The Chosen One

My programme in the examination concert is following:

Mozart - Concerto in D major
F. Doppler - Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy
and
J.S. Bach - Sonata in e minor

Let me just say: YAY!!! :D

The Fireflies Chronicles, part 1

American flutist and flute teacher Noelle Perrin has arranged a fabulous music story, for flute group and accompaniment, called The Fireflies Chronicles. It has an exciting story about a girl called Mary who lives in an enchanted forest with a family of fireflies. Evil machines come to cut down all trees, so Mary and the fireflies have to escape. They have an adventurous journey with many kinds of encounters, finally finding something very special.

The Chronicles have 9 pieces of music, 8 of them with piano, 1 with 3 different percussions. Each piece consists of one well-known classical theme and either 'Mary had a little lamb' or 'Fireflies' (Japanese children's song). *** Mary and Fireflies are the first two songs in Suzuki flute book 1, requiring only 5 different notes. Perrin is also a Suzuki teacher, which explains these chosen songs. *** The classical themes are Sakura Sakura (Japanese folk song), Träumerei (Schumann), William Tell Overture (Rossini), Swan Lake theme (Tchaikovsky), Samson and Delilah (part: Bacchanale, Saint-Saëns), Theme from 3rd movement / Symphony no. 1 (Mahler), Lion / Carnival of the animals (Saint-Saëns), Can Can (Offenbach) and Theme from 2nd movement / Symphony From the New World (Dvorak).

Some pieces have 2 parts for flutes, some 3. Easiest is always Mary or Fireflies, top one the classic. Middle part doubles sometimes lower, sometimes higher part. Sometimes it has harmonics to fulfil the chords.

***

I learned about this great piece of music at least 2, probably 3 years ago, during one of our Suzuki training sessions. Our trainer guru Leena had heard about it and ordered the sheet music. We played some of it, but I didn't order it right away. Had it in mind, though. Then in Jan-Feb 2013 we were starting to arrange the 30th Anniversary festivities of the Finnish Flute Association and needed something we could offer the flute kids. Leena suggested we'd rehearse and perform The Fireflies - which turned out to be a Great idea!

First I ordered the music, it came super quickly via e-mail in pdf-form, which is very convenient. Then it was time to plan the schedule, plan info sheet for teachers to give their students and to publish in the Huilisti-magazine to get participants. The festival weekend was to be in mid-November 2013.

Before our first together rehearsal in October we knew that over 60 kids would be coming - finally we had over 80 flutists on stage! It was one of the most amazing happenings/concerts I've been part of. Back to rehearsal... It was a Sunday afternoon at Helsinki Conservatory concert hall. First were only the 1st flutes, then came along those who played 2nd parts, finally also the Marys/Fireflies. We had our pianist with us, also our lovely narrator lady came. She wanted to hear the music and plan a little how she'd do her lines, make notes etc.

***

First rehearsal was a success when you take into consideration how many kids were there. And how many different ages (from maybe 5-6 years to 16 or so). A small group of teachers (who's kids were there) were of great assistance, I was really greatful to them. We divided the conductor work between 4 teachers, worked out very fine. It was actually quite overwhelming how well the kids had done their "homework" with the pieces. Teachers had ordered the music online, given out parts and rehearsed with the pupils. Everyone knew their stuff when they came to the October rehearsal.

Of course there were a lot of details still to decide and fix and take care of. But as November and the festival came, we had so much fun playing and performing together... :) More about it later, in part 2!

From the November -13 concert!

***

If you are interested in ordering The Fireflies Chronicles, you can get it from Noelle Perrin's website here -> http://www.flutestars.com/apps/webstore/

There's also another fun collection of arrangements in same style (but without a story), The Flutistic Adventures of Mary and the Fireflies. Recommended also! :)

Exam pieces

Previous exams have been somewhat easier. Not only because the pieces given to play aren't as demanding as the ones we're facing this time, but... well, they have all been ordered. For the final exam we are giving an actual concert and it's going to include a concerto by Mozart and the Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy by Doppler. And one piece by our own choice - the only demands are these: it must be from outside the Suzuki repertoire and if it's chamber music, flute has to have a "soloist-like" part.

Why is it more difficult then, one might ask. First thought would be of course that it's easier, you're able to play just what you like! Noooope. In my opinion. I don't want to have same kind of style that there already is (concertos, virtuoso fantasies), also I want my concert to represent me in some way. Would have Loved to play Carmen-fantasy (Borne), but no can do... :D

It felt like a struggle to know where to start searching or choosing, so I decided to go for my own sheet music piles. Dug out all that I've liked in recent concerts etc. The pile consisted of J.S.Bach (sonatas & solo suite), C.Ph.E.Bach (solo sonata), Telemann (solos), Schubert (sonata), Takemitsu (Air), Piazzolla (Histoire du tango), Villa-Lobos (Assobio a játo), Burkhard (solo suite), Widor (suite), Vasks (solo), Martin (Ballade). Now it's narrowed down to 4 options: one father, one son, one suite and one landscape. I think I'll consult our trainer and then think a bit more. And play a Lot.

Oh and by the way, my Mozart's in quite a good state :) Or at least it's on the verge of "by-the-heart"... :D

One preconception, large-ish answer

I've been writing down thoughts for the blog (bought a small fun notebook to keep in my bag at all times). One of them is this prejudice: "The Suzuki flute repertoire is very narrow." Many times the phrase is presented by people who actually haven't been browsing the books (sheet music material) or don't know the method otherwise. As we Do use other material alongside the repertoire books. And the books themselves are, well, versatile.

1. The (flute) books 1-9 consist of work by quite a lot of composers.

• Ghys
• Suzuki
• Bayly
• Schubert
• Taki
• J.S.Bach
• Händel
• Gluck
• Beethoven
• Reichert
• Genin
• Telemann
• Mendelssohn
• Dvorak
• Drigo
• Andersen
• Woodall
• Szulc & Hennebains
• Bizet
• Blavet
• Cimarosa
• Godard
• Böhm
• Wetzger
• F.Doppler
• Quantz
• Fauré
• Mozart

2. There are three different eras of music covered.

• Baroque (German, French)
• Classicism
• Romanticism

3.Different forms of music are presented.

• Small pieces/songs
• Theme & variations
• Sonatas
• Concertos (solo and duet)
• Old dances (minuet, bourrée, gavotte, polonaise, rondo, sarabande)
• Virtuoso pieces (serenades, scherzino, fantasies etc.)
• Music from opera & orchestra suites & ballet (Orphée et Eurydice / Gluck, L'Arlésienne / Bizer, B minor Suite / J.S.Bach, Harlequinade / Drigo)
• Duets and trios (concerto for 2 flutes, the 2nd and 3rd flute parts for books 1 and 2 / the ensemble book)

4. There's also non-classical music.

• Folk songs (common and Irish)
• Children songs (common and Japanese)

 5. Some classical works (sheet music and recording) are hard to find elsewhere. (And they were completely new to me...)

• A.Woodall - Serenade
• P. Wetzger - By the Brook

Detail from a music poster at work. I love flute & ballet, so it kinda fits me... :)

Why was it Suzuki for me?

As a part of my flute teacher studies in Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia (in 2000-2001) we had a didactics lecture once a week. Our professor happened to be the only Suzuki teacher trainer in Scandinavia at that time, so it was a great opportunity to learn about this method. I think (remember) it took 1-2 lectures when we got the picture of the Suzuki-house and she explained the pieces/bricks shortly. We also got to observe her teaching at the music school where she taught. During this first year of general flute teacher studies we also learned about the Color Keys method and all possible common teaching styles and tricks and got a lot of advice. And went through piles of sheet music material (flute schools, different etude collections like Vester's etc.)...

But it took me couple more years before starting the Suzuki studies. As our last year in  Stadia started, me and some others were informed that there'd be a new course beginning, Level 1 in Suzuki flute teacher training. It wasn't organized by Stadia, but the Finnish Suzuki Association, so it would cost a bit. But the lectures and others would be (very conveniently for me) in Helsinki. Aaaaand of course the trainer would be the familiar lecturer I'd already known for some years! :) (She also guided our "teacher practice lessons" in Stadia during 2nd and 3rd years, where we taught a pupil in front of 1-2 other students and her.)

So all in all, it was kind of a coincidence that me and this method got together. Bit like me and the flute as an instrument (I wanted to start piano lessons as a kid). But a very good one, as it turned out.

Yesterday evening I sat down and started thinking about all this starting business. Also I made a list of what was difficult for me on level 1. And noticed that all of those "problems" have been bygones for ages - which is nice. I was never a Suzuki child myself, so everything was basically new. Here are some thoughts I gathered:

Book 1 had many familiar pieces, but also many of those I'd never heard. And they were tricky to memorize, Kagome Kagome for example. *** Well. I can say now that had I only listened more... ;) It took me quite a while to really understand the meaning of listening, just tried to memorize things the Old Way (playing from the book time and time again, then trying without).

 Learning the philosophy by heart, books and other reading material. It was all interesting from the beginning, but seemed difficult to grasp the whole idea. *** Which is "Every child can." As I've now spent some 9 years with the method and grown as a human being as well as a studying person, I now know that I don't have to hurry and "get" everything right away. It's okay to ask questions, to have conversations (many times the others have questions too), to review and remember to breath.

 Getting the essays etc. done and sent on time. *** I'm ashamed how miserable I was at this part of the level 1 studies. Luckily I can say that I've improved a bit on every level. And have to send a Huge Thank You to our trainer for the crazy strong nerves she has with us... Also I want to add that now it's a joy doing the assignments. I like thinking, reading and typing.

 Teaching in front of others as the method was new to me (there were at least 2-3 former Suzuki children present as trainees) - it made me quite anxious. *** I know now that everyone gets a bit tense doing it - and it's okay! It keeps one on their toes and sharp. And you really do get used to it. Which also helps in your everyday work, with your own pupils. And the parents, too.

 Playing the book pieces in front of others (incl. the trainer). It was maybe even more exciting than the teaching. Funny thing 'cos we all were ready performers, had been doing and training it for years and years. *** As I got familiar with the music and my memory started working, as we all got a bit more bonded as a studying group... Again I can say that these days it's a definite joy. You get constructive advice from not only the trainer but also the trainees, they can put marks on your book as you play (breath marks, slurring, dynamics etc.). And all this performing (as I do take it, though it's only in a class room without a pianist) has made me a stronger performer on stage and other possible situations. Even as a speaker.

I have some more points, shall share them later... Hopefully this is helpful for someone, maybe even interesting! ;) Bye for now!

The beginning

This is what I started with.

Level I. 20 lessons of observating. A camp in July, at hotel Ellivuori. Etc.

Notebook for level 1. Also the beginning of level 2. The little colored things are markings for later levels, as I've been reviewing.