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There's still time to help out a fellow flutist!

1/30/2013

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Hello everyone!

There is still time to help out a fellow musician.  Please visit Jillian's website at:

http://gogetfunding.com/project/help-keep-my-music-alive#/comments

Some donors have preferred to avoid online payments.  If you would like to send me the donations made to "Jillian Larson", I will make sure she receives it.  Again, although our names are oddly similar, we are not related, nor am I assuming a pseudonym!

To those of you that have already donated to helping Jillian, you have my sincere thanks.  

Bill
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A flutist in need

12/29/2012

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Hello everyone! Happy Holidays. I hope that you are feeling better than me. Somewhere in between all these holiday gigs, I managed to contract the flu. Otherwise, its been a great season.

There is a project that I am interested in. One of my former flute students lost her flute. She is nearly to the point of graduation at FGCU. Purchasing a new flute is a must, but it is an extreme hardship. At my suggestion, she set up a page at a fund raising site. Please, at least go read about her situation and if you can, help her out.


http://gogetfunding.com/project/help-keep-my-music-alive

Many thanks,

Bill Larsen
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November 04th, 2012

11/4/2012

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I had a good reminder today via the misfortune of one of my former university students.

Just in case your flute or piccolo may be misplaced or stolen, you should jot down the make, model and serial number of your instruments.  Its very hard to lay claim to something that you can not positively identify.

Here's some guidelines:
1.  Call the police and file a report.  It may seem pointless at the time, but later you may be grateful that you established an official timeline.  Retain your copy of the report.  You may need the file number.
2.  Canvass the neighborhood.  Put up fliers, stick them under doors or on windshields.
3.  Offer a credible reward for a "No Questions Asked" safe return of your instrument(s).
4.  Check your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy.  If you have a policy, you may be covered for your loss.  In the future, you may want to list this as a line item on your insurance.  By the way, if you are a professional musician at any level and cannot claim status as a student, even if you list the instrument as a line item on your insurance, it probably is not covered.  You need to get instrument coverage under a separate policy.  Look at http://www.clarionins.com/.
5.  Go to every pawn shop in town.  Visit them on a weekly basis.  This is legwork that you will have to do on your own.  The police have plenty of other stuff to do.  If you happen to find your instrument, step outside the shop and call the police immediately.  Have a copy of your stolen property report.
6.  List your instrument as stolen on CraigsList as well as Larry Krantz's flutelist.

If you have some other experience or advice with the loss of your musical instrument, please resp

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November 04th, 2012

11/4/2012

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Sadly, scales turn out to be the bane of most students existence.  Scale knowledge is used to gauge every audition in the academic musical world.  A colleague of ours, a local middle school band director, good old boy type put it succinctly when he said:  "Scales is music."  This statement may not be grammatically correct, however it is a salient and thoughtful point.  His words stick with me to this day.

Most, if not all music uses scales and arpeggios as its building blocks.   Thorough knowledge of all major, minor, modal, chromatic, blues, whole tone and diminished scales is very important to the progress of the student (and the teacher!).  

At my first semester freshman jury exam at Arizona State University, I was asked to play the B major scale.  For the life of me, I could not remember the key signature.  In a panic, I played the Bb major scale.  Interestingly enough, not one of the six faculty member committee looked up or gave comment.  Disgusted with myself (and the faculty), I went to a practice room immediately and spent several maniacal hours on scales.  I learned them upside downs and backwards.  I have never forgotten how that day changed my musicianship.


All-State is a prime example of the importance of scale knowledge.  Almost half of all possible points are dedicated to the chromatic scale, the major scales and arpeggios.  The students who make the All-State ensembles must be able to perform all them well, at a reasonable tempo, with a good tone and a sense of musicality.  That is the key to becoming competitive at the All-State level.


Bill

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Flute Acoustics Explained!

10/24/2012

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Finally, someone has compiled and written an easy to read essay on the unique acoustics of the flute.  Many of my students have little drawings on their etudes and solos, or small details written in their lesson notebooks regarding this very subject.  Just like "Larsen's Rules of Articulation", putting all these bits together in one place was on my project list. 

But someone beat me to the punch.  Here it is:
Flute Acoustics
                                                          http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/fluteacoustics.html

This will be permanently linked on "Salient Websites" on the Flute Links menu as well.

If flutists read this, they will understand how their instrument works, and then begin to adapt to it better. 

Good luck!

Bill
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Larsen's Rules of Articulation

10/6/2012

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This will also available as a download on our "Flute Related Downloads" under the Media Menu.

LARSEN'S RULES OF ARTICULATION:

1.         Articulation does not involve the throat.

2.         Tongue forward at the gum line, upper front teeth or through the teeth, but not on the palate.

3.         Never tongue hard even when accented.

4.          The first note of a slur is automatically accented by virtue of denying accent to the connected notes.

5.         The last note of the slur may be slightly lifted or shorter.  This depends on the style/time period and
                performance practices of the time in which the piece was composed.

6.         Syncopation is weak beat accent.

7.         Separate (make space) prior to an accent.

8.         Faster tempi require shorter note lengths.

9.         Faster articulated passages do not require tonal expression. They need clean articulations, a simple tone color
                and direction.

10.        Tenuto sometimes means to give “weight” to the note.

11.        Accents sometimes mean to play the note tenuto.

12.         When practicing purposefully slower, keep the note lengths the same as the faster goal     tempo.

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The Quixotic Evolution of my "Inner Thumper"

9/17/2012

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This is an excerpted version of a speech that I gave at a fundraising event for the SWFSO.  I thought it deserved to be shared on my blog.

I want to tell you the story of how my mad pursuit of music began.  Hopefully, I can tie it all together and tell you why the arts need your support.

From an early age, I exhibited signs of fascination with rhythm and sound.  I am told that, as a baby, I would stick my foot in between my crib and the wall, and thump out a regular beat pattern.  From this, I earned the lifelong nickname of Thumper.  To this day, I press on the footboard of our bed and rock, because it helps me sleep.  My sweet wife tolerates this and finds it strangely endearing.

My father was the master of imitating Donald Duck.  My first rude words were learned in the voice of the good Donald.  Dad managed to squeak out Donald’s voice in the back of his throat and it never failed to get a smile or a laugh out of the listening party.  Obviously, I wanted to be part of that.  It took years to master, but I became as proficient as my father, but my language was far worse. 


During summers, I would drive my Mother and sisters crazy with the odd, and unpredictable sounds that I could make with my voice.  In particular, I developed a sound that could be controlled into the effect of an approaching truck.  This was quite unpopular in the family. 

Fortunately for everyone, when 4th grade rolled around, I had the opportunity to try out instruments.  I had no real inclination, but my sisters had already surpassed any possibilities of me being successful in art, science, math, French, attendance, punctuality, attention span, etc.  “What the heck.” I thought. 

Perhaps the first time in my ten-year old life, as a band member, I belonged to something.   That something tapped into my inner desire to create and organize sound.   I felt at home, and secure, surrounded by my band nerd friends. 

As a result of my interest, my Mother saw fit to get me some lessons.  My teacher gave me everything that I needed to be inspired.  Jose Corral, second flute with the Phoenix Symphony and notable jazz musician showered me with his musicianship and knowledge, but perhaps more importantly, offered me the non-judgmental nurturing that a teenage boy flute player might need.   To this day, he is more than a flute teacher.  He is my flute father.

Through diligent practice, I won the position of piccolo with the All-State orchestra my senior year of high school.  Then I went to Arizona State on a full scholarship.  College was great!  And, I was no longer a nerd.  There was awesome power in focusing on my musicianship.  People noticed.  Especially girls!

During my college years, I had the good fortune of subbing (at the last minute) on a concert with the Phoenix Symphony.  Famed musician, Eduardo Mata was conducting.  At the end of the concert, Maestro Mata gave me a thumbs up and I was hooked for life. 

After grad school in Cincinnati, I auditioned for several positions, but could not secure work.  I formed a trio during that time, and when the other two musicians moved to Florida, I followed them.  Our trio was named Jasi.  We were quite popular here in Fort Myers.

At that same time (1983), I auditioned for and won a position with the SWFSO.  Since then, I have been operations manager, personnel manager, librarian, general manager of the youth orchestra, principal flute, soloist, and part of an education trio.   Not at the same time.

I met my wife Beth at a summer master class.  Soon after meeting, she auditioned for and won the second flute/piccolo position with the orchestra.  We became close friends, and later we got married.  Best thing that ever happened to me.

Now, Beth and I have a sixth grader of our own.  He started band this year.  He will try flute for a while to see if he likes it.  I have to tell you, he gets a great sound.  The jury is out whether he will find his “Inner Thumper”. 

I tell the story of Thumper because, in my mind, it is so clearly my first musical cusp moment.  Music is the thread that has bound my life together.  The choice to play music gave me a sense of worth and a place to be.  It saved me from many possible destructive paths and helped me find my way into being a part of this community.  I may have taught your children.  In some cases, I may have taught you! Or played at your wedding or in your church.  Or you may have seen or heard me in this great orchestra of ours.

Music must not become secondary in our education and our culture.  In performances, most especially those concerts for children, I think and feel that there must be someone out there that just needs a taste, a spark to become compelled to make music a part of their lives.   I feel privileged to have had such an extraordinary musical journey.

So, here's to all those future thumpers with a special “thank you” to all of you out there that help us reach out to them.

Thank you.

 

 

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Lesson Policies

9/13/2012

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Finally, Beth and I have gotten our act together and codified our policies regarding taking lessons.  You may download and view the pdf at "Flute Related Downloads" under the Media menu tab.   Or you may click on the button below.
Lesson Policies
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The Three "A's":  Air Speed, Angle and Aperture

8/29/2012

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When I was young flute student, the talk was all about embouchure (and diaphragmatic vibrato).  I worked doggedly to try to produce the desired results, but never could quite get the hang of what was being said by my teachers, in masterclasses, conventions and in Flute Talk Magazine.

A lot has changed since then.  The teacher that changed my flute life was Peter Lloyd, although I did get an overwhelming amount of information from a single encounter with Keith Underwood.  These two gentlemen showed me how to bring about the best possible tone, with a huge increase in dynamic range(especially pianissimo), and tone color.  The answer was very simple, just get out of the way.

I constantly remind my students and myself to open the throat, teeth and mouth and let the air stream do the work.  The embouchure merely encloses the air stream, and brings the final bit of focus to your efforts.  This works with almost every shape and size of lips and it is much less stressful on the body, the tone, and the music.

Understandably, an unrestricted air stream cause some other difficulties.  We have to learn to balance the air pressure to the amount of resistance at our lips.  Without some focusing, the air stream is broad and airy in quality.  It works for most registers and situations, but not all. 

It is true that the angle varies according to the register, the dynamic and even the articulation in use.  If one exams only register, you might find that the best solution is often contrary to what our instincts tell us to do.  This is especially true of aperture.    When beginning the flute, we often find ourselves and our students with an embouchure that is wide open or too closed.  The former produces an airy, unfocused sound which requires a lot of more breath.  The latter inhibits the production of the higher register and causes articulation problems in all registers.


Here's  a chart that I offer my students to help understand how to acquire good, open sounds in different registers.

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If you have embouchure issues or questions, please drop me an email.  Having worked through my own issues helped me become a much more efficient and understanding teacher.  There is a lot of trial and error work involved.   Sadly, the path towards a beautiful tone seems to be the one less traveled. 

Bill


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Music Theory Website

8/13/2012

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Upon the advice of my good friend Dr. Thurmaier (the Professor of Music Theory at Florida Gulf Coast University), I have posted a link to a website that will get students acquainted with the practice and application of music theory.  The site is:  http://www.musictheory.net/.  A link will be found on the "Salient Websites" page of our website.

A good musician learns scales, arpeggios, rhythm, and harmony in order to understand and communicate the music most effectively.  It is not enough to be intuitively musical.   Knowledge of the structure of a piece of music is essential to our performances. 

Bill
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