Galway Technique--Hand Position

Galway Technique--Hand Position

This is a video by Sir James Galway on hand position and finger technique. He emphasizes:

gentle, efficient finger movement
and
the value of legato and good tone production

in developing a good finger technique.

Have a look!

Catherine

Summer Jammin': Adventures in Improvisation

In a May post I encouraged you to try out new activities and approaches this summer. Several of you expressed the desire to work on improvisation or to learn how to play jazz.

Here are some great resources to help you along your way:

Flutist and composer Nathan Zalman has published a free online tutorial for improvisation entitled Unleash Your Inner Flutist! which encourages us to use patterns we already know and put them together in new and interesting ways to express a palette of emotional qualities. He identifies improvisation as a simple three-step process: feel; choose; and, play.

1. Identify a feeling you wish to express—happy, sad, meditative, lonely, peaceful, curious, mischievous, surprised, etc.
2. Choose a vocabulary to embody the feeling—scales, keys, rhythms, or a non-musical inspiration such as a poem or story.
3. Play, allowing the music to come out. When you improvise, there are no mistakes, only ideas, intention and creation.

I attended the workshop Nathan presented for the Raleigh Area Flute Association in November, 2006, and truly enjoyed his creative and well-thought-out presentation. He is living his passion, as he says--a model to us all. You can learn more about Nathan, his interesting life and music at his website.

A good improvisation resource for learning jazz is the Hal Crook Play-Alongs page from the Stan Getz Library at Berklee College of Music. Entries, listed in ascending order of difficulty, include a pdf leadsheet and mp3 accompaniment track . I like "Taught 'em keys" --usually known as "Autumn Leaves."

I am gradually working my way through the DVD teaching series, "this is the Way i do it" by amazingly fluid guitarist John McLaughlin (of Mahavishnu Orchestra fame). I encourage you to visit John's official (and highly creative) new website to search for this boxed set while exploring and enjoying his virtual territory.I encourage you to include improvisation in your daily practice. I enjoy beginning my practice day with an improvisation, acknowledging and expressing my feelings before turning my attention to advancing the art of recreating music created by others.

Try something new every day! Life is waiting to be discovered.
Happy exploring...

Catherine

My New Website

I was prompted by the many questions I receive about my unconventional teaching techniques and exercises to create a website to efficiently share information and video examples with other flutists, wind and brass players, vocalists, and music educators.

The original idea for this website has morphed into a multifaceted site with a variety of free online resources on breathing, music performance and pedagogy, creativity, and flute-playing.

The site is also the new home for http://www.catherinelegrand.com where BreathBuilders and Rebreathing bags can be purchased.




The website publicly introduces the LeGrand Virtual Studio which offers two services via the Internet: 1) LeGrand Virtual Studio Subscription with video and audio podcast lessons, interactive blog and other resources, and 2) live, interactive coaching sessions via the Internet.

The first lessons I taught via Internet were in 2002, and from the very beginning it was a useful way to keep in touch with former students living on the other side of the world. The tools required to use this interactive service have become more widely available and more affordable.



At the website, I also invite you to visit me in the Studio, Classroom, or Concert Hall. The Library hosts numerous free resources, including articles and video demonstrations on using the Breath Builder and Rebreathing Bag, other video and audio podcasts, and useful links.

For a little inspiration visit the Gallery, subscribe to the blog, or spend some time exploring the Playground featuring links to a variety of interactive artistic activities for “kids of all ages.”














Be sure to check out the Musical Infirmary where you can learn about some common physical, mental and musical ailments affecting performance and practice: their symptoms, causes, suggested cures and preventative prescriptions. All with a huge dose of humor!

I hope you find this website useful and FUN and will visit me often in my new virtual space!

Have fun exploring!
Catherine