(no subject)
This may not be a profound entry today, tomorrow, or next week. But I am hoping that this will turn out to be an important posting for me in the years to come.
I had a fabulous conversation with some studio members tonight. And I am so inspired by our chat that I have been unable to allow myself to sleep for the past several hours.... ridiculous time to post, yes haha
Of course, orchestral playing and fluting. Always on my mind.
My teacher is the most humble and creative musician I know. I am totally inspired every time I hear him and I think everything he plays is just incredible. I agree with everything about his playing and although I think he feels that he's not really great at expressing what he does and how he does it so well, it comes across as genius and helpful all the time.
I am sometimes afraid for the path I have chosen, yes, but the scariest thing is totally out of my control- More on that later in the paragraphs.
So I played a recital at home in December and my flute teacher from high school attended. She gave me her opinion the following day, honest and opinionated but caring- "I miss the bright parts of your playing.... it seems really dark what you're doing." I enjoyed her observation and I agreed fully with her evaluation of my current state of tone choice. I was unhappy with how she phrased it, as if flute tone should not be so dark.
I believe in dark, warm, blended, lovely flute tone. I have previously played brightly, shimmery, sharp and tin-like. I do believe there is room for this in my flute playing, however I do not favor this side and I am not sure I will ever favor this side ever again for myself. I am not that stubborn when it comes to flute, but I also have a better understanding of what I like, what I want to sound like, and what I think is ideal.
I have had conversations with my current teacher about how I am disappointed when I hear an orchestra that allows the flute to be on top of the woodwind section. I get really irritated when vibrato hides the actual pitch, and when shrillyness helps the flute project. I don't agree at all with this way of projecting and I'm actually quite distracted when I hear it. Playing sharp to be heard above the rest of the woodwinds is also bothersome, but I am totally guilty of that- (I don't do it on purpose haha)
Anyway, the scariest part, out of my control, is that from my perspective- this is a really prevalent and favored way of fluting, which is really hard not to think about. I want to a win a job, convince an orchestra panel that the flip ('dark') side of flute tone is just as valuable and even more expressive. I feel like a minority in the sea of flutists. I never label myself as dark, but I've always been referred to as "woody" or "baroque sounding" and people mistake that for being stylistic instead of just plain artistic. I sound like I sound, somewhere in-between and impossible to label specifically. Sound that is less bright is, to me, a more compatible addition to the unit of woodwinds.
I don't understand the other side very well even though I've been there... I seem extremely bias tonight haha
Giving your sound up to collaborate and produce a blend for orchestra is totally a unique experience. When I can hear each individual instrument, I want more. I want them to stop thinking of their egos, stop thinking of how well they can hear themselves, and get to the "how can I sound like someone else" part of chamber playing.
But, indeed, I can only focus on my own playing. Adding only as much vibrato as I like, as opposed to adding more to appeal to other people.... which has crossed my mind many many times.
Are there places, people, orchestras, other woodwinds that agree with me?
BTW
This actually all came out of the conversation and not because of any event/ concert/ person in particular.
I probably am just going nuts over nothing in particular, but I feel very strongly that my tone preference is quite different than the majority. Which I willingly admit, accept, and move forward to conquer.
I had a fabulous conversation with some studio members tonight. And I am so inspired by our chat that I have been unable to allow myself to sleep for the past several hours.... ridiculous time to post, yes haha
Of course, orchestral playing and fluting. Always on my mind.
My teacher is the most humble and creative musician I know. I am totally inspired every time I hear him and I think everything he plays is just incredible. I agree with everything about his playing and although I think he feels that he's not really great at expressing what he does and how he does it so well, it comes across as genius and helpful all the time.
I am sometimes afraid for the path I have chosen, yes, but the scariest thing is totally out of my control- More on that later in the paragraphs.
So I played a recital at home in December and my flute teacher from high school attended. She gave me her opinion the following day, honest and opinionated but caring- "I miss the bright parts of your playing.... it seems really dark what you're doing." I enjoyed her observation and I agreed fully with her evaluation of my current state of tone choice. I was unhappy with how she phrased it, as if flute tone should not be so dark.
I believe in dark, warm, blended, lovely flute tone. I have previously played brightly, shimmery, sharp and tin-like. I do believe there is room for this in my flute playing, however I do not favor this side and I am not sure I will ever favor this side ever again for myself. I am not that stubborn when it comes to flute, but I also have a better understanding of what I like, what I want to sound like, and what I think is ideal.
I have had conversations with my current teacher about how I am disappointed when I hear an orchestra that allows the flute to be on top of the woodwind section. I get really irritated when vibrato hides the actual pitch, and when shrillyness helps the flute project. I don't agree at all with this way of projecting and I'm actually quite distracted when I hear it. Playing sharp to be heard above the rest of the woodwinds is also bothersome, but I am totally guilty of that- (I don't do it on purpose haha)
Anyway, the scariest part, out of my control, is that from my perspective- this is a really prevalent and favored way of fluting, which is really hard not to think about. I want to a win a job, convince an orchestra panel that the flip ('dark') side of flute tone is just as valuable and even more expressive. I feel like a minority in the sea of flutists. I never label myself as dark, but I've always been referred to as "woody" or "baroque sounding" and people mistake that for being stylistic instead of just plain artistic. I sound like I sound, somewhere in-between and impossible to label specifically. Sound that is less bright is, to me, a more compatible addition to the unit of woodwinds.
I don't understand the other side very well even though I've been there... I seem extremely bias tonight haha
Giving your sound up to collaborate and produce a blend for orchestra is totally a unique experience. When I can hear each individual instrument, I want more. I want them to stop thinking of their egos, stop thinking of how well they can hear themselves, and get to the "how can I sound like someone else" part of chamber playing.
But, indeed, I can only focus on my own playing. Adding only as much vibrato as I like, as opposed to adding more to appeal to other people.... which has crossed my mind many many times.
Are there places, people, orchestras, other woodwinds that agree with me?
BTW
This actually all came out of the conversation and not because of any event/ concert/ person in particular.
I probably am just going nuts over nothing in particular, but I feel very strongly that my tone preference is quite different than the majority. Which I willingly admit, accept, and move forward to conquer.