Celebrate Your Articulation!

Greetings,

This video demonstrates one of my all-time favorite ways to experience the feeling of good breath support, without overblowing, and is especially useful for learning to articulate with an evenly supported tone.

For more detailed descriptions of ways to use a party favor to increase awareness while practicing, have a look at these videos in the LeGrand Virtual Studio:

Episode 1: Two Common Misconceptions about Flute-Playing
Party Favors 201: Embouchure

Most importantly--HAVE FUN with your practicing! Let it be a joyful journey.

Best,
Catherine

Update on "Uplifting" Embouchure Practice Technique

Wow!

After practicing with the bandage strips on my face this morning, I decided to leave them on for a while to see how being aware of these facial muscles affected how I went about other activities (I did not venture outside with my bandage "whiskers", though I don't think of myself as being allergic to being conspicuous.

What I noticed is that being aware of these muscles improved my head balance and shoulder use while doing these varied tasks:
using the computer (typing, looking at the monitor, using the mouse)

writing on the desk
talking
listening
washing dishes
folding clothes
vacuuming
cooking

I admit I did not keep them on while eating...

The big message for me today is the reminder of a lesson learned from my study of the Alexander Technique -- we are always "practicing!"

Best,
Catherine

"Uplifting" Embouchure Practice Technique

Hello,

In this video, I share with you my discovery of the week, a simple way of increasing your awareness of the use of your upper lip while practicing!

I found this to be enlightening during my own practice, and each student who tried it in their weekly lesson found it helpful in identifying the action of the zygomatic major and caninus muscles of the face.

To better understand the location and function of these muscles, I suggest you visit the interactive Dataface website.

Let me know how this idea works for you!

Catherine

"Noodling around": using pool noodles to increase awareness

Greetings,

I recently had the good fortune to attend an all day workshop with Lea Pearson, author of "Body Mapping for Flutists," sponsored by the Raleigh Area Flute Association.

Lea shared many great ideas for improving our awareness and body use while playing the flute. I truly enjoyed our interactions, and have found that her ideas have inspired some new ones from me.

This video shares one of Lea's ideas for using a pool noodle to increase awareness, together with a couple of my own variations.

Thanks, Lea, for the inspiration!

You can read more about Lea and her inventive ideas at her website:

Her excellent book is published by GIA.

I strongly recommend her book and her workshops.


Best,
Catherine

Amy Porter performs Georges Hue Fantasie

Greetings,

Several of you mentioned you are working on this piece.
This is a lovely, live performance of the Hüe Fantasie by flutist, Amy Porter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iXpJ3YZTLE

Enjoy!

Catherine

"Whistle" Tones and William Kincaid

Greetings,

I studied in Philadelphia for several years with Kincaid "descendant" Loren Lind of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

“Notes on Flute Performance” by William Kincaid (a mimeographed relic from my days in Philadelphia) is posted in pdf form in the ARTICLES AND DOCUMENTS SECTION of the LeGrand Virtual Studio.

This document contains much insightful information -- in Kincaid's own words! I encourage you to download this document and savor the words in small doses over many days and years.

On page 2 of the document. “Notes on Flute Performance” by William Kincaid (a mimeographed relic from my days in Philadelphia) Kincaid writes:

“Learn to play, “whistle, “ or flagolet tones over low “C” and “B”. Select one and sustain it; it is excellent for breath control, embouchure, and placement. “

Over the years, I have found the benefits of this exercise for most students to be:
• Steady breath control
• Embouchure sensitivity
• Ear training

For me, the primary initial benefit was learning not to overblow.

Best,
Catherine

"Uplifting" Thoughts

Hello,

Tonight when I was practicing (interspersing buzzing with playing my flute) I once again noticed that my tone and articulation were noticeably clearer when my embouchure felt more related to the upper part of my head (skull) rather than the lower part (jaw.)

In his Master Superchops DVD, Jerome Callet describes a good spit-buzzing embouchure as akin to licking an ice cream cone. This analogy well describes the feeling I wrote about in my May 3 post.

If the corners of the upper lip are lifted, then there is more room for the surface area of the tongue to come into contact with the inside of the upper lip, creating efficient compression of air.

Three useful warmup exercise videos for the upper lip are posted in the LeGrand Virtual Studio, Category B:

• "Rabbit Face" Exercise
• "Tongue Sandwich" Exercise
• "Miss America" Exercise

Happy practicing!

Catherine

Skull/Jaw "Mapping" and Lifted Embouchure

Greetings,

This past week I have had some seemingly simple, yet profound realizations.

When "mapping" the skull/jaw relationship, it is useful to remember that the jaw is an appendage of the skull, much as an arm or leg is an appendage to the torso.

While reaching around your face with your hand and pressing gently just under the cheek bones, imagine your tongue as related to your skull, rather than your jaw. This helps activate the zygomatic major and caninus muscles, lifting the embouchure and keeping the upper lip flexible.

Another approach to feeling this relationship:
If you place a finger on each side of the upper lip, just inside the corners, gently pressing upward with your fingers, then relax your entire face to be supported by the upward pressing fingers, you can feel many muscles of the face and head relax as the upper lift is lifted and remains soft and flexible. Wow!

This is a great position for buzzing, leaving lots of room for the tongue.

it is a good idea to also activate the triangularis muscle slightly to stabilize the lower lip.

A good interactive webpage for understanding the function of the facial muscles is found here. This wonderful website created by Joseph C. Hager, Ph.D., has many detailed illustrations of the anatomy of skeletal and muscular structures of the head and face.

I invite you to post your insights and questions as always.

Best,
Catherine