Building for Success.

“There is no substitution for a good teacher.”

It cannot be stressed just how important the basic fundamentals are as the foundation for music performance. To this end I shall repeat: “there is no substitution for a good teacher.”

My first flute professor ‘Harry Eden’, had this way of explaining the importance of intelligent practice – “An amateur practices till they get it right, a professional until they cannot get it wrong!” This is so true, and in the building of technique and tone the basics are essential. “It takes time, patience and intelligent work.”

After working hard, 8 hours a day for several years, you have the beginning of a professional performance. Or have you? Even advanced students sometimes discover that they have missed some of the basics. I remember Harry Eden repeating to me “Stand still, keep your fingers close to the keys and never force.” Years later, when Harry had passed me on to Geoffrey Gilbert I heard that great man comment to other advanced students – ‘Stand still, keep fingers close to the keys and never force!’ The great teachers had wonderful short clichés that explained the difference between merely good and reaching for perfection. The great performer is always paying attention to detail and being precise in the execution of their performance.

The performance lasts minutes, but the preparation takes years. No matter how many tips or how much time one spends in practice – the level of your performance and your maximum potential will only be as good as the basic foundation.

Ludwig van Beethoven had just finished performing one of his own compositions, and a crowd of admirers surrounded him. Each person tried to outdo the others in their praise of both the work and the performance. “If only God had given me such a gift of genius”, one woman gushed. Beethoven turned an unfriendly look on her. “It is not genus madam,” he said coldly. “It is not magic either. You can be as good as I am. All you have to do is practice on your piano eight hours a day for forty years.”

The Irish gave bagpipes to the Scots as a joke, but the Scots haven’t seen the joke yet.

On Stage.

Today I am taking a break from actual flute & piccolo playing tips and instead am going to waffle a little about “Things you are never taught.” The art of being on stage, at least “As I See It !” It is one thing to practice your Moyse Sonorite, the Taffanel & Gaubert exercises, A.P. Vivian and of course the Grand Studies of Leonardo de Lorenzo. (These were the Daily Food and Fodder for me as a young musician). However, no matter how brilliant an exponent you are in the art of your instrument nothing – absolutely nothing – prepares you for the requirements as a Soloist on Centre Stage. Everything from your body language to the way you stand and articulate yourself and the way you handle hecklers. Ah yes – those amusing ‘lesser aware’ individuals who think they can come into your office, just as you are introducing the next piece you are going to play, and disrupt your work with their bravado and banter! As a little bit of fun today here are some of those one-liners you really should remember:

1. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
2. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a damn word you're saying.
3. I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.
4. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
5. Oh I get it... like humour... but different.
6. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
7. What is your village doing with you away!

All of this set aside for a moment. Just what makes a good performance?

A great performer must not only execute their skill, but also be aware of what is happening around them all the time. They must learn to adapt and adjust to the music and the audience, be a superb public relations agent, manager, press secretary, creative director and also a soloist. In addition, it is imperative that they give their all to the performance each and every time. You are only as good as your last performance! Is this a learned skill or a natural talent? Natural ability certainly helps in the technical execution but above all one must develop a concentration and the ability to focus with precise detail upon the performance at hand. This requires practice, preparation and patience. All performers, whether they be musicians, conductors, radio, television personalities, actors, dancers or any other person who walks onto a stage or speaks into a microphone have the same goals in common:

1. Captivate and interact with the audience

You will have from 10 seconds to 40 seconds to assess the audience and have them supporting and eager for more throughout your show.

Do not be afraid to have some interaction with the audience. As a member of the orchestra this will seem of little relevance to you but as a soloist or at a recital it will make the difference. A good rapport with the audience will translate into a good translation of the music and a better communication with the audience. If the audience is at ease and enjoying themselves, so will you.

Leopold Stokowski, the consummate showman, captivated and related to the audience with his flamboyant style and the use of lightning, shadow and sound.
Sir Thomas Beecham used his flowery speech and rapier-like wit, while Arthur Fiedler took a hands-on approach when he transformed concerts with the Boston Pops Orchestra into fun, social affairs full of light brevity and laughter. Victor Borge brought his own special entertainment to the stage with him as he pursued perfection in performance. Each person will develop their own way of interacting with the audience. There is no ONE way to do so, but honing the art of interacting with the audience will ensure a more complete package and a better performance as a result thereof.


2. Deliver a message

Ideally, the message you want to send to the audience is for them to come back and bring a friend to your next performance. So whether it is a solo recital or you are the director of a school band or conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra the choice you make in the musical content will be of paramount importance.

Think before you perform.
· Who will the audience be?
· What would they like?
· What else can I do to make it an enjoyable evening for the audience?

Select your content with the target audience in mind.


3. Make it an enjoyable experience for yourself and the audience.

Remember that the audience has come to enjoy themselves. They are not a room full of enemies waiting for you to mess up. They are a room full of warm people who have come to support and encourage. They want you to perform well. If you are relaxed, they will be relaxed. If you are warm to them, they shall be even warmer in response. They are all your friends so it is safe to associate and even talk with them. The more relaxed the audience is the more relaxed and comfortable you will be.

Be comfortable.
Be relaxed.
Be yourself!

When they (the audience) leave singing or whistling one of the pieces you played your show can be considered a success.

“It is normal to be nervous.”

Always the Soloist!

Piccolo Tips:
Just like in the higher octave of the flute, piccolo requires that you blow the air through your instrument faster. As you play higher and higher pitches, less air is pushed through the hole of the headjoint, and instead travels across the opening to produce the sound. Practice with just the headjoint of the piccolo. Try to achieve a warm sound - Now try to blow the pitch you hear up an octave without becoming tight in the throat or pushing the headjoint against your face.
1. Intonation.Practicing with a tuner is very important, but also use and trust your ears. Always know your pitch tendencies on problem notes, and more importantly how to make it in tune. Don't be afraid to use special fingerings for intonation purposes. They will only make your job easier.
2. Embouchure.The piccolo is smaller than the flute, so the aperture is as well - but it should not be tighter. Tightening up will lead to a pinched tone, which is a direct root of most intonation problems.
3. Air Stream Control.The piccolo needs a faster air stream than the flute. This does not mean that you have to blow harder or more forcefully. Always have a good reserve and use it wisely, remembering that the piccolo carries well on its own without your extra help. A full and relaxed tone will always project better than a forced one.
4. Air Direction.Air direction plays a crucial role in piccolo playing. Be aware that small changes in air direction can make a huge difference. Keep in mind that when you are playing softly, it helps to aim the air higher to keep the pitch up. And when you are at full volume, you may have to blow more downward and into the piccolo to keep from being too sharp. Also pay attention to large intervals. Proper air placement is crucial for correct intonation.
5. Vibrato.Because the piccolo is smaller, a big flute vibrato is too intrusive. Work toward a vibrato that is not too wide, but rather in the tone. You must vibrate and make it beautiful; however it shouldn't be overly noticeable or obstructive.
6. Think of the benefits.You always get to play solo, your lips will have more flexibility (which will help your flute playing) and your ears will be more fine tuned and ready to detect intonation issues. Don't forget - increased employment opportunities!!Name that tune.Practice a familiar flute piece on piccolo, for example, the slow movement of a Bach Sonata, or the opening of the Fauré Fantasie. Playing something that you are familiar with and know well will definitely help. You are going to want to make it beautiful and you will know when it's not. Pretend like you are playing it on the flute, keeping all of these piccoloisms in mind.
"You cannot prepare enough for anything".

Coming Soon: Performing Mozart!

Solid Gold.

As promised here are a few tips for flute players. If you want to produce a great sound and a terrific technique then these tips will help but there is no substitute for a good teacher.

Scales. The whole-food of music. You can sightread better if you know your scales and arpeggios. Your performances will be more solid too. Scales played in the correct musical way are very exciting and rewarding. The more you play them the better you get at them! There is an original thought for you to ponder. Not only do you get better at them but they begin to come alive in the pieces you will play. I never fail to be amazed by the great number of people who do not practice scales and arpeggios, the very bricks and mortar of our everyday repertoire.
Vibrato. Control of vibrato helps your musical expression. Learn is and you suddenly have a multicolored palette to use in your playing.
Tone Development. I use a series of exercises that Sir James Galway has written (not yet published) and can help you develop your tone and a flexible embouchure. When playing "long tones" it is too easy for your mind to wander. This series of exercises gives a greater control and flexibility.
What you need to do is to start with b2 ( this is for flute players whose flutes do not have a low B) and with a tempo of 80 on the metronome play a B minor arpeggio in 8th notes. The exercise should sound like this, decending b,f#. d then ascending f# back to a half note B2. So b2,f#2,d2,f#2 long b2. When you do this you will notice you have to move your top lip to correct the pitch, color and dynamic of the tones, thus creating some feedback for your embouchure which you certainly do not get when you are playing the famous “long tones”. When you have done this a number of times then do it a semi tone lower until you have covered the lower two octaves of the flute.
Practice singing this exercise, so you get the intervals right in your head. This is the best way to improve your intonation. Singing is also important as this helps with your projection.
Velocity. How to get the most out of your technique. I think too much is spoken of playing things slowly. How about playing at a reasonable intelligent speed?
"When practising, try to do it right for just one bar - that's progress. Then the next time try to keep it right for two bars."
"Remember, you're not practising for next week, you're practising for next year."

President's Choice?

Presidents too, it seems, are capable of lapses of memory. President Ulysses S. Grant when asked what tunes he knew replied, "I know two tunes. One of them is Yankee Doodle and the other one isn't."

He never told a lie, as the story goes. So maybe if he were alive today, President George Washington could tell a New York City library what he did with two books he checked out 221 years ago. Due to be returned November 2nd, 1789 the fines now total a whopping $300,000



Volume 12 is missing - checked out October 2nd, 1789 by George Washington.




BAND TIPS:
In order to have a good band it is essential not only for the individual to have a good fundamental knowledge of the rudiments of music and the technicalities of their instrument. It is important to have a good blend and balance.
Sir Edward Elgar once said, “A good musical ensemble is one where all the instruments can be heard at the same time without any one being the dominant”.
I believe that in order to have good blend and balance in our performing groups, not only the director, but also the individual players have to have a more delineated understanding of these two distinct terms – Blend and Balance.

Balance
The concept of good balance in the band is complicated by two factors:
(a) it does not mean equal amounts from each player or each instrumental part, and
(b) higher pitched sounds are more easily heard than are the lower pitched sounds and therefore to produce a given level of sound proportionately less volume is required from the higher pitches than from the lower ones.

For good balance the melodic line (melody, countermelody) must always be heard above the harmonic and rhythmic accompaniment. In each of the Brass, Woodwind and Percussion sections, no one group of instruments (e.g. trumpets) should be more prominent than the others.
When instruments are playing 1st, 2nd and 3rd parts, no one part should overpower the other.
No one player should be heard above the others playing the same part. Consideration should be given at all times to the balance in the chord structure of the harmony, especially in final cadences. The root and the third of the chord should always be heard above the fifth.
Check the next post for some Flute Tips:

Ottawa Kiwanis

I have just finished a week adjudicating at the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival where I saw and heard some terrific woodwind soloists and Bands. This is a terrific Music Festival and should be a must for any young musicians to gain performance experience in a positive and constructive atmosphere.

Although the Soloists were all of a very high standard there was a common trend with the Bands (there being a couple of exceptions). Generally the bands tend to overplay the dynamic markings. The best advice I could leave any Band Director and Musician with is "Excitement in music comes from Contrast - not Noise. One should strive so that every instrument in the ensemble is heard with no one being the dominant. Balance & Blend!

Keep posted for articles on achieving the "Best Band Sound" and some tips for "Performance".