I am selling my entire extra stock of mostly brand new piano music and some flute music at a big discount. With my recent move to Colorado I sadly had to leave all my students behind but I am taking this opportunity now to specialize in teaching flute and performing on my three instruments.
If you are local to the Denver/Boulder Colorado metro area, email me a list of the pieces you would like and I will have them ready for your to pick up. You are also welcome to browse my music library in person. If you are not local, email me your selections and I will notify you of shipping charges. Payment can be made by Google Checkout.
To purchase music, email me or call me at 704-275-1855.
Scales, Chords & Arpeggios by James Bastien, Kjos (2 copies) $3 each
Scales and Pieces in All Keys by John Schaum, Alfred (3 copies) $3 each
Fingerpower Primer, Schaum (4 copies) $3 each
Fingerpower Level Three, Schaum $3
Fingerpower Level Two, Schaum (2 copies) $3 each
Hanon-Schaum for Piano Book One (1 Used and 1 Vintage 1946) $2 each
Masterwork Classics Technical Skills Level 1-2, Alfred (2 copies) $3 each
Masterwork Classics Technical Skills Level 3, Alfred $3
The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises, Hanon, Alfred $4
Czerny The School of Velocity Op. 299, Schirmer (Used) $2
Czerny 160 Eight Measure Exercises Op. 821, Alfred $4
Czerny 30 New Studies in Technics Op. 849, Alfred $4
Keyboard Musicianship, Piano for Adults, Book Two (used) $2
The Library of Easy Piano Classics (very lightly used) $10
Piano Courses:
Schaum Piano Course, Pre-A The Green Book, Alfred $3
Glover Piano Student Primer, Belwin $4
Piano Adventures Technique and Artistry Level 1, FJH (5 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Performance Level 1, FJH $3
Piano Adventures Lesson Book Level 1, FJH $3
Piano Adventures Theory Book Level 1, FJH $3
Celebrate Piano 1B, Frederick Harris Music $7
Celebrate Piano! 1A, Frederick Harris Music $7
Piano Adventures Technique and Artistry 2A, FJH (2 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Theory 2B, FJH (2 copies)$3 each
Piano Adventures Technique and Artistry 2B, FJH (4 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Lesson Book, 2B, FJH $3
Piano Adventures Performance Book 2B, FJH $3
Piano Adventures Technique and Artistry 3A, FJH (2 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Lesson Book 3A, FJH (3 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Performance Book 3A, FJH (2 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Theory Book 3B, FJH (2 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Lesson Book 3B, FJH (2 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Performance Book 3B, FJH (2 copies) $3 each
Piano Adventures Technique and Artistry 3B, FJH (3 copies) $3 each
Repertoire Collections:
Masterwork Classics Level 6, Alferd (with CD) $5
Masterwork Classics Level 7, Alfred (with CD) $5
Masterwork Classics Level 8, Alfred (with CD) $5
An Introduction to Classics to Moderns, Forty Very easy original Keyboard Pieces, Denes Agay, Amsco $4
Easy Classics to Moderns Vol. 17, Amsco (2 copies) $7 each
Classics to Moderns, In the Intermediate Grades, Volume 37, Amsco (2 copies) $7 each
Artist Preparatory Piano Literature, Elementary, Faber, FJH $2
Artist Piano Literature Book 1, Late Elementary, Faber, FJH $3
Chord Time Piano, Classics, Faber, FJH, Level 2B $3
Chord Time Piano Hymns, Faber, FJH, Level 2B $3
Playtime Piano Favorites, Level 1, Faber, Hal Leonard $3
Playtime Piano Rock n’ Roll Level 1, Faber, FJH (3 copies) $3 each
Piano Play Time Level One by Schaum $3
Piano Adventures Popular Repertoire Level 4, Faber, Alfred $4
Jazz, Rags, and Blues Book 1 by Martha Mier, Alfred $3
Traditional Hymns arranged by Melody Bober, FJH (lightly used) $2
Praise in Many Colors, Moderately Advanced, Melody Bober, Lillenas $9
The Joy of First Year Piano by Denes Agay (lightly used) $5
Schaum Pop Favorites, Alfred $3
Piano 101 Pop by Alfred, arr. Carol Matz $5
Popular Movie Hits Elementary Level 1, Gail Lew and Chris Lobdell, Alfred $3
Solo Book Complete Level 1 for the later beginner by Alfred, Hal Leonard $4
Solo Book Complete Levels 2&3 for the later beginner by Alfred, Hal Leonard $4
Learning to Play Piano Book 1 Primer by Denes Agay (used) $4
Christian Children’s Favorites, Beginning Piano Solos, The Phillip Keveren Series, Hal Leonard $5
Your Very First Favorite Solos for Piano, George Walter Anthony, Theodore Presser Company $3
Scott Joplin Ragtime Rage, Seven fun-to-play transcriptions Book 1, Schaum $3
Romancing in Style by Eugenie Rocherolle, Level Seven, Kjos $2
Repertoire Pieces:
Solfeggio in C Minor by CPE Bach, Alfred $1
Jerome Kern Piano Solos, Arr. Bill Boyd, Hal Leonard $4
Joseph Haydn Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. II, Dover (used) $2
Franz Schubert Complete Sonatas for Pianoforte Solo, Dover $9
Schumann Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, Alfred $2
Debussy Petite Suite, One Piano, Four Hands, Alfred $5
Chopin Ballades, Theodore Presser Company $5
Mozart “Ah vous dirai-je Maman”, G. Henle Verlag $5
George Gershwin at the Piano, Alfred $5
JS Bach Little Preludes and Fugues, G. Henle Verlag $9
JS Bach Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, G. Henle Verlag $12
JS Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume 1, Alfred (2 copies) $18 each
Music Theory:
Fundamentals of Piano Theory Preparatory Level by Keith Snell and Martha Ashleigh, Kjos (3 copies) $3 each
Fundamentals of Piano Theory Level 1 by Keith Snell and Martha Ashleigh, Kjos $3
Fundamentals of Piano Theory Level 2 by Keith Snell and Martha Ashleigh, Kjos $3
Master Theory by Charles Peters and Paul Yoder Book 1 (2 copies) $2 each
Master Theory by Charles Peters and Paul Yoder Book 2 $2
Master Theory by Charles Peters and Paul Yoder Book 6 (3 copies) $2 each
Harmony Lessons by John Schaum, Book 2 $3
Flute Music:
2001 Big Pop Instrumental Solos for Flute, Warner Brothers $5
The Definitive Jazz Collection for Flute with Chord Symbols $5
Carol Wincenc
I attended the Colorado Flute Fair at the University of Colorado in Boulder this past weekend and it was a great day packed full of instructional classes, masterclasses, and concerts. The fair featured guest artist Carol Wincenc, professor of music at Julliard School of Music.
The day began with a warm-up class that focused on relaxation techniques for comfortable and injury free practice. Following that was a tone development class which focused on the importance of breath control. Then Carol Wincenc gave a surburb masterclass. She has a flair for the stage and spreads her enthusiasm to those she teaches. She also has a knack for pushing her students to reach their highest potential while allowing them to remain true to their personal musical style.
After lunch we heard a demonstration of Carol Wincenc’s edition of Andersen’s Op. 15. Anderson’s original etudes are combined with a duet part that Ms. Wincenc wrote for the teacher to play. The duet part highlights the chord structure of each etude, and is a valuable resource for flute teachers.
Following the demonstration was a Flute Association members recital and then a fabulous performance featuring Carol Wincenc. Carol chose an engaging variety of songs from different time periods, in different styles, and with a variety of instrumentation. Her playing is suburb and her technique flawless, and her performance was much enjoyed.
1) Where does the sound come out from the flute?
Most of the sound comes from the location where the air that the flutist blows strikes the flute. This is the part of the flute that is right in front of the lips and is called the “strike wall”.
Both terms are equally correct. I personally prefer “flutist” because what is a “flaut” anyway?
I rarely need a microphone because the flute is a very resonant instrument and its sound carries well both indoors and outdoors. I do need amplification if there is excessive ambient noise, or if I am playing in a band in which all the other members are amplified.
Hold the flute out to your right with your left hand to the right of your face facing in and your right hand further to the right facing out. Both thumbs will curve naturally under the flute. For a more detailed description of holding a real flute go here.
Flutes can be made of many different materials. Many student models are made of nickel or silver plated. Professional models are usually made of silver, gold, or platinum. Flutes have also been made from tin, copper, wood, plastic, carbon fiber, aluminum, palladium, bones, glass, and even carrots. My flute is silver on the inside and rose gold on the outside.
Ian Anderson is the flute player and leader of Jethro Tull. I’ve never actually spent time trying to copy him, but I do my own style of flute improvisation to various musical genres.
A flute is held horizontally and played by blowing across the tone hole, while a recorder is held vertically and played like a whistle. The flute has a more complex system of keys that cover the holes while a recorder simply has holes that the player has to cover with their fingers. Flutes are typically made of metal and recorders are usually made of plastic or wood. The flute is far more versatile, and most of the music written for recorders by major composers was written in the Baroque period (1680-1720).
Playing the flute does take a lot of air, but it’s important to learn how to control the air than rather than just to blow hard. A flute player must learn to breathe correctly to take in the maximum amount of air and then use their muscles to support the air stream while releasing it in a very controlled manner. Good flute players also know how to correctly shape their embouchures (the way their lips are shaped) and adjust the space between their lips to focus the air so there is minimal waste. Using these techniques, a flute player can play long phrases without taking a breath.
Most intermediate to professional flutes have keys with holes in them. The benefit of having holes in your keys is that you can partially cover the holes and be able to play notes that are in between the normal notes of a scale. You can also use the holes to slide from one note to another note. This is particularly handy for modern music that uses extended techniques and for Irish music. Go to my Irish pageand listen to “Maid Behind the Bar” and “Southwind” to hear some examples of this sliding effect.
Both materials and workmanship have big impacts on the price of a flute. The going price of precious metals and the amounts of those metals in a particular flute will have a strong impact on its current value. Other factors that affect the cost of a flute are the amount of handmade versus machine made parts in the flute and the quality of materials used to make the flute.
Unlike stringed instruments, flutes do not typically gain value with age. However, a well maintained flute, particularly one made of a precious medal, can retain its value. As improvements are made to the design of the flute, people tend to buy newer improved models in favor of the older styles.
A few days ago I was digging through my “memory box” and came across various newspaper clippings and other similar items that reminded me of past musical experiences. I hope you enjoy looking at these mementos from my musical journey.
Here is the program and ticket for another concert that I played with the Wingate Symphonic Band. This time Madeleine Albright gave the address.
Right: This is an article about Sue Myrick’s 2004 campaign ball, and if you look for the star, you will see our flute and harp duo, “Jubal” mentioned.
Gigmaster’s is hosting a contest to win $200 towards a Valentine’s Day performance from a Gigmaster’s musician like myself. If you win and choose solo flute and/or solo piano from me, this means a nice long free performance!
Enter before February 6th: Win a Serenade for Valentine’s Day
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner and spring weddings drawing near, it’s time to start thinking about romantic music to complete the occasion. With the help of friends, I’ve compiled a list of romantic songs, and I hope you enjoy listening to them. What makes a song romantic? Romantic music mirrors four aspects of romance in life – intimacy, time, conversation, and passion. But just as we all experience intimacy in different ways, we all have our personal preferences in romantic music.
Intimacy
Every romantic song has some level of intimacy. Intimate songs tend to be personal and not showy or performance oriented. They frequently have sweeping strings or soulful guitar or piano in the background. Also, most romantic songs fall between the pulse of 60 -100 beats per minute which also happens to be the average heartbeat of a human being. Coincidence? I think not. This gentle pulse is often done with soft percussion, or naturally emphasized in the music. Over this pulse is usually a warm and tender voice or instrumental lead.
Time
Romance flourishes when you give another person your full attention and time. The following songs are all about the element of time and they do this by drawing out words and spacing phrases:
Can’t Help Falling in Love With You, Elvis
Come Away with Me, Norah Jones
Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers
Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton
Conversation
This is an easy one, because words of love and devotion can be translated directly into music as in the following examples:
Always On My Mind, Willie Nelson
Devoted to You, Everly Brothers
I Will Be Here , Steven Curtis Chapman
Truly Madly Deeply, Savage Garden
Passion
Passionate songs have energy, intensity, perhaps a faster pulse than the typical heart rate, and often the element of the unexpected. Some of the most passionate songs are classical, particularly from the aptly named “Romantic Period” of music. Following is a wide range of passionate songs:
Hello Young Lovers, Stevie Wonder
Libestod from Tristan Und Isolde (Richard Wagner), Birgit Nilsson
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet, Henry Mancini and his orchestra
Meditation from Thais (Massenet), Yo-Yo Ma
Someone to Watch Over Me, Herb Alpert
For fun I looked for a song from above that, in my opinion best blends all four categories. The result was a tie between “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers and “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” by Elvis. “Unchained Melody” frequently uses the word “time” which enhances its slow development, then crescendos with passion towards the end. “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” brilliantly combines all the elements of intimacy, along with slow romantic words.
One of my favorite romantic instrumental ensembles is the flute and harp. If you are looking for musicians for your spring wedding or Valentine’s Day, take a look at my event music page or wedding music page, where I offer a variety of ensembles.
I have recently completed several recording sessions with Brian Hunter at Swallow Hill in Denver, Colorado. This music is now available for you to listen to on my website (see below for links). There are new music samples of solo flute, flute and piano, and flute and cello.
Wedding Music Samples (Solo Flute and Flute and Cello)
Event Music Samples (Solo Flute and Flute and Cello)
Solo Irish Flute Samples
Solo Flute for Christmas
Studio Session (Flute, Piano, and Guitar)
Whether you are flute player or a flute enthusiast, start planning now to attend the 2012 NFA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 9th – 12th. The NFA consists of over 6,000 members from over 50 countries and is the largest flute organization in the world. Come to learn and watch or enter one of the competitions including solo, flute choir, masterclasses, and non-performance competitions. I am looking forward to attending this convention and also seeing Vegas for the first time! Visit the National Flute Association website if you would like more information.
An Irish session is an informal gathering of people to play traditional Irish music. If you live in Charlotte, NC you will have a very hard time finding a traditional Irish session. In fact, I’ve lived there for almost twenty years without finding a single regular session closer than the two hour drive to Asheville. So imagine my happy surprise when I moved to Colorado a few months ago and found over ten Irish Sessions less than thirty minutes from where I live!
I was classically trained in flute, but what really sparked my interest in traditional music was an old-time/bluegrass jam session I found in a nearby small town in North Carolina. After the group broke up a year later, I continued to explore on my own, and fell in love with traditional Irish music. I found that my extensive experience with improvisation and playing by ear was a great asset when learning Irish music.
And so my adventure began in Colorado. I began going to Irish sessions in Denver, CO and Boulder, CO and my appetite was whet for more. I still play Irish music on my classical flute and various whistles, but I’m going to start saving my money and realize my long time dream of buying an Irish flute.
If you are interested in listening to or playing Irish music, you can visit these local Irish Sessions in Colorado. Swallow Hill in Denver also has regular sessions. Each session is a bit different so there is something for everyone, from beginners to advanced musicians, or music lovers who come to listen.
You can also go here to learn more about what I do with Irish flute music.
This past week, I had the pleasure of attending two great concerts – one by the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, and the other by the Broomfield Symphony Orchestra. As a flute player, I enjoyed that both concerts had some great flute solos. As usual, I also loved watching the cello and bass sections, given that I play cello and my husband plays bass.
The Jefferson Symphony played at the Colorado School of Music in Golden, CO. They performed a lively and engaging concert featuring works by Brahms and Richard Strauss. The concert ended with an impressive performance of Ravel’s “La Valse” featuring Peggy Lyon on piano.
The Broomfield Symphony performed to a packed Broomfield Auditorium, just minutes from my home. They played an enjoyable selection of pieces by Haydn and Tchaikovsky to an enthusiastic audience. The second half of the program featured solo pianist David Korevaar playing Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. David’s passionate playing and flawless technique had me riveted, and his inspiring performance elicited a standing ovation from the audience at the end of the concert.