Burlington Performing Arts Centre!

I have just recently had the pleasure of conducting the Burlington Teen Tour Band in a series of three concerts at the newly designed Burlington Performing Arts Centre in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. This thriving community which has been able to boast supporting the largest, most award winning Youth Band in Canada (otherwise know around the world as “Canada’s Musical Ambassadors”)has just completed the building of a new Performing Arts Centre. The Band who for the past 30 years plus have given annual concert at a 2400 seat venue moved to the smaller stage and environments of the new 700 seat concert hall. The thoughts of performance with a 160 piece musical ensemble would seem fairly obvious at first glance. Smaller venue – large number of musicians – possible problem with fitting on the stage and also the sound being too loud! I frequently tell the band that “The sign of a good musical ensemble is one where every instrument can be heard at the same time, without any one being the dominant”. DYNAMICS and CONTROLLED playing are essential to create the different shades, colours and emotions in the music. However, even by listening and adjusting in each performance area sometimes logistics play a major role. In a small confined space all sound can bleed into one another and then it just becomes a cacophony . So, with these thoughts running through my head the band set up on stage (and it was well filled) and we played our first notes in our hometown venue. We experimented with dynamics and went from pp to ff and fff. We used Soloists to see what the acoustics were really like. Can one flute playing mf project over the other 150 players or would they be buried and left with their notes suspended from the ceiling to be lost in the wonderful labyrinth of theatre ropes, pulleys and computerized technology?
AMAZING – with the design of the Arts Centre function was actually working! NO matter where one stood or sat the acoustics were fabulous. NO mics, No electronic enhancements – PURE ACOUSTIC PLAYING – there was not a dead area in the hall and the acoustical engineers had provided a wonderful performance environment for any size group. The acoustics work for a large group and equally well for smaller ensembles. I played a few notes on flute myself and just filled the space with sound. It was a joy to perform in the intimate setting and I certainly am happy to put my stamp of approval on it. If I were to write a review it would be to give accolades to the fact that function actually works. So many of the new performing venues being built end up looking great and the Architects have a lot of fun in presenting the form of the structure but lose out on the function with the result that some of the nicest looking concerts halls today are only that – nice looking – but nothing to write home about as far as sound and performance goes. Here in Burlington – FORM meets FUNCTION! After three concerts the results are now in and the Burlington Performing Arts Centre( from a performers perspective) has my Acoustical vote. BRAVO!!!!!
What about the rest of the building – the changing rooms, performers lounge, green room, loading area, stage entrance, stage crew, sound & lighting??? Everything is accessible to the stage area which is good.
CHANGING ROOMS: Personally I thought they were a little narrow for my taste (I like to fling my arms around when changing and have people in at the same time so I need lots of space). There are three of these rooms and they are well situated, each with their own shower and facilities but with four people in them it can become quite cosy. For the main group of the band we utilized a nice (smaller size auditorium /recital room) that can also be used for receptions and such like. Let’s be honest – how many times will they face the daunting task of operating with a 160 piece group?
PERFORMERS LOUNGE: A very nice area right beside the stage entrance with a couch, sitting area, fridge and microwave. Perhaps this is where I should wave my arms around and not the changing room.
GREEN ROOM is a nice area away from the main stage where any number of events can be entertained. We used it as a warm-up room which worked perfectly well with no sound filtering into the main areas whatsoever.
STAFF: The Stage & Sound and Lighting staff were absolutely outstanding! There as no grumbling or half-hearted work ethics. ALL of the staff were very professional and went out of their way to assist in putting on a first class performance. To Chris and his Merry Band of Associates – Thank You for making it easy and a pleasure. Your attitude will enhance the reputation of the Centre!

Performance Tips

Chances are, that sometime in your flute playing career, you are going to have to do some sort of performance. Whether it’s a ten member audience performance, or a major festival, the tips here can help you out a lot.
1. Nerves
Okay, your big solo performance is coming up faster than you can think and you’re looking forward to it, but you don’t know what you’re going to do and you’re nervous beyond belief. Whether it’s in front of a crowd of 15 or 15,000, most people do get nervous when they have to perform. Be sure to put on deodorant before you leave your house; you don’t want to be a stinky performer (even if you are at a distance from your audience) Before your performance, in the car ride over maybe, start taking very long deep breaths to relax yourself.
When you get to where you’re supposed to be, WARM UP BEFORE YOU PERFORM! This is extremely important. You don’t want to go onstage with a cold, out of tune flute, or tensed up lips. Now it’s time to play your piece. Try not to think about how many people are there, but as you’re walking onstage, don’t just look down at the ground, look at your audience, maybe even smile. Before you start to play, don’t think about the audience or what they’re thinking about you. Imagine that it’s just another one of your practice sessions and that you are the only person in the room. When you start to play, concentrate on your music; don’t let your stage-fright distract or overcome you. There is nothing worse than losing your concentration and screwing up the song that you've played a thousand other times perfectly. When you’re finished your piece (or pieces in some cases), smile, take a bow or curtsy, and walk out gracefully. And that’s it! You’re done! It’s over! There’s nothing left to worry about. Until your next performance of course…
2. Playing
When people play in front of an audience, their pieces usually tend to be faster, less expressive, and generally not as good as they usually are. In any sort of competition, this can cost serious marks. To prevent this, make sure you have practised and perfected the song you are going to perform. For extra practice, play it in front of friends, family, your dog, or whoever else will listen; this will lower your chances of freezing up in front of an audience. During the big performance, be sure to concentrate on your music (even with a memorized piece, concentrate on it in your mind). Pay attention to the little details that many people tend to forget during performances such as dynamics, articulations, expressiveness, etc… In competitions, doing this will set you apart from the other competitors because they are probably just as nervous as you are.
3. Demeanor
One of the most important things of a performer is his/her demeanor. The worst thing possible to do in any performance is to mope onto stage, not looking at your audience, play your piece, then mope off again without bowing or extending any sort of courtesy to your audience or judges. Walk on stage looking proud, like you’re enjoying being there, make eye contact with the members of your audience and maybe even smile. When you get to the spot you’re supposed to be in, put any music on the stand or make any adjustments that you need to. If you have piano accompaniment, tune your flute.
Take your time before you start to play; don’t be rushed (this can even create suspense in your audience for a greater effect). Take a nice, deep breath and start playing. If you make a mistake, KEEP ON GOING. Don’t let it ruin your performance and whatever you do, NEVER, EVER, EVER, STOP AND RESTART THE ENTIRE PIECE OR SECTION THAT YOU MADE THE MISTAKE IN. Most people won’t even realize that you made it and even if they do, it’s not that big of a deal. After you’re done playing, look at your audience, smile (even if you’ve played horribly), and take a bow or curtsy. Acting professional will make your audience think you’re professional, whether your actual performance is done well or not.
4. Be Prepared
For any performance, the most important thing is to be prepared. Make sure you know or have chosen which pieces you are supposed to play well in advance. Practise them until they are perfect and even then, practise them more. Make sure you know the exact year, month, day, hour, minute, and second that you have to play. Don’t be late, in fact, be early! By at least forty-five minutes to a half an hour to give you time to warm-up and relax before you have to play. If you have a tendency to sleep in, make sure you have alarm clocks set or somebody to wake you up. Being rushed can needlessly ruin your playing. Make sure your accompanist also knows the time of your performance and is early too. If your pieces are in some sort of collection, bookmark the pages so that you won’t have to flip through your music before you start playing. If you have to give copies of your music to an adjudicator, make sure you have them ready and the pages marked as well. The most important thing to remember is just to be prepared for any contingency. Being rushed and performing horribly, forgetting your music, or even missing your performance are all embarrassing scenarios that you do not want to experience.
Oh, and always remember to have fun while you’re performing. Best of Luck

Royal Wedding

What is it like to be part of history and perform at a ROYAL WEDDING?

30 years ago the United Kingdom had a national holiday – a day I worked!
Yes – I performed at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Stillwood Frances Spencer 30 years ago on Wednesday, 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, London, United Kingdom. The marriage was widely billed as a "fairytale wedding" and the "wedding of the century".

I was then the principal flute with the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and considered it an honour to be part of what was “history in the making”. As the big day comes closer for Prince William and Kate Middleton I cannot help but think back and make some comparisons.

As it is today, the nation was in a celebratory mood and rehearsals and preparations for the grand event are very much the same. We (Royal Marines) rehearsed before the event in the early hours of the morning (all streets being closed) and on the day of the wedding it was a 5.00am breakfast before getting ready for the Pageantry. Every detail (over 300 pages) is planned, rehearsed and then rehearsed again. The Band of the Royal Marines led the procession and also provided a fanfare team inside St. Paul’s cathedral for the wedding ceremony.
There were 3,500 people in the congregation at St Paul's Cathedral. It was held at St Paul's rather than Westminster Abbey because St Paul's offered more seating and permits a longer procession through the streets of London. It was estimated that 750 million people watched the ceremony worldwide, making it the most popular programme ever broadcast, and this figure rose to a billion when the radio audience is added in. Two million spectators lined the route of Diana's procession from Clarence House, with 4,000 police and 2,200 military officers to manage the crowds.
After the ceremony, the couple went to Buckingham Palace for a dinner for 120. The couple had 27 wedding cakes with the official wedding cake being supplied by the Naval Armed Forces.
How does this compare with the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton?
Rehearsals have gone similar to those of 30 years ago and below is the schedule that will be followed Friday April 29th, 2011. The Band of Royal Marines will once again be first in line and will be the band stationed right outside Westminster Abbey at Parliament Square.

Friday April 29th, 2011
From 0815 to 0945 - The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.
09.15 -10.45 The guests of Prince William and Catherine will start arriving at Westminster Abbey.

10.20 The Band of Royal Marines will leave for Parliament Square from the Wellington Barracks.

10.25 The Band of the Grenadier Guards leave the Wellington Barracks and head to Marlborough Road.

10.50 The Band of the Welsh Guards leave from Wellington Barracks and head to St James’s Palace.

10.50 Members of Parliament from Commonwealth countries, the diplomatic service and other VIP guests arrive to Westminster.

11.10 Prince William and his brother/ best man Prince Harry will leave Clarence House driven in a Bentley. They will pass the Horse Guards Parade, the Cenotaph war memorial, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

11.20 The 1st Battalion the Irish Guards will be playing in front of Buckingham Palace.Various members Royal families from around the world arrive at the Abbey as Catherine’s mother Carole Middleton and brother James depart from Goring Hotel, Kensington.

11.25 The first Members of the British Royal family leave the Palace.

11.35 Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence leave Palace.11.40 Prince Charles and Camilla leave Clarence House.

11.40 The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace and will be the last guests to arrive at Westminster Abbey, at 11.45hrs

11.50 Catherine’s Bridesmaids and pages leave Goring Hotel.

11.55 Catherine Middleton departs from Goring Hotel in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI with her father Michael Middleton and shortly after are at the Abbey. Once she arrives at the church, details about her wedding dress will finally be revealed. Photo moment !

12.00 Marriage service starts at Westminster. The Dean of Westminster will be conducting service and the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry the couple. The Bishop of London to give the address.

13.10 Prince William and his wife Catherine leave Westminster.

13.15 Procession headed by the newly-weds travels to Buckingham Palace. William and Catherine will travel in the horse drawn State Landau Carriage, specifically built for King Edward VI in 1902 (pictured). If it rains however, they will ride in the horse drawn Glass Coach. The carriage carrying the bride and groom will be followed by the Queen’s carriage and members of the Household Cavalry. Two of the horses taking part in the ceremony are named after William and Catherine. They will pass The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, and Parliament Square. Other members of the Royal family will follow in other horse drawn carriages including Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton (Kate’s sister and the Maid of Honour) the bridesmaids.

13.30 The Carriage Procession will arrive at Buckingham Palace.

14.25 Palace balcony appearance with the William and Catherine, Bridesmaids and the Queen with members of the Royal family. The Royal kiss is expected for the cameras.

14.30 RAF fly over followed by the official pictures taken by photographer Hugo Burnand.

16.00 – 17.00 Wedding reception ends. The newly-weds will change outfits.

20.00 300 guests start arriving for the private dinner hosted by William’s father Prince Charles. After Queen retires an 80s-themed disco will start and the best man will give his speech and ask William and Kate to take the first dance.

03.00-04.00 William and Kate will leave the party and retire to the Belgian Suite in Buckingham Palace.

Flute Playing Tips

As air moves slower a low note will result.
Don't tune by using dynamics.
Don't push lips foreword for high notes unless they are soft.
Don't advertise a breath.
Practice with no vibrato to hear true sound.
Don't cover up a problem - expose it & fix.
Look like you are sharing with the audience.
Soft is short.
Don't confuse endings with diminuendos.
Keep head up to slacken the jaw.
Forte = longer note length. Piano = shorter note length.
Forte & Piano are different tone colors.
After a long faded ending due to long phrase begin again at the same strength you left off.
Vocalize before playing.
Don't accentuate the obvious.
Don't edit on the basis of poor technique.
Sound must stay the same when using the tongue.
Every note has a life of it's own.
A short note is always preceded by a shortened note.
Players duty is to present what the composer has written - not what you think he has written.
Intonation is 90% knowledge of instrument.
Look for tension in fingers.
Rules of music are independent of the instrument.
Practice by eliminating that which you don't do well.
Fix one little thing each day.
Anything that you can't do is important.

Posture

· Put the head joint over the shoulder and turn you head.
· Try not to look at the stand. Have the stand turned slightly.
· Keep your shoulders down
· Get in the Habit of looking down at the music so sound doesn't get blocked.
· "[You] must not move the flute with your hands...you can with your jaw.

Warm Up
· Warm up should be done without music.
· Start with a good tone
· Do Taffanel and Gaubert Scales
· Sequences
· Finger Exercises - No Slow fingers
o If you have slow fingers, raise them really high and slap down on the key.
o Use the Bb shake key because it is harder.