Paul Edmund-Davies on Double-Tonguing

Ever struggle with double tonguing on the flute?  In his video lesson titled "Articulation 3," Powell artist Paul Edmund-Davies discusses a different approach, beginning with a discussion of syllables. He suggests replacing the "tuh-kuh" syllables one might use as an articulation for double tonguing with the lighter syllables "doo-goo" or "duh-guh" which allow for more fluid motion of the tongue.

The lesson is in three parts which gradually extend in length of note groupings, beginning with groupings of 4 notes, then 12, and finally, 16.  As with any exercise, Paul reminds us that the exercises must be played musically rather than statically.  In the first section, he suggests thinking of each note moving to the next note and adds dynamics to help with this motion.  As he demonstrates the concept, you can hear the wonderful, fluid direction and liveliness of the groupings.  Finally, Paul comments that the number of articulations increase along with the number of notes in the groupings, and this should help in achieving fluidity when double-tonguing.  The full lesson, compete with downloadable sheet music, is available by clicking this link to the lesson page on Paul's Simply Flute website.

Click here to view the full lesson on Simply Flute.

Artist Teaching Profile - Christina Jennings

This week, Powell artist Christina Jennings welcomed flutists to her annual Panoramic Flutist residential seminar at the University of Colorado Bolder.  The seminar focuses on creating a sense of community among flutists and presents a series of sessions and workshops targeting the whole musician ("mind, body, and artistry") through a series of sessions on practice, performance, and study. This year, she welcomed guest artists Paula Robison, Lisa Garner Santa, and Jennifer Kenney.

Ms. Jennings hosts the seminar at the Univeristy of Colorado Boulder, where she is currently Associate Professor of Flute. For those interested in undergraduate or graudate studies with Ms. Jennings, her personal website (www.christinajennings.com) includes a page dedicated specifically to her flute studio.  You can find this page by clicking the "teaching" heading in the top horizontal menu bar. She shares a brief overview of the studio and includes a link to the full studio page on the UCBolder website.  The studio website is incredibly engaging, with terrific images and very thorough information for prospective undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to degree program information, Ms. Jennings shares the following perspectives on the learning environment:

The flute studio is a supportive yet intense group of musicians who are passionate about the flute!

CU is dedicated to developing the whole musician. Students are expected to balance academic and instrumental excellence, and have the opportunity to participate in a range of diverse programs, such as the Entrepreneurship Center for Music, classes in the Alexander Technique through our Musicians’ Wellness Initiative, or participate in one of the many world music ensembles including the West African Highlife Ensemble. For a complete look at these diverse programs, please explore the College of Music site. In addition, the world-class courses offered through the University provide students with a well-rounded education. Many studio members have double majored or minored in other areas including: Business, Engineering, English and French.

For additional information on Christina Jennings, visit the following pages:
Powell Artist Profile 
Panoramic Flutist 

Teach Flute Blog Posts:

History of Her Powell Flutes

Greenwood Music Camp

Recording the Music of George Rochberg -- Part 1

Recording the Music of George Rocheberg - Part II

"Warming Up" with Paul Edmund-Davies

Photo of Paul Edmund-Davies courtesy of Simply Flute.

Powell artist Paul Edmund-Davies has a terrific new website (www.SimplyFlute.com) with many instructional videos and exercises.  In his latest video, "Sonority 2," Paul presents a warm-up exercise and expands on the topic of warming up in general.  Why do we warm up?  How do we warm up?  What are we trying to achieve?  All of these questions are answered with a terrifically lighthearted, laughter-inducing style.  In fact, Paul explains that when we play the flute, we are using our bodies in a "fairly unusual way...."  He gives an example of playing long phrases in comparison with the way we breathe when we are not playing,  He asked, "When in our everyday lives would we go around blowing air out for 15 seconds?"  His humor certainly puts an enjoyable spin on the concept of warming up.  Follow this link to the full video, and you'll see!

Extended Techniques Ladder

By Morgann Davis

One of the best parts of operating a private studio is the opportunity to develop a unique curriculum for your students. Sometimes you are able to pinpoint a project that works great when repeated each year, like a scale challenge or music theory project that reviews important basics. Other times it is best to develop a project based on what the current needs of your students are, or what you feel is lacking from the scope of their regular musical experience. Regardless of the reason behind developing a challenge, as a teacher, it is an excellent creative exercise in developing something your students enjoy, and a fantastic instructional exercise in evaluating the needs of your students.

I’ve noticed that my studio settles into a rhythm of production. Depending on the time of year, school activities, auditions that are available, holidays, etc., I can predict how much extra time my students have and when they have a little extra energy for their flute practice. This “rhythm” is also how I decide when to schedule my studio recitals. It will be different for each teacher, and depends heavily on your location, local school districts, state music programs and outside offerings like youth orchestras. We have three recitals per year, and generally I try to do a special project leading up to the two that occur during the school year. It helps the students to maintain focus on an important element of their playing, and also plays off the extra attention they have to their practice when a recital is on the horizon.

Over the winter months this year (which, admittedly, I thought would never end!), I felt extra motivated to provide something other than the “regular” lesson structure. We started the winter with an Extended Techniques Goal Ladder. The simple clip art I enlarged and provided to each student had a ladder with five rungs that we could fill in at a rate of one per week, or even per two weeks, depending on the student. By not indicating the specific extended technique they would learn at each rung, I could tailor the worksheet for each students’ age and ability level. Each student in my studio was able to participate, from recent beginners who learned things like key clicks to advanced high school students who refined their multiphonic production and techniques like whistle tones.

Keeping an overall goal in mind with each project helps me to direct my instruction and not get sidetracked in too many different directions. For this project, I had two overall goals in mind. First, was to introduce each student to the versatility of the flute. Understanding the capabilities of the instrument opens their ears when hearing new music. It can help them to be more excited to perform new music, knowing that extended techniques are within reach of their abilities. The second goal was to open up a new wealth of possibilities for the development of fundamentals. Seasoned flutists know how beneficial it is for our tone and technique when we learn and regularly practice things like singing and playing or harmonics. Getting my students started on these skills at an early stage of development provides many avenues for practice and discussion that will help them to be as adept as possible as their abilities develop.

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www.morgannelycedavis.com

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