"Silver and Gold" with Paul Edmund-Davies

There is a rather large selection of materials when it comes to flutes – and headjoints.  The multitude of choices between silver and gold (along with the different karats and types such as rose or yellow gold) can make choosing your flute and headjoint a daunting task.  Some flutists then wonder if one type of material is better than another.  Luckily, we had the chance to speak with Powell artist Paul Edmund-Davies about this topic during his recent visit to Powell…

Paul has two Powell flutes – one silver Custom and one 19.5k Custom with a 14k mechanism.  Just like tone holes or any other option on a flute, one type of material is not better than another – the materials are simply different.  Silver and gold each have their unique characteristic qualities, and Paul appreciates these qualities and differences.  From his perspective, he finds that in his own playing, the silver sound is “closest to the human voice,” and the “brilliance of gold is breathtaking.”  And, as he said, it all depends on the player and the player’s preferences.

Powell Custom 19.5k with 14k keys (left) and Powell Custom silver (right)

However, for flutists who are currently playing a silver flute and considering moving over to gold, Paul presented several suggestions on how to experiment with gold.  Since it can be a huge change to shift over to a gold flute, he finds that Aurumite® is a “very good middle ground to investigate gold,” given its composition of one layer of gold and one layer of silver.  In terms of “experimenting” with gold, he suggested the following:

1) Try your silver flute with a silver headjoint that has a gold riser.

2) Try your silver flute with an Aurumite headjoint.

3) Try your silver flute with a gold headjoint.

Even with Aurumite, you will have choices.  The “Aurumite 9k” and “Ruby Aurumite” have rose gold on the outside.  The “Aurumite 14k” has silver on the outside and 14k rose gold on the inside.  Moving along with the progression of steps Paul suggested should, however, give you a logical method for testing just how much gold is right for you!

Audition Preparation with Leone Buyse

Taking auditions is something we've all done throughout our lives as musicians -- both as students and professionals.  Whether it is an audition for a university, a music festival, an orchestral position, or anything else that requires excerpts, preparation is key.  How should you prepare?  When do you begin?  These are some of the questions Powell artist Leone Buyse answers in the video below from MUSAIC.  In her discussion of audition preparation, she pinpoints crucial factors that may often be overlooked, including physical and mental preparation.

*Video courtesy of MUSAIC

Finger Gym with Paul Edmund-Davies

Powell artist Paul Edmund-Davies has a new series of posts titled "Finger Gym" on his personal blog. As you might suspect, these posts offer exercises and suggestions to help build finger control.  In the first of the series, he presents one basic exercise in three major keys: G, Ab, and A.  He recommends continuing on with the exercise through all the keys, thinking them through rather than reading off of a page to help gain greater coordination and provide the brain with "an excellent work out!" Follow this link to view the exercise.

He advises:

Start off by practicing the exercise slowly and really concentrate on the finger or fingers that are lifting. After all, the muscles that close your hand are much stronger than those that open it! The fingers need to be positive, but also should never travel too far away from the keys……………the further they go away, the longer it takes to get back again. Not exactly ideal for the second or last movements of the Prokofiev Sonata! Once the thought/brain to finger connection feels more comfortable and positive, gradually increase the tempo.

Mr. Edmund-Davies offers additional tips on how to get the most our of these exercises, including suggestions on how long to practice as well as recommendations for rhythm and dynamics. Click here to read the full post on his page.

Artist Profile - Sooyun Kim

International soloist Sooyun Kim recently joined the Powell artist family and is currently a member of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  Born in Seoul and raised in the United States, Ms. Kim made her debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of ten.  She has performed as a soloist with The Boston Pops, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Rundfunkorchester and Münchener Kammerorchester.  Ms. Kim is also a recipient of the Georg Solti Foundation Career Grant and became the first American since 1964 to win a top prize at Munich’s 2010 ARD International Flute Competition in Munich, at which she was also awarded a Special Prize for the best interpretation of a commissioned work by Bruno Mantovani.  She received her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Paul Robison.  Follow this link to read her complete bio on her Powell Artist Profile page.

In the following interview by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, we learn more about Sooyun Kim, including which career path she may have chosen had she not gone into music.  She also tells us about her current favorite book and recording -- but when she recollects her favorite Chamber Music Society memory, it is truly touching and inspiring.  

The Making of Flute N Float

By Andrea (Fluterscooter) Fisher

(edited from “The Making of Hologram Fluterscooter,” originally published by The Flute View. August 2014.)

I had just finished performing my debut show at The Apple Store in Tokyo when I heard about the infamous 2Pac hologram at the Coachella Music Festival. After watching the YouTube video several times, and coming off an amazing performance where I involved a live light painter to create still and moving visuals as I played, I had an idea to take this performance to the next level: create a hologram of myself! and be able to play with and against a virtual version(s) of myself! What did that mean exactly? I didn’t know at the time how, where, when, who I’d be working with, but I was determined to make it happen!

Last fall, I finally decided it was the time to start working on this project. Now living back in the states, I started my online research about how holograms work. With all the buzz circulating about the 2Pac hologram, it was not difficult to find out what specific tech was used and how it was projected. It was also not difficult to find out how expensive it was to project a hologram for just 3 minutes. As an independent artist, finding $30,000 for a 3 minute performance didn’t seem worth it, but I didn’t let that discourage me. I began contacting all distributors of the Musion “Eyeliner” Technology (the technology that is needed to create the hologram effect) from New York to Los Angeles to their headquarters in London with a short description of my ideas as well as some sample pieces and my visions of how they would being performed. The London office was the most receptive and encouraging to me, recognizing the creativity in my project. Unfortunately the American companies just wanted money and weren’t interested…that was actually no surprise to me.

I was about to go to London and start meeting with the company to figure how to make my idea a reality, when I suddenly was called back to Japan for a month’s worth of concerts and teaching. They referred me to the sister company in Tokyo, StudioTED, and I showed them the press on my Apple Store show, and they were immediately interested in meeting with me while I was in Japan. I was so excited to start this project, even if it had to be in Tokyo!

My full show idea was over an hour long, where the visuals from each piece would melt into the next piece, creating a seamless visual and musical performance. Some music would be more traditional and contemporary flute music, and some would be commissioned by composers to write specifically for the event. After many meetings discussing how we could realistically put this show together, we decided to cut it to 20 minutes (4 pieces) and perform as a showcase in the studio showroom to attract sponsors and investors to book a larger show. Of course I wanted to do the full show, but the cost would have been very high for the company to put together and get a proper venue.

Fast forward to this past spring: I was back in Japan for more concerts (yes, I do most of my performing in Japan!) For the showcase, we chose Saint-Saens’ Aquarium which I arranged for 3 flutes, Robert Aitken’s Icicle, Debussy’s Syrinx (arranged for 3 flutes), and finishing with the first half of Steve Reich’s Vermont Counterpoint. Did I mention everyone in the company reads music and one is even a composer? That definitely helps with the process! Not all the pieces would be with hologram, but holographic content would be used for background visuals. We drafted up a visual storyboard of how and where the holograms would be placed on the stage.

We booked 2 days for a video shoot in their showroom, where I would record each hologram separately for each piece. I had to choose costumes for each one, too, so I also had to wear the stylist hat, too! My Syrinx costumes were obviously Syrinx and Pan, and one of the women on the team even made me handmade goat horns for the Pan costume.  Since it’s a visual performance more than anything, costumes, makeup, hair are of equal importance as the music. And since I don’t do my own hair, one of the team members happened to do hair, so I lucked out there too!

Now that the video shoot was done, we kept exchanging emails and having Skype sessions about next steps. Getting a solid invite list was the next step as well as starting rehearsals, so I booked another trip to Japan late this July (and just returned a few days ago) to have some meetings regarding invite lists and rehearsals. What most people don’t realize about the hologram effect is that when the live performer is on stage, they do not actually see the hologram; it is like looking into water and seeing reflections. I am doing some minimal choreography to interact with the other holograms, so getting used to looking down rather than across was a challenge!

One more trip to Tokyo was left, and this time it was showtime!  A few weeks prior to the show, I hired a project manager (and translator between StudioTED and myself) in Tokyo to bring some key people to the event, people that could potentially sponsor a bigger full show in a larger space.  The turn out was great, and without the project manager, it would have been difficult for me to get the proper people in the audience.

On September 25, 2014, I presented 2 showcases of Flute N Float as a private event in the StudioTED showroom in Tokyo.   I only arrived in Tokyo on September 23, and the 24^th was a full tech rehearsal day.  We did everything from sound, interacting with the holograms (knowing their placement on stage in relation to myself), costuming, and cueing music.  It was difficult to do in such a short amount of time, especially to memorize where the holograms are on stage AND having to memorize the music.  On the 25^th, we had dress rehearsals all day, and then presented the shows in the evening.  It was so much fun, and I’m honestly surprised it was pulled off without a hitch!

I recently had a conversation with Juilliard’s Entrepreneurship director about this show and the steps I had to take to finally make it happen…about doing whatever it takes to transform an idea into a reality, even if it means trips back and forth to Tokyo. As performing artists these days, we can use all of the world as our platform, our audience, and our collaborators. There are no limits!

The video of the full live show has been done, and it will be available for download on www.fluterscooter.com in November 2014.  

The Flute Tester

To many flutists, the idea of being a flute tester seems to be the perfect job.  After all, who wouldn't love to play great flutes all day long?  If you're an undergraduate or graduate student, or a pro flutist out in the field, and have wondered what it's like to be a tester, we met with a few testers to find out...

At Powell, being a tester may be part of one's total job.  For instance, the two testers we spoke with are the Customer Service Manager, Rebecca Eckles, and one of our finishers, Lindsey McChord.  We asked them both what it's like to be a tester, and what the differences are between testing and performing.  Rebecca told us that when you are a tester, the focus is completely on the instrument -- not your own individual performance.  She says you need to be very consistent as a tester, so she has the very same repertoire and exercises that she uses for each flute.  When a flute is finished, Rebecca tests it a few times.  The first test is very mechanical, evaluating how the flute itself is functioning.  Then, the finishing department makes any necessary adjustments, and she tests the flute again.  In the second test, she said she focuses more on acoustics and response.  If more adjustments need to be made, the flute goes back to the finisher -- and then on to her for more testing. The adjustment and testing process continues until the flute is 100% ready to go.  Lindsey also has the same procedure and tells us that she will test flutes no fewer than 2 times and sometimes 3 or 4.

We had a bit more time to chat with Lindsey, who came to Powell after receiving two performance degrees: a Bachelor of Music (BM) from the University of New Hampshire, and a Master of Music (MM) from the Longy School of Music.  We asked Lindsey what elements of her studies have proven helpful in her work as a tester.  She said, "It's vital to be aware of yourself as a player, what your capabilities are as a flutist.  This is crucial in testing, because if there are problems, you have to determine if the issue stems from you (as a flutist) or from the instrument itself."  She agrees that in testing, everything centers on the actual instrument.  Even though your own performance skills are important, Lindsey said,

"You have to take yourself out of the picture.  Testing is all about the instrument rather than how many times you can play something perfectly.  Also, you have to put your own preferences aside.  You don't know who the flute it is going to, so you have to keep in mind that it might be someone who uses, say, less air or a lighter touch."

Since testers do have to play the same pieces and exercises each time to keep everything consistent, Lindsey mentioned that knowing the repertoire (like Bach, Dutilleux, and all the studies from the French School) helps tremendously.  She particularly likes the Dutilleux "Sonatina for Flute and Piano" and uses it to really put the flute to the test.  For Lindsey, the piece "has some passages that are extremely difficult, so you can really isolate the difference between (issues with) the flute and yourself.  If I can play the easy passages, I know the flute is in good shape!"

As a finisher herself, Lindsey feels that she, personally, also has to put her finishing skills aside when testing.  When she is testing, she needs to determine how the flute feels, how it plays, and how it looks.  Although it can be challenging not to avoid "diagnosing problems" since she is a finisher, she doesn't test her own flutes.  If she does find an issue, she says she wants the finisher to know exactly what she is hearing, and that way, the can determine what needs to be done.  She says, "I try to give them the overall picture" and provide the feedback that a customer would give.  Even though she, personally, could make adjustments in her playing to compensate if needed, she sets that training aside to provide an objective evaluation.

Audition Days

By Tammy Evans Yonce

Tammy Evans Yonce

It’s audition season! At my home institution, South Dakota State University, we are preparing for on-campus audition days as well as a couple of audition days at off-site locations as a convenience to students in the other parts of the state.

SDSU is a large state university that serves metropolitan as well as rural populations. Because of this, the backgrounds of auditioning students can vary widely. Some have had private lessons and other music-making opportunities outside of their high school music programs, while others have not played much outside the band room. When evaluating students who are auditioning within the music department, I look at several things. They are asked to prepare two contrasting works or movements. Do they have a characteristic tone? Are their tempos appropriate? Is their technique solid for the works they have chosen? In addition to these musical considerations, I am also interested in the attitude of the student. Are they enthusiastic about continuing with music in college? Do they have realistic expectations about the time commitment it requires, such as rehearsal time, practice time outside of lessons and rehearsals, and performances? Do they enjoy it, despite the hard work required? If a student has these traits and understands the time commitment involved, I am more than happy to teach him or her. It doesn’t matter if a student wants to become a band director, teach privately, play in a community group as a hobby, or has other musical goals, enthusiasm and realistic expectations go a long way in ensuring student success.

I strongly advise students to choose audition music that is well within their abilities. The college audition is not the time to choose a piece that is extremely difficult. Instead, audition committees are interested in how you play at this point in time, so choose music that will show the committee your best playing. It is also a good idea (and usually a requirement) to play contrasting pieces. This shows off your tone as well as your technical abilities and whether or not you have experience playing works from different style periods. Remember that you’re also auditioning the school. They want to get to know you but you also have to determine if the school is a good fit for you. Before your audition, ask if you can schedule a lesson with the flute teacher there, and talk to current students to find out what their experience has been. You also might want to sit in on a rehearsal or a class.

Best of luck!

For more on Tammy Evans Yonce, visit:
www.tammyevansyonce.com
Twitter: TammyEvansYonce
Powell Recording Studio for Tammy Evans Yonce