Flute advice.

I just enjoyed the honor of accompanying a talented teen in a flute contest.  Here is a summary of the judge's instant feedback, a nice lesson in itself:

Never breathe during a trill.   To prepare, find a place to breathe where you'll have plenty of air to do the notes leading up to and away from the trill, the alternating trill notes, the termination notes, and all the way to the end of the last note.

Trills match the tempo of the music around them, faster in fast tempos and slower in slow movements,

Nerves take the breath out of you.  Flute takes a lot of breath;  trills are especially inefficient.  In practice, give yourself more than enough breaths so you're ready for nerves in performance or competition, and still have plenty of breath.

Tune long notes, especially octave leaps, carefully.  Why do composers do that to us?   It easy for anyone to hear tuning issues when the note lasts a long time.

New skills, say you've just learned double-tonguing, won't be consistent.  Even so, don't give up on them, keep practicing, and use them.  If you don't use it, you lose it.

Exaggerate  dynamics.  You are doing them, but they should be more.  In a large hall, for an adjudicator who is far away, you'd need to shoot for far to much variation.   Practice doing far too much dynamic variation.   If you wonder if you're driving the audience crazy with your volume changes, it's probably just right.

Overall, it was a lovely performance.

I agreed.

Practicing Choral Music: Ten ideas for the singer who doesn’t think they can practice on their own

----------This is a mirror post from Doreen Fryling.--------------

Congratulations! You’ve now been told for the millionth time to practice your music for your next choir rehearsal. But if you are someone who hears that and thinks, “I don’t play piano. I can’t do this without someone helping me,” here are some ways you can practice on your own and improve your singing.
Grab your music and a pencil. Many of these steps can be done in a public place. No need to head to the practice room (stop using that as an excuse).

1. Start with the text. Make sure you know what you are singing. Think about the text. Find a translation if it is in another language. Write the poetic translation above/below the lyrics. If you want to go deeper, use a translation site to translate word for word (especially if there’s a word that you sing over and over again. You should know what that specific word means). Do you know who wrote the lyrics and why? Can you put the piece into historical context?
2. Listen to a recording. We live in a time of unbelievable access to recordings. Find them. Listen to more than one recording and compare them until you find one or two you really like. Follow along with your score. Listen while paying attention to all of the parts. Listen while paying attention to just your part.
3. Analyze your music. How is the piece organized? Does it have sections? Are there repeated parts? Does your part occur in another voice part? Are there key changes or meter changes? Is there a repeat sign/first and second ending/coda? How would you describe the organization of this piece to someone who has never heard it?
4. Find your starting pitches. For every entrance you have, figure out how you are going to find the starting pitch. Maybe another voice part just sang the note. Maybe it was just in the accompaniment. Do you know what note of the chord it is (e.g. I’m singing the root of this chord)? There is nothing worse than “sheep singing” (blindly following what the person next to you is singing). Take responsibility for being able to enter on your own.
5. Don’t just sing through the parts you already know. You’ll be wasting your practice time. Identify problem areas, analyze why you’re having a problem with that spot, figure out ways to solve the problem area.
6. Solve the problem area. Break it down to something you CAN do. Then add something to it. Practice with repetition, but only if you’re sure you’re doing it right! Start with just the pitches slowly (dare I say on solfege syllables?). Then add the rhythm to the pitches. Next, add in the lyrics. Make sure you slow down the tempo each time you add another layer. No need to practice with dynamics, articulations, and breaths until you have mastered pitches, rhythms, and lyrics.
7. Work backwards to forwards. How many times have you felt great about the beginning of a piece, but completely unsure of the ending? During your own practice time, work on the ending section and progressively add sections, each time going through to the end. If you think of your piece as “ABCDE,” practice E, then DE, then CDE, then BCDE, and ABCDE.
8. Audiate your part. Sing your part through in your head. Do this while you are walking somewhere. Do this in your car while you’re waiting for someone. Do this before you go to sleep. Do this ALL OF THE TIME. (Friendly reminder: Audiating is virtually impossible if there is other music playing. Carve out some quiet time in your life.)
9. Use your pencil. Mark your score while you’re in rehearsal so you remember what was giving you problems. This will save you time when you plan out your next practice session.
10. Just practice. 99% of the time I don’t want to practice. No one does. But 99% of the time, once I start practicing, I get stuff done. I stop when I lose focus or I run out of time. I NEVER regret spending a little time practicing something. Do yourself a favor and make it part of your daily routine.

You have the ability to do these ten things. Do them. You will reap the benefits of being more confident with your part, which will allow you to contribute to the ensemble in a more meaningful way. And your own vocal technique will improve, because you’ll be able to concentrate on how you sound instead of always worrying about how your part goes. You’ve got this.

-Doreen Fryling (lifelong practice avoider)

Beethoven Ninth Notes, 2015

Again, being a singer in the delightful Oregon Symphony Orchestra concert 2015 year end concert,
 I cannot write a review, but I can relay what Maestro Carlos Kalmar told the Portland Symphonic Choir singers during their one (!) choral rehearsal with him on  Dec 27, 2015

Generally,

"Beethoven is just horrible to voices, even in this masterpiece, he didn't care about the singers, he just wrote it and, eh, they just have to make it happen."

"When your voice breaks - yes, I heard one there (m601) - it's just you are trying to apply too much pressure.  Know yourself, know your limits, and sing always beautifully."

Choral notes by measure.

237 somewhat harsher, then
261 longer, more connected

284-5 strong "JA" from everyone
288 don't rush the "und", lead to
289 sfortsando on "nie"
290-1 all one phrase, no breath here

313 Sopranos are in the drivers seat, don't drag, and Kiss me (with a loud k)
312 make those half notes to quarters and all similar:  No one early.

426 very fine, even a bit more than the first two "freudig"

546 Bass, tenor, alto, help me understand the eighth-note clearly.
549, 553, 557, really give me the sforzando, all the rest will be a little bit less.

595 Make it lighter with more phrasing, um-SCHLUNG-en mil-(crescendo thru)-li-O-nen.

603 Soprano and Alto, lyrical, leading to -SCHLUNG-en,
       Tenor and Bass, detached, make the half notes a quarter note and rest thru 606

606 to 609 we crescendo

616  Basses crescendo as you go down, but in
617 Tenors, that note is yours.  Own  it.
619 Swing into the second note on "brü-der!", go with that till "-zelt" 622

623 crescendo to 626 with less on (milliO)-nen

630 "stürzt", the Ü is between oo and ee, very closed.
        Make very clearly the final t: see my percussionists there?  They should need umbrellas.

635 continue the crescendo.  I want a compact, concentrated sound from the chorus.

650 nobody scoops up to ü-.
651 I want a very clear rhythm.

654 - the fugue -

Everyone has the three themes:

"Freude, schöner" is like dancing in a bierhall, a little lighter.
I want more on "Seid umschlungen":  that has the power, strong  and clearly defined and keep  going thru um- SCHLUNG-en mil-li-O-nen.  they are like the Oregon Ducks football players.
The "Freude" is like the cheerleaders on the sidelines (CK demonstrates a pom-pom gesture with his hands over his head) and I need to hear them.  (CK used the same entertaining gesture in concert, looking at each section as they exclaimed "Freude!")

680 the basses and soprano are having a contest, "diesen küsse", "diessen küsse" then at
693 the altos just take over.

728-9 is the peak of the fugue, everything is going on.  But he's nasty to the sopranos who have to just sit on that high A forever, but might give a little more there, too.

748 open the sound, keep the pace, and no schlepping
753 both T's in -(t)zelt, please.

795 the crescendo keeps going.
801  This and later with fire.   You know how a vortex goes around and around, but it goes down?  This is a vortex that goes up.  I don't know a word for it.
810 forget all about the poco adagio until you are in it, until then it's all energy and speed.
812 This is very good poetry on top of amazing music.  "sanfter" means "tender". Think about that.
       Sopranos, please keep the pitch up.

865 with intensity, stress the beginning of each bar thru here.

915 the T of Tochter is very hard, roaring powerful, molto fortissimo thru
916 "aus" you put the "s" on the eighth note so there is a separation.
        Subito pianissimo for "Elysium"
920 very clear rhythm, do the last "-funken" with me, not insanely fast, just normal fast.
      
So that's what we did.

Beethoven Ninth notes, December 2014

Having just participated in Oregon Symphony Orchestra's annual New Years Eve Concert on 2014 Dec 30 and 31, rather than write a review of the concert (which I didn't really hear, being in the tenor section), I thought I'd post the performance notes given to the singers in rehearsal by OSO Music Director Carlos Kalmar and our rehearsal director, Ethan Sperry.

Meeting with and working under Ethan is the reason I decided to do this concert.  I've had plenty of Beethoven 9, and even with Maestro Kalmar before.  Dr. Sperry, though, is new to me, despite my having connections to Oregon Repertory Singers and Portland State University that he's now led for years.  He did not disappoint, bringing new ideas to the piece, its significance, and singing and music in general, all while preparing 130 singers (many of whom were new to B9) in only two long, but well paced rehearsals. 

Generally:

"It is especially fitting that members of so many choirs, Portland Symphonic Choir, Oregon Repertory Singers, Portland Gay Men's Chorus, Pacific Youth Choir, and Portland State University's Chamber Choir and Man Choir, (am I forgetting anyone?) are joining forces to present this music all about brotherhood and the community of all humanity."  ES

"Portland should, once a year, get everyone together for something like this.  Thank you for being here." Carlos Kalmar

"Recent scientific research tells us that our ears recognize instruments not by the ongoing sound, but by the initial attack.  When they edited out the first instant of a trumpet blast, a violin bow-stroke, or sung consonants, few could tell one on-going sound from another.  Singers can take advantage of that by putting their consonants ahead of the beat, so that entire sound of the doubling instruments supports the choir."  Ethan Sperry.

"Never sing louder than lovely"  Ethan Sperry, quoting his teachers.

"You don't have to sing every single note.  You will need extra breaths in the fast and loud passages, and there are a lot of them in Beethoven 9.  It's okay to drop out two or even four notes so you have a well supported and beautiful sound."

"Carlos is a fantastic choral conductor. He will show you everything you need.  And he changes things.  Do the study you need to get out of your score so you can keep your head up and watch him."  ES

~ This proved to be great advice.  Carlos' wife Raffaela went into labor on Dec 30, and resident conductor Paul Ghun Kim took the podium with no rehearsal or prior experience conducting Beethoven 9.  The choir and the orchestra followed him flawlessly in new tempos.  Paul's comment on the choir: "Wonderful".  The baby was announced as a healthy girl, and Carlos got a standing ovation on entering the stage on Dec 31.

Specific Notes for Beethoven's Ninth, "An die Freude"

m 238-240 EVERYONE, men and women both, sing "FffRrrrEU-de" on the A below middle C please.  KC
   Do not sing angrily loud; it's a bright explosion of joy.  ES

m 257- 264 Sopranos, double the alto.  Tenors, double the bass.  The tenor, as Ludvig wrote it, is UN-singable. ES
"This is your music that tells the audience why you have been waiting for 45 minutes in full view; make them joyful that you did." CK
m 264 make the half note a quarter note with quarter rest.  CK

m 286 Basses JA! is full agreement. CK
m 287 everyone else agrees, too. CK
m 289 "nie" the "sf" is not an explosion.  Beethoven uses "sf" to say "this is the important word in the phrase"; lead up to it then come back from it.  ES
m 292  make the half note a quarter note with quarter rest.  CK

m 313 in "Küsse" the K is strong before the beat and  the "ss" is even longer before the beat with a break.  CK
m 313 - 319 Elegantly please.  No forcing, especially tenors and sopranos.  UN-accent beats 2 and 4 almost always.  ES
m 320 -234 all half notes are quarter notes with quarter note rests. CK
m 330  "Carlos makes this a loooooong fermata"  ES
m 330 "this is a loooooong fermata."  CK.

m 411-431
"What is English for 'Bierhalle'?  Oh, Bierhalle works here?   Ah, of course, this is Portland!"  CK
"Get out your beer steins! "  Both gents
"Maybe it's that we Portlanders take our beer in cups, so we don't slosh them around.  Maybe it's that they don't mind spilling beer in Germany because beer is cheap."  ES
m 411 the L of Laufet must be well before the beat.
m 417 etc.  "Held" needs his "t". Omitting it makes "ein Hel", something completely different.  (thank you, Doro)
m 431 Some scores have a tenor D.  It should be a Bb.

The Famous Chorale

m 545-590
"Joyful, loud, exuberant, mit bier" CK
"Where you have them, bring out the eighth notes by backing off the prior quarter just a little"  CK
"All the syllables are not equal.  Beethoven put the unimportant syllables on the off beats.  Let them be unimportant."  ES
m 535 "There is no English word for Feuertrunken, and most modern Germans don't know the word either.  When you use it they just look at you, but feuertrunken, happy drunk with fire,  is what you have to convey"  CK

m 595 "Don't come in early.  Circle the rest!  Make less of the unaccented closing syllables."   ES
"Gentlemen: sing tall, commanding, and rather separated" CK
m 601 (and 608) "make Kuss half "u" and half "ss" with a break"  both gents
m 604 (and 610) "Welt is a whole note with "t" on beat three half rest." both
m 605 "Ladies are very lyrical here.  Men make four rather detached notes, then accented singing" CK

m 620 "Very warm and loving here for "Brüder!"  CK
m 622 "-zelt" is a half note for everyone, then stress your next 'muss'.  ES

m 631 "Ihr" is very warm and beautiful, then spit out at "stürst" CK
m 632 "nie-" is stressed and "-der" is less.  CK
m 633 the crescendo is good. CK
m 635 is subito pianissimo, building evenly to "Welt?".  CK
m 639 subito pianissimo again, then building again.  CK
m 643 "I rely on the altos.  The sopranos are impossibly high, the tenors are screaming, the basses are too high to sing well, but the alto is just right in the range and a beautiful leap I love to hear.  Please delight me." CK
m 645 (and other places)  "muss" has a short vowel, and "er" needs a space before it.  Practice this   "Mu-" (eighth) pause (eighth) "-ss" (eighth) pause (eighth) "er" (full value).  Here we go." ES

m 650 "Robert Shaw, to get louder or softer sounds from a section, would add or subtract people, not as a comment on their singing, but to get the sound he needed.  Sopranos, especially seconds, if you cannot float a relaxed, pianissimo, high g on "ü", simply don't sing it.  Second sopranos and altos, same for the the e: if you cannot float it, just open your mouth and pretend to sing, and it will be beautiful" ES
"That was simply beautiful"  ES    (It was.  GS)

The Fugue. m 655-729

"Altos, I really want to hear the main theme, and where ever else it occurs, please." CK
"Actually, Carlos doesn't really need the main theme really loud: it carries and I hear it completely cover the bouncy second theme, so please do this:  Bring out the bouncy, joyful "Freude" theme most.  When you have the main "Seid umschlungen" theme, pulse and sustain each note, especially the first few, but it's just a little softer.  Everything else is unimportant, marked down a dynamic or two.  The only exception is the bursting "Freude!" and you sing those out.  Can that be how we do it?"  ES
"Pity the altos.. the parts are harder than yours, and it takes them too low AND too high." ES
m 720 to 724 first note, a few (5 of 30) tenors on the alto, then back to tenor.  EK

m 730 "At Rudolph (rehearsal letter R), NO crescendo, tenors, til 738" CK
"The short notes are pick-ups to the half-notes.  Put them right on the beat.  Anyone may double the four bars before or after they sing softly and accurately"
m 745 the tempo broadens a little and this is full and warm and inviting.  CK
m 749 is a little folk song that ends at 762 lilting and lovely.  CK
m 753 breath after "-zelt" and ES
m 757 breath after "wohnen". ES
m 758 Alto, the first note should be C-natural, not C sharp.  CK

m 795 "don't worry, I will bring you in there."  CK
m 806 (and 827)  "Alle" is very bright and right in rhythm.  CK
m 806 "Give Alle a double accent, once when you enter and again on the tied quarter, almost "ahaaalle"  ES
m 811 "Brüder is the top of the phrase, swell to it and away from it with a breath. CK
m 812 Sopranos, make the little turn lovely and relaxed, but please do it together.  CK
          "Sopranos, when you sing that turn, wink at Carlos.  I mean, the turn is the wink." ES
m 814 "I will give you the cut off like this: CK demonstrates a downbeat and a second downward grabbing gesture.
m 831 "is right in tempo, please come in see the new tempo at 832 for the "Menschen"  CK

m 851 "is very, very fast.  Memorize."  ES.  (It was.  I did. GS)
m 865 "everyone separate the eighth notes so we can hear them.  Basses, stick to your quarter notes and make us notice them." ES
m 880 "All fortissimo, with accents on the down beats. ES
m  883 "Welt" gets a full quarter before the "t" and breath every time. ES
m 916 "the fortissimo is full and the piano is subito" CK
m 920 "Just watch,  You'll see right where "fun-ken" goes in two and please do not rush it.  But the orchestra is hammering loud there, no one will hear it."  CK

"Let's do this again sometime"

But we heard it, and we got it right both times.  Personally, I came of both performances fresh-voiced: those 130 voices meant the singers didn't need to struggle to balance, nor had we sung a long dress and warm-up on opening day: the dress was the night before.  It was a happy experience for me, and I'd do it again.

Yours, Gary.