This season the music my flute choir is working is filled with dynamic effects. Some are simple and straightforward, others include big, quick changes. All of them need to be done cleanly and provide big impact. Wishy washy dynamic changes will be worse than none at all. I have made plans for developing these inContinue reading “Developing effective dynamics in the flute choir”
Tag Archives: Flute Ensemble
Intonation in Action at the Florida Flute Fair 2014
Yay! My proposal to present at the 2014 Florida Flute Fair has been accepted so I will be presenting a workshop on Intonation in Action. I will also conducting my flute choir, the Tampa Bay Flute Choir, at this year’s event, so I will be busy in January! The workshop will involve audience members inContinue reading “Intonation in Action at the Florida Flute Fair 2014”
Introducing Difference Tones to the Flute Choir
I am always looking for more effective ways to enable the flute choir that I conduct to play in tune. In the past I had used warmup exercises that focus on ensemble intonation, but at the beginning of this year’s rehearsal season, I tried to use sections of pieces to do the same thing. ThisContinue reading “Introducing Difference Tones to the Flute Choir”
Calming Pre-Concert Nerves
Before our flute choir concerts, I like to do a calming exercise with the group so they can play with more relaxed bodies and clearer mental focus. It is a simple breathing exercise that has had good results so far. I have them breathe in through their noses for a slow count of 4, thenContinue reading “Calming Pre-Concert Nerves”
Thoughts on Conducting a Flute Choir
I’m just recovering from the most recent performance of the flute choir that I conduct, (the Tampa Bay Flute Choir). It was a lovely performance in front of a large, enthusiastic audience. It could hardly have gone better! I have to admit that I was VERY, nervous going into the performance, almost unreasonably so. IContinue reading “Thoughts on Conducting a Flute Choir”
Fluting in the New Year
Well this year is off and running! I’ve had my first orchestra rehearsal and conducted the first flute choir rehearsal of the year. We’ve got new programs to learn for both groups, oh boy! I’ve submitted my intonation practice book for publication as an eBook for people with Nooks, Kindles, iPads, etc and soon itContinue reading “Fluting in the New Year”
Virtual Flute Choir
If you haven’t heard about the Virtual Flute Choir, check this site and YouTube video out. What a cool idea! Flutists from all over the world submitted videos of themselves playing a pre-selected piece at a set tempo. Then those individual videos and recordings were recorded into a single performance. Neato keen! To be honest,Continue reading “Virtual Flute Choir”
Preparing for Intonation Contingencies
At last week’s flute choir rehearsal, we were discussing how often we might have to tune during the concert because of people having to change to different instruments for different pieces. There were several suggestions made about how to peed the flutes warm so they wouldn’t be so flat when they are picked up forContinue reading “Preparing for Intonation Contingencies”
Christmas in August, and September, and ….
I’m planning the winter concert for the flute choir that I conduct and listening to CD after CD of Christmas music. You’d think this would be the easiest concert to plan, everyone loves Christmas, right? But who wants to rehearse it for three months!!! I’m trying to put together a program that is about halfContinue reading “Christmas in August, and September, and ….”
E Pluribus Flutum
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!