Repair, Restore, Renew for 2013

As yet another Nor'easter bears down on the Mid-Atlantic, and I have some time to think of what the new year will bring, I have decided to raise my own flute playing bar for 2013.

The holiday season is wonderful for all those free-lance jobs that bring in welcome income at a time when finances are difficult to balance. It certainly is wonderful to reconnect with musicians one may not have seen for quite some time.

But it comes at a cost for personal flute technique.

For all the flexibility needed to play your best with many different ensembles and players, taking various parts, and blending with all levels of musicians, it can be difficult to maintain one's own technical approach, let alone scale!

I have designed a set of exercises I plan to do to repair and restore my own personal flute aesthetic and technique.

1.  What are your musical values?  What is a good musical credo for you and your style of playing? Write it down.  Change it, of course, because as you actually write these things down, your thoughts will become more focused and clear to you.

2.  List the adjectives of the most perfect flute sound for you.  Be as precise as possible.  Avoid words such as nice, or pretty.  Remembering that the flute is an heroic instrument can make those descriptive words flow!

3.  Begin doing daily breathing exercises.  Power Lung is ideal.  Also swimming: I always sound better when I am in good swimming shape.

4.  Long Tones!!  A must for all serious players.  A good long tone exercise should involve intervals, intonation studies, and move from low-to-high.

5.  More Long Tones!  I like to choose a melody that really speaks to me, and transpose it into all 12 Keys.

6.  Intervals.  Scales in 3rds, 4ths, and more.

7.  Harmonics.  Make sure you gently manipulate the air stream to create the next partial.  No over-blowing allowed! The skill is in the raising and lowering of the air stream.  If you want more of a challenge, diminuendo as you ascend, and crescendo as you descend.

8.  Taffanel-Gaubert No. 4.  Enough said!

On January 2, Flute Pro Shop is offering a Restorative Long Tone Hour at 7:00 PM East.  Please join us!  We will start at the top of this list and go as far as we can in one hour.  Our first Long Tone exercise will be Tonic-Dominants, and the second will be the theme from the 2nd movement of the Rodrigo Concerto.  We will take the interval exercises from the Marcel Moyse Daily Exercises book.  Harmonics will go from middle C to C1 and back down again.  Please send an email to info@fluteproshop.com if you need info regarding these exercises.

Renewing ones commitment to musical excellence is a great New Year activity.  Raising the flute bar is fun and inspirational!!

Please share with us the techniques you use to repair and restore your flute technique.  All ideas are welcome!

Where do YOU Practice??

On Sunday evening, I played a wonderful concert for woodwind quintet, harp and SATB choir at Grace United Methodist Church in Wilmington, DE.  We'll attach a sound clip soon, because the arrangements are absolutely stunning.  All of them were done by the church's extraordinary organist and choir director, Neil Harmond.  And I must also say that the instrumentalists were of the highest caliber.  It was a real joy.

What, you may be wondering, does this have to do with practicing?

As the choir warmed up in the sanctuary, I needed a place to warm myself up.  The only space available was a closet.  The contents of this closet were fascinating.  "Silk Flowers Only" greeted me when I walked in.  (There must be a story behind this one.) Boxes of used wither coats, a carpet steamer, picture hanging rods, a step ladder, shelves of vases, large candles, used candles, lecturns, music stands....I had the better part of 45 minutes of long tones to take a through inventory.

As I left the closet, the Pastor said, "I'll bet you've never practiced in a closet before!"

I replied, "Well, actually..."

I have practiced and performed in some very strange places, and her comment provided me with the topic for this blog.

I have practiced in:
Countless closets
A Stratford-upon-Avon phone booth.
Locker rooms
The filter pump room for a swimming pool
A restaurant kitchen
Any number of bathrooms at places like a radio station, retirement community, and a train station.
In the car.  I was not driving.
A garage
On any number of porches.

One time, Anne Sullivan, harpist, and I played a wedding on an ultimate Frisbee field.  It was misting rain, so we had to set up under the tailgate of an SUV.

Another time a presenter wanted me to play Debussy's Syrinx from the back of the darkened hall.  The only problem was that the hall was under construction, and I had to walk through the construction mess to get back there, ducking through a hole in a brick wall.  Now, I always scout out any route I am asked to take with my flute in my hand.

Many years ago, I was asked to play for the funeral for a public figure.  What was not disclosed was that I was to stand at the head of the open casket and play as the mourners passed by to pay their last respects.  It was a cold, dark, rainy day, and the door of the tiny chapel was open the entire two hours.  I was chilled to the bone.  My memory says I played the Syrinx the entire time, but that doesn't seem reasonable...

Here is a photo of where I practice these days, at Flute Pro Shop.  This room overlooks a parking lot.  Who knew the drama that plays out in a parking lot??  Apparently not I.  Everything from fistfights, lovers' trysts, car crashes, near-misses, rude gestures, cars backing into the dumpsters-everyday there is another event worthy of discussion.  FPS is located 50 yards from one of the most busy fire halls in Delaware, with several blasts from the siren each day.  Let me tell you, fire fighters speeding through the parking lot is very entertaining when one is doing long tones!

Mozart's Proverbs

As we prepare for the "Flutists Happy Birthday to Mozart," I went back to Maynard Solomon's biography of Mozart to find some fun facts to fuel our imaginations.

Chapter 22, "The Zoroastran Riddles" gives a glimpse of Mozart's love of word play, and how this play was a large part of his relationship with his father, Leopold.

On February 19, 1786, at a masquerade ball during the Viennese carnival, a masquerader dressed in the Oriental robes of a philosopher handed out copies of proverbs and riddles entitled "Excerpts from the Fragments of Zoroaster."  Of course, the masquerader was Mozart himself, and the riddles and proverbs were his own.

None of these copies exist today, but Leopold refers to them in letters to family members.    In 1786, the relationship between father and son was very strained.  These fragments, or proverbs, made Leopold very proud, so much so that he had them published in the Saltzburg Oberdeutsch Staats Zeitung, which is why these few survive today.

Here are some of my favorites for your edification!

1.  Say much-speak evil; but in the end it goes without saying that all eyes and ears will be upon you.

4.  I prefer open vice to ambiguous virtue; at least I know where I stand.

10.  It won't do for everyone to be modest; only great men can be so.

11.  If you are poor but clever, arm yourself with patience: work.  If you don't grow rich, you will at least remain a clever man.-If you are an ass but rich, then use your perogatives: be lazy.  If you don't become poor, you will at least remain an ass.

12.  The most reliable and tender way to please a lady is to speak evil of her rivals.  How many men are not women in this respect?

Finally: Music must never hurt the ear.

As musicians, we often hear proverbs in our lessons.  One of my favorite from Trudy Kane is:"The short note always goes to the long note."  I use this all the time when I teach-it can get a line moving just by thinking about it.  Or, from Murray Panitz: "In matters of pitch there is no right or wrong; only flexible or inflexible."

I have a few of my own that I keep threatening to put in a collection. "He who hesitates is late."  Or: "Technique is the handmaiden of the musical imperative."

Do you have proverbs you have heard or that you use when teaching?  Let us know!  Make a comment on this blog.  the best proverb(s) will receive the Barenreiter edition of the Mozart D Major Concerto.

The rules: must be related to music and the flute.  Have fun!

Adventures with Air Turn

Yes, this old flutist is learning a new trick!  Just in time for Sunday's SPARX concert.  All of my music for the concert is loaded onto my iPad, which is pictured above, snug in its "GigEasy" iPad mount, which is in turn attached to a microphone stand. Pages are turned utilizing the foot pedal assembly on the floor. The right pedal turns forward, the left pedal turns back.

On the iPad, the music for the concert is stored in a set list, in concert order. It is also accessible in a general index. Over 6,000 pieces of music can be stored on my iPad, completely organized however it makes sense to me.

And so, eager to implement the new technology, I began practicing and rehearsing with my Air Turn. many of the people I mentioned it to had lots of questions. I will attempt to answer these here.

1.  Is there a glare on the screen? A:  You can avoid any glare by changing the angle of the iPad on the "GigEasy."

2.  The print seems so small!  A: The smallness is relieved by the clarity of the notation.  Alternatively, you can size and re-size the music to what is ideal for you. The pedals work to advance the music as you need to.  I have reading glasses stronger than I need for daily reading tasks to magnify the notation.

3.  You can't mark the music. A: Oh yes you can!  Tap on the center of the screen.  You will see a pencil icon on the menu bar. Tap on that, choose whether you want a pencil or highlighter, and mark away to your heart's content.  There is also an eraser icon.  Tap that, and with a whisk of the finger, all is erased.

4. Is it hard to remember where the pedal is? A: I must admit that was a fear of mine, as a known klutz (just ask my sister.) I stand during performances, and there is real concern that using my feet just might end up badly!  I have found that depressing the pedal with my left foot works best as I read from my left eye, and my left shoulder is always closer to the music than my right.

Other highlights include an "on-board" metronome,  the ability to download music from the internet for free, or drastically cheaper than paper music, lots of tutorials from Air Turn, and more.  Flute Pro Shop will soon bring out a video that will be specific for the needs of flutists.  And in the future, we hope to provide downloads from our new website for our customers.

Everyone who uses this fabulous technology will find their own system.  And, as my graduate school harmony teacher, Dr. Stimson Carrow, would say, "System is Comfort."

Hurricane Sandy: Flute Pro Shop Reaches Out

To all our customers and friends in New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, and all the areas in which the wrath of Hurricane Sandy was felt: you are very much in our thoughts today as we open up the shop and feel the relief of no damage to life or property here in Delaware.

Apparently we are enjoying this relief because the storm hit the cold air of a high pressure ridge in the Atlantic Ocean 50 miles later than forecast, causing it to hit land in New Jersey rather than the Delaware Bay as originally forecast.

It gives all of us at FPS pause to think how delicately life is balanced.  50 miles is from here to Dover, DE: less than an hour's drive (if you drive like me.)  That storm was enormous: 900 miles wide.  50 miles is a blink.

It is with an attitude of gratitude that all of us at Flute Pro Shop make the offer of deeply discounted repairs to anyone whose instrument has sustained storm damage.  We will also discount shipping.  If your music library has been damaged, we will help you replace lost music.

Please contact us at info@fluteproshop, or call 302-479-5000.

It is our hope that those of you affected by this devastating storm will soon be able to put your lives and property back together quickly.

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Surviving Hurricane Sandy Circuit.

Greetings from deluged Delaware on the 2nd day of Hurricane Sandy.  We made it through without losing power, but we were ready!  Still raining today, so staying in just to be safe.

So, what's a flutist to do in such weather conditions?

Set up a circuit!

Try this:

Repeat 3 times:

Power Lung exercises x 15
Practice for 45 minutes. 
Run your stairs.  I did 3 stair cases on a route, up and down each x 5
Free weights: 15 reps each: bicep  curls, tricep kick-backs, shoulder raises, squats.

This, interspersed with watching the news, took 3 hours.  Boy was I smug afterward!

Today, my circuit will be:

Repeat 3 times

Power Lung x 15
Yoga sun salute x 5
Practice 45 minutes
1 mile on the treadmill @ 4 miles/hour
15 Crunches
Clean a closet: 1. my clothes, 2. the linen closet, 3. hall closet

I plan to start this just as soon as I am saturated from the Weather Channel reporting.

Join me, and you can more than survive the storm!!

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Ode to my Concert Shoes

It was love at first sight.  I was in an upscale shoe boutique, lured in by the "SALE" sign, and there you were.  Black peau de soie pumps.  3" heel, a height I knew to be non-life threatening.  But the real selling point was-drum roll- your rhinestones around your toe box!  My heart was racing.  You fit beautifully. Even at 50% off, you cost more than any pair of shoes I had ever owned.

That was 30 years ago, and my love for you has grown substantially over the years.  You never let me down.  You always look beautiful.  I can dress you up, or dress you down-you go with every concert dress or dress pants I own.  You are fabric; you give as I stand through long flute and harp concerts, and my feet stay comfy, my balance secure (or as secure as it can be.)

You have been with me in moments of triumph, sheer terror, through 2 hour concerts that end with 3 high D's on the last page, through 2 pregnancies.  You have been to Carnegie Hall, Avery Fischer Hall, Philadelphia's Academy of Music and Kimmel Center, the Bethlehem Bach Festival, and hundreds of venues nationwide.  You stood by me when a concert presenter had me walk through a construction zone in order to play "Syrinx" in the dark from the back of a hall undergoing renovation. 

And there have been some humorous moments.  Remember the time I pulled out to pass a slow moving soprano on a marble floor?  You didn't let me slip and fall while in a long gown and holding a 14 K flute.  I will always be grateful for that one!  Or how about the time the American flag blew over in an flute/harp concert, narrowly missing me; causing the audience to gasp in horror? Or the orchestra concert when I was given a solo bow and stood up on the hem of my skirt?  Your leather soles let me slide my feet and get into a standing position.

In my life, few individuals have been as dependable as you.  And now, even though you are slightly faded, and some of your rhinestones have fallen out, and you have a couple of threads that need to be clipped, I will continue to wear you with pride.  We began this journey together, and we will stay together until it is time to hang us both up.  

You are my very own Velveteen Rabbit.

FLUTE STORIES!

Flute Stories are coming in!  Please enjoy these glimpses into flutists and their relationships with their flutes. 

My flute is an absolute constant in my life. For the past 8 years, she has always been there for me- waiting patiently in her case. She doesn't care if I am angry or sad or frustrated and over the years I have learned how much more she had in her- she is capable of so much that I am able to be a lifelong learner. She is so meaningful to me that I named her (Delilah) after a few weeks from her birthplace of Brannen Brothers! She's also spoiled, never having been played without me first brushing my teeth immediately before. Am I crazy for it? Others may think so, but as long as I have Delilah I have a consistent place to escape to that has brought me the most emotional, difficult, and rewarding moments of my life.

N.K.P., Valdosta, GA



My Brannen, for whom I originally waited 9 months (talk a Papa in the waiting room) has been with me now for 29 years. Playing gigs with Sammy, Sinatra, Liza, Mel Torme, Ella, all the Motown acts, plays, recording dates and numerous other jobs!
  We've trekked the globe on tours, but have mostly been happiest playing duets with friends.
 My wife Lee Ann and I were so impressed with the flute (OK, I was) we named our first pup, a Rottweiler, "Mrs. Brannen"!
  But sadly, even though we had a great run it's time for me to find a new partner. The flute that is! Maybe someday you'll be writing about #559!

 R.P., Egg Harbor Township, NJ

 I play on a Yamaha 481H. It has a b foot, open holes, inline g, sterling silver head and body, and silver plated keys. To me it is a very nice flute and has been with me for a very long time. It has also gone to many places with me and was used in honor groups and many auditions. When I first got it, it felt much nicer than my previous flute. The better sound was already very obvious. It also felt much more comfortable. When I brought it home it was about two weeks before an audition. Everyone kept convincing me to use my old closed holed flute that was all silver plated. Unfortunately, I wanted to use my new flute. I brought it to my private teacher to make the final decision and to her it was very obvious that my new one was much better. She automatically said to use my new one on the audition. I am hoping to upgrade to a nicer flute especially with a C# trill key for college. But currently, this flute is doing well. But, if I do not upgrade I will at least get a new headjoint for it. This flute has been amazing and has served me well and I intend to keep it forever. Upgrading anything about the flute will change the feel forever and will never be the same. Currently, this flute has the perfect feel. Although there are better flutes out in existence, this flute will always be a good back up in any event.

 T.C., Valencia, CA

Congratulations to the three first responders to the "My Flute's Story" project!  The Erv Monroe "Special Fingerings" book has been sent out to you!  Here are the other stories that were submitted:

I’m a Haynes flute, basic model closed hole, no Gizmo no B foot .  I was born in Boston in 1932.  My memory fails me who bought me but I ended up being sold to a no-talent Jr, High Schooler named Jay who just learning to play.  Wow, did I take some abuse.  I can’t believe I sounded so bad.  Eventually Jay went from dreadful to mediocre and played me through Jr High, High School, University, and Grad School. I will say he did take good care of me and overhauled me when I needed new pads. He even made me a beautiful figured Mahogany case when the old Haynes case wore out. He was a better technician than a musician.  

Jay got married, had a daughter, .who had some talent.   He gave me to her in Jr. High School.  I was subsequently stolen from her locker in High School. I was devastated.   I was insured, but Nationwide Insurance dragged their feet and refused to pay untilI threatened with a suit.  Finally on the day the check finally arrived a call came in from the Fairfax County Police Dept.  They had recovered me.  A juvenile had tried to pawn me in Washington D.C.  The pawn shop owner, suspecting it unlikely that a young punk with hat on backwards was the true owner of a Haynes, He called Haynes who informed him I was stolen.  The pawnshop owner stalled the kid and called the cops.  No Jay didn’t keep the check.

MY PARENTS BOUGHT ME A USED HAYNES FLUTE IN 1947

Jay’s daughter went on to the University of Delaware, played me in the marching band and was selected as one of two from the State to play in the All American Band which played for Reagan’s inauguration. 

After college I went back to Jay.  After a long slack period he resumed playing at age 72.  He is now a member of the Mid-shore Community Band.  Last Fall he had the great honor of playing with the Baltimore Symphony as part of the Rusty Musicians program.  Although he now has a new Haynes from Joan Sparks, I still sound good, although I had to suffer the indignity of having a Powell headjoint thrust upon me.  The suffering was short lived however when Jay recut my headjoint and I now out did the Powell.  Serves him right!

It’s a little sad to think of being put away after all these years.  But on the other hand I think of the good times when I was really played hard and the pleasure and sense of accomplishment I gave my owner.

I’m hoping be put to good use by one of Jay’s Grandchildren.  It’s been a great ride and I look forward to many years of music making.  C you looking in tune.

T.L.  Baltimore, MD

I play on a solid silver Mateki 052 with a 14K gold Nagahara head.  I always swore I would not be a “headjoint shopper.”  “I don’t believe in that," I thought.  Life has a way of surprising us.

 I met my flute when I was 14 years old.  It came in the mail – one of several I had on trial in the difficult task of purchasing a new flute.  To complicate matters, I was living in New Mexico, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and only 14 years old, so mail was really the only option for me at the time.  Flutes came and went, and when I tried this one, sure, I thought it was great.  I thought all the flutes I was trying were great.  I was 14 – what did I know about buying a professional instrument?  Luckily I had an incredibly talented teacher and some very savvy musical parents who were very influential in my choice. 

It was only years later, that I realized what a gem of an instrument it really is.  (It has a C# trill and a D# roller!)  I auditioned for college on it, and grad school.  I won my first orchestral job as a professional on this flute.  I played on the original headjoint for years.  I was always one of those people who dreaded trying new instruments (still am!), because I am afraid of finding something I will like better than mine, but not have the means to purchase it.  So I content my self with what I have.  However, one day, at a small reunion of my graduate flute friends, we were up in our teacher’s studio playing for one another and our teacher, Marina Piccinini.  One of my good friends gave me her gold Nagahara headjoint and said, “Here, try this.”  No way, I said.  She pressed.  I caved and slid her headjoint onto my flute.  I played a little bit, and in a moment I have never forgotten, Marina tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Well, now listen to that.”  It was obvious to all that this was what I needed.  “Ok, so who is going to pay for it?” I wondered.  I went home sickened at the thought of having to buy a new headjoint – life would never be the same with that luscious sound in my ears.  A few months later, the same friend invited me to a Nagahara showcase.  I came away with that same 14k headjoint, and the title I thought I’d never own of “Headjoint Shopper!” 

The headjoint and I get along beautifully, and the flute has accepted it as an adopted member of our little family.  It truly is a perfect match.  Even still, I think a new flute is a great thing, but an old flute is like an old friend.  You just know what it will do, what it can do, and the beautiful things you can do together.  ~Anna Meyer, Philadelphia, PA

My Flute's Story

I play a 14 K Muramatsu flute, which was made in 1980.

It was left to me in my teacher's will.  My teacher was Murray Panitz, the legendary principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1961 to 1989.  His sudden and unexpected death shocked and saddened all of us who were privileged to know him and hear him play.  His sound still shimmers in my memory.

It was many weeks before I could take the flute out if its case.  I had it because Murray wasn't here anymore.  Playing it early on was too emotionally challenging.  Who was I to have this flute??

At first, I sounded horrible on it.  No center to the tone, actually not much tone, slow response, weak top register.  I was afraid I'd never be able to do it justice.  Each practice session with it felt bewildering. Things I had taken for granted just didn't work anymore. Was it because I was a silver player and the gold was a different technique?  Or was the headjoint cut wrong for me?  The flute was physically demanding as well; I had to build the strength to make it work.

One day, I decided to place the notes where the flute indicated it wanted them to be placed.  And at that moment, Murray's flute began to reveal its secrets to me.  It was almost like I had to earn its trust.  I became strong enough to really send some serious air through it.  My technique adapted to its demands.  I knew I had bonded with it when I could feel it vibrate in my hands.

Then it was time to play it in public. This took a great deal of courage, let me tell you.  I rarely told people of the flute's background: the responsibility of ownership felt heavy.  All the same emotions of simply taking it out of the case months earlier came rushing back.   "Can you ever live up to the legend of this flute?" was at the heart of my struggle.  It was time to perform with it when I realized
that I had risen to the challenge; that the flute was now mine.

I don't remember the first performance on Murray's flute.  I wish I had a journal entry to refer to, or some specific remembrance.  There was a time that I put a Williams 14 K headjoint on the flute, but a few years ago I reunited the original headjoint with it.  Even though it is more demanding, the result is well worth it.

This has flute changed and molded my playing for the better. I still find new colors.   It has been as fine a teacher as Murray was, and just as demanding.  And trust me, just like Murray, it won't let me get away with anything.

On Turning 60

On Wednesday, I will reach a mile stone: 60th birthday. Interestingly enough, it isn't nearly the emotional experience of turning 40 or even 50.

This time around I am approaching this aging-up (as it is called in USA age Group Swimming) with an attitude of gratitude.

Why?

I was born a white female in the USA to good parents who did the very best they could to raise 4 children, of which I am the oldest.

We received fine health care, learned how to take care of ourselves, and started life strong and healthy.

I am in the middle of the Baby Boom. For my entire life, my generation has been catered to, studied, advertised to: my concerns are those of the majority age group.

Feminism and I came of age at the same time.

I had a fine undergraduate and graduate education.  I was privileged to study for many years with the first flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Murray Panitz, and after his death with the amazing Trudy Kane, formerly principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

I had a very successful career as a freelance musician, traveling all through the Mid-Atlantic region.   When that schedule became too much for me with graduate school and two babies,  I formed a flute  and harp duo. At its height, the duo won many national awards, toured, recorded, and played enough  weddings to fill a large volume of hilarious stories.

There were few goals I was unable to reach, although sometimes not always in the way I wanted to reach them.  At age 10, I wanted to be the only girl in the all-male flute section that mesmerized me in the Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic Young Peoples' concerts. At age 30, I was a frequent substitute in the all-male flute section of the Philadelphia Orchestra.  At 13, I wanted to swim in the Olympics. At age 47, I swam in the US Masters Nationals and finished in the top 8 of my 3 events. At an even earlier age, dreamt of having my own business, and at 57, started one. 

    

I have a wonderful husband of 38 years (guess my usual quip that I was 12 when we married won't work  here) whom I met at age 16, coached a swim team of 40 kids with for four summers, and married at  21.  

I have two adult children, both of whom bring me great joy and pride. They each have made their own path, in their own way.  We were able to educate them in fine schools, watch their accomplishments in swimming, academics, and are proud of their strength and character. 

I have had 4 Labrador Retrievers who have warmed my soul and my cold feet in the winter. 

Yes, indeed there have been challenges, heart break, traumas, and on more than one occasion I have had to learn strength I didn't know I had  while rising up from the ashes of brokenness and tragedy. 

But when all is said and done, it has been one hell of a ride (so far) and I wouldn't change any of it,   because what didn't kill me, made me stronger. 

OK.  So I did pray very hard at age 6 for blonde hair and blue eyes.  And at age 35 had a daughter, who had blonde hair and blue eyes. Still does.

The all-new FREE Flute Pro Shop App is here!

So I was sitting at my desk last week, minding my own business (really) and the phone rang.  It was "One Box Apps" on the line.  Did we want an App for Flute Pro Shop?

Did I ask anyone else?
No.
Did I take down the information and contemplate the expense vs. benefits?
No.
Did I consider that this could be a mistake?
Nope.

What did I do? I said. "Yes!"

Then I asked the price, and was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the whole process would be.

Lucky me.

Only then did I check it out with everyone in the shop.  Again, lucky me, they agreed.

The App is available on Google Play today, July 27, 2012.

Within 2 weeks, it will be available on Apple's App Store.

You can do cool things with it:

Check out our locations with maps and turn-by-turn directions.
Record your playing and let us tell you if it is the flute, or you!  Great for scheduling repairs.
Schedule an instrument trial, lesson, or repair.
Call with a push of the button.
Search the web site for music, accessories, or instruments.
Upload a photo from your flute event into our gallery.
Access our video library.
And more....

Please download the Flute Pro Shop App and join the fun!

You know the best part of  the whole thing?  My (grown)  kids think it is "awesome"!

REFLECTIONS

So it has been a week since I have ventured back into the water and re-started my swimming routine.  Take that, Lime Disease!  And it is also a month that I have been really practicing the flute, and I am very happy to say that my technique is rebounding!  Imagine, at my age!

Reflecting on what it was like not doing the things that make my life so much better has allowed me to appreciate both activities on a deeper level.

I began doing both when my pediatrician recommended them as an antidote for asthma.  I was 5.  To this day, I have a tendency to wheeze when I have had to suspend them both for any amount of time.  There was a fair amount of wheezing going in winter and spring this year.

I began competitive swimming at age 12.  That summer, I lost 20 lbs and grew several inches.  I showed up to 8th grade a different person than the shy, overweight, depressed girl of the previous school year.

A couple of years later I began private flute lessons, and threw myself into them the same way I did the swimming pool.  I may not have been the best, but I could work harder than anyone else, darn it!  And, I did.  Typical afternoon/evenings I would practice 3 to 4 hours.  Swimming had to take the back seat, although my summer jobs in high school and college were lifeguarding jobs and coaching swimming.  I made enough at the summer jobs during the college years to put myself through undergraduate school AND buy my first Haynes.  Back then it was $1,160.00.

Flute playing became the center of my life.  I got married still am to the same wonderful man),  I went to graduate school, and had two children all in my late 20's early 30's.  I got back into the water again at 44.

And, that autumn I lost 20 lbs.  Didn't grow any, but the change in how my body felt and in how my flute playing sounded was astonishing.

This past winter, Lyme Disease struck, and the major symptom was crushing fatigue.  I could not keep my exercise regimen going when there was no telling if I could have enough energy to get through the day.  Sadly, I hung up my goggles and reduced flute practice to maintenance.

So it is with great joy that I pick up the two activities that have been so central to my life.  Only this time, I am approaching them with a spirit of gratitude that I have these skills, wonderment that I can still do them, and peace knowing I don't have to be the best.  It is enough to just show up and do my best.

Maybe Lyme taught me something.  Hmmm...

Debut at NFA

In the past, I have watched flute-related businesses prepare for the National Flute Association Convention, and observed that often July and August were spent in a frenzy of activity for this one event..

And now all of us at Flute Pro Shop are doing the same thing!  The excitement is growing as we assemble all the various elements that go into such an undertaking: we are doing everything we can to make the most of our debut at NFA.

So I asked an architect I know (my husband) to design a fabulous display for FPS, and voila!  We will have an eye-catching display that is as practical as it is gorgeous.  So the surprise isn't ruined, we will post photos of it on the web site and on Facebook and Twitter once we have it all set up on the exhibit floor.

New table runners, table banners, and floor banners are all here and ready to go.  Plants and furniture rented from the convention service.  Internet accessibility assured. 

Clothes are at the cleaners, the all-important hair appointment and dog-sitting all arranged.  The search for comfortable shoes is progressing.  (Do let me know if you have any tips in this department, please.  When the puppies are aching, everything else does too!)

Not only is FPS exhibiting at NFA, but our own Dave Kee will be continuing his fine repair work at the Muramatsu booth.  He'll be hanging out with Erv, Susan, Val and Anthony.  BTW: Anthony and I will be exchanging swimming workouts.  Hope I can keep up!

Can't attend this year??  No worries! We will interview some of our favorite people at NFA: Alan Weiss from Haynes, Jessica Watts from BG France, Di Zhao from New England Flutes, and Erv Monroe from Muramatsu America.  They will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

We have kept things small and simple this year, exhibiting at   have only one table, and what we will be exhibiting will be the very finest offerings we have.  14 K Powell flute with silver mechanism, Susan Milan's 14 K Pearl Headjoint, a Burkart 995 flute with 1/2 off-set G.  The gorgeous platinum-clad, engraved Muramatsu flute that is waiting for just the right person.  A Powell grenadilla wood piccolo that was played by a top Philadelphia freelancer.  Have you tried the Haynes 5% gold flutes yet?  Amazing!! David Chu headjoints and other silver and gold headjoints. We'll have a full supply of BG France instrument care products in their stunning new display bag.

What else? Happy Hour specials!  You don't need alcohol for these:  significant discounts will be available from 4 to 6 daily, a different instrument special each day.  The Happy Hour specials will be announced each morning so people can be prepared.

And then there is the fun of seeing colleagues, meeting new friends, and sharing meals with people who are flute geeks just like me.  Fun!

A Flutists Happy Birthday to Mozart!

January 27, 1756: Happy Birthday, Mozart

A gift from the flute community

Dear Wolfgang: It has been widely reported that you were not very enamored of the flute in your lifetime. In fact, it is said that you were known to remark: “What is the only thing worse than one flute playing? Two flutes playing!”

We in the flute community would hate to think that this would be your opinion for all of eternity.
Therefore, we are planning a very special celebration of your birthday on January 27, 2013, when you will be 257 years old. (That’s a long time to hold a grudge, don’t you think?)

On this auspicious date, flutists around the world will celebrate your genius by performing your music in whatever venue they can arrange, at any time of day.

Each flutist is invited to video tape their performance, and post it to the FaceBook site that bears the name of this post. A carefully selected panel of impartial judges will determine the best performance. They will win a bust of YOU, Wolfgang!

We urge you to attend, and it is our fervent hope that you entertain the thought of: “What is the only thing BETTER than one flute playing? Two OR MORE flutes playing!”


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Getting Back into Flute Shape

With a performance at the National Flute Association Convention looming on August 11, the need to be in performance flute shape has "sparked" a new desire and zeal for practice in me.  Always a practicer, I  am a real nerd when it comes to scales and long tones, and to prepare for this performance, out came my tried and true techniques.  They follow in a moment.

This routine was inspired by the ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn.   She joined the Vic Wells Ballet Company in London in 1934.  She made quick progress and in 1939 she had already danced Giselle, Odette-Odile and Aurora. She became the world's greatest ballerina and could have retired as such when she was 40. But her meeting with Rudolf Nureyev in 1962 gave the world the magic of their great partnership and her career continued until she was 58.

Margot Fonteyn on DVD from Amazon

Fonteyn's autobiography made a great impression on me in my early 30's when I was trying to juggle two little children and a busy freelance life.  Her professionalism and dedication to technique and art inspired me to follow in her lead.   I made sure that EVERYDAY I would warm up all my techniques, much like a prima ballerina must-and especially when one considers a 40 year career at the top of the art form.

In recent times, I have not kept to that level of committiment, and have felt the result of sporatic practice, believe me.  Granted, starting a business 4 years ago, and doing it full time for 2 place a strain on available time.  But as I said, an NFA performance looms.  The time was found.

And I have learned a thing or two the last month:

1.  Accept how you sound today.

2.  It takes time to re-develop your breathing.

3.  Your progress will be uneven.  Don't worry, consistancy will happen in time.

4.  The hardest part is picking up the flute on the first day.

The routine:

1. Long tones.  Always starting in the low register, since that is the only fundamental register on the flute.  Slurring two chromatic tones, slowly, from C1 to middle C.  (C-B, B-Bb, Bb-A etc.)  Then return to C1 and repeat the exercise going UP to C2.  This gets the air going.

Next, either Tonic-Dominants, or Amy Porter's long tone exercise.  Here, work intonation, vibrato, and tapers.

2.  Chromatice Scales on all chromatic tones, 2 octaves.  3 octaves for B. C, C#, and D. Higher if you have tolerant neighbors/family or canines (my yellow lab Blitz howls after high F)  Moderate tempo, looking for finger control as well as sustaining the sound from Long Tones as the fingers move.

3.  Whole tone scales.

4.  Diatonic scales. All Major/minor scales, 2/3 octaves each.   For extra credit, start each scale on tonic, extend it to top C# or D, return to tonic, go down to C or B, and return to tonic.  Fun!

5.  Double tongue.  Taffanel-Gaubert no. 1 is perfect for this.  I try to get all the way through it without a break.  OK-I am a swimmer, I love pain.  

6.  Triple Tongue.  T-G No. 3: scales in triplets.  As much as necessary.

7.  Any T-G chord exercise:  Nos. 10, 12, 14.  However, when in the swimmer's personality: 11, or 13.  Check it out, you will see what I mean.

8.  Harmonics.  Starting on low C, find each partial up and down the series.  Avoid muscling through these: finnesse is the key.  Find the partials by manipulating the air column.  Want to have even more fun?  Dimminuendo as you ascend :)

There are some other fun add-ons to this routine, but I don't want to scare anyone off.

All of this is done in a very deliberate manner, constantly looking for control, beauty in sound, and maintiaing an even scale pitch-wise.

By the way, I use a Power Lung to keep my breathing in shape when I can't get to the pool.  Lyme disease kept me out of the water all winter and spring, so I have really learned the benefits of this fabulous device.  Plus I love the effect it has on my abs!

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NEW!!! Flute Pro Shop Skype Consultations

 Sifting through the mountains of materials about flutes, manufacturers, construction, materials, and who-plays-what makes the process of finding the perfect flute for you arduous and terrifying, especially if you are undertaking this search on your own.

Flute Pro Shop to the rescue!!!

Email joan@fluteproshop.com and set up your personalized Skype session with me, Joan Sparks.  I will ask a million questions: Why did you choose the flute? How much do you practice? (Try not to lie here) How long have you been at this practice level? Who have your teachers been? Are you an athlete?  What is your flute story?  All the while I will be taking notes and creating a profile for you. From here, we will begin to map out a process to select the flute that best suits your needs, dreams, and level of performance.

This process is valuable for local as well as out-of-town clients because we begin to form a relationship built on your individual needs before you even get into the shop.  It allows me to have informed choices of instruments for you to try.  It eliminates the overwhelming feeling of wondering, "I wonder what the 3rd flute down in this cabinet full of flutes sounds like?"  The hand selection process allows you to feel confident and have FUN!

We will also work within your budget and time frame.  Sometimes this process takes months.  Someone just bought a Haynes 5% gold flute (simply gorgeous!) after looking for the better part of a year.  It was worth it.  She is in heaven with this flute.

Some others can decide in 10 minutes, which is my own personal style.

The most frequent request I hear is for instruments with more resistance.  Sometimes we will start with the most resistant flute in the shop, and work toward less resistance.  This often defines resistance to the client, resulting in a much different purchase than might have been the first impulse.

The fun in this to me is the smile and the wonderful change in body language when the right flute has been selected.  I live for those smiles!!

Looking forward to your emails!!!

Jury Duty

Finally, the 15th of May was here: the day designated for me to serve my jury duty.  The summons had the ominous words: "Capital Murder" and "Estimated Time: 5 weeks."  Not at all comforting. As the owner of a small business, 5 weeks was a devastating time to be otherwise occupied.  I am also fervently against the death penalty.  I believe in the power and miracle of redemption, having closely witnessed it in my circle of friends and family.  I figured between the two, I could easily evade the 5 week trial.

I woke Wednesday to showers, and as I pulled out of the driveway, he heavens had opened up and torrential rain pelted the trusty Trailblazer.

Dilemma: Do I go get coffee?  Or do I avoid the risk of missing one of the limited number of parking spots in the court house parking garage? 

I did without the coffee.

220 of us gathered in the Jury Room.  All walks of life.  All quiet, respectful.  Soft chatter in the room.  I was surprised at the sense of community.  Whatever our similarities or differences, we were all there for the same reason.  That fact broke down whatever barriers would have been in place in the "real world."  I was touched by that, and realized there may be more to this than trying to get off annoying civic duty.  Some 100 of us had made mistakes on our questionnaire. We were called to the front of the room, given our marked questionnaires, told to make corrections. I had mistakenly admitted to being a convicted felon.  Oops.  I counted myself fortunate to have not been called up twice!

The chief judge came in and reminded us that Jury Duty was a critical part of our responsibilities as citizens, that many of us wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible, and to realize that there were many more factors and forces at work than our convenience and comfort. It really gave me pause, and I realized that if I were to be chosen for a 3-4 day trial I would do my civic duty, even if it meant working late at night or over the weekend.  He also said the Capital Murder trial was settled, so no one would be called upon for weeks of jury duty.

Break time!  Coffee was the first priority and I dashed out for a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee-why is that coffee so darn good??

The morning and early afternoon was spent reading a trashy novel, and kind of resting.  One large group was called up and that was all. I breathed a sigh of relief as the "S's" were called out and my name was not one of them. Of the 17 cases, only 2 were going on to trial.

I was sprung by 2:00 PM, and that was that.  I am now immune from another jury duty summons from the State of Delaware for 2 years.

 However, Federal Court is another matter.

Flute Care and Maintenance in Transitional Seasons

Ahh.  Spring.  Here in Delaware, our spring is always lovely. Lots of blossoming shrubs, trees, tulips, iris, all my favorites.  April Showers do bring May flowers (although this year it seems May and April have switched places in the showers department.)

And of course the temperatures and humidity fluctuate wildly.  One day the heat is on in your house, the next the AC.  Just as this stresses you, it stresses your flute.  And in the end of spring we have all those concerts, recitals, and auditions.  Again, more stress for your instrument.

So how can you avoid the last minute trauma of the flute not working well (or at all) at the big concert?  Here are some tried and true tips.

As always, swab out your instrument whenever you play it.  If you are practicing for hours, swab it out every 45 minutes or so-just at the time you should be taking your break.  Swab the flute out if condensation begins to drip out the end.  That much moisture is not good especially now.  I make a practice of drying the pads at the end of the day as well.  I use the BG France universal pad dryers because the nap on the material seems to cut through that film that can build up and cause noisy pads.  This additional maintenance really pays off with much quieter pads.

(There has been a big discussion on the flute list lately about what kind of cigarette paper to use on flute pads.  Here's my thought on the matter: You know how when you have a cold and you use lots of tissues and your nose gets raw and red?  That is the paper pulp fiber from the tissue irritating the skin.  Cigarette paper is also made of paper-just think what it does to the surface of the pad??)

Put your flute in its case and case cover at the end of the day.  Remember the heat/AC scenario mentioned above? You don't want your flute to suffer the wildly different atmospheres because that is just what causes problems.  You also protect the headjoint cork by storing your flute overnight in its case and cover.

Please don't store your cleaning swab in the case with the flute!  That's why case covers have external pockets.  Placing the moisture back in the case that you just removed from the case is contrary to what you want to do.

Take the time to gently wipe down the outside of the flute with a microfiber cloth so the flute stays shiny and also dust/dirt free.  It is also much more comfortable to play on a clean flute, free of finger prints.  The best thing to take that salty residue from sweaty fingers is a slightly moistened tri-fold white paper towel. The old fashioned kind.  When I find them, I always help myself to several.

Of course regular maintenance will head off any major problems, especially if you have noticed problems occurring in specific times of the year.  I have a flute that always has a problem with the Bb mechanism in the early spring.  Knowing that, I have David Kee, the,  FPS flute specialist, gives my flute a check up in April, and I end up avoiding a problem.

As always, if your flute is acting strangely, take it to be repaired.  The problem will never "just go away."  Better to be safe than sorry....