Greetings from Whispering Lane, Wells, Maine

VACATION!

And for my husband and I, that means the farm in Wells, Maine.  We load up the Labradors, the humans, all sorts of beach stuff, and head north.  In about 7.5 hours, we are in a little piece of heaven, here in southeast Maine.

Here the sounds of traffic are rare, the bird calls frequent, the wild turkeys abundant, and where the Labradors can run free through the hay fields.

Some years ago, some of the land around this property was sold to create a country club and golf course.  Then the  recsession hit and the project was abandoned.  How quickly the forest took over what had been cleared!  There is a mountain of top soil that is now covered with trees and underbrush.  We counted 15 abandoned earth movers, tractor trailers, trailers, paving machines, a steam roller, all scattered in the field across Burnt Mill Road.  What an eyesore and waste this all is.

But back here at the farm, we don't see much of that at all.  We are shielded by the remnants of an apple orchard, rolling hills, and a white clapboard house about 1/4 mile away.

The activities are honed by years of visiting here with our dear friends.  Early on, it was just the 4 of us, sometimes accompanied by friends.  Then the babies came, and we had quite a group.  There was the annual play the kids put on, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, trips to Dad's Ice cream, Boogie Boarding, canoe trips, and more.

Beach time is a big deal around here.  It is hard to think that there is another beach more beautiful than Drakes Island Beach.  When the tide goes out, there is a broad beach of hard sand, making it perfect for bocce ball, a fiercely competitive game in which we use a tape measure to assure accuracy!  Long walks down the beach are a must.  Early in the AM, the Labradors enjoy a swim and a fetch at the beach, where it is a canine play ground.

Then there are the great towns of Kennebunkport and Ogunquit, where the food and shopping are excellent.

Today, since it is raining and cool, we will go to Freeport, ME, and make the annual visit to L. L. Bean and begin holiday shopping.

The great fun of this is that we have shared this vacation time with dear friends for decades.  It is wonderful to spend time with a friend who knows you so well, who understands the non-verbal communications, who respects your space, and can tell when it is time for me to go to the Laundromat (when the kids were with us it was  how I got a little solidtude)  This is the only friend I have like this, and I treasure this precious  time with her.

We can go other places for summer vacation, and for some years we did, but a week each summer in Maine remains a tradition that we cherish.

Just a little breather before NFA....Oh no!  Now I have to practice....

Planning for the Flute Spa

What a fun way to spend a Tuesday morning!  My friend Mindy came to the shop and we spent an hour doing flute technique!  Not sure if we laughed or played more, but we did make it through Taffanel-Gaubert No. 10 and 11 unscathed, as well as a fun pitch exercise that tunes one and two octaves, fifths, and major and minor thirds.  This is a lot like going to the gym with a friend: I can do almost anything with a pleasant companion...

Since we had so much fun, we decided to meet every week with a goal in mind.  That goal: going through the entire Taffanel-Gaubert in one day!

Who needs Mt. Everest?

For the accomplishment of this feat, we must train.

In true athletic form, we will "work harden".

Each week, our sessions will become longer by 10 minutes.  For instance, next week we will do all of No. 1, followed by Nos. 12 and 13, and the pitch exercise. 

As the weeks pass, our sessions will become longer, and more strenuous.

By the end of August we will be in true concert shape.

And, ready for the Flute Spa.

After a hearty breakfast, we will warm up our sounds, and then....play all of the Taffanel-Gaubert in the one day.

Each daily exercise will be followed by a brief break. Early in the day, we will pause for coffee or tea.  When we finish No. 8 we will have lunch, for which we will be famished.

Then for the afternoon, Nos. 9 - 17.

And our reward?  A chair massage by Ginny!  The rest of the shop crew will be enjoying their chair massages as Mindy and I finish our grueling technical work out.

Maybe we can set up a virtual Flute Spa!

What's on YOUR music stand???

Summer!  Yay!  My favorite time of the year!  Greenery, warmth, swimming outdoors, barbecues, outdoor concerts....

....And!!  Time to repair and renew my flute technique.

Technique gets a beating during the concert season.  Everything from having to play when not really warmed up, to matching pitch to another's uneven scale, to playing in hot, humid air that does not want to move.

So I have a summer practicing routine I like to do every year, and thought I'd share it with you all.

First, if I haven't swum in the day, I use the Power Lung.  PL lets me start playing and feel as if I have already done 20 minutes.  It opens the throat, warms up the lips and the cheeks, and oxygenates the blood.  Poof!  You are ready to go.

Then, my favorite part: Long Tones, or LT's for short.  For me, these function like a picture frame: they separate my practicing from the rest of life.  I can put down all the things that are getting me down, causing pressure, or just plain yucky stuff, and settle into my little world of moving air and making sound.  I layer in vibrato exercise, dynamic changes, and breath control.

Next: chromatic scales.  I play these very slowly, feeling for a smoothness in the fingers, again challenging breath control, going for a nice tonal match low to high.

Then: Diatonic scales.  Major, harmonic and melodic scales, the entire range of the instrument.  Passing tonic on the way up and going to C# or D; passing tonic on the way down and going to C or B.  Picking up speed as the fingers wake up.

Reichert Exercises come next.  I focus on one each week.  These I break down into different rhythmic patterns and articulations, depending on my mood, the weather, and my relative creativity for the day.

And then, the faithful Taffanel-Gaubert.  No. 1 or 2 double tongued is first, followed by 10/11; 12/13;

The final finger work is No.17, which is counted, of course!

Warming down, I do harmonics. the twist is: Diminuendo as the partials ascend.  Fun!  Crescendo as they come back to the fundamental note.

Now: I am ready for ANYTHING.  Well, maybe not a 400 IM, but almost anything musical. On the flute.

What's on YOUR music stand???

The Show Must Go On

I stood there, on the small dais in the church, just into the last piece of a long concert which contained two new works for me. It was the second page of the Rodrigo "Fantasia para un gentilhombre".  Looking at the number of the bars rest I was about to count; the number was not there.  Just a small blind spot.

And then I understood why my hands had been "off" for the previous hour of the concert, why I felt a little dizzy, why my eyes were not taking in the music as they normally do.

It was a "no caffeine" migraine.

I hadn't had my usual 2 to 3 cups of coffee last Sunday morning... In fact, all I'd had was white tea.  And now, at about 4:10 PM the migraine struck.

My migraines are not the normal ones.  I don't have much of a headache, but I feel like I am wrapped in cotton, off-center, dizzy and often have pins and needles in my hands.  I am photo-sensitive, and definitely not at my best.

But, there was no turning back at the moment of realization.  Turning my head slowly, I saw that the number was a 3, lifted my flute quickly and just barely made the entrance.

I actually played almost all of the notes in the rest of the piece (which has 2 high D's on the last page) and my husband didn't notice anything was amiss.

It led me to think about one bond all of we musicians have in common: we must play on time, in tune, expressively when called upon to do so, regardless of how we feel.  No matter if we have had an upset in the day, are hungry, thirsty, tired, and so on.  The musical imperative calls us to overcome any of those discomforts and give the best we can.

This certainly lends drama to the situation.  The audience does not want to see us sweat.  They want to be transported for just those few minutes, and leave daily concerns behind.  For we who are performers, it makes us hardy, and proud when we are called a trouper.  It means we can overcome whatever ails us and get the job done.

When Anne Sullivan and I toured frequently, I had a special bag I called "the pharmacy" which included all the remedies that we should need were an emergency on the road come up.  Among all the medicinal supplies, I learned to pack duct tape (essential for hems, rips, electrical cords)safety pins, needle and thread, extra bottled water, nail files, and more.  These essentials came in handy when needed.

So, keep this in mind the next time you see a performer, no matter the genre, stand up and deliver a fine performance night after night.  Everyone of them has a story like this one.  Probably several.

A Tale of Two Concerts

This past weekend was one of  two great concerts, and about as contrasting as you can get.

Friday Night: My Christmas present to my husband were tickets to the great Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, at Madison Square Gardens, NYC.

Sunday afternoon: Anna Meyer's wonderful solo flute concert entitled: "Accompanied by Silence", at St. Martins in the Fields, in Chestnut Hill, PA.

Friday: Started with an incredible acoustic set with Eric Clapton, Earl Klugh, BB King, and Vince Gill.  The remarkable thing was the intimacy the audience felt in that set; 20,000 people in MSC and it felt like Clapton was singing to you.  Here is the rest of the roster for the festival.




Every single guitarist was phenomenal, often the most famous were sidemen for lesser known incredible players.  The respect shown for the elder statesmen of the guitar was truly touching.  As BB King was assisted across the stage, the audience clapped him all the way on.  The passion shown by the audience was amazing.  Some people were on their feet for 4 hours.  I didn't make it that long.  The wall of sound was too much for my ears, and so I spent the last 1/3 of the concert listening from the hall way, the sound still disturbingly loud.  As Tim in the shop said, "You didn't wear ear plugs?"  Ooops...

Then it was Sunday, and I found myself in the hushed atmosphere of St. Martin's in the Fields.  The soft colors of light streamed through the amazing stained glass windows, the birds singing in the spring air.  Anna's beautiful sound ringing in the rafters of this Gothic style church as she warmed up. 

I was there to accompany Anna in the premiere performance of "Newtown Variations" by Bruce Roter.  My part was an 8-bar ground, repeated 22 times, over which Anna played 20 variations that represented the 20 children killed in Newtown, CT late last year.  While we played, the 20 lit candles in a circle were put out, one-by-one, at the end of each variation.  It took all my concentration to count each beat, and to not look at those candles.  The audience was stunned at the simple, moving, brilliant music, and then the fade to silence, and darkness.

Other composers represented on this concert were Debussy, Higdon, Piazzolla, Loeb, and Eric Meyer (Anna's husband and organist at St. Martin's.)  This was first rate flute playing. No technique was left out.  The power, beauty, emotion, and technical fluency were dazzling.  Just one player.  No amplification other than what the room naturally supplied. 

And now, as I reflect on the weekend, and the events in Boston two days ago, we witness the horror of more senseless deaths, and I think of the inherent danger of any large gathering.  The MSG concert, with 20,000 could have been a dangerous place to be.  Or, how about the concourse at Penn Station Saturday afternoon, where 10 police and two canines patrolled.  Or what about the train itself? 

Maybe we will all value the smaller venues, the intimate gatherings, events that are moving in other ways than overwhelming.  And maybe one day those who are so ill, angry, desolate, fanatical, will get the help they need before the commit a heinous act of terrible violence.

Protecting your flute from tragedy!

 

 It happens once or twice a year.  A customer calls with the terrible news that their flute has been lost or stolen.

Each one of us who plays the flute has a very personal relationship with our instrument.  It becomes our voice;  the embodiment of our unique concept of beauty of sound.

Having a flute stolen is a very real violation of our personhood.

When we at the shop recieve these calls, we feel the pain on the other end of the line. 

And then we ask, "How did this happen?"

Always, the incident could have been prevented had some simple steps been taken.  To follow, my talk to young flute players who are in possesion of their first very valuable instrument:

1.  Only you, or your teacher my play your flute.  No exceptions.  

2.  Leave your good flute at home.

3.  If you take your flute to school, it must stay with you at all times.  Never lock it in a locker, or worse yet, leave it in the band room.

4.  Never reveal the $$ value of your flute to anyone, even in confidence.  That news will travel like wildfire and your flute will become a target.

5.  Never reveal the metal content of your flute.  Frequently, when I travel with flutes, an enthusiastic TSA agent will say, "Are these real gold?"  And I say, "No. They are brass."  All anyone needs is for a security line of several hundred people to hear you are carrying precious metal in a carry-on bag!

6.  Never check your fine flute in your luggage while flying.  The temperature is unregulated in the cargo bay of the plane, not to mention that not every baggage handler is honest.

7.  Carry your flute in a larger gig bag.  I HATE shoulder straps! They scream: "Take me!  I'm a flute!" Leather or woven nylon shoulder straps are no match for box cutters.  Nor do I llike the gig bags with the flute compartment on the outside, looking just like, well, a flute!

Here's why I always carry a gig bag:  

It was a dark and stormy night.  Really.  

Anne Sullivan and I had just finished a flute and harp concert at Clarion University and were packing up and heading to Pittsburgh for the night.  Deciding that we didn't want to stay in our good black velvet concert shoes, we changed into less formal shoes in the parking lot.  

We get to Pittsburgh, unload, exhausted.  Then the shock of all shocks!  No flute anywhere to be found.  Several searches of the car prove fruitless.  It was then, when I recreated the scene back at the Clarion University parking lot, that I recalled putting the flute in its black case cover on the black tarmack on that dark and stormy night.

As you can imagine, there was no sleeping that night.

The next morning first thing, the call was made to the Clarion University security department, music school, and theater manager.  No flute.

In the days before cell phones, the only option was to stop at each service plaza along the PA Turnpike.  Call Clarion.  Next plaza, next call.  At Breezewood, good news!  The biology professor had seen the case on the tarmack, knew it was valuable, and took it to security.  By that time, security and I had become great friends, espeically after I had offered a generous reward for the flute. So he was almost as excited as I was when he told me the news.

The back story: my teacher, Murray Panitz had passed away the previous week.  I was asked to play during his memorial service on Saturday, and wanted to do it on my best flute, of course.  (The hardest performance of my career to date).  Thanks to my new BFF in security at Clarion, the flute was delivered by Fed Ex the day before the performance at the memorial service.  

Lessons learned:

1.  Always put the flute in a large gig bag that will not go unnoticed anywhere.

2.  Change your shoes in the dressing room.

3.  Make a check list of all the contents of a car when travelling to multiple venues on tour.  

4.  Be very nice to security at any venue when you travel.  Well, actually to anyone, anywhere, because you never know.

5.  Insure your flute and keep appraisals handy.

6.  Never, never say "yes" when someone asks you, as they gesture toward the harp, "Aren't you glad you play a small instrument?"

Finally, heed this advice from Clarion Insurance (no relation to Clarion University):

CLARION CALL 

 

This is just a friendly reminder that in order to have a smooth claim process-we strongly recommend having an appraisal on file for all of your instruments. (Even those under the standard $5,000 requirement*.)

*We do "require" an appraisal or bill of sale from a bonifide store for any single item valued at $5,000 or more. We cannot add any single item over $4,999 without an appraisal or bill of sale.

Clarion Associates Inc | 35 Arkay Drive | Suite 400 | Hauppauge | NY | 11788***800-VIVALDI

 

 

Meet the Flute Pro Shop Team!

All of us here at Flute Pro Shop are preparing to be without Dave as he heads to Japan for the next two weeks.   The purpose of the trip is the highest level of repair technician certification from the Muramatsu Company.  While there, Dave will work in the factory finishing flutes, and familiarize himself with the Muramatsu manufacturing process.

 We will miss him while he is away, to be sure.

It's so interesting how a group like this can become like a family, united around a set of principles and values that drive the business and forge relationships that are now moving outside of the shop into social connections.

Let me introduce you to our crew here at FPS.

Me: Joan Sparks, President and Director of Sales and Marketing.  If you have been reading these posts you know just about everything about me.  Actually, maybe more than you want to....

David Kee, Vice President of FPS and Chief Repair Technician.  Dave is the steadying force here.  I tend to react to situations in a manner that is not always calm and contained.  Dave, on the other hand, is a calm and circumspect presence.  He has a wonderful capability to see situations from all sides, weigh them, and then react. Dave has a wry sense of humor, and can turn a phrase that makes us all double over in laughter. His integrity when it comes to the quality of his work is unparalleled.

Cara, Business Manager.  Cara has the most amazing phone voice and manners.  She is often the friendly person on the line when people call in.  She is all business, efficient, and brilliant when it comes to strategics.  She also reigns me in.  I have two tendencies: I'd like to give away the shop, and I really want to acquire inventory.  Lots of inventory.  So, when Cara gets that light in her eyes, and the laser like intensity is directed at me, well, I make a more prudent choice.  Cara is the cheif party organizer too, and often supplies home baked goodies to our celebrations.

Kristen: SEO Specialist, Sales Assistant.  Like what FPS does on FaceBook, Twitter, and more?  It's all Kristen.  With one of the best set of ears in the business, she fills her roles here with incredible skill, creativity, and artistic savvy.  Kristen is the inspiration of so many of the FPS innovations, stylish ads, the new logo, and more.  She is beloved by us all, and is herself quite a wit.  We are all on our toes what here is here!

Tim, Sales Specialist, Shipping Manager, Product Manager.  Tim  is a meticulous person who packs and ships for FPS, manages the music and accessories, and takes your online orders and fulfills them.  He is developing a very fine teaching studio of flute and sax players, and this year had several students place in the Delaware All State Band.  Tim is also training in the repair department, showing patience and the same meticulous attention to detail he shows in the shipping of themany valuable instruments entrusted to us here at FPS.

Denise: Business Assistant, Travel Manager.  I have known Denise forever!  When we needed this role to be filled, I knew she would be the very best person to come in, get the job done, and be a great fit to our convivial group, and so she has.  Denise is amazing at finding travel deals that are both economical and comfortable, which yours truly needs on the road.  She also is calm and deals with our customers in a truly professional manner.  Denise is also the one who keeps us decorated each season, manages the flow of repairs in and out of the shop, and follows up with phone calls.

This crew makes it a real pleasure to come to work each day, and are why our shop is continuing to grow and prosper.  Life at Flute Pro Shop is good.

Next up: The Pets of Flute Pro Shop!

As the weather changes: Springtime Flute Care

There are two season changes that challenge flutes and their owners.  Spring and Autumn.

As the first day of spring approaches this week, let's review the most typical problems associated with the atmospheric changes, and how to keep your flute in great working order.

For most of us, at sometime in the next three months, we will turn off the heat in our homes, and shortly turn on the AC.

It is said that in the North Eastern US the typical relative humidity in our homes during winter, is down around 10%, which is rather like Death Valley.  That's why the floor boards shrink, static electricity is such a problem and house plants need much more water.  The pads, shims, and spacers that keep your flute regulated react by shrinking.  This is why a flute, which has been working perfectly fine in January, shows up needing repair in April.

To help your flute make the adjustment, take just a few precautions:

1.  Completely swab out the inside of the flute each time you play, and use pad cleaners at the end of the day.  We recommend Flute Flags for swabbing, as well as any of the high quality BG France products.  BG France's Universal Pad Cleaners work much better than the standard cigarette papers to keep pads dry and stable.

2.  Put the flute in its case every night, as soon as you have finished for the day.

3.  Let the flute come to room temperature before putting any hot air into it either by warming it up or by playing it.

4.  Store your swab in the exterior pocket of your case cover.  Not a good idea to put the moisture (ie spit) you've just taken out of the flute and put it on top of the flute, and then seal it in the case.

5.  Store your flute on a shelf or in a drawer.  There is a nasty pest called a Pad Bug,  a cousin of the carpet beetle, that will literally eat your pads.  They are tiny insects, but if you are putting a flute away for a while, and store it on the ground, you may have unwanted guests in your case and an unplayable flute when you take it out again.

6.  Never let a well-meaning (but inexperienced in flute repair) band director try to balance the pads or regulate the flute.  Countless examples of the problems this causes come through the shop door every Spring.

7.  Piccolos: here we have some real issues involving wood and its care.  Be extra careful in playing the piccolo only once it is at room temperature.  Swab it out frequently.  Keep it out of sunshine and fast moving cold air.  Make sure you put it in its case every night.  These little guys are so small it is tempting to leave them on your music stand or on a shelf. 

STRESS
Here is a good rule of thumb: if you are under stress, so is your flute!  Solo and Ensemble coming up?  Senior Recital? Audition for summer programs?  The big end of year orchestral concert and you are slated to play the 1st flute part in Daphnis?  Make a repair appointment at least 3 weeks in advance of the big day.  The extra practice you put in during this time of the year stresses your flute and its adjustment.  Anticipate this and avoid the nasty last minute rush to get your flute repaired.  It WILL happen if you have the mind set of Scarlett O'Hara, "Fiddle dee dee.  I'll just worry about it tomorrow."  The problem is, tomorrow is the big concert.

Do you have ways of dealing with the approach of Spring and flute repair?  Please add your thoughts to the comments...

Spring 2013: Focus on Flute FUNdamentals!

Welcome Spring!!

And with it comes thoughts of spring cleaning.

And then my thoughts turn to the flute.  And, like it or not, I have some technical work to do in advance of a concert April 28.

Time to focus.  Flute Fundamentals here we come.

First: don't miss any more swim practices.  It is much warmer in the AM these days, so can't use that excuse.  Swimming is the very best activity for breath control.

Second: don't miss any more flute practices.

Hmmm..what if I structured my flute practice the way I structure a swim practice?

Now, that's fun!

Swim Practice structure:

Warm Up
Kick Set
Pull Set
Main Set
Warm Down

My swimming warm ups don't typically involve the clock, because at 6:00 AM I need to acclimate slowly. Stretch out in the water, get my breathing in gear, let the shock of the cold wear off. With the flute I do long tones at first. (Watch for the new Flute Pro Shop Long Tones of the month feature to refresh your routine!  They will launch April 1.)  Typically 20 minutes here will get me going for the rest of the practice.  I always start in the low register, and work up slowly, focusing on tone quality, resonance, vibrato and so on.

Kick Set in swimming as an adult involves fins: you smoothly glide through the water. For the flute: Scales!  Woot!  For these I use the metronome, and concentrate on lining things up perfectly, honing subdivisions, keeping things smooth, controlled, well matched and even.  I do chromatic, all diatonic, Taffanel-Gaubert No. 1 double tongued, and depending on the time available, additional Taffanel- Gaubert Exercises.

The pull set: paddles and buoys, oh boy!  These are longer distances, and often I layer in  "hypoxic" training, or limited breathing patterns.  With freestyle, I breathe every 3-5-7-5-3 each 50 yards of a 200 yard distance, and the rest for about 15 seconds and go on.  For flute practice, this section will involve going over all the "spots" in the music for the concert.  You know-those little places that need extra attention.  I enjoy playing games: can I do this 5 times in a row perfectly?  10?  Or I reverse the articulation, change octaves, play in smaller and smaller sections, and more. (Maybe I should write a blog on drill patterns?)

The Main Set:  this is the heavy workout segment in swim practice.  Often involving short intervals, negative splitting, and other tortures..ah..fun activities.  Flutewise: I play the pieces all the way through, making notes of sections that will need attention in the pull set tomorrow.

My personal favorite section is, you guessed it, the warm down!  The hard work is done, you have that lovely post-practice feeling of having accomplished something, and can just stretch out in the water, glide, maybe do dolphins up and down the pool, bob, whatever strikes your fancy.  Flute warm down is often a long tone exercise from a piece on the program.

And so now you know how I spend my free time.  Wet or dry, I never lack for stuff to do!  Time to work with my Labradors-food for another blog.

Happy Spring!!

Why I love Fed Ex

It was a cold and blustery early March afternoon.  The call came in from the hotel: our customer's flute had arrived.  It was 3:00 PM.

Many of our customers here at Flute Pro Shop are like family to us, and this is one of those with whom we feel particularly close.   She is a doctoral candidate in a prestigious program in the North East.  She had called the day before with a flute emergency: she had a concert on Sunday, and her Eb key on her flute was bent.

The problem?  Dave and I were on the road, on our semi-annual trip to Winchester and Charlottesville, VA.  Thinking quickly, or as quickly as I could, I suggested that she send the flute to my hotel in Charlottesville.  Dave could do the work there, and we could overnight it for Saturday delivery in time for the Sunday concert.

The round trip to pick up the flute, took 30 minutes, going from the Ashcroft Club house in Charlottesville, VA, to the hotel on Route 29, and back.  Dave finished up the repair for a customer who was waiting there for her flute, and we opened the delivered flute.

The bent Eb key repair was a quick and easy process for Dave.  The more difficult problem was that the flute needed extensive work: three split pads, and was overdue for an overhaul.  It was now 4:00.  The last pick up at Fed Ex, I thought, was 6:00 PM.

All was going well, but Dave was not happy with how the flute was coming together.  I could hear him saying, "It just doesn't feel right..."  The clock ticked on.  At 5:30 he was satisfied that the flute was playing well.  We boxed it up and I took off for the closest Fed Ex store, which I had found on Google.

It wasn't there. 

Stunned, I drove around the parking lot.  "What do you mean it isn't here???"

Getting back on Route 250, I called the Fed Ex 800 number, and a very helpful operator answered.  She asked what zip code I was calling from.  Luckily I remembered it-from when I gave the hotel address to our customer-and rattled off 22092.

Route 250, at 5:45 PM on a Friday is  very well traveled road.  Very well.  And, there is no shoulder.  So I had to memorize the address until I could pull over, enter it into the GPS, and take off.  It was now 5:55.

And there was the Fed Ex logo, bright blue and beckoning.  5:58!

I ran into the store.  I am sure I looked just as frazzled as I felt.  I asked the worker there to please hold the truck so this express package could be taken then.  "No problem."  And then the words that set me free: "The Express shipment doesn't go out till 6:30."  Ahhhh.

At 6:16, the worker took the package.  14 minutes to spare.  As I left the store, look what pulled up:

We have since heard from our customer that the flute arrived, and worked well for the concert.

Whew.

And that is why I love Fed Ex.

Further along the Left Handed Flute Adventure!

February 12, 2013

Further adventures on the left handed flute…

For two weeks now, I have been doing long tones and scales on the LH flute, and even playing duets with my students, often prompting hilarious outbursts of laughter.  

I have learned many things from this process, which has “reformed” my flute playing.

At first, I would play the LH flute for 10 minutes, and then go back to the computer to work.  Oops.  Nothing came out right-I was typing things backwards and all sorts of ways.  This has resolved itself as I spend more time on the LH flute.  Dialing phone numbers resulted in lots of wrong numbers, reversed groups of 4 numerals.  Texting was also challenging.

The following is from an email from the manufacturer:

“As you mentioned, it has positive effects on the brain balance. We discovered a funny effect: When you play left for some minutes, then go to your keyboard and write an e-mail. The characters on the screen are all mixed up, you can’t read anything. It’s because the brain still changes left and right. Only when you look at each character on the keyboard and write slowly, then you hit the right characters. This effect becomes shorter and shorter, until it disappears completely. After some time of training your brain will switch immediately.

Another interesting effect was shown to us by an English physiotherapist during an exhibition in Manchester. A girl (right hander) was playing for the first time with the left flute and as usual, the first few minutes were the most difficult. This guy then asked the girl to take of her shoes, and step on 2 pieces of wood, which were lying on some kind of rubber (it is used to train the balance of people). Suddenly the girl played much better and more freely. That is because her brain now was focused on her feet, busy with keeping the balance of her body, and could not control the playing anymore. The flute is then controlled by her subconscious, which made her play more easily.”

Initially, for me, every note had to be thought through on the most basic technical level.  Not only are the hands reversed, but the placement of the air column is vastly different.  Octaves were a real challenge for my asymmetrical embouchure.  Controlling pitch came slowly.  Certain fingerings were/are difficult: D in the middle register: I still lift the left index finger for it on the LH flute.  Or, I also forget and leave down LH 4, creating Eb.  High A: which finger goes down in the left hand?? 

Through this process, I am learning the connections between such fingerings as F, F#, Bb and B natural.  Learning how to slide my right thumb between thumb keys and finding the C# and C keys with my left hand has been a real adventure.

I can’t take anything at all for granted with this LH flute.  All of my instincts are being challenged.  I have to check my ego at the door before I pick it up.  Not even my sound is professional caliber.

And yet, the improvement in my RH flute playing is immediate and audible to those who know my playing.  The ease of it is a real joy.  I have a deeper appreciation of the inner value of what I have accomplished as a musician.  I can depend on the instincts created by decades of training and practice.

I am a better, more patient teacher.  I sympathize when students fear the flute will roll out of their hands.  I empathize when a fingering change does not register for several minutes, or when a fingering is done incorrectly.

I recommend this process for anyone for who feels their flute playing has become stale and jaded.  Anyone who needs to re-think technique, work things out in a different way, who enjoy challenging something that has long been a part of them.  Then come on over and play duets! 

TransAtlantic Communication

6:00 AM.  The ring of my text message wakes me.

CLS (my son, Christopher, in graduate school in Maastricht, the Netherlands) It hailed for two straight hours this morning.

I read: CTS (my daughter, Caroline, in school in Florida)) I hurled for two straight hours this morning.

Me: (no glasses, dark room, barely awake) Oh my dear Peaches! (Caroline's nickname) I am so sorry.  NPO for 2 hours.  Sleep.  Call me if you need to.

CLS: This is CLS

Me: Oh, So sorry.  Not awake yet.  Should have known it was you by the verb.  Nothing at all to eat/drink for 2 hours.  Then small sips of coke for awhile.  Then nibble crackers.  Very bland diet all day.  Do you have a fever??

CLS:  Mom. HAIL.  It has been hailing outside.  Hahaha sorry to wake you up, love you.

Me:  I wasn't awake and didn't have my glasses when I read that.  Joke is on me!!

Me: And I was just thinking how you needed your mom all the way in the Netherlands...

Me:  I'll be this little conversation gets a lot of mileage on both sides of the Atlantic.

CLS: Hahahaha.  Everyone here thinks you are crazy haha. 

Later:

Me: May I blog about our conversation?

CLS:  Sure.  Make sure you mention that you thought I was Caroline.

Wonder how they say "hurl" in German??

Afternoon Chocolate

It's a cold, windy, end of January Wednesday afternoon.  I have had enough coffee for 3 people, and I still need a little boost to end this day productively.

The answer: Afternoon Chocolate!

Not anything formal, just a nice square (or two) of dark chocolate.  Atkins?  Ha!  This sublime lift to the jaded afternoon palate will power me through till lessons are finished and shop closed up.

This little habit started after Christmas, when at the urging of my husband, I took all the holiday chocolate from the house into the shop.  I hid it.  Yup.  There are people here with REAL chocolate habits, and I didn't want to foster any unhealthy patterns.  Squirrel-like, I have several spots that serve for hiding places.  Surprising in a shop like this just how many little places there are.  Squirrel-like I sometimes forget where I have stashed the chocolate, and then when its found I have to act like I have absolutely no idea how it got there....

Occasionally we will go out for a chocolate bar and share this feast amongst ourselves.  That happened today, and the dark chocolate had candied ginger in it.  The ying/yang was perfect as the wind howls, and the prediction of 2 inches of rain looks like it will come true.

Chocolate as a mood elevator is well documented.  I experienced it with my daughter who, as a little girl of 6 to 10, had a real metabolic need for it.  I could watch her mood darken, and could predict the perfect moment to give it to her to avoid a melt-down.  I kept some in the glove compartment of the car.  Until one hot summer.  Boy was that a mess that was to clean up...

Then, we have the musical parallels.  Colors of chocolate relate to the colors of wooden David Chu headjoints:  the lighter headjoints are like milk chocolate.  The coco-bola are like  Dark milk chocolate.  And finally, grenadilla.  My favorite in head joints.  Dark chocolate-my favorite in chocolate.  I see a pattern here.

So, it is my firm advice to indulge in Afternoon Chocolate when in need of that little lift regardless of the weather, situation, personnel, or mood.  Guaranteed to make your day BETTER!!!

To Christopher on his next chapter /adventure

Today, my son Christopher departs for the Netherlands and a year at Maastricht University for a Masters Degree in International Business.

He decided what he wanted, worked toward it, and accomplished it.

As he has done his whole life.

Sometimes it takes a while for Christopher to know what course he will persue.  But there is little doubt that once his mind is set, he will make his way to the top.

Let's take swimming.  We put him in the water at 18 months.  Both Lee (his Dad and my husband) and I are swimmers and love the sport.  Christopher loved the sport.  At 6 years old, he was swimming 100 yard races.  At 14 he swam his first mile (and promptly lost lunch.) As a senior in high school, he was swimming at the Quad A level in USA Swimming: an elite level.

Let's take business.  As a junior in high school, he took a job working at a local produce business. By the summer after his senior year in high school, he bought the business.  He grew the business, learned its intricacies, purchased a truck, stands, licenses, signage, built relationships with his farmers and customers. For 12 weeks each summer until this last, he worked 18/7, getting up each morning to make the drive to New Jersey so his customers could enjoy day-fresh produce. He has since sold the expanded business for a nice profit.

Twice he has traveled to South Africa, participating in game capture, serving as a safari guide, doing community support, and helping to set up water purification for the indigenous people.  Interacting with them allowed him to understand and perceive that their simple lifestyle is often more rewarding than our fast paced modern lifestyle.

My boy has brought me much joy with his joie de vivre, his big personality, his unbridled enthusiasm, his ability to express emotion, his deeply held convictions. How he whistles around the house. How he wrestles with our Labradors.  His love of bon fires, hot wings, juicing, bad weather, Christmas decorations, and now this new goal.

What I am most grateful for is his character.  His ability to show honest empathy.  Integrity.   The fierce desire for justice for all, which he inherited from his father.   His curiosity.  The type of intelligence that absorbs everything around him, and applies it in new and original ways.

I will miss him terribly.  But I am glad to know he is out there, in the world.  I know he will bring his qualities to all who interact with him.  And I know our connection will last no matter where in the world he is.  If the world can hold him...

Learning the Left Handed Flute

Curious about the emails I have been receiving from a German flute maker who specializes in entry level flutes, and has developed a left handed flute, I ordered one for the shop.

A left handed flute is played to the left side.  The right handed flute it played to the right side, and is how 100% of the flute players play and have played for centuries.

This dominant sided activity has led many of us to injuries to necks, shoulders, upper backs, tendons, carpal tunnels, and more.  The  German flute maker's theory is that this flute can be a sort of therapy for all of these strained muscles and soft tissue.  This sounded reasonable to me, and as I have some of these injuries (well actually all of them, but not just from flute playing)  I thought this left handed flute could help me and others.

It arrived today. Of course, I had to try it.  Right away.  Forget about packing for the Florida Flute Association Convention that starts Friday.  Here was this flute to try, although truth to tell, just looking at it made me dizzy.

Then I had to try to figure out how to hold the thing.  Balance was an issue.  Still is. Finding the keys is another challenge, as is using actual left handed fingerings, and not translating them into the right hand set up.

The other consideration is that I play out of the right side of my mouth, so the asymmetrical embouchure gets in the way when playing the left handed flute.

But, as I played, things got better!  The sound became more focused, the hands more trustworthy, the fingerings remembered.  Now, I am still only playing long tones. But I must be using a totally different side of my brain, which should reinforce what I am doing with the right handed flute, right?  Bach Sonatas, here I come!

Canine Obedience Class

My Labrador Retrievers and I have returned to Canine Obedience class in a move that has taken great courage for yours truly.

The way it will work is that I will take each dog every-other week.  Last week, Blitz was the candidate because he is a yellow lab = calm, zen-like approach.  Except for the recalls in which he broke through all 6.

What is a recall?  All of the dogs and handlers line up at one end of the room.  Every-other handler leaves their dogs, and goes to the other end of the room.  Let's say 20 feet away.  Your dog is to sit and stay while you are at the other end of the room, and wait until it is your time to call your dog to come to you.  Blitz came at the first call, not at my call, leaving me to take the walk of shame, say "no" firmly (ok...I did stifle a laugh or two because he looked so guilty, which means his forehead wrinkled in that cute way of his), put the dog back in a sit, walk back to the handler position, and wait to be instructed to call my dog.  You call.  He comes bounding back to you, whereupon he is to sit directlyin front of you, stare lovingly into your face, and come into heel position at your left side, when you are instructed to have him do so.

It was waiting for his turn that was Blitz's downfall.

My gentle yellow lab is 85 lbs of Labrador affection.  10 years old and still looking good.

My enthusiastic black lab is 104 lbs of Tigger-like bounce.  6 years old.  Perennial teenager.

Oh boy.  Tonight is his night.

You see, Maverick likes to show off. He anticipates the turns during the heeling exercises.  He rushes ahead in the figure 8's.  And now, tonight, the recalls, after our two year hiatus, will be another exercise in courage and keeping on my feet for me.  Because, in all of his enthusiasm, Maverick will joyfully, grinning, with that big pink tongue of his hanging out of the side of his mouth, come to me when I call him alright.  And in all probablility (because he does it when we practice at home where there is no audience) he will launch himself at me, sit in front of me for the barest of moments, and then race to sit at heel position. 

The thing to remember is that the canine does not make mistakes.  It is the handler.  With any luck I will get photos tonight.

Wish me luck.  And steady feet.

Preventable Flute Injuries

This is the time of year when we see all sorts of flutes coming in to the shop with completely preventable injuries.  Let's take some time and consider.

Case Injuries.  That's right, your case can injure your flute.  If the G# spatula rides too close to the crown of the headjoint, you may see small dents and scratches.  Some manufacturers attach a piece of velvet to the headjoint block in the case which helps tremendously.  Lacking that, you can use your own small piece of velvet.  Another sign of case abuse is a foot joint key riding much higher than it should.  When the flute is in the case, and the case is shut, there should be no sound of the flute moving in the case when it is gently shaken.  If you do hear the flute moving around in there, foam, velvet or other very soft material can make the case safe again.  If the case is broken down, the blocks are loose, the catches not working, then a new case is in order.  There are many varieties available.  My personal favorite is the Wiseman case, pictured below.

There are beautiful French cases by Northwind which can be custom fit to your flute. The more affordable ProTec cases are case and case-cover all in one.
Here is  a link to some of these cases that are available at Flute Pro Shop : Cases

In addition to cases, experience has taught us that flutes carried in gig bags tend to be dropped less often, and when they are, the damage rate is very low.  Altieri instrument bags are insulated, with inside and outside pockets.  They can accommodate flute, piccolo, lap top and more.

Many flute cases and covers are equipped with shoulder straps.  We discourage the use of the longer shoulder straps.  When you walk fast the flute case bounces on your hips, the flute rattles in the case, and you end up with preventable injuries!

Well intentioned relatives, band directors or friends may want to "help" adjust the regulation of your flute with jewelers' screw drivers, or worse. Trust us, Uncle Ernie is not equipped to make these adjustments!

So who is qualified?  Check with your teacher and use their repair specialist.  Be in touch with the manufacturer to find out who in your area is a certified technician for their flutes.  Call a local pro and quiz them about who takes care of their instrument.  A good rule of thumb is to take into account the relative expense of your flute.  If it has cost an amount that is dear to you, then take it to a flute specialist.  Will it mean shipping your flute?  Yes, it might.  Shipping has become so sophisticated that your flute is better off with Fed Ex than a well-meaning general all-around repair tech.

And here's my favorite repair tech, David Kee of Flute Pro Shop.

The Labrador Zone, or, Canines without Borders

Our family has been blessed with two generations of Yellow and Black Labrador Retrievers.  Our first set was Chester (yellow) and Turbo (black) and now we have Blitz and Maverick, pictured above.

Living with Labradors is the source of much love, companionship, training and of course, humor.

Our family has come to learn that the yellow labs are mellow, love to cuddle, and follow their person's every movement.  The black labs will retrieve until they collapse, can tell time (as in when it is time for a meal), are very smart, and very funny.

In our house, we have an area of the kitchen counter tops known as the Labrador Zone.  That is to say, if you place any food item, or potential food item, within the LZ, it will be gone, perhaps even before you leave the room.  As time has gone on, the LZ has increased in size, making us think that Maverick stands on Blitz's back to reach all the way to the back of the counter.  Last week when Maverick consumed an entire bag (restaurant size) of Toastitos, three bags of cookies, a bag of wrapped chocolates, a bowl of creamed onions, and 1/4 cup of butter  (the last two were consumed out of the sink) he set a new record.

The clean up was a heroic task performed by yours truly.

To get to the food in the sink, Maverick stands to the left side of the sink, hooks an elbow in the corner of the counter top, and reaches back with his head.  Very reminiscent of the "Fosbury Flop" style of high jumping.

There are other Labrador Zones that don't have anything to do with food.  Really.

The sofas, for instance.  Both Blitz and Maverick rarely get up into them when we are in the room.  But there is ample evidence that they break that rule when we are not around.

The bed.  A new Labrador sized bed must be in the works somewhere, because our California King will not accommodate two humans and two Labradors.  Someone has to go.  The other reason to relocate?  Snoring.  From the canines....

Some of the other Labrador Zones: The fish pond.  Any muddy spot in the yard, which right now is the yard.  Anyone who is brave enough to come into the house.

And, yes, flute practice.  Blitz, my sweet, award-winning obedience and therapy dog, accompanies me each time I practice.  Long tones are his favorite.  Listen to the following clip, and you will hear that he does sometimes match pitches, and has a sense of rhythm.  Sort of.

This recording was made by my son, who had to sneak up on the performance, as Blitz will not perform if anyone else is in the room.  I was so grateful for Christopher's efforts on my behalf and the inspiration for this blog

https://soundcloud.com/joanflute/flutelongtoneswlabrador




From the kitchen, to the living room, to the bedroom, to the practice room,  the Labrador Zone is sometimes shared with the humans.  But in our house, Canines without Borders is the rule. 


Happy New Year to all!