Susan Maclagan's Notes on Greg Patillo's Bearboxing class at NFA

Greetings,

Susan Maclagan has graciously permitted me to post her notes from Greg Patillo's beatboxing class at NFA in case you did not see them on the lists or in case you deleted them before you realized how valuable they are!

Hi Catherine,

I'm so glad that you enjoyed my notes. Thanks very much for saying so. And I really like how you took them to another level, so now I'm learning from you!! :)

I'd like to share my beatboxing notes with others who read your blog, but who might not be on a flute list:

NFA Convention Notes: Beatboxing

As usual, I had a super time at the flute convention, or Planet Flute as a friend likes to call it. :) The first thing that I want to tell you about is flute beatboxing with Greg Pattillo. I thought he was great when I heard him play on Youtube, but in person he was awesome! (For those of you who haven't heard him play, a google search will bring up many of his videos.) At the flute convention he gave a lecture: How to Beatbox, and Other Uses for the Flute. After the lecture he performed with his group Project (Eric Stephenson on cello, Peter Seymour on double bass). The group did a terrific job of entertaining the audience and got a standing ovation at the end of their performance. Greg commented that they had to do arrangements of pieces for other instruments (e.g., Tchaikovskys Nutcracker Sweet and a version of Ian Andersen's version of Bachs Bourree) and also compose their own music as there isnt much literature for flute, cello and double bass (hint.hint..to any composers on this list! :). Project also gave a terrific performance in the final gala concert on Sunday.

HOW TO BEATBOX My comments will be between [ and ].

There is no right or wrong way to beatbox.

How does it sound?
-Like a rhythm section (or human metronome) going on behind a melody.

Sound #1 (no flute):
-Mouth the syllable keh. [There is an air sound at the end of this syllable. Slightly extend its length and increase its loudness so that it has more importance than when mouthing keh normally. I get a better sound when I say the syllable simultaneously with an abdomen kick.] Change the pitch of the keh if desired.

Points to keep in mind:
-The more you force, the less sound you get.
-Make sure that your mouth is open for keh. (i.e, don't use a flute embouchure).
[I get a better sound if my mouth isn't too open. Best to experiment.]

Exercise with flute:
While counting 1 2 3 4 in your head, play a normal note on counts 1 and 3 and sound keh on the back beats (i.e. 2 and 4). You can do this with any tune.
Note: When you play this way, there is no competition between the rhythm sound and the flute sound. You can, however, do both sounds at the same time, but you will need more air if you do this.

------------------------------
Sound #2

Greg uses the following syllables when he plays:
t, k, ts, ks, sh, ch, ss, f.

Exercise:
Start with a good breath and then mouth any of these syllables and as described in Sound #1. Breathe between EVERY syllable and have the air come out noisily after you say each one. Once you get going, take shallow breaths.
#2. Repeat exercise #1, but this time mouth the syllables with an easy rhythm. For example, mouth
s, s, s, k, k in the rhythm: eighth-eighth quarter quarter quarter.
------------------------------
Sound #3

You can inhale sounds too.
Points to keep in mind:
-You can't start with a deep breath.
-Breathe lots and make an airy sound.
-[Do not be discouraged with the f sound.] It is hard to inhale this sound.
-----------------------------
Sound #4:

Mouth hah, ta, hah.
BREATHE
Repeat several times.
--------------------------
Sound #5: Shuffle breathing.

Mouth ha ta, BREATHE
ha ta BREATHE
ha ta BREATHE
---------------------------
Sound #6: For rhythm.

From a closed position, make a buh or puh sound with your lips (or alternate between these two sounds). Aim for a tomato-hitting-the-wall sort of sound [or champagne cork.]
----------------------------
Sound #7:

Step 1:
Mouth the word oot (of boot); BREATHE; ss; BREATHE; cats BREATHE; ss BREATHE
Remember to end each syllable with an airy sound.
Step 2:
Play A1 B1 C2 B1 A1 to the rhythm:
quarter eighth-eighth quarter eighth-eighth quarter eighth-eighth quarter quarter
Step 3:
-when you single tongue, don't breathe in between notes;
-[find phrases in language with good sounds and use these in beatboxing];
-listen to Cuban music or drums for ideas of sounds to use;
-beatboxing can be done with classical tunes too. Greg mentioned that hes able to do what he does because of his solid classical training.

At the end of the how-to session, Greg and his group performed:
-a Charlie Parker tune with the rhythm section on the flute and the tune on the cello;
-Sweet Pea with flute, string bass and cello. The stringed instrumentalists got into the rhythmic action by hitting the instrument, etc.
-Bees and the Birds (a version of the Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov), followed by Peter and the Wolf.

Greg has beat-boxed for five years.

Best wishes,
Susan Maclagan

Now you have all the info you need--go for it!

Thanks, Susan!

Best,
Catherine

Daphnis and Chloe Beatbox

Greetings,

Yesterday in my studio masterclass, I shared beatbox basics with my students in our warmup.

Later in the class, we were inspired to accompany as a beatbox ensemble for each student to perform the Daphnis solo (It sounded better than my feeble rendition of the piano reduction of the orchestral score from Kyril Magg's Accompanied Orchestral Studies, Volume 7, LEAF Productions.)

I'll show you what I mean in Standard Beatbox Notation or SBN--yes, there is such a thing! See this great article with complete explanations and mp3's of the sounds:
http://www.humanbeatbox.com/tips/p2_articleid/231

[b t _ t] [b t _ t]

What fun, AND how practical that each had a chance to be both accompaniment and soloist.

Also, after beatboxing the accompaniment, their high notes were even clearer, unrestricted, and more beautiful. How cool is that?!

But I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the idea yet of playing that solo while beatboxing...

hmmm...
Off to try it out.

Catherine

Beatboxing flute loops LIBERTANGO

Here is another terrific flute beatboxer, Mathieu Schneider.

In this video, Schneider records each track, then combines them with live playing in an interesting way for a terrific performance of Piazzolla's Libertango.

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

Wow!

I hope a composer or arranger writes a piece for beatboxing flute choir soon!

Enjoy!
Catherine

Flutistic Advantages of Beatboxing

Hello,

Since my return from the NFA Convention, I have been including a bit of beatboxing in my daily practice routine, and I am beginning to include it in lessons and studio masterclasses because of the unexpected benefits I have experienced!

Thanks to Greg Patillo's informative class at the NFA convention and Susan Maclagan's copious notes from the class which she posted on the flute lists, at last I have a real plan to learn this skill and integrate it into my playing.

These are the unexpected benefits I have noticed so far:

Relaxed embouchure: it is impossible to over tighten lips when beatboxing.

Ingrained rhythmic pulse: try this with your students who have rhythmic changes. They learn to breathe in rhythm and to account for each subdivision of longer notes by assigning a syllable to each part of the beat.

It's really fun!

For those who want to learn about the history of beatboxing, check out these articles (There's even a picture of an original beatbox!)

http://www.humanbeatbox.com/history/p2_articleid/27
http://www.humanbeatbox.com/plugins/p2_news/printarticle.php?p2_articleid=28
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatboxing

For more about Greg Patillo and to hear and see his playing visit Greg's Myspace.

More about beatboxing to come!

Best,
Catherine

More wisdom from the “kitchen table"

Greetings,

This is another inspiration from "Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal" by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., published by Riverhead Books, New York.

Regarding intention, she writes:

“When we pray, we stop trying to control like and remember that we belong to life. It is an opportunity to experience humility and recognize grace.

Sometimes the most powerful prayers are also the most simple. …

May we be helped to do here whatever is most right…This traditional American Indian prayer is a powerful way of embracing life, finding a home in any outcome, and remembering that there may be reasons beyond reasons.”

I believe intention is the most powerful component in teaching. I am conscious that my words can act as a catalyst for the musical and personal growth of each student, in ways I cannot imagine, often without my knowledge.

My intention is always to do no harm. I begin each lesson with the hope that my words are the “most right” for that particular student to hear on that particular day.

I felt inspired to share these thoughts with you today. I know they are the “most right” words for someone who will read them.

Best,
Catherine

"ENDBEGINNINGS"

Greetings,

One of the books on my summer reading list is Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., published by Riverhead Books, New York. The author is an oncologist/psychologist who helps patients through the processes and opportunities of healing and growth that can present themsleves during treatment and recovery from serious illness.

Don't worry--as far as I know I am quite healthy, but I am close to several people who are currently in this situation. In similar past situations, I often did not have a framework for knowing how to effectively help with this process.

This book contains many short, inspiring, true stories imbued with practical wisdom --yes, even for musicians!
So much for the intro.

I was reading chapters from this book between naps on a recent flight and the following words hit home:

I was thirty-five years old before I understood that there is no ending without a beginning. That beginnings and endings are always right up there against each other. Nothing ever ends without something else beginning or begins without something else ending. Perhaps this would be easier to remember if we had a word for it. Something like "endbegin," or "beginend."

Brilliant! Think how this applies to articulation, both single tonguing and double tonguing...

Your philosopher/flutist,
Catherine

Catherine at NFA Convention

Greetings,

I will be at the convention in Kansas City.
If you would like to schedule a coaching or a face-to face visit, please let me know.

Best,
Catherine