4th Summer Flute Academy - Radio Days

While I was hard at work doing the morning warm-up session ("Zapping Warmup") on the fourth day of the 4th Summer Flute Academy, my dear colleagues Stephanie Wagner and Raquel Lima, along with Academy student Catarina Rebelo Esteves, were over in Gaia having a blast being interviewed for RDP's Antena 2, the Portuguese national classical music radio. (Yes, this is Europe and we have stuff like that!).

Our team went in super-prepared to explain the multifaceted approach of the Academy, and I believe the mission was achieved, and we thank Paulo Guerra for the invitation to present our project on his bright-and-early program called “Império dos Sentidos” ("The Empire of the Senses")—how's that for a nice description of our ephemeral art?

Here's a photo of Catarina, an ESART Master's student and a repeat Academy participant, looking totally at home in the sound studio! (PS, if anyone can find the link to the interview, please let me know! It was Thursday 28th of July).

Flutist Catarina Rebelo Esteves, bright and early in the Antena 2 studio

Itzhak Perlman: Masterful Advice on Practicing and More

While we may possibly be enjoying NOT PRACTICING during vacation, I find it inspiring to get "fuel" for the next season. So I was delighted to come across this fabulous site, ClassicFM, which happens to have five very short videos of Itzhak Perlman, the great violinist, giving advice on practice (how much, and how), dealing with nerves, and building a career in music.

Perlman's manner of speaking is as easy, natural, and expressive as his way of playing the violin. If you don't know his playing, check out his website—I'd guess he's been at the top of the top for about 50 years!

Here's the link to the videos on ClassicFM, enjoy!

The world-renowned violinist, Itzhak Perlman. 

The Importance of Being (like) Bill Cunningham

You may notice in the sidebar a link to the New York Time's series on street fashion called "On the Street", and wonder what on Earth that has to do with music and flute-playing! The answer is: indirectly, A LOT!

"On the Street" is a regular feature of the NY Times, and for nearly 40 years it has been written and photographed by the inimitable Bill Cunningham. His narration of the videos can cheer up your worst day by the sheer enthusiasm he has for his subject (clothes, form, color, NY City) and his subjects (everyone from fashion-plates to ordinary New Yorkers to some truly outlandish dressers). In a way, his enthusiasm is for…enthusiasm! Meaning, if you're going to do something (like get dressed, or play the flute) then DO IT WITH PIZAZZ, do it 100%, and do it in your own way. I think it's easy to apply this to our performing or creative work, too! Otherwise, why bother? Ten Thousand Hours is a lotta time…

Alas, at age 87, Mr. Cunningham passed away in June and has been mourned by his many, many devotees—the photographed and the mere NY Times onlookers (moi). In 2009 he was actually named a Living Landmark, and in 2009 was named to the Legion of Honor by the French Government. However, you can still read about his life and see a slideshow about his work and subjects, or find his cheerful videos on the NY Times site. While we're enjoying the month of August, it's good to stock up on inspiration for the next season, no?

A Bill Cunningham moment backstage in Lisbon: shoes with attitude!

The Sound of Silence

You might think, if you are not TOO TOO young, that I'm referring to the classic Simon and Garfunkel album, the one I grew up listing to endlessly, putting the needle back into the groove again and again. (This was way before vinyl was "vintage", it was just "a record"). What a fabulous album! Want to know how to balance or pace a program or a CD? Look no further. "Sounds of Silence", technically. 

But no, I'm actually talking about the SILENCE of having my cell phone in the shop!! THIS, folks, is real silence! No calls, no alerts, no beeps, no apps…and… no distractions! It is a drastic measure, and I don't recommend smashing the screen on your phone to experience it, but there's something magic, too! Time that is wider-open. Silence that you can sink into. (In short: I got a lot of tidying up done!).

As musicians, we concentrate on the SOUNDS we make, but the SILENCE in between is always important, too. The silence before a piece begins, the silence after—sometimes big, sometimes tiny. The silence of an empty strong beat (thanks again, Karl Kohn). The silence where the music breathes. Here's a visual representation of lots of silence and the punch of just a little bit of "sound"—

Central Park, New York City

"Zapping" warm-up for flutists

Photos coming soon; this bug or lack Wifi or whatever is a DRAG!

Today: some flutey advice on how to warm up in a short(ish) time! I gave the warm up session this morning at the Academy, and it was not only fun (company!) but functional! 

We went through 5 exercises, as samples of a "healthy flute diet" that can be done in 20-30 minutes; I used or adapted exercises that have more than one goal. Yay for multitasking! In order, briefly, and with a reference of the original material:

1) 2-octave arpeggios, starting on F major, and ascending by half-steps. This is for checking posture, breathing without stress or hurry, and to cover the whole range. Go to top and return to low C through F. Simplified from the Vocalises in Philippe Bernold's book: L'Art de l'embouchure.

2) Two-octave scales in sixteenths, first slurred, then repeated double-tongued. Aim for same air support in both versions. Then go down two steps to the relative minor and repeat the process. Etc. through all 24 M/m keys. Can change color/dynamic to make more challenging as it goes along.. Simplified version of Taffanel and Gaubert's exercise journalier (17 Grandes E  J ) N° 4.

3) Articulation, slurs and release exercise from Moyse "De la sonorité", with pivot note (work the hardest ones most frequently!) in four versions as per M  Moyse's excellent instructions  

4) Five-note/articulation exercise from Robert Stallman's "Flute Workout". Work for sound, clarity and, of course, speed! So musical, love this book!!

5) Wide-interval study as from Bernold's book again; we did minor 7ths, but you could choose any interval (2 8ves), and vary the dynamics for a greater challenge . Always aim to work somewhere between the "easy" zone and the "frantically hard" zone - there lies PROGRESS! Enjoy and write in with feedback!

Ten Thousand Hours

Researchers who study talent and expertise have come to an interesting conclusion: in short, talent doesn't exist. The old adage about it being 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration perhaps needs to crank perspiration up to 100%, and more specifically, the sweat of 10,000 hours of hard, focussed work. We flutists know a bit about doing that, I'd say! But let's do those hours with a happy heart, and with a flute that is the work of an expert artisan, who has put in his or her own 10,000 hours to gain true mastery of flute-building. That flute, for me, has always been a Powell. There are many to choose from, and all will give you that amazing sensation of never reaching the end of what you can imagine. 

Galina at Powell, padding a flute with protective blue film