Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2016 A Comparison of Four Selected American Flute Method Books from the 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Ernest F. Wagner, William Kincaid with Claire Polin, Robert Dick, and Patricia George with Phyllis Avidan Louke Olivia Suzanne Boatman
Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF MUSIC
A COMPARISON OF FOUR SELECTED AMERICAN FLUTE METHOD BOOKS
FROM THE 20TH AND EARLY 21ST CENTURIES:
ERNEST F. WAGNER, WILLIAM KINCAID WITH CLAIRE POLIN,
ROBERT DICK, AND PATRICIA GEORGE WITH PHYLLIS AVIDAN LOUKE
By
OLIVIA SUZANNE BOATMAN
A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music
2016
© 2016 Olivia Suzanne Boatman Olivia Suzanne Boatman defended this treatise on November 1, 2016. The members of the supervisory committee were:
Eva Amsler Professor Directing Treatise
Richard Clary University Representative
Eric Ohlsson Committee Member
Deborah Bish Committee Member
The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements.
ii
To My Family
iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to have had the support and encouragement of friends, family, and mentors for the completion of this document. I would like to begin by thanking my supervisory committee composed of Dr. Deborah Bish, Dr. Eric Ohlsson, and Professor Richard Clary for their help through my academic career. I would also like to recognize my advisor and committee chair, Eva Amsler for her advice and support during my time at Florida State University.
Through their guidance, my dream of completing this document has come to fruition. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to perform and study at Florida State University.
In addition to my studies at FSU, I am deeply thankful for the support I continue to receive from my previous flute instructors. To my first teacher Sophie Kershaw, I am forever grateful for her sincere inspiration. It was through her example I fell in love with the flute. I am thankful for the encouragement from Dr. Carol Dale. She taught me to aim for the best and has always been my biggest supporter. To Dr. Lana Johns, I am thankful for her kindness and dedication to improving my musical abilities. Finally, I am honored to have studied with Joe
Bonner a teacher who helped me grow into a professional flutist. I will forever be grateful and in their debt as they have influenced me personally and professionally. Furthermore, I am lucky to have had many wonderful mentors both in and outside of music that still support me to this day.
Finally I would like to acknowledge my friends and family who have comforted and assisted me through my education. Your love and support has been felt during each step of the process. Each person has impacted and molded me to be the woman I am today. Thank you for the continued guidance and love through all the ups and downs. Most importantly I am forever in debt to my Heavenly Father who has given me the gift of music. I desire to encourage others through the powerful strength of music.
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables ...... vii Abstract ...... viii
1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1
Purpose ...... 1 Brief Overview of American Flute Culture ...... 2
2. BIOGRAPHY OF AUTHORS ...... 6
Ernest F. Wagner ...... 6 William Kincaid ...... 7 Claire Polin ...... 10 Robert Dick ...... 11 Patricia George ...... 12 Phyllis Avidan Louke ...... 14
3. SURVEY OF FLUTE METHOD BOOKS ...... 16
Purpose of Method Books ...... 16 Foundation to Flute Playing ...... 16 The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3) ...... 16 The Other Flute (2nd edition) ...... 17 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics ...... 18 Method Contents ...... 19 Foundation to Flute Playing ...... 19 The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3) ...... 20 The Other Flute (2nd edition) ...... 22 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics ...... 23
4. COMPARISON EXAMPLES FROM METHOD BOOKS ...... 27
Breathing/Posture ...... 27 Foundation to Flute Playing ...... 28 The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3) ...... 28 The Other Flute (2nd edition) ...... 29 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics ...... 30 Tone/Embouchure ...... 31 Foundation to Flute Playing ...... 32 The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3) ...... 32 The Other Flute (2nd edition) ...... 33 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics ...... 34 Technique ...... 35
v Foundation to Flute Playing ...... 36 The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3) ...... 36 The Other Flute (2nd edition) ...... 37 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics ...... 38 Musicality ...... 39 Foundation to Flute Playing ...... 40 The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3) ...... 40 The Other Flute (2nd edition) ...... 42 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics ...... 42
5. CONCLUSION ...... 45
APPENDICES ...... 49
A. FLUTE METHOD BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS TREATISE ...... 49 B. ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY SELECTED AUTHORS ...... 50 C. STATEMENT FROM THE IRB ...... 51 D. CORRESPONDENCE WITH PATRICIA GEORGE ...... 52 E. CORRESPONDENCE WITH PHYLLIS AVIDAN LOUKE ...... 55
References ...... 58
Biographical Sketch ...... 61
vi LIST OF TABLES
1. Connection to William Kincaid ...... 2
2. Length of Method Books ...... 19
3. Description of Fingering Charts ...... 25
4. Comparison of Posture and Breathing ...... 27
5. Comparison of Tone and Embouchure ...... 31
6. Comparison of Technique ...... 35
7. Comparison of Musicality ...... 39
vii ABSTRACT
This document will compare four American flute methods: Ernest Wagner’s Foundation to Flute Playing, William Kincaid with Claire Polin’s The Art and Practice of Modern Flute
Technique volumes 1 through 3, Robert Dick’s The Other Flute 2nd edition, and Patricia George with Phyllis Avidan Louke’s Flute 101: Mastering the Basics, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics. There are brief biographies of each author, an overview of the structure of each method, and a comparison of the approach to teaching the following topics: posture, breathing, embouchure, tone, technique, and musicality.
The purpose of this study is to provide flutists with a clearer perspective of the evolution of American flute pedagogy by comparing selected method books that were all inspired by the teaching of William Kincaid. This document has comparison tables, which allow students and teachers the ability to quickly review what is available in each method. The biographical information also provides insight into the personalities and teaching philosophies of each author.
viii CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to compare four selected American flute method books from the 20th and early 21st centuries. The study will examine method books written by
American flutists Ernest F. Wagner, William Kincaid, Claire Polin, Robert Dick, Patricia
George, and Phyllis Avidan Louke. Through these method books ideas on posture, breathing, embouchure, tone, technique, and musicality will be compared. With an overview of the selected method books, students and teachers can obtain a historical prospective and form conclusions about flute pedagogy. The selection of books for this document was based on three criteria: the authors must be American-born flutists, have a connection to William Kincaid
(father of the American Flute School), and the method book had to be written in the 20th or 21st century.
Today, nearly 87% of American flutists can trace their flute heritage to William Kincaid.1
The earliest book is Ernest Wagner’s method book. Apparently, Kincaid admired Wagner, and suggested that Wagner’s Table of Fingerings for the Boehm Flute and 24 Concert Etudes should be included in every flutist’s library.2 All of the other authors were either students of Kincaid
(Claire Polin and Patricia George), or studied under one of his students (Robert Dick studied with Julias Baker, and Phyllis Avidan Louke studied with Burnett F. Atkinson). Interestingly,
Patricia George also studied with a student of Ernest Wagner: Francis Blaisdell.
1 Demetra Baferos Fair, “Flutists’ Family Tree: In Search of the American Flute School” (DMA diss., The Ohio State University, 2003), 28-29. 2 John C. Krell, Kincaidiana (Santa Clarita, CA: The National Flute Association, Inc., 1997) 77-82. 1
Table 1: Connection to William Kincaid
Author Connection to William Kincaid Ernest F. Wagner - Kincaid encouraged flutist to own Wagner’s Table of Fingerings for the Boehm Flute and 24 Concert Etudes Clair Polin - Student of Kincaid Robert Dick - Student of Julius Baker (who studied with Kincaid) Patricia George - Student of Kincaid - Student of Frances Blaisdell (who studied with Kincaid and Wagner) - Mentions Kincaid’s teaching in the method book Phyllis Avidan Louke - Student of Burnett F. Atkinson (who studied with Kincaid) - Mentions Kincaid’s teaching in the method book
Brief Overview of American Flute Culture
Historical studies show that the flute appeared in the United States during colonial times, and its usage has grown with the nation.3 Early flute methods (or tutors as they were formerly named), were written for the six-key flute, four-key flute, and one-key or German flute and addressed instructional materials for both the amateur and professional flutists.4
The first documented metal flute, which was made by Theobald Boehm around 1850 was brought to the United States in 1864 by flutist Edward Martin Heindl. He performed on this flute in both the Mendelssohn Quintette Club and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.5 Shortly after, flute maker Alfred G. Badger (1815 – 1892) built the first American silver flute in New York.
Even though the Boehm flute’s popularity was growing, older system flutes of one key or several
3 William Phelps Treat, “A Survey of Flutists and Flute Activities in Eighteenth-Century America” (DMA diss., University of Washington, 1991), 140-141. 4 Barry Araújo Kolman, The Origins and Early History of American Wind Music (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2013), 19. 5 Theobald Boehm, The Flute and Flute-Playing (New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 1964), 95. 2 keys were sold until the 1930s. Both wooden German flutes and silver Boehm flutes were performed on side-by-side in early American Orchestras.6
In 1900, renowned jeweler and self-taught flute-maker William S. Haynes opened a flute company. Due to the popularity of the silver flute, by 1918 Haynes had stopped making wooden flutes unless they were special orders.7 To encourage metal flutes, the Haynes flute catalog stated their doubt in wooden flutes due to the danger of the bore warping, and they praised the better response and fuller tones throughout the registers of the silver flute. Another instrument manufacturer, Charles Gerard Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana described wooden flutes as a liability due to the effect of changes in temperature and the frequent need for oil.8 Other instrument companies also promoted metal flutes and created them to be affordable and durable.
The flute market rapidly expanded.9
This helped to create a constantly growing flute community need for instructional and performance opportunities. Flute clubs and festivals began to gain popularity. The oldest continuously operating flute club is the New York Flute Club (according to their webpage), founded by Georges Barrère (1876 – 1944) in 1920. Since 1972, they have offered activities such as ensemble playing, recitals, memorial concerts, guest speakers, music publishing, competitions, and educational outreach programs for the flute community.10
6 Ardal Powell, “Flute.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 11, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2241119. 7 Ibid. 8 Nancy Toff, The Development of the Modern Flute (New York, NY: Taplinger Publishing Company, 1979), 188. 9 Ardal Powell, “Flute.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 11, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2241119. 10 “About,” New York Flute Club, accessed October 6, 2016, http://www.nyfluteclub.org/about. 3 In 1972, the National Flute Association was founded. Their mission statement is:
Inspiring Flutist, Enriching Lives.11 The organization brings flutists together to share knowledge, publications, forums, performances, etc. They also provide and encourage high levels of quality resources for the flute. The NFA hosts nineteen competitions in solo, master class, flute choir, and non-performance categories. The organization is internationally recognized and currently has around 4,000 members from fifty countries and all fifty states in the
United States. Membership includes professionals, amateurs, and students of all ages.12
Today, flute clubs and festivals range from local, regional, and national settings and vary in size and opportunities. For example, flutists from Florida inspired by the National Flute
Association organized the Florida Flute Fair in 1977. The Florida Flute Association is open to students, teachers, and performers of any age to gather for concerts, competitions, exhibits, and scholarships for the three-day annual convention.13 Smaller events such as this provide more possibilities for those who cannot attend the National Flute Association convention and increase educational opportunities.
Along with active flute organizations, the ability to communicate with professionals in the field has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. The opportunity to teach students via programs such as Skype or FaceTime has expanded the boundaries of the private studio.
Students are now able to take lessons from well-respected professionals without having to travel thousands of miles.
11 “Mission and Vision,” National Flute Association, accessed October 6, 2016, http://www.nfaonline.org/The-Organization/Mission-and-Vision.aspx. 12 “The Organization,” National Flute Association, accessed October 6, 2016, http://www.nfaonline.org/The-Organization/. 13 “History,” Florida Flute Association, Inc. accessed October 6, 2016, http://floridaflute.org/FFA/history/. 4 In an extremely competitive field, flutists are expected to be very versatile on C flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, and historical period flutes such as the one-keyed baroque flute.14
The extended low flute family is seeing a rise in popularity with the addition of the contrabass flute, subcontrabass flute, double contrabass flute, and hyperbass flute. Contemporary compositions also require skills such as whistle tones, jet whistle, flutter tonguing, beatboxing, and multiphonics.
This culture of resourceful flutists has created a demand for appropriate method books.
In addition to the basic foundation method books, one can now find books dedicated to specific instruments such as the piccolo, alto, or bass flute. There are method books designed to teach special techniques like circular breathing or beatboxing. With the musical field continuously growing they are flooding the market. The 21st century flute world is a vital and creative community – great to meet old friends, make new ones, network and live ones passion: the flute and its music.
14 Nancy Toff, The Flute Book (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996), 5. 5 CHAPTER 2
BIOGRAPHY OF AUTHORS
Ernest F. Wagner
Flutist and composer Ernest Fredric Wagner was born in 1876 in Chicago, Illinois. As a member of a musical family, (his father was a timpanist) Wagner was encouraged to play the timpani; many considered him a musical prodigy. After finding a piccolo in a blacksmith’s shop, young Wagner became intrigued with it and began dedicating all of his musical time to the instrument.15 At the age of ten, he began touring with a concert company and in his late teens, he had the opportunity to perform with Dame Nellie Melba, an Australian soprano. Known for her beautiful voice and technique, Nellie Melba’s United States affiliations include the Metropolitan
Opera and Hammerstein’s Manhattan Opera Company.16 Once the tour with Nellie Melba ended, Wagner decided to stay in New York City, New York to pursue a career in music.
In 1900, Wagner joined the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc. as an apprentice member. After a three-year apprentice period, he was offered the solo piccolo and third flute seat, a position he held until his retirement in 1944. During this time, he was regarded as the best piccoloist in the United States.17 As a member of the Philharmonic-Symphony
Society, Wagner had the opportunity to play under the direction of several renowned conductors.
15 New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives, “Wagner, Ernest 1900,” ID: 011-04-58. Accessed September 12, 2016, http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/83fab2d9-a936-4bb6-bc44-a940b284cf59?search- type=singleFilter&search-text=Ernest+Wagner%2A&doctype=businessRecord. 16 Desmond Shawe-Taylor, "Melba, Dame Nellie." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed October 16, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/18311. 17 Nancy Toff, Monarch of the Flute: The Life of Georges Barrère (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005), 241. 6 In a newspaper interview, Wagner described performing Beethoven’s Symphony Nine under the baton of Felix Weingartner as his most memorable concert.18
During his forty-one year tenure with the Philharmonic-Symphony Society, Wagner had a successful musical career, which often led to other musical endeavors outside of the orchestra.
For example, he was also a member of the Sousa Band serving from 1915 through 1917.19 Led by conductor John Philip Sousa, the Sousa Band performed concerts throughout the world. They helped establish band instrumentation and expanded the band repertoire. Most of the John Philip
Sousa band roster was comprised of orchestral musicians who toured with the band during the orchestra’s off-season.20
In addition, Wagner composed and authored the book Foundation to Flute Playing, taught a private studio, conducted a local glee club, and performed on several radio programs in
New York City, New York.21 One of his former students was Frances Williams Blaisdell.22
After his retirement he moved to Long Island where he could pursue his avocations of hunting and sailing. He also had another different creative outlet – carving wooden ducks. After a year battling an illness, Ernest F. Wagner died in 1954.
William Kincaid
Considered the founder of the American flute school, William Morris Kincaid was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 26, 1895. His father served as a Presbyterian minister thus
18 New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives. “Wagner, Ernest 1900,” ID: 011-04-58. Accessed September 12, 2016, http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/83fab2d9-a936-4bb6-bc44-a940b284cf59?search- type=singleFilter&search-text=Ernest+Wagner%2A&doctype=businessRecord. 19 Kenneth Berger, The March King and His Band (New York, NY: Exposition Press, 1957), 87. 20 Ibid., 30-31. 21 New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives. “Wagner, Ernest 1900,” ID: 011-04-58. Accessed September 12, 2016, http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/83fab2d9-a936-4bb6-bc44-a940b284cf59?search- type=singleFilter&search-text=Ernest+Wagner%2A&doctype=businessRecord. 22 Demetra Baferos Fair, “Flutists’ Family Tree: In Search of the American Flute School” (DMA diss., The Ohio State University, 2003), 133. 7 the family relocated during Kincaid’s early life in order to serve the ministry. The first move was to Honolulu, Hawaii when Kincaid was three years old. The family settled there for eight years and during this time, Kincaid began taking piano and flute lessons. The second move was to Charlotte, North Carolina where his father took a position at the First Presbyterian Church.
While in North Carolina, Kincaid continued to study music, with increasing emphasis and devotion to the flute. After the death of his father in 1911, Kincaid moved to New York and enrolled at the Institute of Musical Art, the predecessor to The Juilliard School.23
While at the Institute of Musical Art, Kincaid studied theory and composition with Percy
Goetschius and flute with Georges Barrère. In 1914 he graduated and was honored by performing the Polonaise and Badinerie from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite in B Minor for the ceremony. He continued his postgraduate studies at the Institute of Musical Art and received an
Artist’s diploma in 1918.24
During the early to mid 20th century, Kincaid led a revolution forever shaping the
American orchestral flute sound. He performed with the New York Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Walter Damrosch from 1913 to 1918.25 While there he served as the assistant principal flute to his mentor Georges Barrère. During this time, he and Barrère worked together to establish the New York Flute Club, in which Kincaid served as second vice-president on the
Board of Directors for several months.26 After a brief year of service with the United States
Navy, Kincaid played with the New York Chamber Music Society from 1919 to 1921. The group toured both the United States and Canada.
23 John C. Krell, Kincaidiana (Santa Clarita, CA: The Natioanl Flute Association, Inc., 1997), 101. 24 Ibid., 51. 25 Philip Bate and John Solum, "Kincaid, William." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 11, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/15010. 26 Demetra Baferos Fair, “Flutists’ Family Tree: In Search of the American Flute School” (DMA diss., The Ohio State University, 2003), 52. 8 From 1921 until his retirement in 1960, Kincaid held the post as solo flute with the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Through his tenure at this orchestra, he and oboist Marcel Tabuteau set standards for the American woodwind section. This was a golden age for the orchestra and the one in Philadelphia was considered in the upper echelon.27 To this day, both Kincaid and
Tabuteau are highly respected in the field of music. Through their ability, dedication, and influential musical ideas, Kincaid and Tabuteau launched a musical tradition that inspired the foundation for a growing musical nation. Kincaid had a reputable orchestra career, which set the stage for a true American flute style.
In addition to a successful orchestral career, Kincaid inspired flutists through his teaching, most notably as the first flute professor at the Curtis Institute of Music in 1924. Due to
Kincaid’s impact in the flute field and music community, Curtis Institute of Music, Temple
University, and Combos College of Music granted him honorary doctorates. He was also the recipient of the Kuhn Award, an annual award given by the Philadelphia Orchestra for distinguished musicianship, and the Medal of Achievement of the Philadelphia Art Alliance.28
William Morris Kincaid died on March 27, 1967 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His final resting place is located in Gaffney, South Carolina beside his wife and mother-in-law. The simple flat tomb only bore his name and dates. However on August 15, 2000 the National Flute
Association along with several of his students honored him by placing a bronze bust and granite pedestal on his grave.29 Years after his death, this simple tribute shows the appreciation of the
American flute culture, a culture forever marked by the life of Mr. Kincaid.
27 Lois Bliss Herbine, “William Kincaid and Marcel Tabuteau: A Legendary collaboration,” The Flutist Quarterly, no. 2 (Winter 2006): 46. 28 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, preface to The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 1 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967). 29 William Montgomery, “A Memorial Ceremony for William Kincaid,” The Flutist Quarterly, no. 4 (Summer 2000): 80. 9 Claire Polin
Born on January 1, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Claire Polin began playing piano and composing at a young age. While she lacked formal compositional training, her musical talents flourished leading her to write her first symphony at the age of ten. She attended Temple
University, the Juilliard School of Music, and the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. She studied composition with Vincent Persichetti and graduated with a Master of Music in 1950 and a Doctor of Musical Arts in 1955 from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. She also had the privilege of studying with composers Roger Sessions and Lukas Foss at Tanglewood and Peter
Mennin at the Julliard School of Music.30 As a former flute student of William Kincaid, she honored him after his death by publishing a set of method books based on his teaching.
In 1962 Polin began working at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. As a professor, she taught composition and art history. During her career, she was an avid feminist keeping a busy schedule of composing, performing, teaching, running a household, and raising two children. Polin received two honors in 1968: she was awarded a fellowship to study in
Wales for a year and was named a MacDowell Colony fellow. She received many commissions throughout her career some of which were from the Haifa Madrigal Society, the Korean
Government, and Westminster Cathedral. Polin composed more than forty works including three symphonies, solo works for flute, chamber music, and songs. Additionally, she has several publications with two prominent books titled Music of the Ancient Near East (1974) and Gifts of
Jubal: Musical Instruments from the Ancient East (1954). In 1991 Polin retired from Rutgers.31
After a battle with cancer and Parkinson’s disease, Claire Polin died on December 6, 1995 at her home in Merion, Pennsylvania. She is remembered as a flutist, composer, and musicologist.
30 Anne K. Gray, The World of Women in Classical Music (Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks Press, 2007), 233. 31 Ibid., 233. 10 Robert Dick
Robert Dick was born on January 4, 1950 in New York City, New York. Dick is recognized for pushing the traditional boundaries of the flute. As a young student, he struggled to accept that the flute could only play one note at a time - he found this limitation unrealistic in the rapidly changing musical society of the late 20th century. His desire contributed to discovering more possibilities for the flute.32
When he was ten years old, he began taking flute lessons from Henry Zlotnik, a private flute teacher in New York. In an interview conducted by flutist and composer Peter Bacchus,
Dick described his studies as basic musical skills on the path to becoming an orchestral musician.
With Zlotnik’s blessing, Dick had the opportunity to study for several summers during high school with James Pappoutsakis, a flutist for forty years with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
In terms of flute playing, Dick credits Pappoutsakis for improving his embouchure. As an educator, he acknowledges Pappoutsakis’ positive teaching style and continues to apply this model in his personal teaching today. After graduating high school, he started taking lessons from Julius Baker. Baker’s teaching method was also centered upon becoming an orchestral musician.
Further studies at Yale University with Tom Nyfenger, helped Robert Dick broaden his view and play by ear. Nyfenger’s teaching had a major impact on Dick. He learned how a classical musician could embody all areas music had to offer.33 His composition teachers include Bülant Arel, Robert Morris, and Jacob Druckman. In 1971 Dick graduated with a
32Encyclopedia of Popular Music, s.v. “Dick, Robert.” Oxford Music Online. Muze, Inc., accessed September 16, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/epm/7021?q=robert+dick&search=quick&p os=2&_start=1. 33 Peter Bacchus, “Music From Within: An Interview with Robert Dick,” The Flutist Quarterly, no. 2 (Winter 2010): 16-21. 11 Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and received a Master of Music in 1973 from the Yale
School of Music.34 As an educator, Dick served as a visiting professor at the University of Iowa and is currently on the flute faculty at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture,
Education, and Human Development. Furthermore, he has an active private studio that includes students world-wide through Skype. He is recognized as a contemporary composer and concert soloist.
Dick is an accomplished American flutist and composer with a large discography of recordings ranging from personal compositions and repertoire from classical genres to popular music such as that of Jimi Hendrix. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded him both the
Solo Recitalist Grant in 1983, and the Composition Fellowships in 1988 and 1992. Only one other American holds this honor. In addition, Dick was awarded a Guggenheim Foundation
Fellowship as well as notable commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation and the Jerome
Foundation. In 2014 Dick received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Flute
Association. This award is given to a select few at the national convention each year to recognize the achievements in the field.35 As a composer, Dick recognized the need for published instructional guidance; therefore, he is the author of The Other Flute, Tone
Development Through Extended Techniques, and Circular Breathing for the Flutist.
Patricia George
Flutist and pedagogue Patricia George was born on October 9, 1942 in Lubbock, Texas.
As a young child interested in music, George wanted to play the oboe but her mother suggested
34 Ardal Powell, "Dick, Robert." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 16, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/42647. 35 “Achievement Award,” The National Flute Association, accessed October 6, 2016, http://www.nfaonline.org/The-Organization/Achievement-Awards.aspx. 12 she try the flute since it was not dependent on reeds. Having never played the flute, her mother enrolled young George at a summer camp at Texas Tech University. The flute instructor allowed
George to attend classes for beginning, intermediate, and advanced flute and gave her a fifteen- minute private lesson each day. By the end of the six-week camp, she had completed Ernest
Wagner’s Foundation to Flute Playing.36
Patricia George graduated with a Bachelor of Music with distinction in Applied Flute in
1964, a Performer’s Certificate in Flute in 1964, and a Master of Music in Literature and
Performance Practice in 1965 from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester.
Her flute teachers include Frances Blaisdell, Joseph Mariano, William Kincaid, and Julius Baker.
Through her studies with Blaisdell, George’s flute line is directly traced to Ernest Wagner.
George has taught at the Eastman School of Music Preparatory Department; Music and
Art in Bethesda, Maryland; Brigham Young University-Idaho; and Idaho State University.
Currently she serves as the professor of flute at the Sewanne Summer Music Festival and the
American Band College and is additionally the editor of Flute Talk magazine. An active performer and teacher, George has presented her “Flute Spa” masterclass throughout the United
States. She served as principal flutist for twenty-five years with the Idaho State Civic Symphony and for eight years with the Elkhorn Music Festival/Sun Valley Summer Symphony. Since 1955
George has also maintained a successful private flute studio.37 In addition to her teaching and performing, George has collaborated with flutist and composer Phyllis Avidan Louke on a three- volume flute method and three supplementary specific topic books.
36 Patricia George, email interview with author, October 17, 2016. 37 Ibid. 13 Phyllis Avidan Louke
Flutist and composer Phyllis Avidan Louke was born March 21, 1954 in Los Angeles,
California. She graduated with a Bachelors of Art degree from the University of California at
Santa Barbara in 1975 and a Teaching Certification in Elementary Education and Music
Education in 1976. While in college, she studied flute with Burnett F. Atkinson who held positions with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and with the Philadelphia Orchestra while
William Kincaid was principal. Louke studied composition under Tomas Svoboda, a Czech-
American composer who has written over two hundred works.38
As an educator, Louke maintains a large private flute studio and is the flute instructor at
Pacific University. Additionally she serves as an adjudicator, guest artist, and clinician nationally. She is the principal flute with the Oregon Symphonic Band, Oregon Pro Arte
Chamber Orchestra, and is the Music Director of Rose City Flute Choir all in Portland, OR.
Furthermore, Louke is a bass flute Altus Artist.39
Since 1990, Louke has added to the flute repertoire as a composer and arranger over sixty published works. Her pieces feature both solo and ensemble settings and have won or been a finalist in the National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition several times. In an interview with Louke, she says being a teacher has influenced her compositions. For example, one of her books, Extended Techniques: Double the Fun, was written to develop more pedagogical materials for teaching extended techniques.40 She is a member of the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and her works are published by Falls House
Press, ALRY Publications, Nourse Wind Publications, Theodore Presser Company, and the
38 Phyllis Avidan Louke, email interview with author, October 24, 2016. 39 “About,” Phyllis Avidan Louke, Accessed September 19, 2016, http://www.phyllislouke.com. 40 Phyllis Avidan Louke, email interview with author, October 24, 2016. 14 Fabulous Flute Music Company. Furthermore, Louke brings wealth to the music field through articles published in The Instrumentalist and Flute Talk magazines.
15 CHAPTER 3
SURVEY OF FLUTE METHOD BOOKS
Purpose of Method Books
While the basic purpose of any method is to take an idea and see it to fruition, the structure and formation of principal thoughts can vary greatly. In addition, most authors generally include a purpose or explanation of how to use the book and what important concepts will be covered. For this section, books will be examined in chronological order of their respective copyright dates and will highlight the purpose of each method book.
Foundation to Flute Playing
The review begins in the early 20th century with the method book by Ernest F. Wagner titled Foundation to Flute Playing (Carl Fischer, 1918). Wagner opens the book with a brief history of Theobald Boehm, a flutist and instrument designer from the 19th century. The historical background describes the relatively new design for the instrument. In the following introduction, Wagner proclaims the purpose of the method book as a way to create a basic foundation for flute playing.41 He describes the book as a tool for students who do not have a private teacher. The book’s design uses a progressive system, each page building on the prior material. For this reason, his ideas are explained in detail so that the beginner can determine how to play the flute without human interaction.
The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volumes 1 – 3)
The next method to be examined is The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique by
William Kincaid with Claire Polin (Hal Leonard Corporation), with three volumes published in
41 Ernest Wagner, Foundation to Flute Playing (New York, NY: Carl Fischer, 1918), 3. 16 1967, 1968, and 1970 respectively. According to the authors, the main goal of the three volumes is to provide guidance through practical skills for the student to progress from the beginning stages to an advanced level. The authors suggest the optimum age for a beginning flutist is nine or ten years old.42 While all of the method books are instructional for any student, it is suggested to follow them in sequence order.
Volume one is directed to the beginner flutist and focuses on finger technique needed for the instrument. It is expected that the student already has a basic understanding of the rudiments of music and therefore he or she is mentally and physically able to focus more attention to the flute. The second volume transfers the basic knowledge into fluid musical playing through simple songs and duets. The third volume is for the advanced student and incorporates sight- reading and music history into the basic skills. In addition, it is suggested that the student now have a daily practice routine and transition from solely being the student to having the knowledge and commitment to teach oneself.
The Other Flute (2nd edition)
The second edition of The Other Flute by Robert Dick (Multiple Breath Music Company,
1989), offers a drastic transformation for flute studies. With the continuously changing musical culture, Dick’s flute method explores new capabilities of the instrument. Indeed, according to the book’s introduction, Dick’s hope is to create beautiful music in many forms outside of the traditional approach to performing the flute. His intentions for the book are targeted to both the flutist and the composer. For the flutist, it provides valuable fingering charts while the composer gains advice for characteristic dynamic range and quality of tone. This information is helpful for the composer to select the appropriate sound. While this book is different from a typical flute
42 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, preface to The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 1 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967). 17 method in terms of content, it follows the same progression used by others. The opening chapters present basic information, which provides a foundation for the later material.
Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
The last method to be discussed is a collection of three method books by Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke published by the Theodore Presser Company: Flute 101: Mastering the Basics (2010), Flute 102: Mastering the Basics (2012), and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
(2013). To provide maximum learning opportunity, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics and Flute
103: Mastering the Basics have optional piano accompaniment books. Similar to the
Kincaid/Polin method books, the George/Louke ones are a wonderful resource for any flutist regardless of the level. The set of three books work synergistically in a progressive order. The main purpose of these three books is to take the student from a beginner to an advanced performer through lesson plans, songs, duets, and thoughtful activities to teach technique, tone, and musicianship.43 While the authors suggest working with an experienced teacher, the books are presented in a clear and informative way so that a student can progress individually.
In addition, George and Louke have also written The Flute Scale Book (2011), Advanced
Flute Studies: The Art of Chunking (2015), and The Flute Vibrato Book (2016) as supplements to the method books. The Flute Scale Book is dedicated specifically to activities involving technical studies using scales. As indicated in its title, The Flute Vibrato Book focuses mainly on flute-specific vibrato, while The Art of Chunking book teaches the valuable skill of practicing in small amounts or chunks.
43 “Our Publications,” Fabulous Flute Music Company, Accessed September 19, 2016, http://fabulousflute.com/our-publications/. 18 Table 2: Length of Method Books
Author(s) Title Number of Pages Ernest F. Wagner Foundation to Flute Playing 120 William Kincaid and Claire The Art and Practice of Modern Flute 111 Polin Technique Volume 1 William Kincaid and Claire The Art and Practice of Modern Flute 100 Polin Technique Volume 2 William Kincaid and Claire The Art and Practice of Modern Flute 133 Polin Technique Volume 3 Robert Dick The Other Flute 2nd edition 144 Patricia George and Phyllis Flute 101: Mastering the Basics 80 Avidan Louke Patricia George and Phyllis Flute 102: Mastering the Basics 100 Avidan Louke Patricia George and Phyllis Flute 103: Mastering the Basics 92 Avidan Louke
Method Contents
This section will discuss the contents of each book. Some ideas overlap while others are completely different. By an exhaustive examination of the contents, one can see both the pros and cons to each book. As in the previous section, the methods will be discussed in date order starting from the early 20th century and progressing to the 21st century.
Foundation to Flute Playing
Ernest F. Wagner’s Foundation to Flute Playing is only one hundred and twenty pages in length but it progresses quickly to cover a large amount of vital information. While it appears to be a short book, the quantity of material can be used for two to three years of study. The method begins with basic information such as hand position, instrument care, breathing, tuning, transposition, key mechanism, and general advice on how to practice.
With this method serving the beginner flutists, Wagner includes a section dedicated to teaching the rudiments of music. After this section, the flute lessons begin. The method book
19 also contains a detailed fingering and trill chart. The tessitura spans from B3 through C#7. The first note introduced in lesson one is C5, which is interesting as the fingering for this note can cause balance issues for the beginner. The lessons progressively introduce articulation beginning with simple tonguing, slurs, staccato tonguing, double-tonguing, and triple tonguing through various types of exercises. The method also includes major and minor scale studies, rhythmic exercises, interval studies, embouchure exercises, and musical embellishments such as a turn, grace notes, and trills. In addition, there is an eleven-page collection of songs and solos ranging from traditional folk songs to music of Ludwig van Beethoven, Camille Saint-Saëns, Felix
Mendelssohn, and many more. The method concludes with etudes and Grand Fantasie, a theme and variation both composed by Wagner.
The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3)
William Kincaid and Claire Polin’s three-volume method book, The Art and Practice of
Modern Flute Technique, progresses in a steady pace from beginner to advanced. Volume one begins with a brief history of the flute that contains a list of important flutists such as Frederick the Great and Johann Joachim Quantz, the flute family (alto flute in G, open-hole with B foot flute, closed-hole with C foot flute, and piccolo), and pictures of oriental flutes from Kincaid’s personal collection. The method includes descriptive pictures of the parts of a C foot Boehm system flute including how to put it together and hand positions.
Also included in great detail is a section for the care of the flute, producing a tone, forming an embouchure, and basic rudiments of music. To produce a sound, the authors suggest blowing over a bottle as a way to learn about natural embouchures. Once using the flute, they discuss placement of the embouchure plate in relation to the lips and strength of air streams. The fingering chart ranges from C4 to C#6. The first note introduced is a D5 and it progresses
20 upward. From early in the book, the authors include duets for the pupil and teacher. Volume one includes scale exercises, warm ups, breathing exercises, traditional songs, and pieces with piano accompaniment by Jean-Baptiste Lully and H. Rohlig.
The second volume immediately begins with extending the tessitura from C#6 to G6 through the use of traditional and folk tunes. It uses duets, trios, and quartets extensively as well as an entire lesson dedicated to ensemble work where musical examples and written information can be found. Technical exercises include tonguing, rhythm, tremolo studies, and daily study patterns that incorporate both major and minor scales. The craft of musicality is taught through a section on lyrical solos and selected etudes that are devoted to style and embouchure flexibility.
In addition, this volume covers excerpts such as Vincent Persichetti’s Serenade No. 10 for Flute and Harp and Franz Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture. The volume concludes with an examination that tests the student’s ability to play scales, use articulations, perform a memorized solo, and sight read. 44
The third and final volume of The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique could be viewed as an advanced method, one that completes the student’s flute foundation. The one hundred thirty-three page book begins by acknowledging the student’s dedication to the art of playing the flute through the understanding that scales (in all major and minor keys), long tones
(in each register), dexterity studies, and sight-reading should be a part of the everyday practice routine. The range is once again expanded to now include G#6 through C7. A variety of etudes and excerpts, both orchestral and solo literature, are placed throughout the book to demonstrate various techniques. For ornaments, this volume also includes detailed written instruction as well as musical examples to teach a trill, grace note, mordent, gruppetto, appoggiatura, and cadenza.
44 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 2 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1968), 100. 21 The book is rich with duets and trios for treble clef C instruments and solos with piano accompaniment. With the focus on ensemble playing, the method takes the student to an advanced level. In accordance to the early volumes, the method ends with a three-part student examination. The first part covers all major and minor scales in various articulations, the second part is a study on sight-reading, articulation, dynamics, and speed, and the final portion is two concert solos. The first one is a Menuet by Johann Sebastian Bach and the second is a Concerto by Linicke.45
The Other Flute (2nd edition)
The Other Flute 2nd edition by Robert Dick is a revolutionary method book for the contemporary flutist. The contents of this method book include an introduction and explanation of special signs. It is divided into four main sections: the traditional flute, single sounds, multiple sonorities, and other resources. The book begins by providing detailed information about the traditional Boehm-style flute and the different types of concert flutes. It also includes valuable information about the flute family (piccolo, alto, and bass flute), tonalities in the fourth octave of the flute’s tessitura, and descriptions of traditional flute notation. The second section covers tone colors in natural harmonics and in the chromatic scale, microtones, and glissandi.
The third portion of the book deals with multiple sonorities based on natural harmonics, the chromatic scale, and microtonal segments. The final section gives information for flutter tonguing, percussive sounds, pitch bending, whisper tones, residual tones, jet whistles, simultaneous singing and playing, and circular breathing. The contents of the book are stated clearly in written explanations, musical notation, and fingering descriptions.
45 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 3 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1970), 118-133. 22 Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
Entering the 21st century, Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke’s method book collaboration reflects on the past but demonstrates advancements of the flute. Flute 101:
Mastering the Basics is a method geared towards the beginning flutist who is working with a private teacher. The eighty-page book provides information about the parts of the flute, how to practice, balancing the flute, learning musical notation, playing musically, suggestions for phrasing, and questions to ask your teacher (care, storage, and hand position). Included is a teacher’s guide written by George, which covers checking the instrument, tonguing exercises such as “spitting rice”, headjoint work, and suggestions for teaching rhythm. The easy to read one-page fingering chart covers C4 through G6 with three alternate fingerings for E6, F6, and
F#6.
The method has the student begin with headjoint work. Not only does this section help the student create sounds and introduce basic musical notation, they make it fun by having the student change the pitch by sliding their finger inside the tube thus creating simple melodies such as “Mary Had A Little Lamb” and “Hot Cross Buns.”46 After significant time is spent working with the headjoint, the book progresses through numbered lessons. The first note introduced is
B4 and fingering chart reminders are found each time a new note is introduced. At the end of the first lesson, the student can now play “Mary Had A Little Lamb” and “Hot Cross Buns” using correct fingerings and compare it to the headjoint exercise as an introduction to ear training. The book promotes ensemble playing throughout by using student and teacher duets. These duets start as early as the headjoint exercises. To visually enforce key concepts, pictures of students are used in the lessons to show examples of proper posture and hand position. There are review
46 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 101: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2010), 5. 23 lessons to test the student’s ability before moving to the next topic. Practice exercises include major scales and rhythmic studies including syncopation. Each lesson has a target idea and is shown in many examples during that lesson.
Flute 102: Mastering the Basics is the second installment of the George and Louke method book series. This book’s target audience is for the intermediate flutist. It begins with a written review of alignment, stance, tonguing, vibrato, and how to practice efficiently. This book is different from Flute 101: Mastering the Basics in that it is organized into chapters dedicated to the easier major scales. Each chapter has five lessons that include major and minor scale practice, thirds, arpeggios, chord progressions, etudes, duets, traditional tunes, tone exercises, and excerpts. Additional technical studies such as two-octave scales (major and relative melodic minor), arpeggios (major, minor, diminished, and augmented), chromatic scale studies, intervals, and whole-tone scales are found at the end of the method book.
There is a piano accompaniment book that can be purchased to further enhance the student’s studies. Selections with piano accompaniment include works from traditional folk songs, George Bizet, Antonín Dvořák, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Georg Philipp Telemann, and many more. The included pieces are perfect for the intermediate flutist to play on recitals.
Finally, the one-page fingering chart listed in the back of the book has a range from B3 through
D7. In addition to showing the standard fingerings, some notes list commonly used alternate fingerings.47
Flute 103:Mastering the Basics, is once again designed for the intermediate flutist. This book resembles its predecessor in many ways. The ninety-two-page book is divided into five chapters that are specifically designed around the more difficult major key. Activities in each
47 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, back cover of Flute 102: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2012). 24 chapter include scale studies, preluding or improvising, studies in thirds, etudes, arpeggios, chord progressions, dominant seventh chords, duets, trill studies, harmonics, tunes, and phrasing gestures. The method provides ideas on how to learn repertoire, posture when standing, phrasing gestures, and practice tips. Both a fingering chart and trill-fingering chart are included in the book. The method ends with supplemental technical studies that include major and relative minor scales, arpeggios, dominant seventh chords, chromatic scales, and interval studies. In addition to the flute method book, the student can purchase the piano accompaniment book.
Music from many composers such as Joachim Andersen, George Frideric Handel, and Wilhelm
Popp provides repertoire for flute and piano while solo pieces from Pierre-Octave Ferroud and
Georg Philipp Telemann are included.
Table 3: Description of Fingering Charts
Author(s) Title Range Alternate Fingerings Ernest F. Wagner Foundation to Flute Playing B3 – Yes C#7 William Kincaid and The Art and Practice of Modern C4 – Yes Claire Polin Flute Technique Volume 1 C#6 William Kincaid and The Art and Practice of Modern C4 – No Claire Polin Flute Technique Volume 2 G6 William Kincaid and The Art and Practice of Modern C4 – No Claire Polin Flute Technique Volume 3 C7 Robert Dick The Other Flute 2nd edition B3 – Yes B6 Patricia George and Phyllis Flute 101: Mastering the Basics C4 – Yes Avidan Louke G6 Patricia George and Phyllis Flute 102: Mastering the Basics B3 – Yes Avidan Louke D7 Patricia George and Phyllis Flute 103: Mastering the Basics B3 – Yes Avidan Louke D7
25 With today’s substantial method library it can be difficult to choose and select the appropriate book. It is helpful to read the author’s main purpose for each method book. By seeing the author’s main goal, the student and teacher are able to determine which method is suitable for them, as well as providing a solid goal toward which to work. Depending on the teacher or student, it is possible to use a combination of methods to progress and become a versatile and informed flutist. Essentially the goal is for the student to receive a solid foundation in all aspects of flute playing and progress constantly. By seeing a comparison of the four selected flute methods, flutists can better understand the history of the instrument and evolution of musical culture.
26 CHAPTER 4
COMPARISON EXAMPLES FROM METHOD BOOKS
Method books incorporate various pedagogical ideas for flute playing but commonality can be found. This chapter will compare examples that will give a basic overview of each method book’s approach to the following topics: breathing/posture, tone/embouchure, technique, and musicality. The themes were based on a common foundation that was apparent in each book.
Breathing/Posture
Table 4: Comparison of Posture and Breathing
Author(s) Posture Breathing Ernest F. - Three pictures of the hands and - Through mouth in Wagner embouchure accordance to phrase length - Small breath William Kincaid - Five pictures of the hands and - Four breathing exercises and Claire Polin embouchure (accordion, candle, push- ups, and pull-backs) - Detective analogy Robert Dick - Explanation of the mechanics of - Focused air the Boehm Flute - Circular breathing Patricia George - Name each finger (left hand - Natural breathing and Phyllis B,A,G and right hand F,E,D) - Exercise: Lay flat on the Avidan Louke - Relaxed elbows floor and feel the - Volleyball analogy – stand with abdomen’s natural left foot in front and right foot movement slightly behind - Lowered body angled 45 degrees to the right - Lineup the aperture, embouchure hole, crease of left elbow with the center of the music stand
27 Foundation to Flute Playing
Ernest F. Wagner teaches posture at the beginning of the method book through written instruction and three example photographs. He describes elbow position as comfortable and free and suggests always standing to practice. Wagner encourages the student to practice in front of a mirror to monitor correct body position. The description gives information for the right hand position but no detail is given for the left hand. For finger placement, one can look at the fingering chart to study where to place the fingers on the keys. While the topic of posture is covered in depth, the section dedicated to breathing is sparse. Wagner tells the student to breathe through the mouth as the phrasing of the music dictates. He also suggests not taking in more air than needed.48
The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volumes 1 – 3)
In the first volume of the Kincaid and Polin method book, they show five photographs of how to hold the flute. The pictures show several angles thus they are informative for the student.49 The breathing exercises are a wonderful resource. To build breath support, the method suggests the following exercises: the accordion, the candle, push-ups, and pull-backs.
The accordion is an exercise for slow deep breathing while the candle exercise is a way to control the slow but constant air as it leaves the lips. The method’s description for breathing is to always inhale from the mouth taking gulps of deep air and to do so as quietly as possible.
They suggest pretending like the student is a detective chasing a criminal and must dive into a
48 Ernest Wagner, Foundation to Flute Playing (New York, NY: Carl Fischer, 1918), 4-7. 49 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 1 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967), 10-11. 28 lake to follow the thief. To do so, the detective should be silent, fast, and take a deep breath.50
The authors say this analogy might help students to practice taking noiseless, fast breaths.
In their second volume, breathing exercises are coupled with embouchure studies.
Through short songs in the upper register, the flutist works to keep the tone centered as the air stream increases and decreases to produce the changing notes.51 The student is encouraged to continue physical exercises such as push-ups to increase breath control. The authors suggest this activity should be part of the student’s daily routine.52
Finally, in the third volume Kincaid and Polin have the student play etudes to continue to develop breathing and posture. With poor posture, the flutist would struggle to work the lower abdominal muscles needed for all aspects of flute playing especially etudes. One specific etude uses staccato register leaps working the breath control and posture position.53 As this book is the last of the three-volume method, an examination is found at the end. During this examination breathing and posture are tested through the given concert works, scales, and articulation studies.54
The Other Flute (2nd edition)
As seen in the contents portion of this paper, Robert Dick’s method book is focused around exploring new avenues for the flute. However, before one can expand the boundaries, one must understand the traditional foundation. He begins the method book by explaining the
Boehm system flute. He gives a technical definition for how sound is created through blowing
50 Ibid., 51. 51 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 2 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1968), 9. 52 Ibid., 2. 53 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 3 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1970), 9. 54 Ibid., 118-133. 29 focused air through the flute.55 Since this method is geared toward the more advanced flutist,
Dick includes a short description on circular breathing. The technique of sustaining a tone while breathing allows for greater musical possibilities in phrasing. In addition to mentioning circular breathing in this book, Dick has another publication, Circular Breathing for the Flutist (Multiple
Breath Music Company, 1987) that serves as a guide to learning this technique.
Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
In the first method book by George and Louke, the descriptions for breathing and posture are mostly found under the section titled “Learning to Play the Flute” at the end of the book.
This section has detailed information about how to hold the flute and produce sound. For breathing the authors first have the beginning student start by lying on the floor to feel the natural movement of the abdomen. While on the floor, they have the student play a tone on the headjoint. It is an exercise that allows the student to feel what natural breathing feels like and will help transfer this feeling to the instrument once you are standing. The method suggests to name the fingers of each hand based on the note they are associated with thus the left hand would have B, A, and G while the right hand would have F, E, and D. For arm position, they suggest that both elbows should be still and hang down when playing. This gives the arms a relaxed position.56
The second method book contains a well-described position for both sitting and standing.
The description details how the body and flute should look in accordance to the music stand by lining up the student’s head with the aperture, and the left elbow crease, all of which should be in
55 Robert Dick, The Other Flute, 2nd ed. (St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breathe Music Company, 1989) 1. 56 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics Vol. 2 (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2012) 77. 30 the center of the music stand.57 The “Blooming the Tone” exercise is used throughout the book to get fast air moving through the flute to relax the sound.
In the third installment of the George and Louke method book, breathing and posture is incorporated in the student’s daily warm-up. Many exercises could be used as both breathing and tone studies. The use of harmonics reminds the student to breathe naturally and adjust the air stream to produce the different pitches of the overtone series.58
Tone/Embouchure
Table 5: Comparison of Tone and Embouchure
Author(s) Embouchure Tone Ernest F. Wagner - Normal facial conditions - Daily long tones - Do not puff cheeks - Lip flexibility etudes William Kincaid - Blow across an empty bottle - Daily long tones and Claire Polin - Headjoint exercises - Lip flexibility etudes - Whistle embouchure - Natural harmonic - Pinch lips to create higher exercises sounds and relax for lower sounds Robert Dick - Practice in short increments - Natural harmonics when playing in the upper range - The fundamental fingering - The position of the lips will changes the timbre affect the color and tessitura - Alternate fingerings - Dynamics Patricia George - Natural aperture - Headjoint exercises and Phyllis - Large oral cavity - Fast constant air Avidan Louke - “Pooh” position - Daily long tones - Natural harmonic exercises - Octave exercises
57 Ibid., 3. 58 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 103: Mastering the Basics Vol. 3 (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2013) 5. 31 Foundation to Flute Playing
Wagner’s description of embouchure does not provide a lot of content. He describes the embouchure as normal facial conditions. He also advises to make sure the cheeks are not puffed out as this causes the student to lose control of facial muscles.59 However, he speaks a lot about tone exercises. One lesson is even dedicated to long tone exercises with crescendos and decrescendos. Wagner tells the student to practice sustained tones everyday for fifteen to twenty minutes at the beginning of each practice session. He discusses the importance of long tones to build strength and certainty for the lips and controlled tone production.60 In another lesson,
Wagner has the student working on embouchure exercises to increase lip flexibility, intonation, and tone improvement throughout the registers.
The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volumes 1 – 3)
Kincaid and Polin describe embouchure by first having the student blow across an empty bottle. This simple exercise without the flute is a common trick to help the student to learn to blow and direct the air. After repeating this several times, they suggest taking the headjoint and placing the embouchure plate on the chin allowing the lower lip to partly cover the tone hole.
Then blow air across the hole as done with the bottle. To produce higher tones, they recommend pinching the lips and for low tones to try relaxing the lips. After a sound has been produced on the headjoint they explain natural harmonics and have the student explore how many pitches are possible.61 The new term embouchure is defined in length for the student by using the term
“pinch” or “whistle embouchure.” Looking ahead in the method, Kincaid and Polin discuss how the embouchure and the tongue both influence sound production. They suggest placing the
59 Ernest Wagner, Foundation to Flute Playing (New York, NY: Carl Fischer, 1918), 4. 60 Ibid., 76. 61 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 1 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967), 13. 32 tongue between the lips and move it backwards as if spitting something off of the tip of the tongue. They explain how using this motion, the tongue is releasing the air and producing an attack before each tone.62
As mentioned in the previous section under breathing and posture, Kincaid and Polin use etudes and songs to reinforce proper tone and embouchure in their second volume. They recommend as the register continues to increase, the student should remember higher notes are based on lower notes and listen for a focused tone. According to the authors, to listen critically for the quality of the sound it is necessary and expected that long tones begin each day of practice.63 Long tone studies can be applied to all scales found throughout the book.
Volume three of the Kincaid and Polin method continues to use long tones as a way to strengthen the flutist’s embouchure and tone. Other exercises are etudes that incorporate large interval leaps. They explain that this type of study has the student listen for a centered tone, intonation between intervals, and flexibility in one’s lips.64 The need for a supportive tone and relaxed embouchure is proven in the final examination of the method book.
The Other Flute (2nd edition)
Robert Dick’s method book describes how the air column determines the tone of each note. He discusses how the embouchure affects the tessitura and color of the tone. When practicing the fourth octave pitches, Dick suggests working in short increments due to the embouchure demands.65 Looking further in the book, he describes the tone of natural harmonics as bright and says composers utilize this effect to create echoes or very soft dynamics on notes in
62 Ibid., 15. 63 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 2 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1968), 2. 64 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 3 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1970), 70. 65 Robert Dick, The Other Flute, 2nd ed. (St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1989) 5. 33 the upper register. Dick mentions that the fundamental fingering changes the timbre of the flute’s tone and provides a detailed chart of the flute’s natural harmonics.66 He also has another book designed specifically for tone titled Tone Development Through Extended Techniques.
According to Dick, extended techniques improve components of traditional playing: embouchure flexibility, breath support, projection, and dynamics.67
Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
In the first method book by George and Louke, Patricia George includes a guide for the music teacher where she discusses many concepts including creating an embouchure to produce a tone. Beginning with the headjoint only, she suggests that students should place the embouchure hole below the center of the natural aperture. She reminds the teacher that the headjoint and later the flute should always be brought to the flutist instead of the student going to the instrument. To create a tone, she recommends blowing fast and constant air while saying the word “pooh.” The process of creating a sound should be done after the student can successfully spit rice, a technique used to coordinate the student’s tongue and air stream.68
In the second method book by George and Louke, tone exercises are a key part of the student’s daily warm-up. The warm-up begins with headjoint only work that reminds the student where the natural position for the embouchure hole is and gets the air stream moving. Next the student is to play harmonics, which works the embouchure size and forces the student to listen to the timbre of each note. Finally the student has an octave exercise during which the student must
66 Ibid., 9. 67 Robert Dick, Tone Development Through Extended Techniques (St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1986), 7. 68 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 101: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2010), 75-77. 34 use technique to think of the various fingerings while listening for a homogeneous tone as the octaves fluctuate.69
Once again a daily warm-up opens the third method book, however new exercises have been added to it. To focus on tone and embouchure, the student begins the warm-up with slurred harmonic passages. Next the student plays half note octave leaps. This layered tone exercise has the student focusing on a fluid tone color when changing registers as well as vibrato speed and color.70 A collection of solos for flute is found in the last half of the book. While solo repertoire brings all the concepts of music together, it can be used as a way to teach tone. The time span of music written for flute is large thus the tone must be appropriate for each musical period. This section has brief composer biographies and styling suggestions all of which helps the student to decide what type of tone is relevant for each piece.
Technique
Table 6: Comparison of Technique
Author(s) Technique Ernest F. Wagner - Daily scales and etudes - Practice slowly and increase the tempo - Mindful practice William Kincaid and Claire Polin - Daily scales and etudes - Accurate rhythm and varied articulation - Transpose patterns to all keys Robert Dick - Alternate fingering charts - Finger glissandi Patricia George and Phyllis - Saying the note names in rhythm while fingering the Avidan Louke notes before playing - Daily scales and etudes - Exercises for trill fingerings
69 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2012), 6. 70 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 103: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2013), 5. 35 Foundation to Flute Playing
Wagner discusses the importance of scales early in the book. He introduces how to form a scale using whole tones and semitones. He first introduces the easy major scales.71 A few lessons later, he has the student practicing scale studies and exercises ascending and descending in progressively harder major keys. In the written instructions preceding the scale studies,
Wagner stresses that scales are the foundation of good technique. He suggests to start with slow practice and focus on the finger technique then gradually increase the tempo.72 Further into the method, Wagner describes technical exercises as being important for developing limber finger movement. He encourages students to devote a great deal of time to the troublesome measures and not to practice mindlessly. The technical studies should be a part of the student’s everyday routine.73 Wagner includes self-composed etudes at the end of the method for the student to practice. Each etude is composed around a technical theme working on specific skills.
The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3)
In the first installment of Kincaid and Polin’s The Art and Practice of Modern Flute
Technique, they bring attention to the importance of daily scale practice. Through detailed practice of scales, almost any music is obtainable. They recommend each scale exercise should be practiced with accurate rhythm in both a slurred and tongued articulation. With thoughtful daily practice, the goal is to have smooth and quick finger motions. The method has exercises written in half, eighth, and sixteenth notes so the student can become familiar with many forms
71 Ernest Wagner, Foundation to Flute Playing (New York, NY: Carl Fischer, 1918), 17. 72 Ibid., 44. 73 Ibid., 56. 36 of rhythmic notation. The author’s intention is to boost the student’s self-confidence through reading fast passages without hesitation.74
The second volume of Kincaid and Polin’s method book emphasizes the importance of technique. The method begins with finger exercises extending the flutist’s range into the upper octave. They include many daily finger studies from composers such as Fredrick The Great, C.
Fürstenau, and L. Drouet. The author’s instructions for the student are to memorize the technical patterns, practice using various articulations, and transpose the figures to all key areas.75
In the final volume, Kincaid and Polin use daily studies, etudes, and excerpts from band and orchestra literature to work on technique. With the use of excerpts, the flutist can see examples of technical capabilities in repertoire. This method also includes a trill-fingering chart followed by studies dedicated to mastering this technique. They stress that the basic function of ornaments needs to be flawless which takes repetition for them to become a natural part of the musical phrase. The book has daily scale exercises in all major and minor keys as well as chromatic studies. They explain that this basic exercise can be applied to all registers, dynamic markings, and articulation patterns to increase awareness for the student’s technique.76 The final examination has the student performing scales and solos all of which incorporate technique.
The Other Flute (2nd edition)
In the Robert Dick method, he includes several fingering charts that facilitate alternate fingerings. Some charts give information about residual tone such as the one that accompanies the section for natural harmonics, others give information about dynamic possibilities and
74 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 1 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967), 49. 75 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 2 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1968), 22. 76 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 3 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1970), 73-77. 37 intonation. Further into the book, there is a section that works on finger glissandi. His diagrams indicate if it is a smooth or broken glissando and how and which fingers should move.77 For more technical studies, Robert Dick has composed two volumes of contemporary concert etudes titled Flying Lessons. Each volume has six etudes with volume one holding the honor of first place in the 1985 Newly Published Music Competition by the National Flute Association.78
Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
The first method book by George and Louke begins with an overview of how to practice.
Their suggestions give advice for beginning students improving technique. First they advise saying the note names, the names in rhythm, the names while fingering the notes, and then playing the song, which creates a tool to learn basic finger technique.79 The authors have other hints for young students such as naming each finger according to the note it produces. They also recommend the fingers stay as close to the keys as possible and move from the third knuckle with an exception being the left index finger that moves from the second knuckle. Technical studies include work on scales and arpeggios in multiple major keys.
The second book in their installment uses scales, etudes, solos, and chunking to work on technique. The etudes are specific to one key area and work various articulations, rhythms, and tessituras. The scale exercises have studies in thirds, arpeggios, dominant seventh chords, and chord progressions. At the end of the method book is an arpeggio study. In a horizontal format, the student can see the major, minor, diminished, and augmented arpeggio for each scale.80 As
77 Robert Dick, The Other Flute, 2nd ed. (St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1989), 76. 78 Robert Dick, Flying Lessons: Six Contemporary Concert Etudes Vol. 1 (St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company). 79 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 101: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2010), 3. 80 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2012), 82. 38 stated by both authors in an interview, this method along with the third book is good for any level player.
In the third method book, George and Louke include technical exercises in the suggested daily warm-up. The exercises work the third octave real and trill fingerings with varied tempos.81 Exercises in the third octave are beneficial to the flutist since those fingerings tend to be the most awkward. Similar to the second book, this method has a clear formatted arpeggio study as well as two-octave major and melodic minor scales, dominant seventh chords in all twelve major keys, whole tone scales, chromatic intervals, and three-octave chromatic scale work. Finally, the practice of “chunking” is used in the method to gradually add technical passages. They suggest chunking in groups of two, three, four, and six.82 According to the authors, this allows the student the ability to concentrate on small amounts of music at a time.
Musicality
Table 7: Comparison of Musicality
Author(s) Musicality Ernest F. Wagner - Ensemble playing - Listening to good music and imitating singers - Playing recognizable songs William Kincaid and Claire Polin - Student and teacher duets - Comparison of forms, style, dynamics, and instrumentation - Observing phrase lengths and landscape analogy Robert Dick - Charts with dynamic colors - Adjustment of timbre with alternate fingerings - Ornaments (extended techniques) Patricia George and Phyllis - Phrasing suggestion guide and musical worksheet Avidan Louke - Use of down and up bows with forward and backward motion - Historical background
81 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 103: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2013), 5. 82Ibid., 88. 39 Foundation to Flute Playing
From early in the book, Wagner gives advice to the student on how to be musical. He suggests for the student to have ample ensemble playing, listen to good music especially famous singers and imitate their style, and not accept mediocre music – always aim for the highest level, and not to overload oneself with too much at once. One more idea he has for the student is that everything is worth practice time meaning nothing is too easy.83 Wagner’s advice serves his method as a resource for a student to keep advancing in the field.
As for exercises, Wagner teaches musicality through a collection of recognizable songs such as “Silent Night, Holy Night” and “Nearer My God To Thee.” In these short song examples he includes dynamic markings, tempo markings, articulation symbols, and phrase or breath marks to guide the student. Other forms of musicality instruction come from the study of ornaments. The method book includes lessons on grace notes, turns, and trills. In addition, the fifty-ninth lesson is dedicated to cadenzas. Wagner gives a written definition of a cadenza and its purpose. He suggests a cadenza should be elaborate but tasteful within the style of the piece.
Wagner provides six cadenza exercises for the student to practice. While his method is geared toward the beginning flutist, Wagner gives advice and exercises that allow the student an opportunity for musical expression.
The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique (Volume 1 – 3)
While not using the term musicality in the first volume, Kincaid and Polin hint towards the concept in several songs. One example appears about halfway through the method when the student is presented with two versions of the same piece. The works selected is “Sarabande” by
Jean-Baptiste Lully. In the first version, the piece is set for flute and piano and features several
83 Ernest Wagner, Foundation to Flute Playing (New York, NY: Carl Fischer, 1918), 7. 40 dynamic and articulation markings. However, the second version is arranged for flute and a bass instrument such as bassoon and uses less dynamic markings and different articulation instructions. Through this ensemble example, Kincaid and Polin are able to show the student how to make music. They also discuss the importance of the construction of the work and point out the varied phrase lengths. This form of introduction opens the student’s mind to seeing and hearing music with various levels of emphasis to create engaging music. Other examples of encouraging musicality can be seen in theme and variations. The duet “Air Varié” by T. L.
Tulou provides the student and teacher the opportunity to impact the overall musical line and influence each other’s creativity.
The practice of musicality appears in several places of the second volume of Kincaid and
Polin’s method book. One example is the use of comparison. The student is to perform a
“Musette” by both Leopold Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach. After playing each piece, the student can discuss the differences in form, style, and dynamic between the two works.84 Later in the book, Johann Joachim Quatnz’s “Andante” from Sonata in D is used to teach musical climaxes. The authors provide written explanation before the piece that gives information on how phrases are built. They describe phrases as a building landscape.85 They believe this analogy is easy for a student to understand and transfer it to one’s playing. Finally, lesson fourteen is designed specifically to teach how technique and style work together to create musical expression. The authors’ idea is to have direction with the notes as they rise and fall creating drama.86
84 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 2 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967), 17-18. 85 Ibid., 32. 86 Ibid., 81. 41 The last volume of the Kincaid and Polin method book series teaches musicality through several songs and pieces. These include solo, duet, and trio works thus giving the student several ensemble opportunities. Many of the solo works have explanations on style as general instructions for the student to follow. An example of this is seen describing how to perform
Handel’s Sonata V in F Major.87 In the method book’s final examination, the flutist is asked to perform “Menuet” from the B Minor Suite by Johann Sebastian Bach and Concerto in G major by Johann Georg Linicke. The authors give the flutist an opportunity to understand style from different periods and how to tastefully add musical direction.
The Other Flute (2nd edition)
One could argue that everything covered in Dick’s method influences a flutist’s musical feeling. The detailed fingering charts give information about possible dynamic levels and tone colors. The final section of the book titled “Other Resources” describes many ornaments that can be added to enhance the traditional performance. These ornaments or extended techniques are percussive sounds, flutter tonguing, residual and whisper tones, pitch bending, jet whistles, and singing while playing. He gives in-depth definitions for each technique and provides information on their tone and dynamic possibilities.
Flute 101, Flute 102, and Flute 103: Mastering the Basics
From early in the first method book by George and Louke, they begin introducing the idea of musicality to the student in textboxes at the top of the page. Inside these boxes they include information about musical terms or phrasing suggestions for the pieces covered in the particular lesson. On the back cover there are thirteen phrase suggestions and a number or letter
87 William Kincaid and Claire Polin, The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 3 (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1970), 109. 42 accompanies each suggestion. These symbols can be found in songs and duets throughout the method book. They admit that these suggestions have been simplified for the beginning student so that one can build a foundation of musicality. Some suggestions include varying dynamic contour in sequential figures, how to begin after taking a breath, articulation lengths on repeated or syncopated rhythms, and much more. The musical worksheet provided at the end of the method book is a resource for both the beginner and advanced flutist. Based on the teachings of
William Kincaid, appropriate places to breathe and connected styling are described. The worksheet also provides information about time signature emphasis, general ideas on dance style versus singing style, notes to add tone color, and literally finding shape in the phrase by connecting note heads.88
Flute 102: Mastering the Basics includes the phrasing suggestions and musicality worksheet like the one included in the first method book. In addition to the number and letter system set in the first volume, this book includes a method for body movement that correlates to musical interpretation. The icons suggest when the flute should move down and up or shift one’s weight from the back to the front causing the flute to move forward or move backward as the weight changes from the front to the back foot.89 These icons are used to guide the student to have fluid body motion that works with the musical line.
Similar to the previous two methods by George and Louke, Flute 103: Mastering the
Basics uses phrasing gestures to teach musicality. The suggestion sheet is extended to include sixteen generalized points now that feature information on vibrato and ornaments.90 The method
88 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 101: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2010), 80. 89 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, Flute 102: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2012), 3. 90 Patricia George and Phyllis Avidan Louke, inside back cover of Flute 103: Mastering the Basics (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2013). 43 ends with a collection of pieces for flute. Before each work, composer biographies and detailed performance guides are given. This guides the student intellectually to make musical decisions.
Examples of recital programs are also given as a pattern for students to understand how to select recital music.91
91 Ibid., 9. 44 CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
Through the study and application of the selected method books, it can be seen that all authors tend to agree that each element works in conjunction to create the foundation needed to be a successful flutist. Most authors suggest similar posture but vary in embouchure instructions.
From the study one could speculate that technology advancements and current trends have influenced embouchure position thus altering ideas on tone. Today flutists strive for a relaxed embouchure that will produce a powerful tone.
While all the methods stress the importance of technique, Wagner and George/Louke give several exercises and explanations to enhance finger dexterity. It appears technique has not changed much through time. Today a flutist still needs to practice the basic foundation exercises: various scales, arpeggios, and finger patterns. Nevertheless the need for flawless technique continues to gain importance through the advancement of technology, contests, and challenging contemporary compositions.
The Kincaid/Polin and George/Louke methods give extremely good advice for musicality with the George/Louke method including phrasing suggestions in the pieces. In the musicality worksheet found in the Goerge/Louke method, they give credit to Kincaid’s phrasing ideas. Yet the most creative and informative method is by Dick because he introduces new ideas for the flute. His method features extremely detailed concepts of tone colors associated with various fingerings as well as techniques such as circular breathing and flexible embouchure. Dick’s revolutionary method has impacted the flute culture worldwide creating new possibilities and avenues for the flutist. His method impacts the culture of the flute by breaking the traditional stereotype opening an endless variety of musical expression. 45 Briefly highlighting each method, the Wagner book is designed to teach the student without the need of a private teacher. Having been written in the early 20th century, the ability to take private lessons was not as easy as it is today, thus a self-instruction method was a smart and affordable choice. He gives sufficient historical and basic rudiments of music so that the student can draw appropriate conclusions for a steady foundation. Due to the time period, this book includes a brief description of the crutch or bridge and information regarding the controversial open and closed G# key. Both of these items are only found in this method thus demonstrating how the Boehm’s closed G# key flute was becoming the standard instrument of the 20th century.
The three-volume method by Kincaid and Polin include an informative history of the flute and show the importance of the flute family. This demonstrates the need for a versatile flutist as the century continues. The slim job market impacts the need for skills on multiple instruments and disciplines. Overall the format is pleasing to the eye and progresses the student in an appropriate manor by building on previous knowledge. A key element of the method is the abundant use of duets, trios, and quartets providing ample ensemble opportunities for the student.
In this document, the most experimental and forward thinking book mentioned is by
Robert Dick. His method takes the idea of versatility to a new level through expanding technique and exploring new tones. Dick stresses the importance of the traditional flute and intertwined avant garde ideas. The explanations are easy to comprehend and can be used by any flutist.
The three-method series by George and Louke represent many current trends in the flute field including significant headjoint work and using the art of chunking for technical passages.
The book works best when the student is taking private lessons with an instructor. The many opportunities for teacher/student duets encourage good tone and musicality along with the
46 supplementary piano accompaniment book that is invaluable to the growing flutist. For the 21st century society, the textbox format is pleasing to the eye and information is given when needed.
Other examples of clean format can be seen in the scale and technical studies as they are appropriately labeled and flow one into another based on music theory.
It is apparent that the teacher and student need to be aware of the history of flute thoroughly and knowledgeable of current trends. Sometimes exercises and methods have to be compiled from different resources to yield effective results while others work best from one method. Each author in this document is a respected flutist from his/her time period. Through their progressive thinking they have made a significant impact on the flute world and have helped shape the American flute school. American flute method books are creating a place in current trends and impacting the future.
Where are flute methods headed in the future? After examining four American flute methods, I feel technology will be the biggest influence. As more people purchase electronic devices, the need for digital based information will increase. More methods might include audio tracks for the student to practice or perform with. These tracks could be, but are not limited to pitch drones, accompaniments, example passages, and verbal instruction. Other helpful features would be an on-screen metronome, tuner, and recording device. There are a few programs already in existence that do many of these options such as Smart Music, paper methods with
CDs, or YouTube instructional videos but I feel the future holds more exploration in this area.
Through the help of technology, electronic method books would yield positives such as eliminating environmental waste, be easier to edit and add new material, and reach more flutists around the globe.
47 As seen in this document, method books have taken ideas from the past and expanded upon them to create new possibilities for the flute. In the 21st century, one has a vast amount of information available at the press of a button. Due to the overwhelming access, one must also remember to stay grounded in the traditional private lesson and keep in touch with the human aspect of music making as the digital based society advances.
48 APPENDIX A
FLUTE METHOD BOOKS DISCUSSED IN THIS TREATISE
Author(s) Method Title Publication Publisher Date Ernest F. Wagner Foundation to Flute Playing 1918 Carl Fischer William Kincaid and The Art and Practice of 1967 Hal Leonard Claire Polin Modern Flute Technique Corporation Volume 1 William Kincaid and The Art and Practice of 1968 Hal Leonard Claire Polin Modern Flute Technique Corporation Volume 2 William Kincaid and The Art and Practice of 1970 Hal Leonard Claire Polin Modern Flute Technique Corporation Volume 3 Robert Dick The Other Flute 2nd edition 1989 Multiple Breath Music Company Patricia George and Flute 101: Mastering the 2010 Theodore Presser Phyllis Avidan Louke Basics Company Patricia George and Flute 102: Mastering the 2012 Theodore Presser Phyllis Avidan Louke Basics Company Patricia George and Flute 103: Mastering the 2013 Theodore Presser Phyllis Avidan Louke Basics Company
49 APPENDIX B
ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY SELECTED AUTHORS
Author(s) Title Publication Publisher Date Ernest F. Wagner Table of Fingerings for the 1928 Carl Fisher Boehm Flute William Kincaid and The Advanced Flutist Book 1 1975 Elkan-Vogel, Inc. Claire Polin William Kincaid and The Advanced Flutist Book 2 1982 Elkan-Vogel, Inc. Claire Polin Robert Dick Flying Lessons: Six 1983 Multiple Breath Contemporary Concert Etudes Music Company Volume 1 Robert Dick Flying Lessons: Six 1986 Multiple Breath Contemporary Concert Etudes Music Company Volume 2 Robert Dick Tone Development Through 1986 Multiple Breath Extended Techniques Music Company Robert Dick Circular Breathing for the 1987 Multiple Breath Flutist Music Company Patricia George and The Flute Scale Book 2011 Theodore Presser Phyllis Avidan Louke Company Patricia George and Advanced Flute Studies: The Art 2014 Theodore Presser Phyllis Avidan Louke of Chunking Company Patricia George and The Flute Vibrato Book 2016 Theodore Presser Phyllis Avidan Louke Company
50 APPENDIX C
STATEMENT FROM THE IRB
51 APPENDIX D
CORRESPONDENCE WITH PATRICIA GEORGE
Email Interview with Patricia George Email received: October 17, 2016
1. Biographical Information a. Date of Birth: October 9, 1942 b. Place of Birth: Lubbock, TX c. Current Residence of: Appleton, WI d. Education: BM with distinction, Eastman School of Music - 1964 Performer’s Certificate in Flute, Eastman School of Music - 1964 MM in Literature and Performance Practice, Eastman School of Music - 1965 e. Flute Teachers: Frances Blaisdell, Joseph Mariano, William Kincaid, and Julius Baker
2. Work/Jobs Private flute studio: 1955 – to present Rochester Philharmonic Substitute: 1962-1966 Eastman School of Music Preparatory Department, Lecturer in Flute: 1964-1966 Young Audience Woodwind Quintet: 1964-1966 Music & Art, Bethesda, MD, Flute Teacher: 1966 – 1970 Recitalist and Masterclass Teacher based in Illinois: 1970-1983 Idaho State University, Flute Professor: 1983-2000 Flute Spa Masterclasses: 1984 – to present Idaho State Civic Symphony, principal flute: 1983 - 2008 Brigham Young University – Idaho (formerly Ricks College) Flute Professor: 1990-2008, 2010 American Band College, flute clinician: 1999 – to present Elkhorn Music Festival/Sun Valley Summer Symphony, principal flute: 1986-1994 Sewanee Summer Music Festival, flute professor: 1998-2016 Flute Talk Magazine, Editor: 2011 - to present
3. How does working with Flute Talk and “The Teacher’s Studio” influence your career as a teacher/performer? I would have never been asked to write for Flute Talk and then become editor had I not had a lot of teaching, performing and writing experience. Writing on a regular basis helps organize your thoughts, which in turn has made me a more efficient teacher.
4. When did you start playing the flute and why? I really wanted to play the oboe, but my mother said she didn’t want me to be dependent on having a good reed so she suggested the flute. She enrolled me in a six-week summer 52 camp at Texas Tech. I was underage for the camp and had never played a note. The flute teacher said I could follow him around so at 9 AM was beginning flute, 10 AM intermediate flute, 11 AM advanced flute and at 12 to 12:15 PM he gave me a private lesson. I completed the Wagner Method in those six weeks.
5. What is your teaching philosophy? My mother, who was a high school teacher, said, “You haven’t taught until they have learned.” This is excellent advice for anyone who hopes to teach. Teaching is an art and those who are good at it possess a talent for taking the difficult and breaking it down so others can understand. One of the greatest gifts a teacher can give a student is to teach him to teach himself.
To be a great teacher, you not only must know how to play the flute technically and musically, but also be a scholar especially in the areas of music theory, music history, and the other fine arts such as literature, painting, and dance. I teach flutists to make music for a lifetime not necessarily to become professional flutists. Too many teachers want to clone their students into what they are. There simply isn’t the opportunity today for so many to have careers in music. Be sure you have developed a curriculum for 12 years or more of instruction. Only after you have guided several flutists through this curriculum will you begin to understand developmental learning.
Ultimately, learning the basic fundamentals of flute playing is the key to playing technically and musically as well.
6. When and how did you meet Phyllis Avidan Louke? She came to a class I was teaching at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, WA and we had lunch together. Previously I had read her postings on the flute list so I knew her name.
7. What was the inspiration behind your collaboration with Phyllis Avidan Louke? Phyllis had invited me to give a Flute Spa for the Greater Portland Flute Society and she liked my ideas about teaching beginners. She suggested writing a book to make these ideas available to all teachers and students. Phyllis has excellent layout and Finale skills, which are helpful for these projects. We have worked together so long that I can start a sentence and she can finish it.
8. What are the pedagogical hopes for each of your six books? I hope they will be beneficial to teachers and flutists. I was fortunate to study with some of the great flutists/pedagogues of the 20th century and wanted to share what I had learned. At Eastman I performed in ensembles with Howard Hanson, Frederick Fennell, A. Clyde Roller and Donald Hunsburger. The knowledge they imparted had a huge effect in my musical development and offered advantages that many do not have the opportunity to experience. Frances Blaisdell was generous with her time with me and said to my mother who offered to pay for all the extra lessons, “I have a feeling she will do it for someone else one day.” How true her words were!
53 9. What is the anticipated target audience for each book? Flute 101, 102, 103 - for beginning and intermediate players of any age. Also these are useful for college woodwind methods classes. Many advanced players tell me that Flute 102 and Flute 103 are their go to books for daily warm-up. I use both when preparing to perform and instructing on piccolo, alto and bass flute.
The Flute Scale Book - for every flutist after one year of study.
The Art of Chunking - for every flutist high school through adult. There is soon to be a clarinet version of this book.
The Flute Vibrato Book - for advanced beginning flutists through adult.
54 APPENDIX E
CORRESPONDANCE WITH PHYLLIS AVIDAN LOUKE
Email Interview with Phyllis Avidan Louke Email received: October 24, 2016
1. Biographical Information a. Date of Birth: 3-21-54 b. Place of Birth: Los Angeles, CA c. Current Residence of: Portland, OR (Beaverton is a suburb of Portland) d. Education: B.A. from University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), 1975; Teaching Certification in Elementary Education and Music Education from UCSB, 1976 e. Flute Teachers: Burnett Atkinson (a Kincaid student at Curtis, played piccolo in the Chicago Symphony and later the Philadelphia Orchestra with Kincaid) f. Composition Teachers: Tomas Svoboda
2. Work/Teaching/Performing a. Past - http://www.phyllislouke.com/home/background-experience/ (there is a full list of work history (teaching/performing), guest artist appearances, etc. I’m not sure how extensive you want this to be, so just take what you need from my website) b. Present – i. Teaching: Currently I am the flute instructor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, and I maintain a private studio at home. ii. Performing: Principal Flute of Oregon Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra in Portland, OR (2002 to present), Principal Flute of Oregon Symphonic Band, Portland, OR (2001 to present) iii. Conductor/Music Director of Rose City Flute Choir, Portland, OR
3. When did you start playing the flute and why? I started playing flute at age 11 in Junior High when I was in 7th grade. I remember the band director doing instrument demos when I was in 6th grade, and that I signed up to play the flute because I liked the sound. I grew up in a non-musical household, so my mother was surprised that I had decided to play the flute. My response was, “Would you rather I played the tuba?” I had always been musical and had been begging my parents to get a piano for years. They finally got a piano and a teacher for me shortly after I started playing flute.
4. When and how did you meet Patricia George? In the mid-to-late 1990s, Patricia George and I met on the Flute List (email discussion group). When there were discussions about teaching issues, our responses and ideas were very similar. We started corresponding via email, sharing ideas, and having private discussions about teaching. We finally met face-to-face in the late 1990s at WIBC (Western International Band Clinic) in Seattle, WA that I was attending because of my job as a part time band director, and Patricia was one of the clinicians.
55 5. What was the inspiration behind your collaboration with Patricia George? In 2006, I had six beginning flute students start in my private studio during the same week. I went to the local music store to purchase the beginning book that I’d been using for years and found that it had been discontinued. I purchased two each of three different beginning books available at the music store and found them lacking in musical content, pacing and sequence of material, and in instruction. After a discussion on the Flute List about beginning flute methods, a friend joked (at least I think she was joking… or maybe not) that I should write my own beginning flute method. My initial response was that it was a daunting task and a lot of work, figuring out the best sequence of skills to introduce. Patricia wrote to me and said that if I decided to write a beginning method that she would be glad to help. This is how our partnership was born.
6. What are the pedagogical hopes for each of your six books? Our pedagogical hope is that our books will raise the level of teaching in the flute world, which will in turn raise the competency level and musicality of flutists. In our generation, very few flute teachers understood the “how” and the “why” of the technical aspects of playing the flute, and much incorrect pedagogical information has been passed down from generation to generation through band directors, woodwind methods classes and flute teachers.
Skills like vibrato were taught through example (“do it like this”) rather than teaching the mechanics. We hope that our books help students and teachers understand how to develop these skills so they can teach them more effectively.
Myths such as “intercostal diaphragmatic breathing” have been perpetuated by many teachers and are rampant, particularly in the band world. People like Arnold Jacobs, Patricia George, and Keith Underwood (and others) have been curious about the “how” and “why” of breathing, tonguing, blowing, borrowing from the pedagogy of other wind instruments, and experimenting with their own playing and their students, to develop pedagogy that can be replicated, taught, and passed down more effectively from teacher to student.
7. What is the anticipated target audience for each book? Flute 101: Mastering the Basics: Beginning Flutists, Woodwind Methods Classes, Phrasing Studies for Intermediate Students
Flute 102:Mastering the Basics & Flute 103: Mastering the Basics: Intermediate students; it’s also a great method for developing mastery of auxiliary flutes, such as piccolo, alto flute, and bass flute; many advanced flutists use it as a well-balanced warm-up that includes, tone, technique, and etudes.
The Flute Scale Book: A Path to Artistry: from beginner to advanced and professionals for work on tone and technique
Advanced Flute Studies: The Art of Chunking: Intermediate, Advanced, Professional
The Flute Vibrato Book: Students in the first year up through professionals.
56 8. When did you start composing? I started composing in 1990, starting with flute choir arrangements, followed by original compositions for flute ensembles and flute solos. I have branched out a bit with ensembles for clarinet, saxophone, and strings, and I was even commissioned to compose a trombone quintet. I now have over 60 compositions and arrangements published.
9. How does your career as a composer influence your teaching or vice versa? That’s an interesting question. I’m not sure that my composing really influences my teaching as much as it has influenced the writing of the pedagogy books with Patricia George. My teaching has influenced many of my compositions, such as Extended Techniques: Double the Fun, and Extended Techniques: Solos for Fun, as well as my Flexible Flute Ensemble Arrangements. These were developed because of a need for these types of pedagogical materials.
And now that I think about it, I think that my role as a flutist and teacher have really influenced my composing. When I compose for flutes, I always play through all the parts, both as a method of proof-reading, but also to make sure that passages aren’t unnecessarily difficult or awkward. Most times, there are note substitutions that can be made that make the music more playable without compromising the musical idea or content.
I think of teaching, composing, and writing as creative activities, so they all have something in common, but I think that I use perhaps a slightly different part of my brain for each of them.
Teaching is a creative activity because so much of what we do with our students involves developing a variety of explanations that will be understood by students with different learning styles. With our books, we’ve tried to gear activities to be effective with the visual learner, auditory learner, and tactile learner. When you’re teaching (whether it be in a private or group flute lesson, or a classroom full of 4th graders), you are constantly receiving feedback from the student(s), which helps you tailor your presentation/lesson to enhance understanding of the majority of students. Naturally, much of the presentation is prepared, but some of it is created “on the fly” in response to the feedback you’re receiving. If a student doesn’t understand a concept, you need to have many different ways/activities to explain it so that the student understands.
57 REFERENCES
Bacchus, Peter. “Music From Within: An Interview with Robert Dick.” The Flutists Quarterly, no. 2 (Winter 2010): 16-21.
Bate, Philip and John Solum. “Kincaid, William.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 11, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/150 10.
Berger, Kenneth. The March King and His Band. New York, NY: Exposition Press, 1957.
Boehm, Theobald. The Flute and Flute-Playing. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc, 1964.
Dick, Robert. Flying Lessons: Six Contemporary Concert Etudes Vol. 1. St. Louis, Mo: Multiple Breath Music Company.
______. The Other Flute 2nd ed. St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1989.
______. Tone Development Through Extended Techniques. St. Louis, MO: Multiple Breath Music Company, 1986.
Encyclopedia of Popular Music. s.v. “Dick, Robert.” Oxford Music Online, Muze, Inc. Accessed September 16, 2016. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/epm/7021?q=rob ert+dick&search=quick&pos=2&_start=1.
Fabulous Flute Music Company. “Our Publications.” Accessed September 19, 2016. http://fabulousflute.com/our-publications/.
Fair, Demetra Baferos. “Flutists’ Family Tree: In Search of the American Flute School.” DMA diss., The Ohio State University, 2003.
Florida Flute Association, Inc.“History.” Accessed October 6, 2016. http://floridaflute.org/FFA/history/.
George, Patricia. Email interview with the author, October 17, 2016.
George, Patricia and Phyllis Avidan Louke. Flute 101: Mastering the Basics. King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2010.
______. Flute 102: Mastering the Basics. King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2012.
58 ______. Flute 103: Mastering the Basics. King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Company, 2013.
Gray, Anne K. The World of Women in Classical Music. Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks Press, 2007.
Herbine, Lois Bliss. “William Kincaid and Marcel Tabuteau: A Legendary collaboration.” The Flutist Quarterly, no. 2 (Winter 2006): 46-51.
Kincaid, William and Claire Polin. The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 1. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1967.
______. The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 2. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1968.
______. The Art and Practice of Modern Flute Technique Vol. 3. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1970.
Kolman, Barry Araújo. The Origins and Early History of American Wind Music. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2013.
Krell, John C. Kincaidiana. Santa Clarita, CA: The National Flute Association, Inc., 1997.
Louke, Phyllis Avidan. “About.” Accessed September 19, 2016. http://www.phyllislouke.com.
______. Email interview with the author, October 24, 2016.
Montgomery, William. “A Memorial Ceremony for William Kincaid.” The Flutists Quarterly, No. 4 (Summer 2000): 80.
National Flute Association. “Achievement Award.” Accessed October 6, 2016. http://www.nfaonline.org/The-Organization/Achievement-Awards.aspx.
______. “Mission and Vision.” Accessed October 6, 2016. http://www.nfaonline.org/The- Organization/Mission-and-Vision.aspx.
______. “The Organization.” Accessed October 6, 2016. http://www.nfaonline.org/The- Organization/.
New York Flute Club. “About.” Accessed October 6, 2016. http://www.nyfluteclub.org/about.
59 New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives. “Wagner, Ernest 1900,” ID: 011-04-58. Accessed September 12, 2016. New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives. “Wagner, Ernest 1900,” ID: 011-04-58. Accessed September 12, 2016, http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/83fab2d9-a936-4bb6-bc44 a940b284cf59?search-type=singleFilter&search- text=Ernest+Wagner%2A&doctype=businessRecord.
Powell, Ardal. “Dick, Robert.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 16, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/426 47.
______. “Flute.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed September 11, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/A22 41119.
Shawe-Taylor, Desmond. “Melba, Dame Nellie.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed October 16, 2016, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/183 11.
Toff, Nancy. The Development of the Modern Flute. New York, NY: Taplinger Publishing Company, 1979.
______. The Flute Book. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996.
______. Monarch of the Flute: The Life of Georges Barrère. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Treat, William Phelps. “A Survey of Flutists and Flute Activities in Eighteenth-Century America.” DMA diss., University of Washington, 1991.
Wagner, Ernest. Foundation to Flute Playing. New York, NY: Carl Fischer, Inc., 1918.
60 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Olivia Suzanne Boatman holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Mississippi State
University (2011), a Master of Music in performance from Arkansas State University (2013), and a Doctor of Music in performance from Florida State University (2016). In addition to the
DM, Boatman has a specialized study certificate in Music Education and Leadership and College
Teaching from Florida State University. Her primary flute teachers include Sophie Kershaw, Dr.
Carol Dale, Dr. Lana Johns, Joe Bonner, and Eva Amsler.
As a performer, Boatman has held positions of piccoloist and flutist with the Starkville/MSU
Symphony Orchestra (MS) and the Delta Symphony (AR). She won first place in the
Freshman/Sophomore division (2008) and the Concerto Competition (2009) of the Mississippi
Music Teachers Association a division of MTNA and the Hal and Joyce Polk music scholarship.
During her studies at ASU, she was a Graduate Assistant for the Department of Music. Boatman gave her solo debut in 2012 with the Arkansas State University Wind Ensemble. She has had the privilege of performing at the Florida Flute Association Convention and the National Flute
Association Convention.
Currently Boatman is a woodwind and piano instructor at Mason’s School of Music, Dance, and Arts After School in Tallahassee, FL, has a growing private flute studio, and is a certified K-
12 educator in the state of Mississippi. In addition to teaching, Boatman is an active solo and chamber musician and a member of the Mississippi Baptist Symphony Orchestra. She holds memberships in many professional organizations such as the Flute New Music Consortium, the
Florida Flute Association, The College Music Society, Music Teachers National Association, the
National Flute Association, Golden Key International Honour Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor
Society, and the Alpha Lambda Delta National Academic Honor Society.
61