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subtlegreyInstead of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to aim for a short essay every day on a topic I feel like yammering about.
Just finished a practice session that felt shorter than the 45 minutes it was. Spent the entire time on alto flute. After my recent solo performance and trying out some other altos, I am doing some wishful thinking about going back to school for music.
I bought my alto right about the same time I hired on with my current employer, so about 2 1/2 years ago. It is a base model Di Zhao, both straight and curved headjoints. The sound I was able to get on it blew me away (no pun intended). Over the past 2 years, I've had numerous folks ask me what flute I have because the sound is so good. I count myself fortunate to have stumbled on a great-sounding, easy-playing beginner alto! As a wonderful boon, it is remarkably in tune.
I thought I would be happy with it for many years, maybe forever. Yet I'm already wanting to upgrade! Even without practicing daily, I have improved sufficiently that I am rapidly outgrowing this alto flute. What's cooler to me than about anything is that I can tell. My ear is getting more refined, and my technique is expanding. I feel a little like a Disney character, all breathless and wide-eyed and this whole new world I'm entering into.
I tried 2 Trevor James base model alto flutes at Judi's flute party a few weeks ago. They were the same flute, both had a solid silver headjoint and riser. One was made out of a metal alloy that gave it a gold finish, whereas the other was standard nickel/silver plate. Most people have been happier with the sound of the gold-look model. I was better with the silver one. The headjoints are hand-cut, which means there's slight variations between them, so it could've been the cut of the headjoint that I was responding to.
The things I noticed that I appreciated were:
1) the key mechanism was very smooth and silent. My current flute is very "clacky." The primary reason I was even looking at another alto was due to the key noise. There's a lot of percussive key noise when I play, particularly on faster passages. The keys don't seem to open and close quite evenly with one another, either. My hand position is slightly uncomfortable on the right hand.
2) I was able to play more expressively - achieve a greater dynamic range, with more extended tapers on notes. That was something I hadn't expected, and now I can't un-feel it. I'm playing my flute and being aggrieved at how limited the expressiveness is. That's an aspect of alto flute playing I would never have noticed no matter how many kinds I test-played back when I bought mine. I simply wasn't advanced enough. I am now, though! How exciting!
I've been mulling over the prospect of upgrading my alto, and I realized that I don't want to upgrade to a better beginner flute. I want to go to a true step-up alto. That is a tremendous investment. $5000 minimum. Obviously, now is not the time. Even if I *had* that kind of money laying around, I wouldn't feel right about buying a step-up alto yet. I want to prove to myself that I am really committed. I need to know I will practice more days than I don't, and that I can diligently improve my technique on both my lovely C flute and my alto, despite the limitations of my current alto. Just because I can't achieve the expressiveness I want today doesn't mean it's entirely out of reach. A disciplined, talented player can get quite a lot out of an inferior instrument. (I should know, that was me in college! If I would've had my current C flute while I was in school, I can't quite imagine how far I would've gone.)
Speaking of my C flute, I do think I'm good with Mercedes forever. The new headjoint my dad bought me is still opening new vistas of musicality to me, and I have not yet reached the limitations of the key mechanism. I need to spend more time with her; Caroline (my alto) has been dominating of late. No, if I'm going to invest in an upgrade, it will be my alto.
As much as I have been enjoying playing my flutes, I am wanting to go back to school to learn more about music and flutes. That's not practical at the moment, but it might be something I could do part-time in a few years if I'm still interested. I would go for general music performance, or liberal arts music degree since I am not interested in being a teacher. I keep thinking there's no use for a music degree (beyond expanding my own knowledge). Doesn't really matter right now. Food for thought, though! If I keep practicing and improving the next 2 years like I have these last 2, some additional schooling makes sense for my development as a musician, if nothing else!
Just finished a practice session that felt shorter than the 45 minutes it was. Spent the entire time on alto flute. After my recent solo performance and trying out some other altos, I am doing some wishful thinking about going back to school for music.
I bought my alto right about the same time I hired on with my current employer, so about 2 1/2 years ago. It is a base model Di Zhao, both straight and curved headjoints. The sound I was able to get on it blew me away (no pun intended). Over the past 2 years, I've had numerous folks ask me what flute I have because the sound is so good. I count myself fortunate to have stumbled on a great-sounding, easy-playing beginner alto! As a wonderful boon, it is remarkably in tune.
I thought I would be happy with it for many years, maybe forever. Yet I'm already wanting to upgrade! Even without practicing daily, I have improved sufficiently that I am rapidly outgrowing this alto flute. What's cooler to me than about anything is that I can tell. My ear is getting more refined, and my technique is expanding. I feel a little like a Disney character, all breathless and wide-eyed and this whole new world I'm entering into.
I tried 2 Trevor James base model alto flutes at Judi's flute party a few weeks ago. They were the same flute, both had a solid silver headjoint and riser. One was made out of a metal alloy that gave it a gold finish, whereas the other was standard nickel/silver plate. Most people have been happier with the sound of the gold-look model. I was better with the silver one. The headjoints are hand-cut, which means there's slight variations between them, so it could've been the cut of the headjoint that I was responding to.
The things I noticed that I appreciated were:
1) the key mechanism was very smooth and silent. My current flute is very "clacky." The primary reason I was even looking at another alto was due to the key noise. There's a lot of percussive key noise when I play, particularly on faster passages. The keys don't seem to open and close quite evenly with one another, either. My hand position is slightly uncomfortable on the right hand.
2) I was able to play more expressively - achieve a greater dynamic range, with more extended tapers on notes. That was something I hadn't expected, and now I can't un-feel it. I'm playing my flute and being aggrieved at how limited the expressiveness is. That's an aspect of alto flute playing I would never have noticed no matter how many kinds I test-played back when I bought mine. I simply wasn't advanced enough. I am now, though! How exciting!
I've been mulling over the prospect of upgrading my alto, and I realized that I don't want to upgrade to a better beginner flute. I want to go to a true step-up alto. That is a tremendous investment. $5000 minimum. Obviously, now is not the time. Even if I *had* that kind of money laying around, I wouldn't feel right about buying a step-up alto yet. I want to prove to myself that I am really committed. I need to know I will practice more days than I don't, and that I can diligently improve my technique on both my lovely C flute and my alto, despite the limitations of my current alto. Just because I can't achieve the expressiveness I want today doesn't mean it's entirely out of reach. A disciplined, talented player can get quite a lot out of an inferior instrument. (I should know, that was me in college! If I would've had my current C flute while I was in school, I can't quite imagine how far I would've gone.)
Speaking of my C flute, I do think I'm good with Mercedes forever. The new headjoint my dad bought me is still opening new vistas of musicality to me, and I have not yet reached the limitations of the key mechanism. I need to spend more time with her; Caroline (my alto) has been dominating of late. No, if I'm going to invest in an upgrade, it will be my alto.
As much as I have been enjoying playing my flutes, I am wanting to go back to school to learn more about music and flutes. That's not practical at the moment, but it might be something I could do part-time in a few years if I'm still interested. I would go for general music performance, or liberal arts music degree since I am not interested in being a teacher. I keep thinking there's no use for a music degree (beyond expanding my own knowledge). Doesn't really matter right now. Food for thought, though! If I keep practicing and improving the next 2 years like I have these last 2, some additional schooling makes sense for my development as a musician, if nothing else!
