beginning in measure 328 calls for energy, but the excitement of the musical line is lost if the pulse and pitch are unstable, the rhythm is not accurate, the articulations are not clear, and the tonal intensity is not sustained.  The D at the end of the solo, while at a soft dynamic, must maintain all the previous intensity of the solo and the pitch must be consistent; the soloist cannot let up in any way.  Finally, after all the technical preparation it is important to be musical and expressive throughout.

The solo excerpt from Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 appears short and extremely basic; however, it is requested so much that there must be something more to it than it seems.  The first thing you may notice is that the solo begins on a high E and ends on a low E.  In the span of two octaves, Brahms explores the beautiful colors created in the varying registers of the flute.  You have to pull the listener, creating a constant building tension, through the twelve measure solo.  Each note needs to melt in to each successive pitch – the solo should be smooth in its expression.  The goal of the one long phrase is to reach E major at its conclusion although it climaxes in measure 101 on the high F#.  If you do not push the phrase forward, the solo will not only be boring for you to play, it will be extremely boring to listen to.  There is a wide range of dynamics to play with and you have to use them to make smaller phrases that will support the overall structure, the journey from high E to low E. 

Every flute player knows two key things about C#: it is an awful note on the flute and it is the first note heard in Debussy’s Prèlude à l’après-midi d’un fauna.  Therefore the primary concern of this excerpt is to find a stable and consistent, in pitch, C#.  Your familiarity with the context in which you are playing is also essential in this excerpt as you play the same solo multiple times in different settings; the first solo is flute alone, but the sequential solos are accompanied by different groups of instruments which means that you should play them differently in order to create different atmospheres with the same musical content.  This excerpt gives you the opportunity to explore tone colors.  The other challenge of this excerpt is to keep the long phrases interesting and moving with out exaggerating dynamic, as the solo is often marked at piano, or speeding up the pulse.  Air support is key in this excerpt and you may have to practice the solo with a metronome set faster than the tempo marked so that you can get the solo in one breathe.  If you practice with a metronome and slowly pull the tempo back to the marked tempo you will build your breathing endurance.  However, you should not sacrifice the musical line and your expressivity to get the solo in one breath; it is better to take a musical breath—meaning that you put the breath and execute the breath in a way that makes sense and adds to the musical line—than let your lack of breath take away from your ability to play the line comfortably.

If there were ever an excerpt to plague the audition lists for flute positions, it would be the “Scherzo” of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.  From a technical standpoint, rhythmic accuracy and light but clear articulation will get the job done.  With only two opportunities for a quick breath and the general lack of dynamic suggestion by the composer keeping up with the rest of the orchestra is a task.  You cannot slow down and you cannot take too long of a breath.  Luckily, the solo, for the most part, is written in a soft dynamic; yet you still have to project over the orchestra.  Most flutists use double tonguing on this excerpt and it is good idea to practice this excerpt a click slower and a click faster than the traditionally practiced tempo.  At an audition, the committee may ask you to play the excerpt faster and clarinetist will generally be appreciative if you do not play the solo as fast as you can double tongue due to their lack of double tongue.  In order to achieve flawless execution of this excerpt, practice at a slow tempo with a metronome and at the slow tempo begin to train yourself to take quick, efficient filling breathes.  As the tempo gets faster you will have less time to take in air.  Remember to be relaxed when you breathe as tension in your throat hinders your ability to breathe.

Without doubt, the “Variation de L’oiseau de feu” excerpt from Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite is the most difficult from a technical view.  Above all else, pulse and rhythmic accuracy are the foundation to your success in playing this excerpt.  Practicing this in a slow six with a metronome will help you feel more secure when you eventually play it in a faster two.  It is also important to extremely observant of the various articulations Stravinsky uses in the piece.  To achieve all the dynamics, pitches, rhythms, and articulations at the tempo marked, slow practice should be your mantra.  Again, the context of the excerpt is important as the flute line is directly related to the piccolo line; the two lines intersect and create an overlapping musical conversation.

For a young flutist who has never taken a professional audition before, the preparation and idea of taking an audition may be overwhelming.  But it is important to keep a couple things in mind; for one, although technical perfection is expected, one or two technical mistakes won’t end your career if you demonstrate knowledge of the piece through your phrasing and expressivity.   Despite the fact that most musicians take an obscene number of auditions before winning a position, flutists with little to no experience have also won positions in their first few auditions.  Keep an open mind and prepare yourself thoroughly for an audition by listening to recordings, studying scores, being aware of where the excerpt fits in to the overall context, practice with a metronome and tuner religiously.  In an audition you have very little time to “move” the committee and communicate to them that regardless of what they have heard before you know what you are doing and you are the person who should sit in the chair that they are offering.

Sources:

Baxtresser, Jeanne.  Orchestral Excerpts for Flute. Presser Company (2008)

Nelson, Florence.  “Parloff Q&A”, Pipline. Fall 2011. Pages 5-7.

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[1] Out of the 11 lists Mozart appeared 10 times (one list requested a concerto of the applicant’s choosing), Beethoven appeared 10 times, Brahms 8 times, Debussy 9 times, Mendelssohn 11 times, and Stravinsky 7 times.

[2] Florence Nelson.  “Parloff Q&A”, Pipline. Fall 2011. Page 5.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid., page 7.

Practice How You Play

Well, that post title could suggest a number of things, but here is how I mean it today: if your performance environment involves a chair, so should your practice environment; if there is usually a lack of chair, so should your practice session.

Yes, as a musician you need to be flexible, but a lot of your playing has to do with muscle and mental memory.  This is why writing in functional and musical breaths as soon as you can is a good idea.  The breaths will become less awkward and become more part of the music as time goes on.  Also, your breathes will become more efficient fuller breaths.

Conveniently enough, the reason I bring this post topic up is related to breathing.  I find it useful to practice my ensemble music sitting in a chair and my duet, solo, and competition/audition music standing.  Why?  Because while breathing seems obvious, it's not.  If I practice my ensemble music standing, when I get to rehearsal I find that I am not breathing as efficiently as I did practicing.  If I practice a solo piece sitting, when I play it for someone else standing (to mimic the logical performance environment) it doesn't go nearly as well.

Why is this?  I am not completely sure, maybe I am just crazy.  But it seems like breathing would be different sitting versus standing.  I don't mean that the way you do it is different.  No, that is standard.  But the muscles involved must work slightly differently or require different amounts of strength.  Think about it, your posture isn't the same standing and sitting.  Yes, we want our feet firmly on the ground, our backs straight, head up, etc, but...sitting is, well, different.  (please don't count how many times I used that word in this paragraph)

Regardless of whether it is a mental or physical thing, practicing in as close to a performance setting is ideal, right?  That is usually why your director or lesson teacher tells you to pretend that you are actually performing the piece.  They want you to practice being mentally and physically in that situation because performing is taxing and can be stressful.  The more you prepare the better off you are.

In conclusion, make an effort to practice in the same manner you will perform (this includes not swaying unnecessarily, standing on one foot, crossing legs, etc...).  Don't neglect standing or sitting postures.  Even if you mostly play sitting, practice a solo piece standing often so that when solo and ensemble contest comes around, you've already been practicing a key yet often forgotten part of the performance.  I promise it will actually help your breathing.

If you are interested in breathing exercises, here are a few of my favorites:

1) Take a big breath, then start counting as fast as you can (yes, 1 2 3 4...) in a whisper and randomly shout, very loudly, random numbers.  This should be done in one breath.  How far do you get?  Don't feel bad if it is not very far; the first time I did this, I got to 20...maybe.  For example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17..... (the bold numbers are the random shouted numbers)

2) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend over and take a big breath and put your flute up to your face, straighten back up, and play a note for as long as you can.  When you are bent over, it makes it easier for you to take in more air and you should, oddly, feel like the air is filling up your back area around the spine.  It is a super odd sensation, but once you become aware of it, you'll go for bigger breaths standing or sitting normally.  You can also practice excerpts like Afternoon of a faun or Midsummer Night's Dream this way and it can help you build endurance and confidence.  Tank up!

3) Play flute laying on your back.  It feels like it is hard, really it's just awkward to hold your flute properly laying down, but my sound and air support is always so much better when I play laying on my back,  Don't do this for a long time as you can easily become light headed...just experiment with it for fun.

4) You are going to feel ridiculous doing this, but it will build up some much needed breathing muscles.  It is fondly known as the dog pant.  Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, you pant like a dog.  Pant as fast, as loud, and as longs as you can bending only slightly over (somewhere in the middle of standing up straight and making a flat back like a table).  This is harder and more tiring than you think.

Feel free to comment on this post offering up your own breathing exercises!  They are humiliating and fun! :)

Confessions Of A New Mother Of Two

I love my two boys; they bring me new-found joy and love.

They also give me headaches and absolutely no breaks...at least when they're awake.

I really thought my first-born, Marcus, tested my abilities as a musician;but Haydn has made me completely reconsider awarding myself the "Master of Time Management" trophy.  Together, they tag-team me and make it nearly impossible to get anything done.  It almost seems like one of them has to be upset at any given time.  Sometimes I hit the jackpot and both boys have a complaint to file with me.  However, the if-I'm-lucky two-hour nap time can't be the only time I get work done.  And I can joke about perseverance training, but it is extremely hard and frustrating to attempt practicing with an infant wailing and a two-year-old incessantly screaming "I want!" without ever telling you what he wants.  No, one two-hour nap is not enough, especially since I often am napping at that time too.

So how do I get anything done?  I actually have quite a bit to work on between maintaining this blog, keeping up scales, preparing any audition music or solo repertoire my students are working on, reading on the duets for Pipes & Keys, and practicing my band, competition, and future recital music.  There are also the random fun projects I come up with from time to time...anyways:

For one, I try to keep my various music obligations well-organized. I am not just talking about keeping my desk moderately cleared off (very often, at the end of the week, I am unable to see the cherry color of the wood my desk is made out of because my desk is completely covered in sheet music).  I mean that I have piles of music, multiple piles: a pile for my upcoming competitions, a pile for each of my students, a pile for Pipes & Keys duets, etc.  This may seem obvious or small, but it makes it easier for me to find what I am looking for quickly and it helps to remind me of everything I should be working on.  With two kids, I am writing down everything (like I didn't before) and if I don't write something down or put music neatly in the correct piles, there is a good chance I will forget about...something.

Second, like I said, I write everything down.  I make a schedule for myself.  I write down my practice goals for each day in my assignment notebook.  I write down which pieces I am going to look at and what I am hoping to achieve for the day.  This way, whether I have a good day or a bad day, I can keep track of what I have accomplished.  If I don't get to something, it isn't the end of the world because I know to get to it the next day.  In doing this, I can track my progress and more importantly know that I am, in fact, making progress.  Half the game is mental - knowing that you are getting somewhere is important.

My practice techniques have to be efficient.  Writing down what I want to accomplish helps with this step.  Most of the time, I only practice a small section of the piece in any given session.  Run-throughs are useless early on and often hinder one from making any progress.  You have to focus on the details of the piece and slowly span out to the bigger picture.  This means working on rhythms, dynamics, style, phrasing each in their own individual practice sessions.  Run-throughs are only useful if you are recording yourself to either send to someone else to listen to and comment on your playing, or to listen to yourself.  If you aren't recording your playing, save the complete running of the piece for your lesson or the week before the performance/audition.

Have I mentioned recently the importance of recording yourself?  You really don't know what you sound like until you listen to yourself playing...and I mean truly listen to yourself (meaning not while you are playing).  You may think you are listening thoroughly, and you may honestly be trying, but the truth is in the recording.  You will hear things you don't normally hear.  You might realize that the dynamics and musical ideas you thought you were conveying clearly aren't quite getting through as well as you'd like.  Record, record, record.

Finally, and this one is important, if I notice that I am starting to get frustrated or that I am having a negative practice session, I put my flute down or away and try again later.  The worst thing you can do is practice in a negative environment.  Just walk away and get mentally prepared for your next practice session. There is nothing more terrible than trying to power through Bozza's Image while your toddler is screaming at your feet while shaking your music stand and your infant is crying out of hunger, a dirty diaper, or gas discomfort.  Just put the flute down and walk away.  It doesn't make you weak, it just validates that you are smart.

Have I mentioned that I love my boys?  Three weeks strong...and only getting stronger. :)

How This Mother of Two Spends A Night Out Of The House

Last night I went to a concert.  It had been a while since I attended a concert in which I wasn't playing.  I wasn't sure how I would do; my attention span since Haydn's birth has left much to be desired.  It was also the first University of Missouri School of Music concert I have been to since completing my Master's.  I really didn't know how I would respond to being an audience member to a group I participated in not so long ago.  Well, here is how it went:

Great.  I had an amazing time and I was thoroughly impressed with Dr. Silvey and the MU Wind Ensemble.  One of the reasons I didn't go to any Mizzou concerts last year and why I was hesitant this year is because I had, up until last year, only ever been a student.  School, the structure and certainty of it, was my "safe zone".  Going to one of these concerts and being an audience member...it terrified me.  However, the group of students I heard last night eased me into my not-student concert experience extremely well.  In fact, they had me questioning my experiences and time at Mizzou.  When I was in the Wind Ensemble, is that how good we sounded?  God, I hope so.  If not, let me commend the group of students that make up the Wind Ensemble.  You are a talented group of musicians that play well together.  Seriously, when every instrument was playing, you were balanced and produced a full, warm sound.  Watching the percussionist run around in the back of the band was unlike anything I have ever seen.  Kudos, because when I was in the flute or clarinet section I couldn't see all that you were doing.  It is crazy - you have a choreography all your own that I can only now appreciate because I can actually see what occurs behind all of us wind players.

Can I also throw out there that as much as I love the flute...and I do (obviously), the brass section stole my attention completely last night.  I have always appreciated the low brass section (thanks to my friend I will call Queso and my favorite march National Emblem) and the French Horns (love a good horn section...Jägerchor anyone?!).  But even the trumpets captivated me.  Congratulations to a well-formed brass section.

It also reminded me what working with Dr. Silvey (and Maestro Dolbashian) was like; Dr. Silvey runs a tight ship and the results speak for themselves.  He let you know well before rehearsal what would be worked on and he expected his musicians to show up prepared.  If you demand excellence, there's a good chance you will get it, especially in comparison to demanding the minimum.  Whether you are getting a degree in performance or education, having a good director is priceless.  Your experience with them sticks with you throughout your career.  The two directors mentioned above are a big part of what makes me long for school again.

My final thought from the concert last night is that a piece I anticipated disliking (based on the program notes), I ended up enjoying the most.  Have I mentioned how important going to live performances is?  I believe I have, but in case you forgot, it is one of the best ways to find new music! Pieces like William Pitts' Conniption may take you by surprise.  Now, I thought the name was fantastic from the get-go, but the fact that "the main concepts that drive the piece are juxtaposition of opposites and often abrupt and unstable melodies and phrases" made me uneasy.  Yet, in this piece, the band truly shined.  I would go so far as to say that this piece was the strongest performance of the night.  I shouldn't be surprised; between Dr. Silvey and the talent of the group...I don't know where I am going with this but somehow it doesn't surprise me.  It was during this piece that I noticed the percussionists running between their array of instruments.  The flutes rocked it (of course I give them a shout-out :) ) and the brass section was solid and clean.  I don't get the piece at all, but it was easy for me to sit back and get lost in the music.  There were definitely fireworks (see yesterday's post) and my brain was hard at work attempting to follow the musical "fit of hysterical emotion".

In short, I am so happy that I was out "late" last night.  Seeing friends I hadn't seen in months was also very, very nice.  Congratulations MU Wind Ensemble - way to start off the academic year!

This One Is Short, But Worth Your Time

Remember my post about The Importance of Music?  Well, this video discusses the science of music's impact on the brain.  The brain is an amazing muscle...make it stronger with music!

Doesn't the jubilee sound like fun?!  Special thank you (!) to Brannen Brothers for sharing this link on Facebook.

Practicing Problem No. 1: No Inspiration...No Interest

I find myself a little down today.  Why?  Because I know what I have to practice but I have no desire to work on it.  If I am the only person who ever has this problem...I can't even imagine that being true so I am not going to worry about finishing that statement.

I won't name what piece is giving me woes, but let's just say that it isn't something I can avoid.  Yes, it is one of those pieces that follows a flutist throughout their career/life.  Ugh!  So if I can't just pretend it doesn't exist, how do I go about dealing with my current complete and utter disinterest in the piece?

I have tried all the conventional fixes:  working on particular measures or problem areas to smooth it out; playing in different dynamics, color tones, and styles; listening to every possible recording on youtube to find a recording by anyone who will renew my interest in the piece; etc. It feels like what I assume writer's block feels like...I feel stuck and quite honestly, bored.

So, does it just need shelf time?  Maybe I truly am just bored with it.  Maybe I have over-worked it and the piece and I just need some time apart (a.k.a. burnt out).  It isn't a breakup, per se, it is a "give me some space" sort of thing.  And you know what?  It is okay that that's where I am.  I first ran into the idea of "shelf time" while working on my Master's.  Never before then would I have considered ignoring a piece for a month or so. How could I when I need to have it prepared in the following months!?  It seemed insane.  But as with all seemingly crazy teachers, there is method behind their madness (at least, that is definitely what I tell my students when they give me the "you're crazy" look).

The bottom line is this: it is okay to sometimes walk away from a piece.  It isn't that you forget all the work you've done; in fact, it is more that you have worked so much and made so much improvement that you need to take a break because you can only push so far at once.  Let all your work take the time to ferment.  When you come back to the piece after your break, you may be surprised at your renewed interest and your general pleasure with yourself because you haven't lost anything.  You may even have subconsciously improved...magically.

Sight-Reading

It is possible that sight-reading is one of the more ignored skills in young musicians today.  I don't remember who started me on the path of mastering sight-reading or how they went about it, but I do know that I have been a great sight-reader for as long as I can remember.  In fact, one summer, in a Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp audition, a judge outright said, "Finally, someone who knows what they are doing" following the completion of the sight-reading portion of my audition.  Yes, I did just brag about myself - that is one of my favorite brag stories for myself.  Sorry.  Yet when I ask students, mine or otherwise, to sight-read something, it often does not go so well.  For one, they immediately panic and ask how long they have to look over the piece and what tempo I am expecting.

To me, this is just wrong; so wrong.  I truly enjoy sight-reading.  I think it is fun because for a minute or two, I am playing something I have never seen or heard before.  I get a break from the monotonous practicing I have been doing on the same three pieces.  Sight-reading tests your rhythm, your ability to retain key signatures and accidentals, your knowledge of all those pesky non-English direction words (tempo, dynamics, and styles), articulation, and your overall musical pragmatism.  What do I mean by pragmatism?  Well, you are about to play something unfamiliar.  How do you go about it?  For instance, tempo: maybe the direction given to you is allegro or even vivace.  I would recommend finding the measure or moment that will give you the most problems.  Set your tempo from there; you can only play as fast as you can play that measure perfectly (you know, perfectly for sight-reading anyway).  Do you notice the intervals that might cause problems?  Are there symbols you are unfamiliar with?  If you aren't proficient at reading double flats or double sharps on sight, look at that measure.  You want to give a solid performance, but you also have to be realistic with yourself.  Be musically pragmatic.

So, how do you go about finding music to sight-read?  You could ask any of your music teachers for sight-reading music.  You can go on IMSLP and get etudes...as there are books of them on there (at least there were last time I checked).  You can also read duets or trios with friends for fun.  This might be my favorite - I have regular "playdates" which consist of reading through as many duets with fellow flute mom Katie Smyth as toddlers/infant will allow. Said little persons make sight-reading even more challenging!  :)  Finally, if you have solo collections, like the French Music or Baroque Music book, open it up to a piece you aren't looking at.  For that matter, if you are working on a Telemann Fantasia, or a Bach sonata, read one of the other fantasias or sonatas just to further your understanding of that composer and his music.

Come on, admit it.  Sight-reading sounds way less nerdy/stressful and sounds way more fun now right?!

You're welcome.

What I Love About Playing in Church

I have played flute/sang (thankfully mostly played flute), in church choirs ever since I started playing flute.  It is a great experience that I recommend to all flutists, but especially young flutists, because of the environment it creates.  It gives you a chance to just play without judgment.  No one in the congregation is there to critique your playing and if they do, which would surprise me, they are missing the point of church, don't you think?

Not only have I never had any negative criticism while playing with the various parishes I have been a part of, but I have received some of my most treasured compliments.  I will never forget when a member of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame told me that my presence and playing enhanced her ability to worship through music.  I had done my job as a servant of the congregation; I had helped someone pray via sacred music.

You see, playing in church isn't about being a flute soloist.  In fact, most of the time I sit on the melodic line to help encourage the members of the church to sing with full heart and soul.  Even though church is a safe place, and it is, it is difficult to put yourself out there if no one else is - especially if you are not a trained musician.  The fact that I can make someone feel more comfortable and able to participate in every facet of the Mass is an amazing feeling.  Besides, it is nice to just sit back and relax a bit.  Let's be honest, church music isn't meant to be challenging.  Again, it isn't about showing off or turning it into the "Elysia the Flutist" show.  My goal is to blend in, almost go unnoticed, (::cough cough:: no microphone needed) and subtly bring the musical worship to life through congregation participation.  My job is to be part of the congregation.  My job is not to be a star.

What does that mean?  It means that I play in church because it makes me happy and gives me pleasure.  There is no means to an end.  I am there because I like it and I am part of the parish family.  It is one small way I pray and grow in my faith.

But what I love most is that I know, every Saturday, I get to play my flute for a group of  people who will not end my career if I am slightly flat (though I try not to be) or if I play a wrong note.  It is a safe environment in which I can express myself freely.

Also, Christmas Mass is just fun. :)