FriendlyFlutes Newsletter

-Sight Reading-

Below is an article by Anne Hodgson, teacher and editor of the teachers corner of the British Flute Society website. Anne has some really great ideas about improving site reading and we will feature more of her writing in next months newsletter.

Sightreading is a really useful skill. To be able to learn new music from the page quickly and easily saves a huge amount of time and frustration. Some students seem to acquire it by osmosis, maintaining accurate notereading and rhythmic pulse with apparent ease, whilst other equally keen and dedicated students have huge difficulties.

How can we help our students to learn to read and play fluently and accurately, and what can we learn from them in the process?

Sightreading is a multi sensory skill.

We See notes/rhythm/patterns/sections/written instructions

Hear assess/predict pitch/intonation/melodic line/harmony

Feel pulse, finger patterns, and rhythms, breathing and articulation.

Different intruments have their own combinations of skills - pianists can see where each note is, but have many notes to play at once - flute players have to hear and feel where the notes are, with fingers and lips, but have one melodic line to play, in general!

For many of the students I've worked with, the main hurdle is overcoming their lack of confidence. They are frightened of making mistakes, of making a fool of themselves. If I ask them to tell me the worst thing that can happen, they will usually say "I'll play a wrong note". Is this really such a disaster? We all play wrong notes at times, mistakes are part of the learning process. If we never stretch ourselves beyond our current capabilities, we won't make mistakes, but neither will we grow and learn. They need reassurance that we can live with a wrong note - just aim to play the next note correctly - or the note after that....or just find out how many notes they can get right - and praise them for those.

Admit to playing the odd wrong note too sometimes - no one is perfect. Asking students and ourselves to do our best is attainable - and no-one can ask more of somebody else than that they do their best. Allowing someone the freedom to make and ignore mistakes, will often - usually - result in their making fewer of them, as they are no longer focussing on potential mistakes instead of what they want to play. Sightreading is by definition not a polished performance, but accurate sightreading can make the journey to this much quicker.

Article published with permission from the British Flute Society Website. Are you a member of the BFS?

Would you like to publish an article in the FriendlyFlutes newsletter? Submit your articles, short or long, to newsletter@friendlyflutes.co.uk

-Video of the Month-

Greg Patillo's group, 'Project Trio' playing the Nutcracker..

-Featured Flautist of the Month-
Catherine Hurley

Catherine started her musical journey on piano and violin at age seven and went on to write her own compositions and learn flute at 13.

She began her musical training on flute with Kenneth Bell taking part in performances in the Royal Albert and Festival Halls in London with Harrow Young Musicians.

She went onto study flute with Richard Dobson at Bath Spa University specialising in performance and composition and achieving a 1st in her final year recital. Catherine was chosen to play as the soloist in Bath Spa University final year concert in a Debussy la après midi du un faune at the Guildhall, Bath and has taken part in Master Classes with international flautists Wissam Boustany, William Bennett, Peter Lloyd and former principal of the LSO Paul Edmond Davies as part of the shell/LSO woodwind competition.

After university Catherine branched out into different styles of music and as well as the Gagliano ensemble, Catherine currently performs with many different musicians including acoustic pop band Catmandu and Los Angeles based singer songwriter Erinn Williams.

She teaches flute in Bath and writes records and performs as a session musician for artists. Catherine's flute has been described in various reviews as enchanting, innovative, intimate and fantastical. She currently plays a Miyazawa flute with an Arista headjoint.

We are delighted that Catherine has taken some time out from her busy schedule to do a quick interview for our FriendlyFlutes readership!

At what age did you start to play the flute?

What did you find most difficult when you first started to play?

Breathing

When did you know you wanted to be a professional flautist?

I always loved music and, from the age of 7 when i started piano I knew I wanted to be a musician. I grew up in a musical family so performing and playing music was always part of my life. However it wasnt until i finished university that I really found my voice in music. I discovered that i loved playing in chamber ensembles, and improvisation. especially the fusion of different styles such as jazz folk and world music.

What was your first flute?

Yamaha 211

Did you practice every day when you were first starting?

Yes i enjoyed it so much that i wanted to play every day even if just for a little bit. my brother is also a flautist and he really inspired me to practice.

If you could give the beginner flautist one piece of advice what would it be?

Try to pratice a little bit every day and look for things that give you inspiration to play. It's good to think of one good thing about your playing every time you perform or practice. Find things in the music that help you enjoy it, even in studies and scales, i.e. what does this piece remind you of.?

Were grades important to you?

Grade 6 because i just got braces and i passed with a merit so I was really pleased, i had also just got a new flute which was exciting. Also grade 8 because i wanted to do well to go and study music at university.

What is your favourite piece of music for the flute?

Thats a difficult question so I have put more than one!!Bach Sonata in G minor, Gaubert divertissement for 2 flutes and piano (or harp)and the Widor suite.

What types of music do you like listening to?

I listen to classical, folk, jazz, pop and acoustic for all different instruments and bands.My favourite classical flautists are Wissam Boustany and Emanuel Pahad.I love the folk flutists Joanie Madden and Michael McGoldrick. I also listen to the folk musician Martha Tilston and admire rock flautist Norda Mullen who plays with the moody blues. My favourite bands are Elbow and Fleet Foxes.

What has been your favourite performance/gig to date?
This again is quite difficult because I love so many performances for different reasons.The most challenging performance was when I played the Widor Suite for my end of year recital at university. It was the first time I had played a full length rectial and I worked so hard on rehearsals and practicing, I was very nervous.My most rewarding performance was on a summer school run by Wissam Boustany in Penzance where I discovered the joys and freedom of performing from memory for the first time. Recent performances at Glastonbury Festival with The Mandrake Project and around Europe with Los Angeles singer songwriter Erinn Williams have been especially memorable.

Thanks Catherine!

Click on the video below to see Catherine performing as part of the Gagliano Ensemble!

For more on Catherine, visit her website http://www.catmandumusic.co.uk/ or

myspace: Catherine Hurley

-This Month's Flute Highlights-

Below is a selection of flute concerts and events from around the country this month. Inspire or be inspired by professional flautists! Have you been to a concert recently? Send us a review and we will publish it in next months newsletter!

21/01/11 Miranda Gunn, last months featured flautist, is playing and recording with the rap artist Fuse ODG. They will be performing with Miranda at the Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch, London, this Friday 21st January. Get down there and show your support!

29/01/11 A Winter Warmer Concert - An exciting programme of Italian and Russian Music. The Manchester Beethoven Orchestra with Holly Melia on Flute.
20/02/11 Anne Hodgson and Sussex Flutes are running a British Flute Society Teachers' Day on 20 February 2011 at Burgess Hill School for Girls, West Sussex. From 10-16.30, with a final concert with Wissam Boustany and Aleks Szram at 5pm. We hope as many of you as possible can go along to what promises to be a great day. Anne also recommends this day for keen amateurs or self-taught players. See below for more information.

Teaching students in groups or one to one can be isolating and exhausting. This teacher's day is designed for flute teachers to be inspired by some very different approaches to our work.

Dr. Andrea Creech, who has recently published a book with Professor Sue Hallam, Music Education in the 21st Century in the UK: Achievements, analysis and aspiration, will discuss her research and give us some insights into instrumental teaching, and how to get the most from and for our students.

Jazz flautist and saxophonist Andy Panayi will lead a workshop in jazz playing and teaching. Andy is professor of jazz flute at both the RCM and RAM, and performs on all flutes from bass to piccolo

Wissam Boustany, until recently professor of flute at TCM and current chairman of the BFS, will lead a workshop in the afternoon on 'A Method Called Love' The teacher's day will close with a flute choir session.

Finally, Wissam Boustany and Aleks Szram will give a recital of works for flute and piano at 5pm. The cost of the day will be £30 for BFS members, and £35 for non-members, and this includes entry to the final concert, which will also be open to the general public.

(Tickets for the concert will be £8 adults, £5 concs). (Tea and coffee will be provided, but please bring your own lunch.) For further information and to book your place, please contact Anne Hodgson at annehodgson@btconnect.com or phone 01273 812580.

26/02/11 Brighton and Hove Flute Day with Stephen Clark and Sussex Flutes. Click the flyer below for more information

02/12/10 Trio Anima - Flute, Harp, Viola. King Edward VII and Queen Mary School, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. Music by Arnold Bax, Debussy, Jean Cras, Harald Genzmer,Paul Benhaim, Britten and local composer John Reeman.

*For further information on these events please "google" them*

-FriendlyFlutes in the Media-

FriendlyFlutes won a national business start-up award last month!

Since then we have been lucky enough to be featured in publications such as MIPro.
Read about us here.

-January Playlist-

If you can't make it to any concerts this month, you can still be inspired by listening to some of the great flautists at home. This months playlist contains three classical and three contemporary pieces featuring the flute.

Living in the Past - Jethro Tull
Casanova's Flute - Michael Galasso
Hole in My Shoe - Traffic
I Just Fall in Love Again - Carpenters
Hesitate - Alice Russell
The Moonbounce - Koop

***Listen now using spotify***
Click here to load the FriendlyFlutes Newsletter playlist onto your spotify!

-Just for fun...-

Music

: A complex organisation of sounds that is set down by the composer, incorrectly interpreted by the conductor, who is ignored by the musicians, the result of which is ignored by the audience.

What's the least-used sentence in the English language?

"Isn't that the flute player's Porsche?"

Try our musical word search, how many of the 10 musical terms can you find below?

CONDUCTOR	CRESCENDO	HARMONY
LIGATURE	MOUTHPIECE	OCTAVE
PIANO	PICCOLO	SILVER
TRILL

Do you have any jokes or funny stories you would like to put in next months newsletter?
Get in touch justforfun@friendlyflutes.co.uk

-FriendlyFlutes Community-

Join our FriendlyFlutes Forum! Help make it the first online community dedicated to flutes and clarinets in the UK, a place where musicians and their loved ones can share tips and ideas. It is also a great place to ask questions and get advice. Both adults and children are welcome on the forum, which requires a quick, free registration. The forum is fully moderated by ourselves to provide a fun and safe environment.

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An archive of all newsletters will be regularly uploaded to our website: www.friendlyflutes.co.uk