Tag: Flute choir
March 21, 2012 at 6:56 pmCategory:Flute Treats
Can you say flash mob? How amazing that a group of flutists was assembled to do this, and they seemed to have learned it very well! What an interesting idea, and there are all kinds of instructional videos to go with it so you can do try it with your flute friends!
January 24, 2012 at 1:33 pmCategory:Flute Life
I’ve been working on organizing and building a new flute choir, the Tampa Bay Flute Choir. Luckily I have a great partner in this venture, Judy. I would never attempt it alone! I’m directing and she’s managing and it has been a great adventure so far.
We’ve got a good start with music after taking advantage of the ALRY liquidation sale. Attracting high quality players is a challenge, need to be more active on that front. We don’t want to sound uppity or snobby, but we do want players who want to and can play challenging music. There are plenty of all-inclusive groups here, but we believe that there is room for a more elite group as well. As conductor, I also don’t want to be in teacher mode all the time, though it is hard not to be!
It really is quite the adventure. Today I found myself looking for books on conducting and wishing I had kept my texts from college. Who knew I would need them all this time later? Anyway I’m loving it and hope everyone else is, too. That is really what matters. I think we’ll put on a good debut concert and be off and running. Then who knows what the future will bring from there? Hopefully good flute music, at least!
October 18, 2011 at 5:47 pmCategory:Uncategorized
Hey everybody!
Flute ensemble music publisher and distributor ALRY is closing and is liquidating all of their stock. Much of it is 70% percent off! If you play in an ensemble or teach them, this is a great opportunity to add to your library. I am buying an outrageous amount of music to help out with the start of my local choir. The owner, Amy Blumenthal, wants to clear her shelves and asked me to let all my flute friends know, so I’m telling everyone I can. The catalog is online at “http://www.alrypublications.com” Go check it out, help out Amy and yourself at the same time!
August 7, 2011 at 2:30 pmCategory:Flute Treats
This is such a cool thing! Imagine, a whole orchestra drifting in to a busy transit station, performing Ravel’s Bolero, and then quietly drifting out again. Take a look!
The Bolero is the perfect kind of piece for this kind of thing, since it starts out with one lone musician, gradually adding instruments as the music builds. It is also recognizable by non-Classical music fans.
The keys to the effectiveness of this performance is that it starts out small and builds, so the “audience” is constantly being surprised and engaged. It is also in a busy, enclosed space with OK acoustics. The piece is readily recognizable to a wide audience. The musicians are in ordinary street dress so they do not draw (much) attention as they drift in to play and then drift back out again. Though I do wonder, how do you bring in timpani inconspicuously? They don’t quite fit in a backpack or luggage trolley!
Of course, I’m inspired to do something similar, but with a flute ensemble. So, what flute ensemble piece would work for this? The players either have to drift in and add to the show, or come together quickly and quietly and start playing with no prep. (In other words you can’t stand there forever trying to find the perfect tuning pitch or the best embouchure placement, just put it together and go!) It has to be clear that you are not busking, that this has the effect of a random event, but not a performance where you are putting on a show and the audience is your captive. You just go and do and leave. One of the best parts of the video is the shot at the end of the lady who is left looking completely befuddled, like “What the hell was that!”
I suppose you could have several small groups performing in different places at once. Instead of flash mobs, maybe you could call them “sparks”! Maybe you could do several small groups leading up to a large group performance. If you did this in a walkable downtown area, choosing some high profile spots to start in, maybe you could draw people with you as you move to the next location, like a Pied Piper effect. Hmmmmm . . . I think I’m on to something here! Better get to work on that. Of course repertoire suggestions are appreciated!