Focus! Making the Most out of Lessons

By Morgann Davis

Morgann Davis

Every year I find myself facing this time of year with an added sense of pressure to make lessons challenging, exciting, and fun. This year I tackled part of the issue head on by scheduling a recital at the end of February and assigning everyone new solos and duets to prepare. So, now we have a timestamp in place, a concert goal to focus toward. For many of my students this year, however, this is their first real recital. Expectations and preparation is different for these students as they don’t quite know what to expect.

Another way I try to build momentum and focus following the holidays is by creating structure and routine. I tackle lessons each week in the same order, meaning students know what to expect. Tuning, warm-ups and scales, etudes/technique, solos, duets. This is a serious time-saver in 30 minute lessons. Without having to discuss or decide what happens next there is less wasted time.

Ok, so we have two great steps to follow that will provide a great foundation for focus. Problem solved, right? Not quite. The real “meat” of the solution comes next. Now that there is structure and a performance date to aim for, I do my best to use the room made by lack of other projects to focus on each students’ weaknesses. I am very careful not to point out flaws from the start. Rather, I ask questions before each exercise to help the students open their ears, and provide very specific small goals for each as well. By working on a minuscule scale we are capitalizing on the lack of colossal goals like school concerts.

An example of this would be asking a student to listen to note lengths. What do they notice about the half notes in an exercise? (Perhaps they are too short, or they are inconsistent lengths). Let the student answer, even if it takes them some time - they might not be used to listening to themselves in this way! Acknowledge their answer, especially if it was difficult for them to discern, as noticing what they hear when they play can serve as an excellent diagnostic tool for the teacher. Then, ask them how they might remedy the issue, and have them play the same excerpt again.

I also provide small over-arching goals for each student. If a student struggles with keeping their headjoint rolled out, I will address this as our main goal at the beginning of the lesson, finding fun ways to provide gentle reminders throughout the lesson. I make sure this goal is written somewhere prominent in their lesson notebook or on a post-it before they leave their lesson.

By structuring lessons in this way, with one large goal (the recital), and more smaller, minute points of focus, I find it easier to build momentum for growth in the winter months. The added benefit is that with a disciplined approach to lessons and practice coming out of the beginning of the new year, it often feels like less work to students when they have to prepare for auditions and concerts in the spring!

*For more posts by Morgann Davis, visit her personal blog at http://joyfulflutist.tumblr.com/.

Teaching Our Teachers...

Leone Buyse

Thinking about some of the most influential flute educators of the current day, Leone Buyse has made a lasting mark on the landscape of flute teaching.  In 2010, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Flute Association and has enjoyed an illustrious career performing and teaching around the globe.  Ms. Buyse paid tribute to her first major teacher, David Berman, in a wonderful post on her blog.  Below is an excerpt, highlighting his pedagogical style and memorable advice she noted in lessons...

David Berman had taught at Ithaca College for only three years when I met him as a 12-year-old flute student.  In the three decades that followed he made immense contributions to the Ithaca College School of Music and also to the greater Ithaca community through his annual solo recitals and numerous faculty chamber music concerts each year.  He played in the Ithaca Chamber Orchestra and the Ithaca Woodwind Quintet, and was both a conductor and member of the Ithaca Opera Orchestra. At Ithaca College he built a vital flute studio and while teaching flute, music theory, and music history mentored untold numbers of students who now serve our profession as performers and teachers.  As a faculty leader he developed and headed the chamber music program and chaired the committee that instigated such major changes in the music curriculum as making chamber music a requirement, requiring diction classes for all singers, and offering a 4.5-year program that combines music education and performance.  In addition, during the three years that Berman served as Assistant Dean he instituted many improvements to the physical plant of the music school. He justifiably takes pride in those accomplishments, but above all, he is most proud of all his students, saying, “Students are your teachers.”  How true!

How exactly did Dave Berman’s teaching make such a difference to me and the many students whom he mentored during the course of his professional life?  In re-reading notebooks that contain his comments from lessons more than four decades ago, I’m continually struck by the life wisdom that was shared in those hours—lessons that always included a balanced diet of scales, etudes, solos, and assigned duets.  As an example, here’s my entry for July 24, 1962:

Start competing with unseen competitors.  
Aim for Carnegie Hall.  
The USA is only one country in a huge world…
Plan to practice 3-4 hours daily.  
Budget your time.

Immediately following those motivational words comes the practical, technical advice that I clearly must have needed:

While playing Taffanel Gaubert exercises, stop on a note and listen to your tone.Try to maintain brilliance in the upper middle register when going down.Don’t make the embouchure hole too wide for your lowest notes because too much air will escape.Try to get a good low tone before vibrating; vibrato is a camouflage.

Here are just a few other sample comments from other lesson entries:

Practice without stopping before hard passages in an etude.
Don’t think about your teacher’s possible reaction—Just play!
View criticisms in proportion.
Point the tongue for a clear staccato.
Practicing whistle tones requires a relaxed embouchure and good support.  This will help develop tonal placement and embouchure strength. 
In exploring tone and articulation there are never-ending complexities, deeper and deeper shades and details.

These quotes offer only a small glimpse of the spirit that made David Berman’s pedagogy so meaningful.  He was demanding and he was honest; he was able to get to the heart of a technical or musical problem and help a student improve.  How often he tried to help me achieve a sense of musical freedom, especially in music that had an ethnic quality, such as Bartok.  At those times he would often ask me to sing, which I dreaded. (Not any more—I now sing all the time while teaching!) Most important, he possessed a well-honed sense of how and when to push or encourage, and he understood how each student’s background might affect his or her ability to approach and solve an issue.  He was intuitive, kind, and effective—a winning combination of attributes for anyone in the teaching profession.

*The full text of Ms. Buyse's post, titled "Honoring David Berman," may be found on her website at http://www.leonebuyse.com/advice-inspiration/.

Efficiently Laying the Foundation for Our Music

By Morgann Davis

            Consider how much time you have spent discussing or practicing concepts relating to breath control and support in your time as a musician. We practice long tones, breathing exercises, and excerpts like Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune for the duration of our flute lives. Our teachers tell us about the diaphragm, and use many varying explanations for the way our breathing apparatus works to allow us to make beautiful music.

            As wind instrumentalists, our air gives life to our music and a voice to our instrument. It is the determining factor in how our message is carried from conception to reception. We are often taught from a young age that support comes from somewhere: our abs, our diaphragm, from using the muscles to expel the air. There is validity to many explanations of “support,” but for the time being, I’d like to challenge you to think of support as something: an efficient airstream carried by the natural use of our muscles. Our breathing apparatus has to help us, but it does not create the sound, and will do its job correctly if we breathe in the way our bodies were built to. What truly supports our sound is a fast and consistent air stream, crossing the flute at the optimum angle.

Posture: Creating the pathway for your air 

            When teaching I tackle this concept from the start by making sure that my students are taking a natural and methodical approach to their stance and how they hold their instruments. I pull from a mixed bag of concepts that originate in Alexander Technique, Body Mapping and from experiences with my own teachers. Students are often better at using their bodies naturally at a young age, so I find that even my youngest students can grasp these concepts early on.

            Often, we focus on what our upper bodies do when we play our instruments, but pick up your flute as you would for a performance and notice for a moment what happens to your lower body. Most likely, you will find that one hip or the other is tense or locked, or perhaps you have limited mobility in your knees. My teacher, Katherine Borst Jones, often reminded us “you are a tree.” Your feet are grounded, but your legs (and hips) remain free to allow you to move in the breeze. Moving up from the roots, we must make sure to have freedom for movement in our hips. Try imitating the way you would throw a ball underhand with both your left and right arms. One hip will likely be more stiff than the other, and if you pick your flute up you’re just as likely to find the opposite shoulder is holding unnecessary tension. I found this awareness of whether my hips were locked in place during lessons with Jean Ferrandis, who is very conscious of any excess energy wasted on tension or unnatural movements. This part of our posture is not always associated with air use, but you will find that a freer lower body means more ease and efficiency in air flow and a more natural posture for the rest of the body.
            
            After evaluating our lower bodies, we come to the core, certainly a well-discussed and well-analyzed component of wind playing. In my own students, I encourage a natural use of the core muscles that is engaged, but never pushes on the air. We explore how to do this by using exercise balls and wall sits, amongst other physical activities. Older students have found common threads between an engaged, natural use of the core muscles and yoga. (A strong core goes a long way, but remember support is air, not a sit-up!). The goal is to use the large muscle groups to support your overall posture in a way that does not encourage you to constrict or push, especially with the abdominal muscles.
            
            All of these areas of sound production could be discussed at a much greater length, and the upper body is no different. I aim for my students to understand that the large muscle groups in their back (underneath the shoulder blades) can help to support the action of their arms, allowing freedom from tension in the shoulders and upper arms. A lack of upper body tension allows the lungs to expand as they are meant to, the air to move freely, and the sound to resonate.

            Finally, lift your flute to your chin or watch your students do the same. In a majority of my students I notice that the head moves forward to meet the flute, often with the chin down. I call this the “flutist’s thinker” (picture the famous statue). It seems obvious, but with so much to teach we often overlook this part of our students’ posture. Fixing it will create an instant improvement in breathing and air flow!

Air: The foundation of your music

            Having evaluated how your student’s posture and stance (or your own) may be hindering a natural use of the muscles and breathing mechanism, the air should now be able to move more freely to support your sound. Just as I did previously, I’d like to encourage you to challenge the more traditional definition and think of support as the use of a natural, efficient air stream.

            In order to support the sound with your air, you must first consider the intake. To be sure you are using all the space that’s available to you in your lungs, try taking your normal “big” breath standing as you would to play. Then, do the same while you are bent at the waist with your neck and arms relaxed. Did you expand in a different way? Did you have more air? This is my favorite way to demonstrate that we can breathe in 3D! Now, replicate that breath while standing.

            With a refreshed concept of how much air we can take in, we must put it to good use by being sure that it moves fast, freely, and consistently. I would imagine we all feel we are doing this to some extent. If you’ve ever recorded yourself practicing and then listened back, however, you know that our perception of our playing and the reality are often different. I particularly enjoy finding more concrete ways for myself and my students to see the way our air is working (or not working) as we would like.

            The use of pinwheels to encourage air speed and consistency was introduced to me by Katherine Borst Jones. I use them in a variety of ways in my studio now, from showing students whether their air changes during or at the end of a phrase or long note, whether they are changing the speed or amount for varying dynamics, or if they are stopping their air during articulated passages. There are many breathing devices that show these aspects of “supporting” with the air, but I enjoy using pinwheels because of the affordability. I send them home with students, and encourage them to tape them to their stands at embouchure level!

            The direction our air travels follows a close second in importance to the consistent speed it moves. If you remember the “flutist’s thinker” from before, it makes sense that our air is often directed too far into the flute. An added detriment is that an air stream that is aimed down will produce a more “direct,” laser-like tone up close that may be pleasing to the player but will project poorly in an ensemble or recital. The more distance we put between where the air leaves our embouchure and the edge of the embouchure hole where it splits, the better our sound will resonate and project. When teaching, I often provide analogies for my students encouraging them to picture their air traveling higher across the flute than it actually will. An example of this is relating direction to the pinwheel, asking them to picture a small wheel at the back of a recital hall that they must spin by blowing up across the flute and the top of the music stand.

The journey begins:

            Even without touching on the intricate embouchure related aspects of moving the air freely, there is more than enough to consider when it comes to how we support our sound. Our entire body is engaged in breath control and creating the foundation and voice of our music. The air supports our musicality, tone, dynamics, vibrato, articulation....the list can go on for quite a long time. Air is truly the life of our music as flutists, and the best path to the strongest foundation and support is the natural and efficient use of our bodies.

 
* To read more about Morgann Davis, visit her website at  www.morgannelycedavis.com 
 

Taming the Beast—Revolutionize Your Piccolo Intonation!

Stephanie Mortimore

By Stephanie Mortimore
Piccoloist, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Part I

Playing in tune is probably the most challenging part of playing the piccolo. If you struggle with tuning, don’t despair: every piccoloist wrestles with this issue occasionally, if not often. Learning some basic physics and simple math related to the principles of sound help you understand why and put you in a better position to address the problem. First, let’s get a few basic definitions out of the way.

Making Cents of it All

A cent is a unit of measure that stands for one hundredth of an equal tempered semi-tone. For example, there are 100 cents between A and A#, 100 cents between A# and B, and so on. In all, there are 1200 cents in each octave.

I’m Losing My Temper

Musical temperament is, quite simply, a system of tuning. Equal temperament describes a tuning system in which the twelve tones of the chromatic scale are divided into twelve equal intervals. Pianos are usually tuned using a variation on equal temperament. This system is used not because it sounds best but rather, it is a compromise which sacrifices true harmony for the convenience of allowing music to be played in any key and have it sound the same. Pianos are tuned using a variation on equal temperament called well temperament in which the piano tuner, starting from a base of equal temperament, stretches the octaves, making the lower octaves increasingly flatter, and the upper octaves increasingly sharper. It is important to remember this because, when played with piano, the high register of the piccolo will have to be slightly sharpened.

By contrast, orchestras generally play using just intonation. This system is based on the physics of sound waves and, by extension, the harmonic series, so it results in a purity and stability of harmony that is perceived as consonance by the human ear. When using just intonation, players adjust of all of the notes of the equal temperament scale by playing a few cents higher or lower depending on the note. By changing the notes in this way, the two notes in any interval become related by whole number frequency ratios. This technical definition may sound complicated, but in reality, playing with just intonation is something that seasoned orchestral musicians do as second nature. And it’s something you can train yourself to do using the simple tools described in the “Practical Application” section. Take a look at the chart below to see how equal tempered scales (both major and minor) must be altered, note by note, to become a scale in just intonation.

Click chart to enlarge

It Hertz My Ears

Sound is made up of waves which, if you could see them, would look very much like the waves you see when you visit the ocean. You have probably noticed that ocean waves vary a great deal­—from tiny waves quickly lapping the shore to massive ones slowly rolling in. It is exactly the same with sound waves. The more waves there are in a given period of time—independent of size—the higher the frequency.

In sound, frequency (which is measured in hertz) refers to the number of waves per second; in music, this corresponds to pitch. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. For example, A440, or 440 Hz, refers to the A just above middle C. The A one octave above that is A880, or 880 Hz. If you keep going up by octaves, the hertz doubles with every leap.

This upward ascent brings us, eventually, into the highest realm of the piccolo range. While the next A in succession (A1760) is the top A on the flute, the highest A on the piccolo is twice that (A3520). Just to remind you, that’s 3,520 sound waves per second! Unfortunately for our poor ears, this is where piccolo players are required to hang out all the time.

Why is This Instrument So Hard to Play in Tune?

Again, the answer comes down to physics. When two concurrently played notes are close to—but not quite—a perfectly tuned unison, the sound waves interfere with one another and produce beats that can be heard as a distinct buzzing. As the notes approach each other in frequency, thus getting closer to a true unison, the buzzing slows. As they get further apart, the buzzing speeds up.

Now, using some simple math, let’s apply this knowledge to some theoretical orchestral situations. Let’s say you and a colleague are playing the flute and both of you are asked to play A440. Easy enough, you might say. But let’s assume you are having a bad day and, instead of playing perfectly in tune, you play the note 10 cents sharp. I won’t bore you with the more complicated math of cents-to-hertz conversion, so you’ll have to trust me when I tell you that when played 10 cents sharp, A440 becomes A443 (rounded to the nearest whole number)—a difference of 3Hz. You will produce 3 beats per second—not ideal, but not such a big problem.

Let’s compare that with a slightly different scenario. You and your colleague are now asked to switch to piccolo and to play, in unison, A3520, the highest A on the instrument. And let’s assume that your day still hasn’t improved and you play this note 10 cents sharp too. Your sharp note would actually be A3540—a difference of 20Hz. You will now produce 20 beats per second. Bzzzzzzzzz!! This can start to be really painful for everyone within earshot.

The unfairness of the situation becomes even more clear when you start looking around the orchestra. All of those other musicians (who at this point are glaring at you) don’t have anywhere near the same challenges as you, the poor piccoloist. Take the cellists for example. Pretend two cellists are attempting to play A220 (the A just below middle C) in unison. For them to be to be producing 20 beats per second, one of the cellists would have to be playing 150 cents sharp (or flat). That’s one-and-a-half semi-tones apart—the difference between an A and a really flat B. That’s one bad cellist.

We could go through the rest of the instruments of the orchestra in this same way but, while that might make us feel better, it should be clear by now why the piccolo is the most difficult of any instrument to play in tune. So what to do? Unfortunately, even though it’s not your fault, you still have to fix the problem.

In a well-meaning but misguided attempt, many players try to use the indicator on their tuner which shows them, visually, how many cents sharp or flat they are. The problem with this approach is threefold. Not only do most tuners register improperly for the high notes of the piccolo, but almost all of them use equal temperament. Because orchestras play using just intonation, tuning visually can be destructive to your ability to learn to play in tune with your colleagues. And most importantly, why would you want to train your eyes to do a job that your ears should be doing? Playing in tune has nothing to do with having perfect pitch. It is a learned skill. In order to learn the skill properly you have to train the right muscles. Think of it this way: You weren’t born knowing how to ride a bike. When you wanted to learn did you watch a video or read a book about it? No, you probably just went out and got on a bike. Similarly, when you want to learn how to play in tune, you have to train your ears, not your eyes. Fortunately, there is another way to make a difference in your intonation.

*Find out more next week in Part II of this series.  Click here to visit Stephanie Mortimore's artist profile on the Powell website.

Step Up Flutes - Part III - More Options

In the final installment of Linda Fisher's guide to purchasing a step up flute, we look at two very popular options...

Question 6 - My child's teacher said something about a "Split E" -- what exactly is this?

Yellow arrow points to split E

Split E mechanism: Some flutes come standard with this feature, while others will have this option available for an additional charge.  This feature is an additional mechanism to the flute itself which involves extra key work.  Split E is used to help with the response to achieve a high register E without cracking.  Some players find this useful, while others do not like the additional weight it adds to the flute, the slight difference in intonation (the mechanism tends to flatten the higher register notes), or the additional key work associated with it.  Step Up flutes are only available with the split E mechanism if the flute has an offset G.

Question 7 - What is the C# trill key?

C# trill: the C# trill is another mechanism that is added to the flute to make the higher register trills much easier.  If you are going to audition for top orchestras in the country or be a professional player, this feature is a must have.  If you find a flute you like that meets your budget and has a C# trill mechanism, it is a worthwhile investment.  You cannot add the C# trill mechanism to the flute once it has been built.  Most step up flutes do not have this as an option, however, more and more manufacturers are recognizing the advantage and are including them on their intermediate flutes.  As you can see, there are many different options available for a step up flute.  The best advice is to set a budget and then have your child try as many flutes in that price range as they can.  Using the assistance of a trained professional in the decision making process is crucial.  Your child's teacher is a valuable resource -- after all, they are the ones most likely making the recommendation for a better flute, and they know your child's potential the best.

Yellow arrow points to C# trill

The Trill Seekers

Helen Spielman

This article appears in Helen Spielman's upcoming book A Flute in My Refrigerator: Celebrating a Life in Music, which will be released in 2013. Helen is a performance anxiety coach who works with musicians around the world via phone or Skype, teaching them to perform consistently with focus, control, and freedom. You may visit her website at PerformConfidently.com   This article was previously published in Music for the Love Of It, June 1995 and is used by permission.

The Trill Seekers

     Five years ago, I put an ad in the paper and posted flyers on bulletin boards, advertising my services as a flute teacher. I prayed that at least a few adults would find their way to my studio. Although I adore children, I wanted a varied student population so that my teaching day would be interesting and stimulating. God answered my prayers in a big way. Since that time, I have always had between 8 and 15 adults in my studio.

     The children I taught would sometimes say, “Do you teach a girl named Kathy? She’s in my class” or “in my Brownie troupe” or “on my soccer team.” I never heard comments like that from the grownups, and I began to realize how separate they were from each other. So I started an adult flute group, which began meeting three times a year. The group has been so popular that, by the students’ request, we now meet four times a year. We have an evening activity followed by time for refreshments and socializing. Becky came up with the name “The Trill Seekers,” and we’ve been seeking trills and thrills together ever since.

     My adult students were shy about playing their flutes in public, so for our initial session I invited Brooks de Wetter-Smith, the flute professor from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, to give a talk about flute repertoire and play for us. “I don’t know if I would have come that first time if I had to play in front of the others,” Jenifer told me. “It was much easier to be introduced to the group this way.”

     For the second session, we played Christmas music in three-part harmony, as an ensemble, and no one had to solo. The third session became Duet Night, with the students playing duets, either with each other or with me. Gradually I coaxed them toward the fourth session, where they played solos with a piano accompanist.

     Recently, when I asked the students how they have benefited from participating in our group, the theme of performance anxiety came up in everyone’s response. “At first I was very nervous,” said Jenifer, “but now it’s fun. It was helpful to learn that other people get as nervous as I do, those who started as adults like me and those who’ve played for a long time. Every time we play in front of each other, I get less nervous. It really helps.”

     Donna had a different perspective. “As an adult, it’s hard to be less than accomplished at something. Our group validates the whole experience of being a learner. It shows me the OK-ness of being a novice.”  

     “It’s nice to have the opportunity to play in front of people other than in a recital with a whole crowd listening,” Dianne explained. “This group has helped me build confidence and skill. And it’s nice to play and not be laughed at. At home, my cats laugh at me, and sometimes my children do, too!”

     Jill focused on the social aspect of the experience. “I like getting together with a bunch of flute players and sharing a common interest with other adults. It’s rare to find a group of adult amateur musicians; it wouldn’t happen by accident. It’s a real plus for me to have this in my life.”

     Robin had similar feelings. “I enjoy getting together with other people who like to play music, otherwise I’m doing it alone. In my community concert band, we work together as a group, but this setting allows me to play as an individual and yet have somebody else to share with. And we focus purely on flute music, so it’s a great medium in which to exchange information. I enjoy the talking and laughing and the fun of trying out new music.”

     “It’s good to do something that’s not work-related, something just for fun,” Dianne shared. “And besides, the food’s always good.”

     Jenifer said, “I’ve gotten to know the other folks in the group well. At recitals, there’s no time to get to know anyone. It’s so nice to have someone to talk to during the week, to go to the music store with, or to attend concerts together. Our paths wouldn’t cross without this group. The other people in my life don’t play the flute.”  

     Occasionally my students get together for non-flute-related activities. As with many friendships, a common interest can lead ultimately to a broader relationship.

     When I asked the group what their favorite or most memorable sessions have been, everyone said they liked the sessions we have once a year when the students get to play solos with a piano accompaniment. They enjoy hearing what the music sounds like in its entirety. “Hearing the other half of the music, instead of merely imagining it,” Robin said.

     “I not only like playing my own solos with a piano accompaniment,” Jill explained, “but I also love to see the progress others have made.”

     Comments such as these show me that energies have shifted, that my students have grown and changed. After all the focus on nerves about performing, they’re now telling me that their favorite sessions involve playing for others!

     “For me,” Jill continued, “the most memorable sessions are when Brooks gives a masterclass for us. I consider it a real opportunity to work with someone like him. What he can do with each individual student in fifteen minutes is amazing.”

     During one of Brooks’ masterclasses, Donna was pleased that she could adjust her embouchure the way he showed her to. “I could do it!” she exclaimed. “It was exciting to learn something I hadn’t thought about before.”

     For Dianne, the first time she heard Brooks play in my living room, where our group meets, was the most memorable moment. “I never knew a human being could make a sound as glorious as that. It was musical ecstasy.”

     I derive just as much benefit from these sessions as my students. My heart swells when I see my students play beautifully in a relaxed manner in front of others. I learn to be a better teacher by listening to the conversations we have during these evenings, or by watching a master teacher work with my students. My role as “the teacher” diminishes, and I become “one of the gang,” just another person who loves the flute and likes to interact with friends in a meaningful way. My soul is nourished by the laughter, friendship, acceptance, and support we extend to one another.

     I agree with Dianne, who said, “I like it all!” and with Donna, who said, “I appreciate the opportunity to create music for fun—to experience the simple, old-fashioned joy of making music.”

     When we first became “The Trill Seekers,” I had no idea that the thrills we would find together would be so far-reaching and life-enhancing. In seeking a deeper relationship with music and with our instruments, we’ve been led toward love and joy, as well as social, emotional, and spiritual fulfillment. In the process of becoming music makers together, we’re learning to express ourselves as beautiful, creative, wondrous beings.