It's all about song choice...

I got the good news about a week ago -- I'm a semifinalist for the Myrna Brown Artist Competition sponsored by the Texas Flute Society this May. What's neat about this accomplishment is that I've submitted tapes for the preliminary round at least twice before with no result. This competition has been on my radar for a while since there is no age limit, and I suspect it might be one of the last big competitions that I enter for that reason. One of the requirements for the final round is that you perform a 25-minute recital program of varied styles and periods, including the Karg-Elert Caprice No. 23. For the semi-final round, each of the 10 contestants performs 15 minutes of that program.

I have been obsessed over repertoire selection since I found out that I'm advancing. I'm definitely at the point in my career where I want to play more than just flashy music, and yet in order to stay competitive, you must impress the judges with a certain level of technique. At the same time, I want to select music that fits my strengths and personality, and definitely some music that I've performed before. All of these factors pull at me in addition to the issue of accompanists. I should know more this weekend after I talk with HT. She would be my first choice if I brought my own pianist. After running my program ideas past Eva, I think I'm close to locking in the repertoire. I will announce the works probably in my next blog.

Here are some pictures btw from the Arts Festival last month. I played only one piece with cd accompaniment: TRKS, and had a positive response from the audience. If I play next year, I'll have the flute microphoned. Anyway, it was a good time.

Flute Karaoke

I have a confession. I'm a closet American Idol watcher. I know. You can't believe it! Generally I don't watch much tv, but I started tuning into the show because my parents are big fans. RTP and I laugh at the judges' musical critiques as we draw transfers to the realm of classical music. What if you went to an orchestral audition and one of the comments was "Your performance was a little pitchy, Dog." Another regular criticism by the judges is that a performance is like karaoke. That made me think a little bit about fostering your own musical voice and breathing new life into the standard flute repertoire. We classical musicians certainly don't want to perform "auto pilot" when we're on stage. Of course you'll want to study recordings and try different interpretations of a piece. Another way I try to stay fresh is always programming new repertoire and playing at different performance venues. RTP and I are playing at the southwoodstock music festival tomorrow: www.southwoodstock.org. I'm going to play two pieces with cd accompaniment: Ian Clarke's TRKS and Cindy McTee's Stepping Out. This will be my first time playing those pieces in public, so I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen. I suppose there is even more danger of sounding karaoke when you perform with pre-recorded accompaniments....especially with the Clarke. Once the piece feels mastered, you may want to try playing on the back side of the beat at times and exploring the timing each piece allows. Since the accompaniment is fixed, you will have to vary your tone colors or energy level. In the case of the McTee, the percussion part could also be performed live which is neat. Will let you know how it goes tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

Relax and have fun!

I was reminded several times over the last few weeks about the importance of taking breaks and relaxing. In fact I'm taking a little break right now from a practice session. It probably first hit home when RTP started working for the state and I could see that he was getting stressed out over the newness of the job, etc. My advise was don't forget that you have 2 breaks at work -- USE THEM. Get up out of that chair and walk around. I just had a conversation with a co-worker today about how she shouldn't work through lunch all the time. Remember that the work will always be there. Lastly, an old college friend came to visit on Friday and working all of the time came up yet again in conversation. I was glad to hear that he was taking up piano lessons which sounds like a great creative outlet.

Is it no wonder then, that music teachers have to work on destressing students during their lessons? When I was teaching in East Texas, I wondered how some of the freshmen had time to practice after they told me their schedule - part time jobs, marching band... I suppose it's different for every teacher. Old timers like Debost, Tipton, and DeLaney would tell stories during lessons. Amsler uses Feldenkreis technique. Others might use humor or movement. We could probably learn something from dolphins. Did you see the story today? Apparently they blow rings of bubbles underwater and jump through them. That sounds like a stress reliever to me. Glub! Glub!

Lessons learned from a Dog Show

This past weekend, RTP and I went to a dog show for the first time. Now we've watched shows on TV before, but I can say there are things you notice in person that are not apparent from the couch. First of all, the dogs are for the most part well-trained and on task...just like musicians ready to take the stage. I don't know what I was thinking, but I expected a lot more barking and dog poop...Everything was very orderly. Many times I was tempted to go pet one of the cute dogs, but I could tell that he or she was getting ready for the judges. I can relate as a musician, since we need to find our own quiet space before a performance to get focused and mentally prepare for the concert. Secondly, the tension is almost palpable between the different owners/handlers. We observed on more than one occasion, some jealous eyes checking out the competition. And then in a flash the decision is made and if you don't place, your dog is quickly escorted outside. Just like an orchestral or band audition. You may observe (or block out) the competition in the warm-up room, the audition takes only a few minutes compared to the hours/years that you have prepared, and then in a flash the decision is announced. Instant excitement or disappointment. There must be a lesson that we learn from entering these competitions or people/dogs must just love to compete, because ultimately there is always only one winner. Why else would musicians spend so much money taking auditions and dogs allow humans to brush and spray their coat 1000 times in preparation for one walk around the ring?

Midweek Mutterings

It would appear that RTP's days of freedom are coming to an end. Today he had his second interview for a day job with the state. While I would not recommend this line of work for the long run, it has provided a necessary income and RTP may find that earning a small income does relieve stress. Stay tuned...

I am in the process of finalizing a project with a recording engineer. Last week I recorded an unaccompanied piece. First I'd like to say that it's a shame that there aren't more competitions for musicians over the age of 30. In light of the current job market, a flutist might be in their 30s before they are hired for a college job or selected for an orchestral seat. Entering competitions is one way to not only expand the resume, but sharpen the skills. The MB competition is open to flutists of all ages.

What I've found over time is that the recording process trains you to be musically consistent. That has been a very valuable quality to me as I've performed concertos and rehearsed chamber music. A true professional can play the excerpt perfectly multiple times and many times students are quite irregular. They may play horribly in a lesson and exclaim that they played the piece much better in practice. (Of course that may be a cover up for not practicing, but I believe there to be some truth to that.) My HS voice teacher, Joan Boytim, always made us record our lessons. Now I'll admit that I didn't always have time to listen to that tape until the day before the lesson, but listening to yourself is an excellent way to understand the teacher's point. One of my goals when I am in a college teaching position again is to incorporate this into the weekly lesson. More about this perhaps another time.

Mickey Mouse meets Troy

Wow! What a week! Last Monday I performed a recital and masterclass at Troy University in Alabama and the following weekend I taught and performed at the Florida Flute Fair in Orlando. Kudos to Hui-Ting, my accompanist and Tammy Phillips who joined me for the concert at FFF. Things went well.

Here was my program:

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something FSU"

8 Pieces for the Musical Clock by Haydn
Sonata (1975) by Harold Schiffman
Aria by Ernst von Dohnanyi
Le Merle Noir by Messiaen
Maya by Ian Clarke
Fantasy, Op. 79 (2 flutes) by Faure

RTP was kind enough to take some pictures during the performance and masterclass in Orlando.
Here I am working with 6th grader, Roy Xiao at the Junior Masterclass. I talked to him about taking full breaths every time he plays and bringing out the dynamics in his solo.

Here I am working with a talented 8th grade flutist, Alex Ishov, who performed the Minuet and Dance from the Blessed Spirits by Gluck.

7 Degrees of Separation

Here I am nursing the last few sips of my hot tea. I just finished drafting an email to an old pianist friend from 2001. My goal: to have her email or call the chair of a search committee on my behalf. And this is not the first time I've tried to solicit phone calls or emails for the purposes of making my job application stand out from the pack. Yet, each time I do this, I feel awkward. Why? I guess a small part of me still believes that I can win a job based solely on my qualifications. Experience tells me that you need to make professional connections and those contacts help you win a job, yet I still want to do it all on my own. So every time I apply for a position, it's like playing the 7 Degrees of Separation game...who is on faculty at this school and who is the search chair and who do I know that might have a connection to those people. Hey, maybe I'll feel less awkward about the whole thing if I approach it like a game. After all, I love playing games...And I guess there will be some paying it forward once I finally win a career job. Fingers crossed that it happens in 2009! Well, my tea has mysteriously disappeared, so I must go.