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Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2006 The Life and Teaching of Flutist Albert Tipton: 1917-1997 Heather A. Small
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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF MUSIC
THE LIFE AND TEACHING
OF FLUTIST ALBERT TIPTON:
1917-1997
BY
HEATHER A. SMALL
A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music
Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2006
The members of the Committee approve the Treatise of Heather A. Small defended on
April 21, 2006.
______Frank Kowalsky Professor Directing Treatise
______Seth Beckman Outside Committee Member
______Eva Amsler Committee Member
______Jeff Keesecker Committee Member
The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As I prepared this treatise I was fortunate to receive advice and assistance from several individuals and institutions. I am grateful to them all:
To Dick and Judy Tipton for the materials they provided from the family archive.
To Florida State University and my supervisory committee: Frank Kowalsky, Seth Beckman, Eva Amsler, and Jeff Keesecker for advice and direction throughout my degree. Thanks especially to Frank for his editorial comments.
To Nancy Fowler for her personal remembrances of Albert and her tremendous help behind the scenes. You are my honorary committee member.
Thanks to those that assisted in the research stage: Helen Buzyna and the Florida State University Publicity Office, Kim Shively, Jennifer Overton and the Shepherd School of Music, Melinda Schweig, and Erica Maresh.
To Sheryl Cohen and Frances Lapp Averitt and all of the former Tipton students who responded to my questionnaire.
Finally, this project would not have been possible without the love and support of friends and family.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures...... v List of Audio Examples...... vi Abstract...... vii
1. INTRODUCTION...... 1
2. BIOGRAPHY ...... 3
3. MUSICAL TOPICS ...... 18
Acoustics...... 18 Alternate Fingerings ...... 20 Articulation ...... 22 Beginner Method...... 24 Breathing...... 26 Conductors and Conducting...... 28 Contests...... 30 Group Lessons...... 32 Instruments and Instrument Maintenance...... 33 Intonation ...... 35 Performance Anxiety...... 41 Practicing ...... 42 Style...... 43 Whistle Tones...... 44
4. SUMMARY OF RESPONSES...... 46
Tipton’s Teaching...... 46 Anecdotes...... 55 Tipton’s Influences...... 60
APPENDICES ...... 65
A. Discography of Performances by Albert Tipton...... 65 B. Copy of Questionnaire for Former Students of Albert Tipton...... 66 C. Lifetime Achievement Letters...... 68 D. Tipton Letter and Advertisement...... 71 E. Tipton Interview Conducted by Melinda Schweig on 3 October 1993...... 73 F. Tipton Interview Conducted by Melinda Schweig on 11 December 1993...... 86 G. Tipton Interview Conducted by Melinda Schweig on 17 December 1993.... 96
REFERENCES...... 113
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH...... 116
iv LIST OF AUDIO EXAMPLES
Example 1: Sergei Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf...... 10 Basil Rathbone, narrator All American Youth Orchestra; Leopold Stokowski, conductor Recorded: Los Angeles, CA – 1941
Example 2: Benjamin Godard: Allegretto from Suite, Op. 116...... 13 Tipton Chamber Orchestra; Albert Tipton, soloist and conductor Recorded: live on tour ca. early 1960s
Example 3: Heitor Villa-Lobos: Jet Whistle (last movement)...... 14 Mario DiFiore, cello Recorded: live on tour of Tipton Trio ca. early 1960s
Example 4: Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata in D Major, Op. 94...... 44 Mary Norris, piano Enhanced whistle tones
Example 5: Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata in D Major, Op. 94...... 45 Mary Norris, piano Recorded: March 1969 – The Platinum Flute
v
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Albert Tipton publicity photo for Florida State...... viii
Figure 2: Albert Tipton ca. 1929...... 04
Figure 3: Tipton Chamber Orchestra ca. 1957 ...... 12
Figure 4: Tipton Trio publicity photo from The Baroque Sonata LP...... 15
Figure 5: Thumb B-flat fingerings...... 21
Figure 6: Additional alternate fingerings ...... 21
Figure 7: Example for scaling length of articulation ...... 23
Figure 8: Tipton tuning exercise...... 36
Figure 9: Averitt illustration of difference tones ...... 38
Figure 10: Tuning exercise without rhythmic synchronization...... 39
vi
ABSTRACT
This treatise examines the life and teaching of the eminent American flutist Albert Tipton. He studied with William Kincaid at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, was solo flutist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony, and was also a founding member of the Aspen Music Festival where he performed and taught for forty years. Tipton traveled throughout North and South America under the auspices of Columbia Artist Management with his wife, pianist Mary Norris, in duos, trios, and a chamber orchestra. In addition he was an accomplished conductor and composer, writing two pieces for string ensemble and one for flute and string orchestra. He later joined the faculties of the Florida State University in 1968 and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1975. For a number of years Tipton wrote and edited a column in The School Musician Director and Teacher; these writings among others are reviewed in Chapter 3. There he discussed topics such as difference tones, articulation, group lessons, and musical style, to name a few. The subsequent chapter presents quotations from questionnaires that were mailed to former Tipton students. Three aspects of their experience with him were addressed in the survey: Tipton’s teaching philosophy, his influence on their lives, and memorable anecdotes. The result is a synopsis of information for generations of flutists to study the life and accomplishments of this most influential performer and teacher.
vii
Figure 1. Albert Tipton publicity photo from Florida State University
viii
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
In November 2004 Florida State University hosted a festival in honor of Charles DeLaney, Professor Emeritus of Flute, and there I first heard about his predecessor, Albert Tipton. Since I was the program assistant, I spent many hours working with the publicity office as we compiled the program book and press releases. While I cannot recall the specifics of that conversation that inspired me to pursue a treatise topic about Mr. Tipton, I remember being amazed at the folders of newspaper clippings and photographs that FSU had saved from the 1960s and 70s. As I studied the topic further, I became deeply engrossed in his life and accomplishments. I am fortunate to have talked with so many former Tipton students and colleagues, and their letters and questionnaire responses were a large part of the research for this paper. Albert Tipton, at twenty-one the youngest principal flutist of a major symphony orchestra, was hailed by Time magazine in 1938 as one of the five greatest flutists in the world. He was interviewed numerous times and wrote articles for music journals, but never was the subject of a doctoral study or biographical text. This paper reviews the life and professional activities of Albert Tipton, examines survey responses from former students in hopes of providing insight into his teaching philosophies, and recognizes Mr. Tipton’s influences on students and colleagues. The purpose is to present both biographical and pedagogical information. Tipton’s lifelong musical partner was his wife, pianist Mary Norris. The two met when they were students at the Curtis Institute and later toured internationally in the Tipton Chamber Orchestra, The Tipton Trio, and as a flute-piano duo. There are at least two pieces commissioned for the duo: Sonata for Flute and Piano by Robert Wykes (1955) and Sonata for Flute and Piano by Harold Schiffman (1975). A concert review from 1961 stated, “Whatever they played the Tiptons graced with their fine teamwork, thorough artistry and high taste. As artists and human beings, the Tiptons were obviously
1 made for one another.”1 Many former students also recognized the closeness between this musical duo. One wrote:
No tribute to Albert Tipton would be complete without reference to Mary Tipton, his wife. She in her way was just as gifted as he, although most of her life was dedicated to being a good wife and an important force behind her husband. I know personally that he appreciated her interest and dedication.2
Mary Norris made her debut as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and later was a faculty member of the Aspen Institute of Music and Rice University in Houston, Texas. Albert Tipton had an enormously successful career as an orchestral and chamber musician. He performed with the Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies and founded the Tipton Trio and Tipton Chamber Orchestra. Tipton was the originator of the student orchestra and chamber music programs at Aspen and Meadow Brook music festivals. He also composed three pieces: Period Piece and Colors of Spring (1953) for string orchestra and Fantaisie Serenade (1965) for solo flute and orchestra. His teaching was recognized through the accomplishments of his former students. Many maintain positions in orchestras worldwide; thirty-five have been Fulbright Scholars, and several have won gold ribbons in international competitions. As a tribute to his rich career, the National Flute Association honored Albert Tipton with the Lifetime Achievement Award at their Orlando Convention in 1995. Former students and colleagues submitted letters of congratulations and reflection in honor of this occasion.
1 New York World Telegram and Sun, 7 November 1961.
2 Carl Lutes, New York, to Heather Small, Tallahassee, Florida, 13 March 2005, typewritten letter.
2
CHAPTER 2
BIOGRAPHY
Albert N. Tipton was born the second child of William Sherman Tipton and Vena Etzenhauser, in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 16, 1917. His mother played the trumpet in a Salvation Army-type band and taught at a local music store. His father was a stockbroker, amateur ballplayer, and flutist, performing in the Neumann Theatre Orchestra in Kansas City. Early in Tipton’s childhood the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the oil business; the elder Tipton sold oil and natural gas stocks to customers at small town barbershops. His primary instrument as a boy was the violin, which he studied in group lessons at school. Tipton also played the piano. When the stock market crashed, his father lost all of his income, forcing the young Tipton to take matters into his own hands at the age of ten.
There was a terrible depression going on then and the usual breadwinners were not bringing home any bread. The answer was to beg, borrow, and steal anything to survive. So a bunch of musicians and actors got together and we pooled resources. I went out onto the street with a lot of tickets, free tickets to the theater. We had theater orchestras... It was a seven-piece band that was working three nights a week.3
He played the saxophone, flute, and clarinet as needed in these theater groups, with little to no formal training. Tipton simply used his ear and figured out the fingering systems through experimentation. Vena Tipton was his first music teacher, instructing him in the basics of rhythm and musical notation. She also taught herself the flute so that the two could play duets. His father, however, was not so encouraging. From his own experience, William Tipton
3 Albert Tipton, interview by Melinda Schweig, 3 October 1993, interview 1, transcript; Tallahassee, FL: 1.
3 believed that a profession in sports or music was neither reliable nor profitable. As the young Tipton’s interest and skill in music flourished, his father tried to discourage him by disassembling the instrument and hiding the pieces throughout the house. To most this would be a strong negative message, but Albert Tipton thought of it as a game and became a proficient flute mechanic along the way. His natural musical talent led to two memorable performances before he turned fourteen. While still in grade school he was recruited to play in the high school band because there were so few flutists in his area. Although he grew to a height of six feet four inches, his small size at the time required a specially-made uniform.
Figure 2: Albert Tipton ca. 1929
4 “I played in the school band for two years, and it was a valuable experience.”4 Later, father and son played side by side when the legendary band director, John Philip Sousa came to Tulsa as the guest conductor for a local band. “Through his financial backing, the elder Tipton was particularly responsible for the development of the flute-making industry.”5 While moonlighting with the Neumann Theater Orchestra, William met a jeweler’s apprentice and amateur flutist from the audience, Verne Powell. Up to this point Powell had never seen a silver flute. According to Tipton, “Powell borrowed my dad’s silver flute, took it to Fort Scott, studied it, melted down the family’s silverware, took a couple of old gold watches and made Powell flute number one.”6 William was likewise interested in flute manufacturing and had converted the top floor of the house in Kansas City to a shop. Eventually Powell opened a flute factory in Boston, and in 1926 offered to make the elder Tipton a business partner. Although he turned down the offer, William recognized his talent and continued to support Powell throughout his career. Tipton and his mother traveled to Boston in the summer of 1930 to visit the Powell flute company and take a few private lessons. In the journal she kept on the trip, Vena mentioned that her son wanted to learn more about flutes and make new contacts.7 While there Tipton had lessons with Verne Powell and Laurent Torno. After their meeting, Powell remarked that Albert Tipton was the “finest natural talent with which he had ever come in contact.”8 This experience confirmed his desires to study music at the Curtis Institute, where he applied in 1931. One account of Tipton’s audition reports:
4 Albert Tipton, “An Interview with Albert Tipton,” interview by Thomas Houston (Houston, TX, summer 1980), The National Flute Association Newsletter, no. 6 (fall 1980): 3.
5 Kathleen Goll-Wilson, “Albert Tipton – A Scholarly Musician,” Flute Talk 7/4 (December 1987): 6.
6 Tipton, Houston Interview, 3.
7 Vena Tipton, scrapbook pages on son Albert, May 1931. Tipton Family Archive, Taos, NM.
8 Ibid.
5 He went to Philadelphia to audition for a scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music. While awaiting his audition, his violin was stolen. Instead he auditioned on the flute, and was accepted by William Kincaid. The flute- playing world is most grateful to that thief!9
In a 1993 interview, he disputed this story by telling Melinda Schweig that he auditioned on both instruments and was only accepted into Kincaid’s studio because there were no vacancies for violin.10 After playing the Bach B minor Sonata, the G-flat scale, and a brief sight-reading excerpt, Tipton was offered a full scholarship. Although he was admitted to Curtis as a flutist, Tipton’s musical interests still favored the violin, so he spent most of his first year focusing on a re-audition. In his own words:
I wasn’t practicing the flute; I was just listening to everyone practicing and playing. I learned a great deal. It was the best thing I ever did. I listened much more and got a concept of what was good in music before I really knuckled down to practicing.11
Kincaid gave him a C- that semester. This, coupled with the fact that his violin was stolen from his apartment during the year, created a new fervor for the flute. After practicing six hours a day, Tipton received an A+ from Kincaid for his tremendous progress.12 By 1932 one out of four Americans was unemployed as a result of the Great Depression, and during this time, the course offerings at universities were severely limited. The Curtis Institute of Music, for example, reduced its class schedule to private lessons and a few basic music courses. As a result, Tipton decided to drop out of college, move to Boston, and study privately with George Laurent, while attending public school.
9 Gwen Powell, “Passing Tones in Memoriam: Albert Tipton.” Flutist Quarterly, fall 1997; 25.
10 Albert Tipton, interview by Melinda Schweig, 11 December 1993, interview 2, transcript, Tallahassee, FL: 1.
11 Tipton, Houston interview, 3.
12 Ibid.
6 That plan wasn’t as perfect as it seemed, for he still had to pay tuition to study with Laurent. Furthermore, Boston charged him to attend public school because he wasn’t a resident; so Tipton moved back to Tulsa, took the necessary classes, and graduated from high school there. Tipton faced yet one more complication - there were no openings in Kincaid’s studio when he reapplied to the Curtis Institute. Luckily one of his old classmates, Joseph Mariano, was teaching at the Eastman School of Music and invited him there for the year, which he accepted. After re-auditioning for schools in the spring, Tipton had offers from Juilliard, the Paris Conservatory, and Curtis. He returned to Philadelphia that fall, where he soon met his future wife, Mary Norris, a piano student at Curtis. Oboist Marcel Tabuteau taught general musicianship classes at Curtis, which is where Tipton first met him. “He [Tabuteau] used bowings, visual expressions of movement, and motion. He did everything instinctively.”13 Their friendship blossomed through a shared interest in gambling. Tipton said,
I’d spend hours and hours with him, looking through quotation books from Monte Carlo that were as thick as the telephone directory of New York City. He’d go through page after page and develop his own mathematical system.… He almost broke the bank in Monte Carlo. They kicked him out because he was that good.14
At this time there was a strong affiliation between the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The student group under the direction of Fritz Reiner was selected to perform in weekly live radio broadcasts sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes. Since this was a paying engagement, members of the Philadelphia Orchestra were hired when substitutes were needed. As Tipton recalled, “Anytime there was a
13 Goll-Wilson, 8.
14 Ibid.
27 Albert Tipton, interview by Melinda Schweig, 17 December 1993, interview 3, transcript, Tallahassee, FL: 5.
7 shortage of players there was always some Philadelphia orchestra member that wanted to make the extra bucks!”15 In one instance, Kincaid’s mother became ill just days before a concert, and Tipton was asked to play the concert in his teacher’s absence with no rehearsal. This is Tipton’s reminiscence of his first experience performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra:
Ormandy was conducting the Francesca de Rimini. I was dressed up in a borrowed concert outfit, and I was of course apprehensive about it. I thought I’d have to play very loud to be heard. I noticed that they played very softly; they put a velvet carpet down for me so to speak. It was a great pleasure.16
In 1938, the conductor Hans Kindler held auditions at Curtis for the third flute/piccolo position with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Tipton decided to play for Kindler, as he recalled with no expectation. “I went to that audition thinking that I would just have the experience of listening and learning what they do at auditions.”17 To his surprise, he was offered the solo flute chair with the orchestra. This job made Tipton, at the age of twenty-one, the youngest principal flutist of a major symphony. The next spring he returned to Philadelphia to graduate with an Artist Diploma in both flute and piano performance and to make wedding plans with his Curtis sweetheart Mary Norris; they were married in September of 1939. One year later, Tipton left Washington to join the Philadelphia Orchestra as second and assistant principal flute, sitting next to his teacher Kincaid, where he remained for almost six years. Tipton had the unique experience to study with William Kincaid and Marcel Tabuteau at Curtis and then play beside them in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Tipton described a close relationship with Kincaid. “He was very warm, grandiose…wonderful
15 Tipton, Schweig interview 1, 7.
16 Tipton, Schweig interview 2, 8.
17 Ibid.
8 player, wonderful musician.... He practiced a great deal more than most players.”18 Although there were many points of agreement between Tipton and Kincaid, the two had differing styles of vibrato. Tipton’s vibrato was slower and relaxed, emulating a violin, in comparison to Kincaid’s faster style. It has been said that Tipton’s ideas “strongly affected the change that Kincaid made in his conception of flute vibrato during that time.”19 In 1940, Leopold Stokowski held auditions for his All-American Youth Orchestra. His intention was to form an ensemble with young musicians who had little or no orchestral experience, rehearse during the summer months, and travel to places in North and South America as representatives of the United States. Despite the fact that Tipton had played professionally, he was eager to work with Stokowski. After auditioning in Washington, D.C., he progressed to the final round one month later in New York. Just a few days prior to the audition, Tipton contracted an infection that placed him in the hospital. He remembers playing for Stokowski:
I had sulfanilamide, which controlled the infection, but it made me very very nervous as a reaction to the drug. I played the audition, and I was kind of laughing, and said, “I don’t want to use this as an excuse, but it’s true. I was just released from the hospital, and I’m weak and nervous.” So Stokowski gave me the hardest audition he could think of. I played the Midsummer Night’s Dream Scherzo, mostly [sic] the Debussy Faun, Beethoven, everything you could imagine.20
After winning the audition, he arrived at the first rehearsal uncertain of his chair placement.
18 Ibid., 1,4.
19 “In Memorium: Albert Tipton (1917-1997) World-Renowned Flutist and Teacher,” http://www.nfa.flute.org/other/tipton.html (1997), accessed 12 October 1997.
20 Tipton, Schweig interview 3, 5.
9
…He [Stokowski] didn’t ask me what I wanted to play. So, I showed up and I was never one to be very early…When I got there I saw this pretty young blonde sitting in the 1st chair. We started to play, and I sat down in the only vacancy, which was 3rd, 4th, I don’t know. I listened to the 1st number and I knew that I was to be 1st flute. This girl had a beautiful sound, and lovely qualities, but as a 1st flutist, she was not prepared for that. We took a break at intermission and when we came back, I just sat down at 1st flute. I didn’t ask Stokowski, I just went there. And Stokowski looked at me and smiled.21
Audio example 1 is an excerpt featuring Tipton with the All-American Youth Orchestra in a 1941 recording of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.
Surely there was a long list of influential people in Tipton’s life, but Stokowski was toward the top. Although Tipton had interests in conducting before the two met, Stokowski’s instruction on and off the podium was meaningful to him and laid the groundwork for a long friendship. Stokowski had a pliable and flexible conducting technique and a strong, take-charge personality. Tipton remarked, “When I worked with the youth orchestra in Meadow Brook, I used the same techniques and we would get an extraordinary sound.”22 After his time in the youth orchestra, Tipton became Stokowski’s personal assistant, copying parts and helping with orchestrations. The two were so close that Tipton had keys to his apartment. Stokowski wrote the following about him in 1947:
I can with great pleasure and confidence recommend Albert Tipton as a musician and a person. He is a man of great musical experience and highest musical ideals. In my opinion, he is the most admirable type of American manhood, a combination of strength and free approach in human relations. We have been friends for years and I have the highest regard for him as musician and man.23
21 Ibid., 1.
22 Ibid., 2.
23 Albert Tipton, recommendation letter from Leopold Stokowski, 1947.
10 During subsequent summers after the youth orchestra, Tipton studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians in Maine. He was also the assistant conductor under Dimitri Mitropoulis at the Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia in the 1940s. In 1943, Tipton was drafted into military service as flute instructor at the US Navy School in Anacostia, Maryland. There he played in a woodwind quintet and conducted the Victory Symphony, a group composed of musicians from various orchestras across the United States. The quintet went to local hospitals and performed for wounded soldiers recovering from the war. Although the performances were well received, higher ranking officers viewed these ensembles as frivolous, and they were discontinued for the remainder of Tipton’s service. During this time he took classes at Catholic University and in 1943 his daughter Judy was born. Three years later Albert Tipton and Mary Norris had son Richard. Upon completion of his military service, Tipton returned to Philadelphia, but found that things had changed while he was gone. Stokowski resigned from the orchestra to go to Hollywood and make a movie. Tipton was asked to serve as Chairman of the Orchestra Committee during the search process, which resulted in the hiring of Eugene Ormandy. Also, due to the selective service act, the flute section grew to five players. All of the drafted musicians were guaranteed their jobs after the service, and the orchestra was unable to fire the replacement players. In the meanwhile, the musicians who were hired as replacements had usurped all of the side jobs that brought in extra money. Tipton described the mood of the orchestra: “It was a different kind of spirit. Instead of doing it [music] for the love of it, it was something for the money of it.”24 These changes precipitated his resignation from the orchestra. In 1946 the Tipton family moved to St. Louis, where he served as principal flute with the symphony for ten years. According to Tipton:
24 Tipton, Schweig interview 3, 8.
11 I went from the Philadelphia Orchestra to the St. Louis Orchestra, which was a step down you might say. Except when you hear the results of the development, my development as a player in an orchestral situation, then you see it was a very good move for me.25
Tipton briefly moonlighted as the director of the St. Louis Philharmonic and then developed a chamber series using members of the St. Louis Symphony. “When I first saw the problem of a lack of money to attract good players for the short season, I suggested that the management allow small, splinter groups from the symphony to go out and perform chamber concerts.”26 The first set of concerts was titled, “Music for Tonight” by the Stars of St. Louis.
Figure 3: Tipton Chamber Orchestra ca. 1957
25 Tipton, Schweig interview 2, 9.
26 Goll-Wilson, 27.
12 Tipton paid the musicians from his own pocket, and was involved in every aspect of the production from publicity to management. It was a great success. This idea gradually evolved into the Tipton Chamber Orchestra, a group that performed for over twenty years, touring the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Audio example 2 is an excerpt of the Tipton Chamber Orchestra recorded live on tour around the early 1960s. Tipton’s concept of a chamber series as part of a symphony season was adopted by all of the major orchestras and became a standard part of the concert schedule.27 Apart from his activities with the Symphony, Tipton returned to school under the GI bill, studying at Washington University in St. Louis. There he obtained a Bachelor of Music degree in music theory and piano performance and a Master of Music degree in flute performance. While the diplomas weren’t necessary for his orchestral career, they ensured a smooth transition into college teaching later in his life. In 1949 Walter Paepke founded the Aspen Institute, a sort of spiritual Mecca that included beautiful scenery, great music, and intellectual stimulation. He invited professionals, including Tipton, who were outstanding in their field and encouraged them to spend time together and exchange ideas, what Paepke called “cross-fertilization.”28 Mary Norris began to teach and perform there a few years later. Their affiliation with the Institute spanned forty summers. The budget was so limited in the early years, that the festival had a shortage of pianos, practice areas, and living space. The Tipton and Norris stayed in a log cabin. He remarked, “We sat on nail kegs, cooked out every night, and hauled a grand piano in a trailer over the Divide.”29 There were barely more students than faculty, and every Monday, classes were suspended so that the entire school could have a picnic and enjoy the outdoors. Tipton stated in an interview that everyone, students and faculty, knew each other, because there was time in the schedule to interact. “When there was a lecture,
27 Ibid., 9.
28 Albert Tipton, “Conversations with Robert Sherman,” interview by Robert Sherman (Aspen 1986), Aspen Program Book, vol. 6: 26.
29 Bruce Berger, “Music in the Mountains: The First Fifty Years of the Aspen Music Festival,” Boulder: Johnson Books, 1999; 12.
13 everybody came to it – all the students poured in, all the teachers were there, everybody participated. It was fascinating.”30 Over time the student population outnumbered the performance faculty and concert attendance flourished. In order to accommodate the growth, Tipton developed the student orchestra program despite a few complications: “We had to compete for equipment, and haul chairs and stands and scores back and forth from the Tent to the Brand Building, over the garage. Then William Steinberg, who was the Festival director in 1954, raided fourteen of our best players for the regular orchestra and left us short.”31 By the late 1980s the student population numbered more than one thousand and the festival managed an endowment of over eighteen million dollars. Tipton accepted the position as principal flute with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1956 under the direction of Paul Paray. In addition to these duties, he organized and conducted summer concert series with the Chamber Orchestra of Detroit and the Meadow Brook Festival Chamber Orchestra. He also formed the Tipton Trio with his wife Mary and cellist Mario DiFiore. Managed by Columbia Artists and booked for concerts throughout North and South America and Europe, the trio recorded two albums on the Westminster label: Contemporary Trios for Flute, Cello, and Piano and Rameau-Blavet: The Baroque Sonata. Audio example 3 is a live recording of Tipton and DiFiore from a tour in the early 1960s.
30 Tipton, “Conversations with Robert Sherman,” 26.
31 Berger, 25-26.
14
Figure 4: Tipton Trio publicity photo from The Baroque Sonata LP
As the popularity of the Detroit Symphony grew, so did the number of concerts per season, and Tipton gradually realized that he would have to leave the orchestra or give up his contract at Aspen. Unwilling to forfeit his summers in the mountains, Tipton resigned from the symphony in 1968 and accepted a position as Professor of Flute at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. There he performed with the faculty woodwind quintet: Nancy Fowler, Harry Schmidt, Janet Worth, and William Capps, and gave numerous solo recitals with his wife. Tipton and Norris left Florida State University in 1975 to join the faculty of the recently founded Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas. One of his assignments was to integrate theory, music history, and performance practices in a course titled, “applied music.”32 He relished the diversity of this new position. While in Houston he performed with faculty ensembles and solo recitals, taught everyone in the school about ear training and performance practice, and worked with talented flutists. He also served as secretary of the President’s Committee. Both he and Mary retired in 1990 as Professors Emeriti. Tipton owned several flutes and was interviewed on that subject in 1980. His primary instrument was Powell platinum flute No. 430, which was one of eight existing
32 Ibid., 16.
15 instruments of this material manufactured in the 1940s. William Kincaid, Tipton’s teacher at the Curtis Institute, also played a platinum Powell. In a newspaper article, Kincaid revealed that his instrument was originally displayed in the Hall of Metals in New York’s World’s Fair of 1939: “It was the fourth of its kind, and Powell, who was a close friend of Kincaid, had the Philadelphia flutist in mind when he made it from platinum supplied by Baker & Co., furnisher of metals.”33 Tipton also owned four Louis Lot flutes (one wood and three silver) and a white gold Armstrong. He said the following about owning several different flutes:
I learn something from every instrument I pick up. You can’t pick up an instrument and instantly play it – you have to get acquainted with it. Now some instruments are not worth learning, but some are really terribly interesting and intriguing and they teach you and you learn something from that instrument about how to play the flute better.34
As former students and colleagues remarked, Tipton carried his platinum flute with him everywhere. This affinity for the instrument sparked a nickname, “Platinum Al.”35 One member of the Florida State University Woodwind Quintet told the story that when the group stopped at a gas station after a performance Tipton even took his flute with him into the restroom.36 Shortly after retirement, the couple returned to their former home in Tallahassee, Florida. In 1995 the National Flute Association honored Albert Tipton with the Lifetime Achievement Award at their annual convention in Orlando, Florida. Numerous former students and colleagues paid tribute to him during the event. Gwen Powell made the following remarks in a speech at the awards dinner:
33 Max de Schauensee, “ Bill Kincaid Plays Rare Platinum Flute,” in The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, ca. 1945.
34 Tipton, Houston interview,15.
35 Lise Mann, questionnaire response, February 2005.
36 Gerald Ensley, “Tipton’s death leaves hole in music world,” The Tallahassee Democrat, 8 October 1997, 5b.
16 If art is a by-product of a living, then Albert Tipton’s life’s work is truly exemplary. His shining talents can be seen as being honed the hard, honest way, the American way – year by year, across time – through more than five decades of outstanding playing, teaching, and conducting.37
Other legendary flutists who have received this honor include Julius Baker, Mark Thomas, William Bennett, Michel Debost, Doriot Dwyer, and Charles DeLaney. Albert Tipton passed away from complications associated with Parkinson’s disease in 1997. Mary Norris died the following year.
37 Powell, 25.
17
CHAPTER 3
MUSICAL TOPICS
From 1970 through 1974 Albert Tipton wrote and edited a column called “Flute Discussions” for The School Musician Director and Teacher. What follows is a collection of Tipton’s thoughts about various musical topics. It is organized alphabetically and includes some commentary from former students like David Shostac, Richard Hitt, Dan Jensen, Kristi Sloniger, Becky Luck-Newton, Mark Rodrieg, and Frances Lapp Averitt.
Acoustics
Tipton was fascinated by acoustics. A former Florida State student tells the following story about a seminar he and Tipton attended in Tallahassee in the 1970s:
I remember attending an interdisciplinary seminar on musical acoustics with Tipton. The seminar was organized by Michael Kasha in the Institute of Molecular Biophysics across the campus from the music building. I don’t remember how Tipton and I got involved, but he and I attended the seminar together for a quarter or two. Although Tipton was the only non-scientist in the group, he was remarkably perceptive about what was going on even during the technical discussions. Once when I was giving a presentation to the seminar on the mathematics of scale temperament, I looked out and saw one of the attendees struggling to stay awake. He happened to be a preeminent scientist, and in fact was a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. Then I looked over at Tipton, and he was just sitting there alert as ever soaking up every word.38
38 Richard Hitt, “Albert Tipton, Flutist,” http://www.rhitt.com/tipton.shtml (2005), accessed 8 April 2005.
18 Tipton was convinced that a room with poor acoustical conditions could destroy a musician’s tone and once compared the way acoustics affect sound to the mirrors in a fun house.39 “Acoustics are much more important than is generally realized because they can enhance or detract greatly from a performance.”40 A fluorescent light hums at sixty cycles per second sounding a pitch between B- natural and B-flat. Tipton writes that this distortion makes performing at standard pitch virtually impossible for the sensitive musician.41 Since he had such a keen sense of hearing, he never turned on the overhead lights in his office for this reason. Some other forms of acoustical interference according to Tipton are air conditioning units and fans. He says the problem with forced ventilation systems is that “even when the air fan is off, the huge sub sonic influence of the pipes serves to track sound frequencies above them to ruin acoustics.”42 Having traveled and performed all over the world, Tipton offers his opinion of the best performing spaces: The Philadelphia Academy of Music, Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Concert Hall, the Lyric Theater in Baltimore, the Music Center in Los Angeles, and the Berlin Symphony residence.43 He asks the question, “Why destroy what is good and build spurious substitutes?”44 Here Tipton alludes to the trend where communities are destroying good acoustical spaces to build more elegant or attractive rooms with poor acoustics. For instance, when Mercury management was negotiating a location for the Detroit symphony’s recording sessions, says Tipton, the first choice was the new Ford Auditorium. Despite its “state of the art” appearance, the
39 Albert Tipton, “What’s so Important about Acoustics?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 45/9 (May 1974): 18.
40 Albert Tipton, “Is Stage Fright All that Bad?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/5 (January 1971): 4.
41 Tipton, “Acoustics,” 18.
42 Ibid.
43 Ibid.
44 Ibid.
19 recording technicians declared the hall was “possessed by the devil acoustically.”45 At the last minute he recalls, Mercury changed the recording location to the old orchestra hall despite the leaky roof – all because of acoustics.
Alternate Fingerings
Albert Tipton was a self-taught flutist from the beginning, and as he matured he maintained an open mind about experimenting with finger combinations. His boyish curiosity for the unorthodox led to many innovations with tone and intonation. While a few of his ideas about the fingering system were published in The School Musician Director and Teacher, many were passed on orally to his students. A former pupil, David Shostac shared some of Tipton’s fingerings in a personal email. Although several of the fingerings are not unique to Tipton, it is interesting to see which ones he advocated. “As a student, I was always exhorted to use the first finger (on the F key) for playing B-flat. This fingering is given universally in fingering charts. It is not always the best fingering.”46 (Fig. 5, Ex. A) In the case of slurring G to B flat, Tipton suggests using the thumb B-flat key without the right hand index finger. (Fig. 5, Ex. B) For chromatic passages, he recommends the B-flat lever key, which is located to the left of the F key. (Fig. 5, Ex. C) “When using this, only one spring is depressed rather than three as in using the F to B-flat key couple.”47 Shostac recalls that certain alternate fingerings provide subtle changes of pitch. For example, Tipton taught him to lower high F-sharp by using the middle finger of the right hand rather than the ring finger. (Fig. 6, Ex. A) In some instances Tipton would even play this note with half of the tone hole uncovered.48 Other alternate fingerings
45 Ibid.
46 Albert Tipton, “Some Popular Misconceptions About Flute Playing,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/5 (January 1972): 10.
47 Ibid.
48 Ibid.
20 include E-flat6 with an added low C-sharp key and A-flat6 with the second and third fingers of the right hand. (Fig. 6, Ex. B and C)
Figure 5: Thumb B-flat fingerings (L to R, A-C)49
● ○● ○●○▼ ● ●● ●●●▼► ●● ○ ▼ ● | ● )| ○ )| ●●
Figure 6: Additional alternate fingerings (L to R, F-sharp, E-flat, A-flat)
Shostac explains that adding fingers further down the tubing helps build resistance and keeps the pitch down. He says this is particularly useful for loud tutti orchestral sections.50 Frances Lapp Averitt, another Tipton student comments, “When the flute is tuning an interval with another instrument, the possible color change from alternate fingerings won’t be noticeable and if the interval is in tune the tones will blend so as to be a much better composite tone than if the flute played a regular fingering and was out of tune but had the more familiar tone color.”51
49 Carol Kniebusch Noe, “How do YOU Finger B-flat?” The Flutist’s Handbook: A Pedagogy Anthology, Santa Clarita: The National Flute Association, Inc.: 39-40.
50 David Shostac, personal E-mail, 30 August 2005.
51 Frances Lapp Averitt, “An Intonation Method for Flutists (Nonexclusive of other Instrumentalists and Singers) Based on the Use of Difference Tones as a Practical Guide to the Achievement of Perfectly Tuned Intervals,” DM Treatise, Florida State University, 1973: 114.
21 Articulation
Tipton tells the following story about the deficiencies of flute articulation compared to other wind instruments: “Staccato! More staccato! Piu…piu staccato flauti!” Scene: Toscanini with the Philadephia Orchestra in 1942. “Flutes are never staccato enough!” This evoked a mildly humorous response in the entire orchestra as Kincaid and I were chided by the Maestro. Thereafter, we were the world’s most articulate flute section.52
“The variety of string ‘diction’ obtained with bow and pizzicato often leaves the flute in a paler light,” writes Tipton.53 Why is articulation so difficult on the flute? First, sound production on the flute is dependant upon the accuracy of blowing across an open tube, says Tipton. “The dilation of the lips’ aperture in the various registers, coupled with the disturbance of the wind forcefully being released and stopped, effect an inevitable movement of the lips and the accuracy of blowing, making articulation extremely difficult on the instrument.”54 Tipton reminds flutist that the concept of articulation is segments of slurs or the combination of wind and lips. Before focusing on articulation, a flutist should explore the pitch tendencies of each note in order to find “the center of the tuning range for each particular note.”55 Tipton writes that this maximum sonority is the substance behind every kind of attack. For example, “staccato must not be achieved at the expense of intonation. One must continually counteract natural tendencies of the instrument to sharp at fortissimo and flat in pianissimo, as well as to crack in the middle register where there is a weak resistance.”56
52 Albert Tipton, “Articulation on the Flute,” Flute Forum; autumn 1960: 5.
53 Ibid.
54 Ibid.
55 Ibid., 6.
56 Ibid.
22 Through every kind of articulation, the lips should be open as if slurring, says Tipton. He writes, “articulations should come with the wind pressure already behind the tongue and with its continual application.”57 He also recommends that the throat should stay open so that the flow of air is natural and uninhibited. When all of this is accomplished, “find an embouchure which will support a forceful attack and simultaneously insure correct pitch.”58 With respect to the fingers Tipton addresses a common fault of beginners – that finger destination must always precede the attack. “One can’t be reaching for the note while articulating.”59 Which syllables are best for specific attacks? In the high register, flutists can use “poo,” although Tipton cautions against overuse of this syllable, as it tends to make the flute bounce on the chin. He says use “ti” for strong attacks and scale the length of the articulation toward the objective note. (See Fig. 7) Finally, in the low register, the syllable “du” is best to “ensure tone control.”60
Figure 7: Example for scaling length of articulation61
Tipton recommends the following exercises for articulation. First, all syllables can be practiced away from the flute. When double-tonguing, he advises students to vary the
57 Ibid.
58 Ibid.
59 Ibid.
60 Ibid.
61 Ibid.
23 tempo and alter the syllables like playing them backwards: “ku-tu.” This exercise brings the ‘tu’ syllable “far enough back in the mouth so as not to be too different in air space from ‘ku.’”62 “Because of the fact that attacks on the flute are not as strong as on other instruments, one must work to develop exact articulation for ensemble. Conquer this inhibition by playing whenever possible with instruments of strong articulation, such as the oboe or strings, constantly matching attacks with your colleagues.”63
Beginner Method
In “A Creative Approach,” Tipton discusses the topic of music selection for the beginning flutist. Young students often pick up bad habits from their band method books, advises Tipton. “A band master is charged with the job of obtaining specialized results such as the voicing, range, and brilliance required of flutes in a band… Consequently for a first year student this means a struggle to play in awkward keys and high register.”64 To ward off these problems, Tipton suggests that band directors “allow a student freedom to choose his own materials within certain limitations.”65 Begin instruction in the key of F Major for the first two weeks, playing only in the first octave, says Tipton. The song material should be primarily stepwise, he recommends, so that students can become acquainted with the fundamental fingering system, including thumb B-flat. At first students should play by ear, and then teachers should introduce the “adventure of notation.”66 After this key area is mastered, Tipton teaches C6 and D6 to demonstrate proper hand position and balance. Like the earlier section, students should make up songs using
62 Ibid.
63 Ibid.
64 Albert Tipton, “A Creative Approach,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 44/3 (November 1972): 26.
65 Ibid.
66 Ibid.
24 the new fingering pattern until the transition between notes is seamless, says Tipton. “Now try jumping octaves using the same finger and breath pressure. This introduces the variable of aperture size plus angle of blowing to smoothly produce the upper notes.”67 This will take a different amount of time to master he writes, depending on the student. “Next I introduce the higher series advancing to the high E [E6] using low C [C4] fingering which is the 5th series. Using the first octave or fundamental scale fingering and overblowing into the upper series will enable the student to reach a high A [A6] without trouble.”68 He then moves through the circle of 5ths, introducing a new key each week. Students should improvise music in each scale region and then notate the song, advises Tipton. Finally, Tipton offers a list of materials that support his alternate approach, arranged by increasing technical difficulty.
“First year Flute Playing,” Vena Tipton, 2211 E 1st, Tulsa, OK Peterson Elementary Method, Rubank Earnest Wagner Method, Carl Fischer Louis Moyse, 40 Little Pieces for flute and guitar, Schirmer Cavally Melodious and Progressive Studies, Book 1, Southern Voxman Selected Studies, Rubank Anderson Op. 33,21,41 Etudes, Southern Hughs 40 Novi Studi Op. 75, Ricordi Kuhlau Duos Op. 81, 10, 87, 39 Taffanel-Gaubert Method, Durand Berbiguier 18 Studies Zachert Melodic Exercises, Schott Voxman Book II Maquarre Daily Studies, Schirmer Soussman 30 Grand Etudes, Schott Bach – Schindler 24 Concert Etudes, Southern Anderson Op. 15, 63 Paganini – Gavinnes, Etudes taken from the violin Karg Elert, 30 Caprices, Op. 7, Southern Bitsch Etudes Brun, Durand Casterede, Durand69
67 Ibid.
68 Ibid.
69 Ibid., 26-27.
25 Breathing
In “Breath Control and Timing,” Tipton examines the subject of breathing and offers practice tips and common pitfalls. He begins with the following assessment:
In the vast repertoire featuring the flute prominently, the following examples come to mind as of extraordinary difficulty for breath control. Debussy - Prelude a l’Apres midi d’un faun, Dvorak - Symphony No. 4 in G and Carnival Overture, Beethoven - Leonore No. 3, Bach - Suite No. 2 in b, and Mendelssohn - A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Scherzo).70
These excerpts are challenging not only for the lengths of the phrases, but also for breath control at the end of the phrase. According to Tipton, wind players, especially flute and tuba, should practice exercises that increase air capacity. Here is one of the exercises he outlines:
Expand the chest to the utmost causing air to rush in. The chest will rise slightly as the lungs fill. Keeping the chest high, slowly and loudly count fifteen seconds. Now in so doing, this will bring into play muscles of the lower abdomen and diaphragm....The more air you expel the more crowded will be the abdominal organs. Now having accomplished this, drop the rib cage and release even more air.71
Tipton admits that these exercises may be uncomfortable and reveals that a few days prior to playing a long phrase, he goes on a diet to avoid “visceral discomfort.”72 Tipton suggests that flutists should match the “intake” with the “outgo” for every breath. When there is a long phrase, try taking a long time to inhale; however, if the music has no breaks, he recommends short “dog” pants at frequent intervals. “Feel a slight resistance at all times, as in a state of readiness for a punch in the midsection, even
70 Albert Tipton, “Breath Control and Timing,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/7 (March 1971): 8.
71 Ibid.
72 Ibid.
26 while playing pp.”73 Also, be careful not to inhale too much in advance of a phrase because it is “unnecessarily tiring.”74 He lists some common problems associated with breathing. A closed throat may cause a gasping sound upon inhalation, he says, and breathing too late usually produces an unstable embouchure. Tipton adds, “Hearing the heart beat in the tone while playing pp is common from a too closed rib cage.”75 To counteract this he recommends expanding the rib cage away from the heart. Flutists will also commonly lose the breath too quickly in a phrase, which Tipton attributes to an unnecessarily large aperture. For difficult breathing passages Tipton recommends circular breathing and stagger breathing. “One [trick] common to jazz players is a use of reserve air in the mouth pushed out by the tongue while snatching a breath through the nose all the while playing.”76 Stagger breathing, Tipton writes, is an approach where the second flutist doubles a passage so that the first player may grab a quick breath. Tipton advises the second flutist to match the intonation, vibrato, quality, intensity, and volume of the principal player, so that the dubbing is imperceptible. “I used to do this for Kincaid in the Faun, the Scherzo, and many passages. Often on listening to recording playbacks we would ourselves be unable to detect the assist.”77 After describing some ways to breathe, Tipton concludes his article with comments about when to breathe.
In stealing a breath, keeping the rhythm is the secret. Rob from the proceeding note and enter the next note on time….Look for patterns and take breaths to respect those designs. For instance in a hemiola (usually a rhythmic relation of 3 notes in the time of 2), accentuate the effect of the changed pulse.78
73 Ibid., 10.
74 Ibid.
75 Ibid.
76 Ibid.
77 Ibid.
78 Ibid., 27.
27
He mentions that most breaths are after a downbeat and before an upbeat. The music of J.S. Bach is so masterfully crafted, writes Tipton, that there are no seams wide enough to breathe comfortably. “In this case one may have to distort the shape rhythmically. If this is done there must be some way of balancing the distortion in similar situations to justify symmetry of design.”79
Conducting and Conductors
Tipton played under the baton of numerous conductors over the course of his orchestral career. Oboist John de Lancie talked about his friend:
His formative years took place during the period that can easily be viewed as the “golden years” of orchestral performance – the years of Stokowski, Koussevitsky, Reiner, and Toscanini. We were fortunate in receiving “the word – the message” from the great teachers of that period. And, Albert, more than most, has been faithful to this elegance of playing – an elegance and musicality which has been such a conspicuous part of his own performance history.80
From this experience, he developed some opinions about what makes a strong conductor. “I say about conductors – they all have something – nobody has everything. The conductors that had the most integrity, the faithful adherence to the text and to the understanding of music, were those people who were naturally endowed with gifts themselves – either as composers themselves or near to that.”81 People would often ask Tipton to reflect on his time with these famous conductors. Whom did he rate outstanding? In an interview with Tom Houston, Tipton said the following:
79 Ibid.
80 John de Lancie, typewritten letter to Sheryl Cohen, 15 July 1995.
81 Tipton, Houston interview, 16.
28 He [Toscanini] was a very thorough conductor – not only played the cello but played the piano as well. He had poor eyesight and had to learn everything from memory. That I think, helped him a great deal in understanding the total picture of the music. Toscanini was unique in the sense that he had a great sense of rhythmic integration about everything he did. He also had a great sense of the dramatic pause… Paul Paray even surpassed Toscanini in his knowledge of the repertoire. I used to think when I played with Bruno Walter his tempi were too slow. But after hearing many of the records we recorded with him, I find the tempi were just right. Monteux had the most extraordinary orchestra technique of all; even greater than Reiner, who was a marvelous conductor. Reiner’s “Wagner” was most outstanding as he seemed to have a great sense of the dramatics. One of the greatest talents was Munch. He didn’t like to rehearse and therefore didn’t always produce up to standards within his great gifts. Beecham was a wonderful character and a most interesting musician.82
Tipton himself was an accomplished conductor winning accolades from Paul Paray and many music critics.
My dear Tipton, I have always considered you an artist of great nobility, a flutist of immense talent but I did not know personally that you possess the qualities of a true conductor. I was delighted to discover these qualities in you the other evening when I was able to see you conduct your orchestra. Economy of gesture, precision, authority over your ensemble, musicality, all these virtues you have.83
He directed the Tipton Chamber Orchestra and the student orchestra programs at Aspen and Meadow Brook music festivals. Upon retirement Tipton expressed an interest in divesting more time into composition and conducting. “I think the biggest thrills you can get as a musician are to conduct your own works.”84 In 1953 he had the thrill of conducting the St. Louis Symphony string section in the premiere of his piece, Colors of Spring.
82 Ibid.
83 Albert Tipton, recommendation from Paul Paray, 1962.
84 Tipton, Houston interview, 16.
29 Contests
When the Busoni piano contest was held in 1970, Tipton recalls that no first prize was awarded. Since the judging criteria encompassed musical perfection as well as technical accuracy, no contestant achieved that goal. Other competitions compare “one accurate player to another…” and are “not based on ideal standards of excellence or musical gift.”85 According to Tipton, students entering contests can “benefit more from the experience if they are aware of the judges’ aims as well as their own.”86 He also advises students to be open and receptive to the evaluator’s comments, not just the high rating. Tipton shared his criteria for evaluating competitions with The School Musician Director and Teacher. “In my own experience I have evolved this system of evaluating a performer. I keep notes as I go and revise my grading upwards or downwards as each contestant does his part.”87 1. Tonal Focus - Tipton describes this as intonation within the tone or a “tuned complex of sound organized into a fundamental plus overtones with a minimum of extraneous unrelated noise.”88 He writes, “This fact unfortunately eliminates most contestants I have heard from the number one category as I look on this aspect of flute playing as an uncompromising requirement.”89 2. Accuracy - On a basic level this includes reading accidentals and playing the dynamics that are indicated in the piece, according to Tipton. 3. Rhythmic Understanding - Simply stated: “Incorrect subdivisions and lack of a steady beat mar a performance.”90
85 Albert Tipton, “Notes on the Judging of Contests,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/1 (August-September 1971): 34.
86 Ibid.
87 Ibid., 36.
88 Albert Tipton, “Aspen 1971…Further notes on Contests,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/3 (November 1971): 6.
89 Tipton, “Notes,” 36.
90 Tipton, “Aspen 1971,” 8.
30 4. Technique - Tipton writes that evenness of scales, legato, articulation, range of dynamics, and projection make up technique. 5. Phrasing and Musicality - “Today a young musician is able to make rapid progress in musical understanding by availing himself of recordings as well as using a tape recorder for comparison and evaluation. Still to be pursued is a sense of musical line and knowledge of formal elements within the structure.”91 6. Style - Tipton describes this as identifying with the composer. One would not play Mozart or Bach in the same way as The Carnival of Venice. Style is like the method an actor uses to prepare for a new role, varying his costume and delivery, says Tipton. 7. Ensemble - “Ensemble – is togetherness, one moment leading and the next following as in dancing. When leading, one must indicate subtly but deftly one’s intentions so that perfect ensemble is possible.”92 8. Personality - While this is a delicate point to assess, it is an important criterion according to Tipton. “One’s subjective and subconscious musicality manifests itself in vibrato, nervousness, and personal expression or stylistic traits.”93 9. Stage Deportment - Tipton writes that a performer sets the mood from the moment he steps onto the stage. Effective stage presence, he says, can capture the attention of both the judges and the listeners. 10. Memorization - Performing a piece by memory is only a plus if it helps the contestant understand the music more deeply and gives him more confidence as he performs, says Tipton.
91 Ibid.
92 Ibid.
93 Ibid.
31 Group Lessons
When Tipton was a professor at the Florida State University, he had as many as sixty-nine students in one semester. The only way he could accommodate those numbers was through a mix of group and individual lessons. Although he had some misgivings about teaching in groups, Tipton writes that there are numerous benefits from working with others. To prove this point he uses the example of medical students: “In something as crucial as surgery, isn’t much exposure required and necessary by group methodology in laboratory consultation?”94 Although he disagrees with the validity of group piano lessons, Tipton claims that class teaching is the only way that solo wind players can learn to fit within an ensemble. “As in singing, one of the primary difficulties I have with students is tonal production. The voice of the flute must be discovered and that individual sound may be cultivated in its beginnings via class exposure.”95 He writes that issues like breath support, tonal focus, and intonation are best approached in a group setting. The teacher can show a student his errors, he says, while the other students hear the correction and avoid this mistake in the future. “If a hard passage came up he would have everyone try to play it and use everyone’s ideas to encourage and instruct the student’s lesson,” wrote former student Dan Jensen.96 According to Tipton, the following activities are effective in group lessons:
...employing visual and aural demonstration via live performances, observing film strips or video tapes of exemplars in the field, assessing the performances of many recording artists whether vocal or instrumental – via verbal and written critiques, and assigning repertoire to be used in a master class format.97
94 Albert Tipton, “Is there a Stigma to Class Teaching of a Solo Instrument?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 44/9 (May 1973): 22.
95 Ibid.
96 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
97 Tipton, “Class Teaching,” 23.
32 Other activities that Tipton supported for group classes include playing cooperative exercises in a circle (relays) with scales, chords, long tones, breath support, melodic invention, and improvisation. “My classes allow for inspiration of the moment; I find that deviating from the format is expeditious and valuable. Sometimes spontaneous improvisation develops.”98 He would also teach sight-reading in class and encourage competitions for speed and accuracy. “We had many group sessions – not always with only flute players – he would work with other instrumentalists who wanted to learn, and we played lots and lots of ensemble music. It was very educational and enjoyable.”99
Instruments and Instrument Maintenance
Between his father’s flute making shop at home and the family’s relationship with flute maker Verne Powell, it is not surprising that Albert Tipton became proficient in instrument maintenance. He even experimented with head joint design on Armstrong flutes. One student wrote, “He made a few [flutes] each year and each one was slightly different in its combination of overtones…making some sound dark or light.”100 Several students such as Sandy Tedder bought instruments from Tipton.
I purchased my first flute from Albert Tipton with money I had earned as a weekend waitress; money I had patiently saved and carefully buried in a big jar in the ground near my home. Being a skilled flute technician as well as a superb musician, Albert fashioned my flute by hand crafting the tone hole on the head joint and then matching the quality of sound with that of his famous platinum flute. Back and forth, he switched went between flutes – my silver flute, then his platinum flute – shaving the tone hole a little bit each time, until the quality of sound perfectly suited his musical ideal. I play the same flute today and when I look at Albert Tipton’s initials engraved on my head joint, I feel honored and very lucky to have this flute that was master crafted by one of the world’s finest musical artists.101
98 Goll-Wilson, 10.
99 Kristi Sloniger, questionnaire response, February 2005.
100 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
101 Sandy Tedder, to Sheryl Cohen, Alabama, 1 July 1995, typewritten letter.
33 Tipton remarked: “Next to time and talent, probably the most important factor in the development of a young player will be owning a good instrument.”102 A flute in poor repair can impede one’s progress and consequently impact his or her interest in playing the flute. He writes, “Repair jobs are a nuisance and deprive one of his accustomed instrument.”103 Along these lines Tipton reminds students and parents to arrange for a loaner flute when an instrument is in the shop for repairs. In the essay, “A Few Tips on the Care of the Flute,” he describes some simple repair procedures and general maintenance guidelines. He first stresses the importance of removing fingerprints from the instrument with a large clean handkerchief. “Sulfur, salt, and other chemicals in perspiration can often eat through a flute,” said Tipton, so get into the habit of wiping down the flute every day.104 According to him, when cleaning the exterior of the flute, avoid touching the pads and do not use silver polish. “I never use grease on the joints unless I am prepared to clean after each use and reapply because the grease collects grit which can scratch the tenons.”105 Because the pad beneath each key is made of a porous material, it is susceptible to climate changes as well as wear and tear. For a sticky pad, Tipton recommends wetting a piece of cigarette paper with cleaning or lighter fluid, and drawing it gently under the depressed key to remove dirt from the pad. If the tone becomes fuzzy due to a worn pad and there is no time to have someone replace it, he says apply nail polish or sealing wax to the pad surface as a quick fix. Tipton gives some simple advice for shimming a lever key with paper. “Cut precisely to shape small pieces of envelope flaps utilizing the old fashioned kind with glue that you have to lick.”106 If the flute has set screws, a flutist can also make some
102 Albert Tipton, “A Few Tips on the Care of the Flute,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 44/5 (January 1973): 32.
103 Ibid.
104 Ibid.
105 Ibid., 33.
106 Ibid., 32.
34 adjustments to the mechanism with a screwdriver, but Tipton cautions against careless experimentation. “If you have a weak spring and the key fails to come up readily you can remove the key and bend the spring taking care not to break it.”107 Avoid using rubber bands as a substitute for spring function, says Tipton, because “the sulfur in rubber will eat right through silver.”108 Having traveled and performed all over the world, Tipton offers some advice to musicians performing on tour; examine the pads and corks on your instrument when going to a drier climate, as they may need to be shimmed. Which type of flute is most stable through climate changes? “I have tried wooden, silver, platinum, yellow and white gold flutes in varying environmental situations. I find that wood is perhaps the most stable next to platinum. Silver and yellow gold are next with the least stable being white gold. I found the white gold to be more susceptible to condensation.”109 Everyone should know a few things about the construction of his or her instrument, says Tipton. While you may not want to disassemble and clean your flute before every performance like him, some preventative maintenance could postpone that trip to the repair shop.110 All flute manufacturers publish brochures on the care and maintenance of their instrument says Tipton. He recommends the brochure by Mark Thomas of Armstrong flutes.
Intonation
One of Tipton’s goals for every student was to achieve a focused tone within a system of just intonation. As John Barcellona writes, “Just intonation is playing in tune with the natural overtone series...To eliminate beats when working with just intonation,
107 Ibid.
108 Ibid.
109 Albert Tipton, “Scaling in the Rockies,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 45/3 (November 1973): 17.
110 Tipton, “Care of the Flute,” 32.
35 wind players must adjust their pitch to match the overtone series of the harmonic structure. Since the harmonic structure is always changing, the wind player must adjust pitch constantly.”111 Tipton believed that difference tones could be used as a method to develop accurate intonation. In fact, he studied the use of these subjective tones and found it to be “within 2 cents accuracy as a tool for attaining ‘just’ intonation.”112 According to Tipton, one can achieve just intonation through three steps: self- testing, exercises, and a knowledge of the harmonic series. In the preliminary stages, a student must learn to play in tune with himself. One of Tipton’s exercises alternates between C5 and the second partial of C4.
Figure 8: Tipton tuning exercise 113
When the headjoint is pulled out the proper distance, the pitch will match on both fingerings. If these two sounds are not at the same level, then either the instrument is not in tune with itself or the player is “out of synchronization with the instrument,” according to Tipton. 114 Averitt writes that this exercise is also useful for embouchure placement. “This serves to find the average pitch at which these two extremes (the flat low end of the low register and the sharp upper end of the low register) can be in tune with each other. Hence, the embouchure is placed at the position which would require the least adjustment
111 John Barcellona, “Flute Intonation,” The Flutist Quarterly 12/1 (winter 1987): 53.
112 Albert Tipton, “Just Intonation” (Houston, TX: Rice University, Shepherd School of Music, 1975, photocopied), 1.
113 Albert Tipton, “An Approach to ‘Just’ Intonation by Employment of Difference Tones,” in The Flutists’ Handbook: A Pedagogy Anthology, Santa Clarita: The National Flute Association, Inc.: 54.
114 Ibid.
36 to produce both ends of the low register in tune.”115 Just intonation cannot be achieved if a student plays out of tune with himself so self-testing is the first step to Tipton’s method. He shared some other intonation exercises in The Flutist’s Handbook: A Pedagogy Anthology published by the National Flute Association. In the introduction Tipton writes:
Determining and understanding the harmonic series is the foundation of “just” intonation. I am aware that accepted standards of pitch today range from A-430, as used in ensembles of period instruments, to A-442, and even A-444. The “just” intonation approach is applicable no matter which pitch standard is chosen. In fact, it is more important than ever, where such flexibility exists.116
For practice playing in unison, Tipton recommends an exercise based on the harmonic series. One student sustains C4 while the other plays the notes in the corresponding harmonic series using normal fingerings. Tipton comments that C4 is usually flat, so the student sustaining the fundamental may use a tuner in this exercise. He also indicates that the stationary player may hear difference tones when the exercise is performed correctly. “If the balance and tuning are correct, a greatly enhanced sound is obtained, and a ghost of the series with notes played will be heard in the stationary low C of the other player.” 117 Difference tones, or subjective tones, are produced any time two pitches are performed simultaneously. Frances Lapp Averitt describes the phenomenon: “A high note creates more cycles per second (cps) than a low one. So, if you take the 1,308.1275 cps of an E6, minus the 1,046.5020 cps of the C6, you get a difference of 261.6255 cps which equals the pitch of C4!”
115 Frances Lapp Averitt, “An Intonation Method for Flutist (Non-Exclusive of ofther Instrumentalists and Singers) Based on the Use of Difference Tones as a Practical Guide to the Achievement of Perfectly Tuned Intervals,” (DM treatise, Florida State University,1973), 113.
116 Ibid.
117 Ibid.,55.
37
Figure 9: Averitt illustration of difference tones 118
Tipton notes that difference tones are clearly perceived in the inner ear, but not detectable by tuners or any other man-made device. Through his intonation method, students can learn to tune by hearing when the difference tone aligns with the overtone series of the harmonic structure. Another exercise Tipton frequently used for intonation he called harmonizing a scale.119 One player would sustain either the tonic or dominant scale step while the other student slowly played the scale. He notes that it is difficult to maintain a steady pitch on the sustained note, so “we test frequently by intermittingly striking the unison on a piano while the tester is sustaining.”120 A variant on this exercise is with a tuner as described by Averitt. “My students practice major scales in all octaves…with the tuner sounding the dominant of the key in each octave. The student then tries to tune the pitch he is playing by hearing when the difference tone is in tune for each note of the scale. The tuner could also be set to sound the tonic of each key or to alternate between the dominant and tonic.”121 Tipton’s exercises with difference tones were rehearsed in pairs and group lessons of five to eight players. In order to distinguish each individual’s pitch, Tipton advocated playing out of rhythmic synchronization. (Fig. 10)
118 Frances Lapp Averitt, “Tuning with Difference Tones,” Flute Talk 5/8 (April 1986): 25.
119 Tipton, “Just Intonation,” 3.
120 Ibid.
121 Averitt, “Tuning,” 26.
38
Figure 10: Tuning exercise without rhythmic synchronization122
He taught students to adjust pitch with any of the following techniques: turning the headjoint in or out, covering more or less of the embouchure hole, using alternate fingering, or adding coincidental harmonics.123 If a practice partner is not available, Tipton’s intonation exercises may be rehearsed with a tuner that emits a test pitch in a wide range of octaves. When asked, “Why spend time on “just” tuning?” Tipton replies: “It is better, more pleasant, and enhancing to sonority when the discipline of “just” intonation is achieved.”124 In an interview he discusses the topic further,
When you play one note on the flute, you can play so that it is a composite of many sounds in tune or out of tune with itself. If you play a low C, all of the harmonics that you can produce on that low C are natural to that tone and you can isolate them one by one. When you hear a windy tone, you are hearing non-coordinated harmonics that are out of tune with themselves, and it sounds as wind. Those windy tones are all sounds of music, but they are perhaps not focused. A windy tone is a tone that is out of tune. If you have two tones played together that are out of phase (out of tune), they tend to cancel each other out. They are actually fighting each other. They just create heat and not any projection of sound. A beautiful tone that carries is one that is most in tune with itself and one that has a chance to be heard through whatever it is against in the background.125
This concept of tonal focus was the most important criteria in which he evaluated his students.
122 Tipton, “Approach to Just Intonation,” 55.
123 Ibid.
124 Tipton, “Approach to "Just Intonation;” 57.
125 Tipton, “Houston interview,” 15.
39 There are several benefits to Tipton’s tuning method. “Learning to play intervals in tune by listening for the correct placement of the difference tone trains the ear to hear and adjust for very subtle pitch differences. This aural technique contrasts with the primarily visual aid of the strobe tuner and is very beneficial to ensemble playing where one has to adjust quickly by ear to another player’s pitch.”126 It can also improve a student’s performance in ear training class and enhance the sound of an ensemble. Tipton illustrated this last point with the following example: when a string quartet plays with “just” intonation, they have the resonance of more than four players, he says. On the other hand, when the tuning is imperfect, the same group will sound “thin, dry, and scratchy.”127 Intonation was never specifically addressed in the student questionnaire form, yet several respondents discussed its impact. “There was never a lesson in which this [intonation] was not the point of departure for everything else.”128 Another wrote, “He drove me crazy with it [his intonation method], but once I could play in tune, my phrasing and playing really bloomed.”129 Carol Wincenc replied, “I still use the intonation/scale tuning exercise with my students.”130 Finally, Mark Rodrieg wrote:
A Tipton trained musician would need to produce every note such that the pitch would be deftly adjusted up or down to produce a difference tone in the same scale as the section of the piece or passage being performed. The result is a sound with greatly improved tonal and penetrative qualities which, at its best, approaches the incomparable Tipton sound. To achieve this, however, requires fluid knowledge of music theory as well as highly developed perceptions. For Albert, these abilities came readily. For every one else, even the gifted, the development of these abilities required endless work.131
126 Averitt, “Tuning,” 26.
127 Albert Tipton, “An Approach to ‘Just’ Intonation by Employment of Difference Tones,” in The Flutists’ Handbook: A Pedagogy Anthology, Santa Clarita: The National Flute Association, Inc., 53.
128 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
129 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
130 Carol Wincenc, questionnaire response, May 2005.
131 Mark Rodrieg, Albert Tipton: Reflections on a Friend and Teacher (Tallahassee: privately printed, 1997), 1-2.
40 One of the greatest aspects of Tipton’s legacy was not the fact that he had perfect pitch, but that he developed a methodical approach to grasp an elusive subject. Furthermore, Tipton’s acoustical research demonstrated relationships between intonation and timbre, and thus influenced his ideas about general musicianship.
Performance Anxiety
In “Is Stage Fright All That Bad?” Tipton revealed that the secret to performance anxiety is channeling your nervous energy in a productive way. He used the example of pianist Arthur Rubenstein, an active performer even into his 80s. Tipton described Rubenstein’s concert as “confident but ‘nervous’ with a certain bravura and chance- taking anticipation of playing a little better than the last time.”132 How does one learn to turn nervousness into a performance enhancer rather than a distraction? Tipton first recommends thorough preparation. “Think only of the job at hand and the concept of what and how, not of yourself.”133 He suggests that this sort of focus eliminates the negative dialogue in a performer’s head and releases creative energy. Secondly, Tipton told students to play for as many people as possible to become accustomed to performing. Also, “prepare for all aspects of a performance comfortably in advance.”134 According to Tipton this might include investigating the acoustics of the performance space and verifying that the concert outfit is ironed and spotless. One final piece of advice from him is to avoid stimulants like caffeine on a concert day. He told the story: Recently a student walking off stage after a performance exclaimed, “I took a tranquilizer and felt relaxed – even great! How was it?” “Sorry to relate, my friend,” the teacher answered, “you bombed.”135
132 Albert Tipton, “Is Stage Fright All That Bad?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/5 (January 1971): 4.
133 Ibid.
134 Ibid.
135 Ibid.
41 With these tips in mind, a performer can use nervous energy in a productive way. Tipton concludes with his personal adage about performing: “Treat every rehearsal like a concert and every concert like a rehearsal.”136
Practicing
Albert Tipton wrote two articles about practicing. In the first, titled “Ten Points on How to Waste Time Practicing,” he explained the sarcastic tone of the essay: “I essentially believe in positive thinking, however it seems sometimes to me that a more pointed approach to the problem is to attack it with realism.”137 For example, rule number ten stated: “Avoid going to concerts to hear your colleagues or professionals. This would tend to spoil your individually unique concepts.”138 Considering Tipton’s strong interest in intonation, rule number eight is especially sarcastic: “Never bother to tune. Wasn’t the instrument tuned at the factory?”139 Among his suggestions in the second essay are points like “use your entire attention” and “be a discerning listener.”140 Tipton advocated listening to a recording of a vocalist or instrumentalist to awaken one’s creativity. He goes on to write, “Question every dogma scientifically and relentlessly until satisfactory answers are found. Perhaps there is a better way even your teachers have not yet discovered.”141 He also cautioned against working in a routine or mechanical way.
136 Ibid., 6.
137 Albert Tipton, “Ten Points on How to Waste Time Practicing,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/1 (August-September 1970): 14.
138 Ibid.
139 Ibid., 14.
140 Albert Tipton, “How to Profit from Practice,” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/3 (November 1970): 14-15.
141 Ibid.,14.
42
Avoid the too easy groove. If you can play an etude at a certain tempo, try going a bit slower for a while, then increase the metronome setting a trifle faster than you are used to going. Then, try for the perfecting of one variable at a time, such as controlling the legato, with emphasis first on a smooth line of wind with ample breath support, then perfecting finger action without unevenness.142
Lastly Tipton says be patient and persistent. “An artist must learn to be painstaking and scientific in his approach.”143
Style
Style is one of Tipton’s top ten criteria for judging contests. He writes, it is related to “the form of expression rather than the content of the thoughts expressed. How natural that the medium is the message, nothing more, nothing less but the way it comes across depends upon your knowledge of style.”144 For example, there is a big difference between German and French marches, says Tipton. Some of this is due to the time period when the music was written, he remarks, while another factor is the nationality of the composer. Slavic music, he says, has a unique approach to rhythm with the cessura, a stress beyond the usual metronomic division. After playing under Sergei Rachmaninov, Tipton learned the power of this rhythmic device, which many would have played incorrectly based solely by the appearance of the musical notation. It is therefore the task, says Tipton, of conductors and soloists to effectively read and interpret the printed markings in a score. “Mitropoulos treated markings literally the same in all music where as Bruno Walter would treat a “sfz” in a quiet movement very gently.”145 Tipton writes that the best musical interpretation is formed after knowing the composer’s intentions. “In my own ‘Fantasy-Serenade’ for flute and orchestra while
142 Ibid.
143 Ibid., 16.
144 Albert Tipton, “Notes on Style in Music” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/7 (March 1972): 14.
145 Ibid., 14-33.
43 performing with the Detroit Symphony, I had to stop and express verbally certain desired effects which I found impossible to indicate traditionally.”146 Selecting an appropriate edition of music is almost more important than interpreting the markings on a score, cautions Tipton. For early flute literature he recommends editions by Louis Fleury, Thurston Dart, Arnold Dolmetsch, Fernand Oubradous and Richard Platt. His parting words in this essay are still very relevant today: “I wish that all music could be published showing the original manuscript as well as the edited version. If this were so, we could all approach great composers on equal grounds.”147
Whistle Tones
Whistle tones or flageolet sounds are delicate whistle-like tones derived from the overtone series. They are produced when a flutist blows gently across the embouchure hole with relaxed lips and light air pressure. Tipton demonstrates this technique in audio example 4. Whistle tones can be performed from any fingering on the flute and serve as an excellent lip callisthenic exercise warming up the embouchure. They are so quiet that they can be practiced late at night or early in the morning without disturbing the neighbors.148 “Ever since my teacher, Albert Tipton, introduced me to whistle tones – pure, tiny tones that sound like a whistling tea kettle – I have enjoyed playing them.... Producing these fascinating little sounds helps the flutist to develop a relaxed embouchure, think a pitch before it is played, and control the air stream.”149 For a basic exercise, try to play a whistle tone as long as possible without changing pitch. Averitt says that this will help the flutist focus on a steady air stream and lip position.
146 Ibid., 33.
147 Ibid.
148 Frances Lapp Averitt, “Whistle Tones: Exercises for the Embouchure,” The Instrumentalist 42/1 (August 1987): 46.
149 Ibid., 42.
44 Tipton demonstrated mastery of this technique in several recordings of the second movement of Prokofiev’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 94. In one section where repeated A6 is written for the flutist at a pp dynamic level, he substituted whistle tones (Audio example 5). This piece was originally written for flute and later revised for violin by the composer himself. It is my suspicion that Tipton’s interpretation of this section best emulates the qualities of harmonics on a violin.
45
CHAPTER 4
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES
The following are responses to surveys of former Tipton students in North America and Europe. The survey forms requested information on three general subjects: Tipton’s teaching, anecdotes, and his influence on their life. The students were identified from studio rosters and concert programs at Rice and Florida State Universities in the 1960s through the 80s. The National Flute Association membership roster and the alumni offices at Rice and Florida State University were sources for current address information which supplemented the student contact lists provided by the Tipton family. Besides the student questionnaires, some of the anecdotes were extracted from letters written to Tipton on the occasion of his Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
I. Tipton’s Teaching
During his long and successful career, Tipton had several opportunities to reflect on the teaching profession. In a 1987 article he said, “Teaching is the most difficult thing any of us can do, because we have to define our own beliefs and articulate them to someone else; and as we do, we start to understand them better.”150 When asked about his teaching philosophy, Tipton related, “Well, I think the most important thing is to teach concepts and advise students on the short cuts toward skills through training of one’s ear…. The biggest single factor in learning to play any wind instrument is to be able to hear and perceive what you actually do in relation to others.”151 He went on to describe the variety of college students he has taught from science-oriented to highly artistic. “I have to explain it to one student in one way, and another student another way.
150 Goll-Wilson; 9.
151 Tipton, “Houston interview,” 15.
46 Sometimes they say something to me that sparks a new thought that didn’t occur to me.”152
1. What would you consider to be Mr. Tipton’s best quality or qualities as a teacher?
The value he placed on tone development through intonation. It really was the hallmark of his instruction, in my experience. He also had excellent interpretive ideas for repertoire, as well.153
He was very mild and gentle in his approach, yet very demanding. He was forceful in his convictions. I would say one salient quality of his would be METICULOUS.154
He was very consistent in temperament. I never saw him angry, rude, or impatient.155
I think his underlining quality is that he was very fluid in matching student’s needs with their musical career goals. His vast musical intelligence could support this style of instruction. Personally, I enjoyed the way he strived to keep music “human” as opposed to being purely a mechanical technique in spite of all those overtone sessions. My surprise discovery was his smart sense of humor.156
It had to be his focus on intonation. He drove me crazy with it, but once I could play in tune, my phrasing and playing really bloomed.157
His ability to motivate me to achieve at the highest level.158
Listening, creativity, encouragement, involvement of everyone around him.159
The example of his beautiful playing – almost like a great athlete.160
152 Goll-Wilson; 10.
153 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
154 David Shostac, questionnaire response, April 2005.
155 Richard Hitt, questionnaire response, February 2005.
156 Penny Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
157 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
158 Donna Curry, questionnaire response, February 2005.
159 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
47
He was very patient as long as he thought you were trying – he was willing to work with you.161
As I would learn later, his teaching style was not for everyone. He was perfect for me at the times I was living in. It was just who he was and the incredible spirit he embodied that, for me, was his best quality.162
He had the power to be a completely stunning role model: a perfect professional attitude and a consummate artist of the highest order. He was also movie star handsome and quite tall, 6’ 4 in. I think. I found him to be intimidating and awe-inspiring.163
2. Describe his expectations for individual practice and performance during lessons.
My sense was that Tipton responded really well to students who gave intense concentration to the lesson at hand and who enjoyed instruction in his areas of specialized interest. Mr. Tipton often taught in groups of two or three (sometimes four) students. This certainly had its merits in learning by com- parison and sharing. On the other hand, I valued his one-on-one instruction so much, I almost always signed up for the 8 a.m. lesson time and found myself without additional student colleagues.164
Mr. Tipton was never demanding of me. He merely set an example of beautiful flute playing and told me stories of his practice patterns as a student. I couldn’t wait to practice but I wish there had been more specific directions given when I was in college.165
Tipton had little or no expectations for individual practice/performance. His major priority for the beginning to advanced players was developing an awareness to the just intonation concept. While at FSU, private lessons were rare, however, you could attend as many lessons a week with others.166
160 Paula Robison, questionnaire response, February 2005.
161 Kristi Sloniger, questionnaire response, February 2005.
162 Lise Mann, questionnaire response, February 2005.
163 Kim McCormick, questionnaire response, February 2005.
164 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
165 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
166 Bradford Meyerdierks, questionnaire response, March 2005.
48
He simply assumed that you worked on his requested assignment and there would be a marked improvement at the next lesson. I remember a time when I walked in thinking I was so well prepared. After the overtone warm-up, I started to play my finely prepped piece and he decided to work on sight-reading! Hours of practice and I never played more than a dozen measures! I actually learned a lesson!... Many a time, I would leave a lesson confused but never unenlightened!167
He expected you to think. He had an answer for every question you asked, sometimes taking a minute to consider it…. His patience was enormous, but he worked at a problem, musical or instrumental, until it was solved, or at least understood. He was not a teacher to approach a student routinely. He was best with a student who asked good questions; however, he was generous in playing for you when he gave lessons.168
He had high standards… I was not a music major, but he was still attentive and focused on enhancing my playing ability.169
High expectations, not eager to compliment students, but did praise us if we had done good work. A very hidden but definite sense of humor.170
He expected a lot of very independent learning. He encouraged us to look at all the music in the library and to listen to the recordings. He also encouraged us to attend concerts. He expected us to always know the piano accompaniment as well as our own part and was frustrated if this was not in place.171
He expected 100% from me and nothing more. I think at times I frustrated him. I realized much later how much I learned from him.172
167 Penny Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
168 Carl Lutes, questionnaire response, March 2005.
169 Donna Curry, questionnaire response, February 2005.
170 Paula Robison, questionnaire response, February 2005.
171 Kim McCormick, questionnaire response, February 2005.
172 Lora Mills, questionnaire response, February 2005.
49 3. Discuss any trend you noticed in repertoire selection while studying with Albert Tipton.
I suspect that since I was not a music major, he let me be more self-managed than others. I would select my pieces usually without input from him.173
He liked anything unusual I brought in and enjoyed playing around with Baroque ornamentation.174
My recollection is that Tipton would make selections from the literature I brought in. I don’t recall specific lesson assignments; rather he simply addressed my current enthusiasms. This approach may have been geared toward summer study, rather than academic/university lessons for students in degree programs under his domain, but I don’t know. I did not consider my summer lessons with Albert Tipton an opportunity to build repertoire so much as an invitation to work on approach. I observed that students who came to their lessons with their own “agendas” (with very specific goals re: repertoire, etudes and excerpts; were usually quite disappointed in the focus of Tipton’s instruction. While this was quite frustrating for some, I think it may have provided some freedom for me – perhaps because I was not reliant on his instruction for the majority of my fundamental, formative education. What I gleaned from my summer instruction with him was an entirely new vantage point.175
I was frustrated at first by his lack of guidance in selecting books, music, etc… He accepted whatever I came prepared with, but often we would take another turn, working on intervals, or vibrato.176
I remember especially that we worked on Anderson etudes, and I learned to maintain a steady tempo throughout and that is was possible to breathe quickly enough that one never had to skip a note or slow down to breathe. He required it, so I learned to do it.177
173 Richard Hitt, questionnaire response, February 2005.
174 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
175 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
176 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
177 David Shostac, questionnaire response, April 2005.
50 He let me bring in whatever I wanted. Once we were done with the intonation stuff, we improvised a lot. We also played some Bach piano music. I got very good at reading bass clef!178
He was not a fan of the “Salon” pieces from the 19th century. He loved Bach, Blavet, and many of the neo-classical 20th century repertoire. He did perform some of the better contest pieces such as the Godard Suite and the Enesco Cantabile et Presto.179
4. Besides intonation, what other concepts were important to Mr. Tipton and how did he approach them?
My memory doesn’t serve me well on this. However, the “warm-up” was a big part of every lesson. You ask “besides intonation…” but there was never a lesson in which this was not the point of departure for everything else. As a consequence, what I found so exceedingly valuable was that the ear became acutely sensitized to the subtlest issues of timbre, vibrato, and projection, and the embouchure became extremely supple to facilitate the widest possible range of demands.180
Intonation was a major influence and priority on all music selections. Developing technique was something one did on their own time in the practice room. I would say phrasing, at times, played a secondary role.181
For tone, Albert taught me to use little air and to gain velocity by a very small aperture. He covered on the average about ½ the blow hole. He pulled the head joint out so that one was playing as sharp as possible for the amount that was covered. This ensured high velocity of the air stream. Of course to rectify for a sharper requirement he would turn out.182
He liked to play the piano parts and discuss harmony and the importance of balance between the two instruments. I gained great respect for the “Sonata” and the duo-role of the flute/piano. We transposed many Anderson etudes.183
178 Lise Mann, questionnaire response, February 2005.
179 Kim McCormick, questionnaire response, February 2005.
180 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
181 Bradford Meyerdiecks, questionnaire response, March 2005.
182 Al Goldstein, personal e-mail, 9 February 2005.
183 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
51 He wanted the music I played to be expressive. Played as if it were conversation. For me, with my less than “classical” music I brought in, he would work on phrasing. One thing (I just now recalled) was that he asked me to end a particular phrase as if I just kissed it! For a nanosecond, I was somewhat guarded. He stepped to my side of the music rack and played this phrase and sure enough, it sounded very tender and sensitive.184
Besides intonation, rhythm was very important. No approximation was excused.185
He also taught about projection and resonating tones. This helped the student find the inner core of a note and how to change its color so as to blend while playing with others. Added to this, we worked exercises in matching vibrato speed and experimented with nasal and head tones, feeling the vibrations in different parts of the skull as singers do.186
He emphasized tone quality and phrasing. We also sight read each week and played duets!187
The biggest change he made to my playing was my vibrato. The concept of playing the vibrato into the “core” of my sound, and varying the speed of vibrato to impact phrasing or intonation was the greatest gift he gave my playing.188
Long tones and breath control – He had me practice long tones (up to a minute) to achieve a steady tone without pitch variation.189
Phrasing and tying the phrases together, to play musically. Artistry. Breath control taught through embouchure exercises (playing overtones and whistle tones). How to hold the instrument to maintain absolute control and balance, yet with light enough pressure against the lips to provide the basis for a lot of lip control of the embouchure for intonation.190
184 Peggy Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
185 Carl Lutes, questionnaire response, March 2005.
186 September Payne, “Honoring Albert Tipton 1917-1997,” Houston Flute Club Newsletter, Fall 1998; 2.
187 Elaine Murphy, questionnaire response, February 2005.
188 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
189 Robert Fruehwald, questionnaire response, February 2005.
190 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
52 More than anything, Tipton showed, by example, how to be a superior person, not just a flutist.191
5. What were some of the ways you received feedback about your progress?
He would look at me and quietly smile if he thought I made an honest attempt towards improvement. If something needed more work, he would play it and say, try this. He then would move quickly onto something different. I never felt the need to lie about time I did not practice much between lessons. For all his physical mass and artist’s temperament, he never scolded me or shamed me.192
That summer that Mr. Tipton and I worked with the tape recorder was perhaps the best for very specific feedback. Other than that, I recall a general sense of encouragement and a positive reinforcement of my efforts.193
He told me directly. His feedback was totally honest, not gratuitous. Compliments were rare.194
I could always tell if he was excited by the music but he wasn’t a teacher who gave out many compliments. I also knew if he was bored or frustrated.195
Not a lot of feedback, but possibly he thought I didn’t need it. Although he taught students who were playing “just for the fun of it,” and they seemed to enjoy his appreciation of their goals, Albert Tipton expected a certain drive and seriousness of any students who had aspirations in the profession.196
Whether you got to stop working on long tones or not!197
191 Lise Mann, questionnaire response, February 2005.
192 Penny Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
193 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
194 Richard Hitt, questionnaire response, February 2005.
195 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
196 Carl Lutes, questionnaire response, March 2005.
197 Kristi Sloniger, questionnaire response, February 2005.
53 Personally, playing next to him in the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra and faculty chamber concerts has been one of the highlights of my musical career so far. During these rehearsals in measures rests or breaks he would always confirm by feed back that I had done it right or coach me on the spot how, for example, to adjust the length of articulation needed to match him or another instrument…This unforgettable experience was the application and culmination of all my lessons with him.198
He was not the type to say “good job” all the time. His comments were fair, and I always felt respected as his student.199
Albert Tipton was a very generous and committed pedagogue. Lessons with him were unique and continually filled with fortifying statements such as “you’ve got it, press on (the message always) I believe in you – believe in yourself.”200
He used a tape recorder – played back my performance and critiqued it.201
Verbally, Eye Contact (he had a piercing stare that let you know he was genuinely interested in you), He would play the passage with his interpretation, other students that attended my lessons (kibbutz), student recitals, and of course the dreaded juries with the woodwind faculty.202
It was difficult to know when he was pleased – we hoped for the best!203
He would post ratings periodically, on his studio door. I knew how well I was doing.204
198 September Payne, “Honoring Albert Tipton 1917-1997,” 3.
199 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
200 Payne; 1.
201 Robert Fruehwald, questionnaire response, February 2005.
202 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
203 Paula Robison, questionnaire response, February 2005.
204 Lise Mann, questionnaire response, February 2005.
54 He would always tell you if he thought you were on track. He was not good at being specific in his criticism. He once called me on the phone years after I had graduated to tell me how much he like a new CD I had made. A compliment from him was the most meaningful thing I could ever receive. We spent a lot of time together at the NFA convention in St. Louis. That was 10 years after I graduated. I began to realize that he really was quite fond of his students. Mary Norris commented that we were like his own children. This was a total departure from the polite and very reserved persona I always saw as a student.205
II. Anecdotes
5. What is your most memorable experience as a student of Albert Tipton?
Hearing him play tenor sax at a local Aspen hangout, and his handwriting analysis of his students. Seeing him hold his platinum flute only by the tenon, keeping it sparkling clean and shiny. Very elegant.206
Playing piccolo in the Aspen Festival Orchestra flute section. This was my opportunity to see and hear first-hand the skills that were stressed in the lessons. Also to understand how a principal flutist must be both a soloist and a sensitive member of a complex ensemble.207
This is slightly negative – Two outstanding flutists from Miami had come to study. The two ladies were excellent performers with extraordinary technique. Tipton totally humbled them with a constant stress on working on two or three notes for a complete session. Needless to say, they were gone at the end of the fall semester.208
He once told me I played Griffes Poem as well as one of his previous students who was currently Assistant Principal flutist in a major orchestra.209
205 Kim McCormick, questionnaire response, February 2005.
206 David Shostac, questionnaire response, April 2005.
207 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
208 Bradford Meyerdierks, questionnaire response, March 2005.
209 Richard Hitt, questionnaire response, February 2005.
55 ` My very first lesson at age 15 when he tried to teach me how to tune an “A” for about 45 minutes. I didn’t know what to think but I’ll never forget it.210
It was near the end of the term and I had some large art projects due. In order to save some time, I brought one of these projects to my lesson. In the middle of our warm up, he stopped and turned to a large brown bag near the door. It was making snapping and popping sounds. In a playful manner, with his eyes opened wide, he dropped his jaw and placed his hand over his mouth. With this, he gave a Goldilocks, “Oh my! Will we survive?” It was a large globe filled with colored water with pieces of shaped glass tubes holding different colored liquids inside it. The rubber-banded anchors had given way, therefore hitting this globe and other things in the bag. We put down our flutes and went over to the bag. I cannot recall the details but the rest of the lesson time was spent discussing the philosophy of art, music, the celebration of life, and their holistic connection of which we are active participants. This was my favorite lesson because for a brief moment in time we stepped away from real time. We became two sojourners entering a time and place outside of the usual world. We had talked for over two hours and it felt as if it were for two minutes. After that day, we would share a sentence or two about life outside of the ordinary, but never again like that windy spring day.211
The way he took me into his life, professionally and personally, thus cultivating a confidence in me that said more than words. (I was just a teenager when I first met him.) He took me to the symphony concert with him so that I got free admission, he invited me often to stay for dinner with his family, he wrote me when I was in Paris.212
Showing up for my first lesson at Aspen – and Ms. Norris (his wife) offering me breakfast!213
What I enjoyed most were his stories of famous people that he had worked with. He was a living history book! His praise at my first recital to fellow professors was my favorite.214
210 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
211 Penny Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
212 Carl Lutes, questionnaire response, March 2005.
213 Elaine Murphy, questionnaire response, February 2005.
214 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
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At the end of my sophomore year I was still a disappointing and disappointed student of a graduate assistant. I started attending a lot of lessons with Tipton’s students and he asked me to sign up with him the next quarter.215
His calm - very unusual for a flutist. It gave him a special strength.216
I was playing with him in Chamber Orchestra and we were performing Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.” It was the Saturday afternoon dress rehearsal and Tipton left us ALL speechless when it was over. No one could speak or do anything for quite a while! No one wanted to break the spell Albert had created. It was perfect.217
During the last years with his troubling eyesight we were sometimes depended upon to dub in or play notes for him (sitting second flute in the orchestra) without notice – an unbelievable experience as it taught you to know the entire score, especially the entire flute section’s part. In lessons he would say, “Be ready. First impressions count for a lot. Should you get an opportunity to sub it is often without much or any notice. Be ready.”218
Watching him demonstrate rolling the flute to adjust intonation. He played a fast scale and adjusted every note.219
When he spoke to me as if I were a child of his own.220
The stories he told like when he was playing 2nd flute to Kincaid in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ormandy was conducting a world premiere piece that had a 1st flute solo. The orchestra rehearsed it one time. During the second rehearsal Kincaid’s music blew off of the music stand just before the solo. Tipton played the solo by ear while Kincaid was retrieving the music.221
215 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
216 Paula Robison, questionnaire response, February 2005.
217 Lise Mann, questionnaire response, February 2005.
218 Payne; 3.
219 Robert Freuhwald, questionnaire response, February 2005.
220 Lora Mills, questionnaire response, February 2005.
221 Dan Toner, notes from phone call, April 2005.
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He carried a briefcase to work every day. In it were a newspaper and an electric razor. Nothing else. When I told my mother she explained it very well, “I guess he thinks that now he is a college professor that he needs a briefcase.” There was nothing in his room except a straw mat. No music. He did have a turn table and would play LP recordings, which we would discuss. He also had a tape recorder and would play application tapes of prospective Aspen students for us occasionally.222
Former students and colleagues told the following in letters honoring Tipton:
Of all the incidental solos played in Daphnis, the first flute solo, as played by Albert Tipton, was always the most stunning. One time after one such solo on a Thursday night subscription concert at Ford Auditorium in Detroit, I approached Al at his locker to shake his hand and to tell him how much I enjoyed the solo. His response was, “Well, what can I say? That’s the story of my life.” And indeed it is. That solo is a test of the flutist’s technical mettle and his musical artistry. In Al’s case, the solos were always legendary…because when Paul Paray conducted he would have a white knuckle control over the orchestra. “Avec moi” he would frequently admonish the ensemble. This was also his policy on incidental solos. He would even get into tiffs with guest soloists such as Jascha Heifetz and Victoria de Los Angeles as to whom would prevail. But when Al Tipton played his solos in Daphnis, Paray always relinquished the reigns to Al completely so as to give him poetic license and space to express the “story of his life” in his own way. Would that more soloists be able to turn in such stellar performances each time and as many times as Al has.223
The heroes in the European flute world are names that without exception would be put to shame if compared to your level of flute playing and artistry.224
222 Kim McCormick, questionnaire response, February 2005.
223 Joseph Skrzynski, handwritten letter to Sheryl Cohen, Vail Colorado, 1 August 1995.
224 Konrad Hünteler, typewritten note to Albert Tipton, 9 May 1995.
58 One lucky day in a lesson Mr. Tipton handed me his platinum flute to play. To my astonishment it was not a flute – it was Merlin’s cap! It felt heavy and powerful and magical and I had no idea what I was doing with it. In retrospect perhaps it was a test of all I had learned (or not) about tone production and the physical challenges of playing the flute.225
One particular lesson that I will always remember involved Berio’s Sequenza. I had “slaved” over Sequenza having measured the spacing of the non-traditional notation with a ruler to figure out how many subdivisions each “inch” might hold and when I brought it into my lesson, you sight-read it perfectly in unison with me!226
The Shepherd School has flourished in many ways over the past decade. But when Albert and Mary retired, the School lost something irreplaceable; the daily presence of two whose devotion to music, to one another and to all who share their love of this art created an ambience that is missed by everyone who knew them here in Houston.227
A long career in the trenches of the violin section of an orchestra can be at times both thankless and also most glorious. For many years during difficult times I often turned to Albert Tipton and he was always there. His flute playing could inspire an entire orchestra, and for me personally, it was like SOARING ON THE WINGS OF AN EAGLE.228
I remember hearing you play many times in Detroit back in the 1950s! I was a high school student at the time, and you, of course, were an established professional. The character of your playing made a model for me, which I have always sought in my compositions and orchestral conducting. I will never forget the purity of your sound and the poetry of your musical ideas229
225 Debby Heller, typewritten letter to Sheryl Cohen, 28 June 1995.
226 Frances Averitt, handwritten letter to Albert Tipton, Winchester Virginia, 20 August 1995.
227 Michael Hammond, typed letter to Sheryl Cohen, Houston Texas, 27 June 1995.
228 Jim Waring, typewritten letter to Sheryl Cohen, Detroit Michigan, 1995.
229 Thom Ritter George, handwritten letter to Albert Tipton, Pocatello Idaho, 29 September 1997.
59 Albert often on concert nights would have a leisurely dinner with Mary and another couple, and arrive just in time for the concert. (He didn’t have to warm-up for a half hour or so like other wind players.) This particular Thursday evening everyone was on stage ready to go and downbeat time had passed. Paray and management staff was pacing the floor when Albert waltzed in, calm and elegant as usual. He handed Mary his coat, sat down, blew warm air thru the cold flute and played like a God. After the concert I asked Albert, “Doesn’t arriving so late for a concert make you nervous?” He replied, “Oh-no, I make everyone else nervous.”230
I will never forget the years with Albert in the Florida State University Faculty Woodwind Quintet, in which I was the oboist. With his unique ability to work with people and bond them towards a common goal – plus his musical demands of pitch, rhythm, line, and balance – he guided us into becoming a top, performing group. I have wonderful memories of enjoyable rehearsals, concerts, and tours of both the quintet and faculty chamber orchestra.231
III. Tipton’s Influence
1. In what ways has Mr. Tipton influenced your musical philosophies?
Care and attention to detail – which underscored the values already in place from my primary undergraduate teacher, Feodora Steward. Also, a continuing appreciation for the choices to be made regarding tone color and timbre.232
I still use his tuning system with all of my students and have a great interest in discovering new and unusual pieces of music.233
I’ve heard poets say life is music. After working with Tipton, I too say life, all of it, IS music.234
In so many ways that I would have to spend some time analyzing that question. So much that influences us in life is unconscious and so subtle that we often don’t even realize what has formed us. I would just say that I have been greatly influenced by Albert Tipton.235
230 David Shostac, handwritten letter to Albert Tipton, Vail Colorado.
231 Nancy Fowler, typewritten note to Sheryl Cohen, Tallahassee Florida, 28 June 1995.
232 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
233 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
234 Peggy Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
235 Carl Lutes, questionnaire response, March 2005.
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He made me understand that the craft of flute playing is not only about technique or musicality, but that to be a professional you must understand the physics and science of the instrument.236
To listen to other performers and try to match them in intonation, style. To analyze the music to know where in the natural scale I was playing and where the music was going. I now listen to a lot of NPR. If a musician is playing out of tune with themselves or the rest of the ensemble I will change stations, even if their technique is impeccable.237
He made me realize how important excellence is and how all performances must be carefully prepared.238
Albert Tipton and his wife, Mary, were instrumental in my musical development. Because of their encouraging attitude and their great love of music they provided me with the ability to believe in my own level of abilities and to see and appreciate music in all its aspects.239
I try to follow his cue in being gracious about other performers. He would have never insulted anyone or talked about anyone in an unkind way. He was a totally professional person. He was often referred to as a “gentleman.” I believed this to be true.240
2. In a strictly nonmusical sense, how has your time with Albert Tipton affected your outlook on life?
I admired the range of his attainments, embracing chamber music, as well as orchestral playing and university teaching. It was also valuable to see the success of a husband and wife duo. Such collaborations require considerable nurturing and sensitivity. So perhaps the answer to your question is “Role Model.”241
236 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
237 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
238 Paula Robison, questionnaire response, February 2005.
239 Sandy Tedder, Tallahassee, FL, typewritten letter to Sheryl Cohen, 1 July 1995.
240 Kim McCormick, questionnaire response, February 2005.
241 Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, questionnaire response, June 2005.
61 Respect the art. As his health declined, he was also a model of how to deal gracefully with a very tough time.242
He gave me optimism. He showed me that you can be superior in talent to others and still respect and appreciate them.243
He always encouraged me to experience all kinds of music and learn from all types of musicians.244
I discovered I had value as a person and [was] capable of offering a unique expression to the world around me. The fact I was asked to be his student, I felt that even me, the one who could not pass the piano proficiency exam, had been invited to experience a privileged world of music and musicians of which I thought were beyond personal experience. He taught me, in order to grow as a more authentic person; one must have the capacity to be amazed by beauty within and surrounding one’s life. Also, to allow one’s emotions to embellish life, not to control it and be amused at the surprises. He is the only music instructor who treated be as more than just being a student with a piece of music to master.245
He certainly taught me the dignity of life and the dignity of the individual. He also taught me to be aware of the other arts, the importance of physical appearance, the importance of goals.246
I had to learn patience myself and to be willing to break things down into the building blocks of its structure. This can apply to anything as easily as music.247
At the time I studied with him, his Parkinsons was becoming advanced, yet nothing kept him from doing what he loved, and it was this courage that inspired me.248
Even though I was not the best flutist around, he made me feel that I could contribute greatly in whatever I did. 249
242 David Shostac, questionnaire response, April 2005.
243 Richard Hitt, questionnaire response, February 2005.
244 Melanie Fuller, questionnaire response, April 2005.
245 Peggy Jensen, questionnaire response, March 2005.
246 Carl Lutes, questionnaire response, March 2005.
247 Kristi Sloniger, questionnaire response, February 2005.
248 Becky Luck-Newton, questionnaire response, February 2005.
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He taught me that I had the capacity to succeed at any chosen profession and proved to me that through hard work, an eminent career in the business of flute playing was an attainable goal…He taught me a most defining element of distinction in the professional world of flute playing: just intonation. This characteristic about my playing has propelled me farther than any other feature.250
The overt aspects of my time with Albert have had a great influence on my life. The indirect aspects, however, have been and are of even greater importance. Albert lived his life as, and was, a human being of the highest quality. He was unafraid of defining quality in all things in terms of performance goals and elemental elegance, yet he tirelessly and affectionately encouraged us to seek the best in ourselves and in those around us. In comparing art and other aspects of life, Albert would stress the ideal connectedness between the two, and lived this ideal. He was a cultured person, versed and comfortable in any environment, a person who elegantly commanded respect while giving others respect and dignity in return.251
It seemed no matter what his problems or chronic suffering from illness, Albert was always positive about life and the joyous things it held for him such as the wonderful discipline of Arts and Music. His attitude was and still remains for me an inspiration.252
I know of no other person who has had such a positive influence on everyone who knew him. Not only were you there for those who came your way, you only gave the very best you had to offer. This is the greatest lesson of all. I hope I am faithfully passing on a fraction of all I have gained from you.253
249 Dan Jensen, questionnaire response, February 2005.
250 Bernard Phillips, typewritten note to Sheryl Cohen, 1995.
251 Rodrieg; 3-4.
252 Payne; 1.
253 Sheryl Cohen, typewritten note to Albert Tipton, 30 July 1995.
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APPENDIX A: DISCOGRAPHY OF PERFORMANCES BY ALBERT TIPTON
JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU/ MICHEL BLAVET The Baroque Sonata Westminster WST 17157 Mary Norris, piano Mario DiFiore, violincello
RECITAL The Platinum Flute Pandora PC189 Pan 106 ENESCO: Cantabile et Presto POULENC: Sonata PROKOFIEV: Sonata in D Major Mary Norris, piano
LIVE PERFORMANCES BY ALBERT TIPTON Pandora Pan 118a
FRANCK: Sonata PERSICHETTI: Serenade No. 10 HARSANYI: Three Pieces Mary Norris, piano Mary Roman, harp
CONTEMPORARY TRIOS Westminster WGS 8239
ROREM: Trio DAMASE: MARTINU: Mary Norris, piano Mario DiFiore, violincello
ALBERT TIPTON IN RECITAL Trebla AT1994
JS BACH: Partita In A minor CPE BACH: Sonata in G Major FREDERICK THE GREAT: Sonata in G minor LAUDENSLAGER: Evocation JS BACH: Sonata in B minor YUN: Garak DOHNANYI: Aria DEBUSSY: Syrinx Mary Norris, piano
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APPENDIX B: COPY OF QUESTIONNAIRE FOR FORMER STUDENTS OF ALBERT TIPTON
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66 APPENDIX C: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT LETTERS
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69 APPENDIX D: TIPTON LETTER AND ADVERTISEMENT
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71 APPENDIX E: TIPTON INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY MELINDA SCHWEIG ON 3 OCTOBER 1993
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APPENDIX F: TIPTON INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY MELINDA SCHWEIG ON 11 DECEMBER 1993
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APPENDIX G: TIPTON INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY MELINDA SCHWEIG ON 17 DECEMBER 1993
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REFERENCES
Averitt, Frances Lapp. “An Intonation Method for Flutists (Non-Exclusive of other Instrumentalists and Singers) Based on the Use of Difference Tones as a Practical Guide to the Achievement of Perfectly Tuned Intervals.” DM Treatise, Florida State University, 1973.
_____. “Tuning with Difference Tones.” Flute Talk 5/8 (April 1986): 25-27.
_____. “Whistle Tones: Exercises for the Embouchure.” The Instrumentalist 42/1 (August 1987): 42-46.
Barcellona, John. “Just Intonation.” The Flutist Quarterly 12/1 (winter 1987): 53-56.
Berger, Bruce. Music in the Mountains: The First Fifty Years of the Aspen Music Festival. Boulder: Johnson Printing, 1999.
Goll-Wilson, Kathleen. “Albert Tipton – A Scholarly Musician.” Flute Talk 7/4 (December 1987): 7-10.
Hitt, Richard. “Albert Tipton, Flutist.” http://www.rhitt.com/tipton/shtml. 2005; accessed 8 April 2005.
“In Memorium: Albert Tipton (1917-1997) World-Renowned Flutist and Teacher.” http://www.nfa.flute.org/other/tipton.html. 1997; accessed 12 October 1997.
Lutes, Carl. New York, to Heather Small, Florida, 13 March 2005. Typewritten letter.
Carol Kniebusch Noe. “How do YOU Finger B-flat?” The Flutist’s Handbook: A Pedagogy Anthology. Santa Clarita: The National Flute Association, Inc., 1998.
Payne, September. “Honoring Albert Tipton: 1917 – 1997.” Houston Flute Club Newsletter (fall 1998): 1-3.
Powell, Gwen. “Passing Tones in Memoriam: Albert Tipton.” The Flutist Quarterly (fall 1997): 24-25.
Rodrieg, Mark. Albert Tipton: Reflections on a Friend and Teacher. Tallahassee: privately printed, 1997.
Tipton, Albert. “A Creative Approach.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 44/3 (November 1972): 26-27.
112 _____. “A Few Tips on the Care of the Flute.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 44/5 (January 1973): 32-33.
_____. “An Approach to ‘Just’ Intonation by Employment of Difference Tones.” In The Flutists’ Handbook: A Pedagogy Anthology. Santa Clarita: The National Flute Association, Inc., 1998.
_____. “An Interview with Albert Tipton.” Interview by Thomas Houston (Houston, TX, summer 1980). The National Flute Association Newsletter, no. 6 (fall 1980): 3-17.
_____. “Articulation on the Flute.” The Flute Forum (autumn 1960): 5-6.
_____. “Aspen 1971…Further Notes on Contests.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/3 (November 1971): 6-8.
_____. “Breath Control and Timing.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/7 (March 1971): 8-10, 27.
_____. “Conversations with Robert Sherman.” Interview by Robert Sherman (Aspen 1986). Aspen Program Book, vol. 6: 1-35.
_____. “How to Profit from Practice.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/3 (November 1970): 14-16.
_____. Interview by Melinda Schweig, 3 October 1993. Interview 1, transcript, Tallahassee, FL.
_____. Interview by Melinda Schweig, 11 December 1993. Interview 2, transcript, Tallahassee, FL.
_____. Interview by Melinda Schweig, 17 December 1993. Interview 3, transcript, Tallahassee, FL.
_____. “Is Stage Fright All That Bad?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/5 (January 1971): 4-6.
_____. “Is There a Stigma to Class Teaching of a Solo Instrument?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 44/9 (May 1973): 22-23.
_____. “Just Intonation.” Houston, TX: Rice University, Shepherd School of Music, 1975. Photocopied.
_____. “Notes on Style in Music.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/7 (March 1972): 14, 33.
113 _____. “Some Popular Misconceptions About Flute Playing.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 43/5 (January 1972): 10-12.
_____. “Ten Points on How to Waste Time Practicing.” The School Musician Director and Teacher 42/1 (August-September 1970): 12-14.
_____. “What’s so Important About Acoustics?” The School Musician Director and Teacher 45/9 (March 1974): 18-21.
Tipton, Vena. Scrapbook pages on son, Albert. May 1931. Tipton Family Archive, Taos, NM.
114 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, flutist Heather Small received a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music degree in flute performance from the University of North Texas, and a Doctor of Music degree in flute performance from Florida State University. Her principal teachers include Michel Debost, Mary Karen Clardy, and Eva Amsler. While pursuing her doctorate at Florida State University, Ms. Small was a graduate teaching assistant and the winner of the 2005 doctoral concerto competition. She was also a nominee for the university-wide 2004 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award and a member of the national music honorary society, Pi Kappa Lambda. After graduating from Oberlin, Ms. Small was hired as a vocal music teacher with the Cumberland Valley School District in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. A few months after receiving her master’s degree, she became the principal flutist of the Midland- Odessa Symphony and a member of the professional woodwind quintet, The West Texas Winds. Ms. Small has also served as the adjunct instructor of flute at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. She is currently a freelance musician/private teacher in the Tallahassee area.
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