Summer Insomnia for Flute Choir

This summer has certainly been uncharacteristic for this freelance musician. Typically, I'm working on one commission and more than likely trying to make Christmas arrangements (my biggest seller) to make up for the lack of income from vacationing students and the drought of gigs. This summer, however, I have found some flute love.

At the beginning of the year I always make a list of pieces I would like to compose in case I find myself without a project to work on during the year. Most of the time the pieces I plan to work on vary in instrumentation and form to help me keep things different and fresh. This year has been the year of the flute, however, and it doesn't look like I am going to write a piece where the flute isn't the featured instrument.

Flute Choir of Atlanta premieres Summer Insomnia

I suppose it makes sense that my main instrument is the same instrument of my commissioners. It certainly is the instrument I am most comfortable composing for, obviously. I usually meet other flutists at flute fairs and the National Flute Association Convention who have heard a piece of mine there and would like me to compose a certain piece for them.

I just had a piece for flute choir premiered at the 2015 National Flute Association Convention in Washington, DC. this month. I was commissioned by Flute Choir of Atlanta, under the direction of dear friend Kathy Farmer, to compose a piece for flute choir with the hopes to perform it at the National Flute Convention. The program was called "American Seasons" and that I could pick whichever season I would like. I had been experimenting with cricket and insect sounds using the flute with other pieces, but this time I could experiment with the sounds on a bigger scale in a flute choir. So I picked summer, the height of bug season.

I had found memories as a child spending the night at my great aunt and uncle's farm in Dearborn, Missouri. The days were warm and the nights were cool. The windows were always open at night. I remember on particular night staying at the farm for the first time without my parents or sisters. Falling asleep listening to the crickets, but then a my imagination ran away with with me. Needless to say it resulted in me waking up my great aunt and uncle and having them drive me an hour back to St. Joseph, Missouri where my parents and sisters were staying with my grandmother. So this is for my poor great aunt and uncle who gave me wonderful memories and never complained about driving me back to my parents in the dead of night on that long gravel road.

That night was the inspiration for the piece Summer Insomnia. Some of the extended techniques were new for many of the members of the flute choir, but what troopers they were about learning! I not only had the privilege of composing for the choir, but I got to play with them as well. It was a wonderful experience and and experience I'll never forget. They even made me a special bug crown!

So the question now, as always, what's next? I just finished another flute choir commission for the Atlanta Flute Club. It's a piece for the 10th Annual Flute Choir Extravaganza event on November 15. So far there are 5 flute choirs signed up to join the premiere performance, with a possibility of a couple more. That will be an amazing experience to stand in front of all those flute choirs and conduct a premiere of my own piece.

I will premiere another work of mine for flute and piano, Three-Nine Line, with pianist Ipek Brooks on October 3. Now, I am just about to start putting the first notes on the page for a flute and trombone duet commissioned by Dr. Shelley Martinson. I also have a couple of commissions out to be signed and negotiated...yes they are for flute. Of course I have my usual load of students, Terminus Ensemble performances, and Perimeter Flutes has a plethora of performances coming up as well. Needless to say, I am going to take advantage of the holiday weekend to get the house in order so that our house isn't condemned by Christmas....

Flute New Music Consortium also interviewed me. Watch me try to speak English, shockingly my first and only language, but I'm not sure you can tell:

This Is Summer?

Every year I summer comes around and basically I white knuckle it until October when work picks back up (ie students and gigs). This summer is no different in the student and paid gig arena, but in the composition department is has been a record breaking season for me - well as far as summer is concerned. This summer has been filled with commissions, performances of my works, and a competition win!

My summer kicked off in the win column when it was announced in June that I won The Flute View's Composition Competition. Winning a competition is rare, especially for me. Winning meant a little money to help us get through June (record breaking low since I started teaching - thanks students for getting awesome and going away to music camps). It also meant a lot of publicity as well as a premiere of the my winning composition Percolate for flute trio. I haven't heard the premiere yet, but I'm sure it was amazing since it was performed by Viviana Guzman, Andrea Fisher (Fluterscooter), and Alice K. Dade. Did I mention that there was all sorts of publicity tied to this? There was a Youtube interview and a podcast interview with The Flute View.

As if that wasn't enough, there were all sorts of festivals and music camps which included performances of my pieces. At Flutapalooza, I performed my piece Tamar for flute quartet with Perimeter Flutes. Dr. Mary Matthews and Matthew Angelo performed Chatter for two flutes at the Maryland Wind Festival. Then Dr. Elizabeth Robinson and Dr. Shelley Martinson took Railroad for flute choir to the music camps where they were faculty and performed them. Is this summer!?! I'll take it every year.

August is shaping up to be a good month as well thanks to the National Flute Association Convention. The Flute Choir of Atlanta directed by Kathy Farmer will premiere Summer Insomnia for flute choir that they had commissioned specifically for this performance. (Purchase availability coming soon!) I will join forces with my sister who is a physical therapist to give a workshop about pain prevention called "When Tooting Your Flute is a Pain in Your Neck". So I think this summer certainly makes up for last summer.

There's been bumps in the road - AC breaking in the car and the house, a flat tire, health junk. But we got through it. The hubs even quit smoking! How awesome is that!?!

Summer Is Coming

Well it's that time of the year where students go off to their various vacations and summer camps, gigs dry up, and I'm left with free time - and this time a commission! Although, its not a large commission, its something, and it could lead to other things. At the very least it will get some money coming in to make up for a few missed students. Like last year, summer there are fun things to do. Unlike last year, we are hoping to dodge any and all depressing life set back (all pets and cars are required to stay healthy this summer).

So what am I doing this summer? Let's start with my favorite part...I have a commission! This past year has been all about composing for flute, and this summer will be no different. The Atlanta Flute Club has commissioned me to compose a fanfare for the 10th annual Flute Choir Extravaganza that will happen November 15. I love commissions where I know who I am writing for and there is a definite premiere date in place. Nothing worse than never hearing a piece performed that I had written. When I am done with my current self appointed project, I might dive into that next. Personally, I might try to write something short without flute just so I can make sure I am varying my writing a bit. Still, I can't wait to hear a GYMNASIUM full of flutists perform my fanfare.

I'm also doing a bit of playing. On Sunday (5/31), I will perform with Terminus Ensemble. I FINALLY get to play Dr. Charles Knox's A River Runs Through It for flute and piano. It's a beautiful piece and I am glad I get to play it with Dr. Ipek Brooks. I will also be performing Olivia Keiffer's Two Horn Unicorn for flute and viola with Mike Brooks, and Glasz by David Garner. Looking forward to playing more with this ensemble.

On June 27, I'll be attending Flutapalooza. I'll be there performing with Perimeter Flutes, presenting "Beatboxing to a Better Bach", and selling my wares at the Spotted Rocket Publishing booth. It will be a very busy day!

And that's about it until the National Flute Convention in Washington, DC in August. My sister and I will present "When Tooting Your Flute is a Pain in Your Neck" and the Flute Choir of Atlanta will premiere my new work Summer Insomnia for flute choir. Have I mentioned I've been writing a lot of flute music lately? Here's one example of what I've written, and it just got its premiere in March. Then some of my favorite flute people decided to also perform the first movement and send me a video so I could finally hear it! You can also buy the sheet music for Orion's Belt!



That's it. That's what's on the agenda for the summer. So I hope everyone decides to buy my music this summer to help keep things going :) I could also use a few more commissions. I hear I'm pretty reasonable!

Railroaded for flute choir

The Atlanta Flute Club asked me if I would be one of the conductors for the Atlanta Flute Club's Honors Flute Choir this year for the Atlanta Flute Fair and that I could choose the music performed. How could I pass up the opportunity to compose something new for flute choir?

When I write for flute I like to take advantage of all the different extended techniques that the flute has to offer, however, I knew this group of flutists were young and almost had no exposure to any extended techniques. When looking at the repertoire available, I see that most pieces that use extended techniques are for more advanced players. I wanted to compose a piece that might introduce one or two new techniques, especially since I'd have a whopping total of 4 1/2 hours to prepare the choir, and we were learning several pieces. So I kept it simple. I used 3 syllables of beatboxing (ch, ki, ts) and a pitch bend.

The end result was "Railroaded" for flute choir. The piece is about 3 minutes long, and the group had a good time learning it even if it was all new. I feel the piece works great for any group at any level looking to try out some extended techniques. You can give a listen to a recording, watch a video on how to perform the techniques and purchase the sheet music as a PDF here: http://www.spottedrocket.com/Railroaded.html

Crazy Yet Amazing Week ahead.

Conducted "Footloose" orchestra

If only the whole year could be as busy as it has been up until this point. Right now it seems like it might stay this way until the end of June (and I couldn't be happier)! So far I've conducted 6 Footloose musicals,  performed with Clibber Jones Ensemble, had a few pieces performed/premiered, and secured a commission. If only this keeps up and I don't have a repeat of last summer.

So what's up next? Next week is crazy, yet amazing. On Tuesday, I travel with Terminus Ensemble to give a masterclass and perform at the University of Tennessee. On Thursday, I give a masterclass and perform with Perimeter Flutes at Georgia State University (we are performing my "French Quarter" at the masterclass and "Coalescence" at the concert). On Friday, my sister rolls into town so we can prepare for our presentation "When Tooting Your Flute Is A Pain in Your Neck" at the Atlanta Flute Fair on Saturday...did I mention I am also conduction the Honors Flute Choir at the Flute Fair where my piece "Railroaded" will be premiered and running a booth with my husband for Spotted Rocket Publishing? Yeah...crazy week, but all good things.

So I really haven't had a lot of time to think about what I want to accomplish. I suppose I should leave that

Me, pianist Kaju Lee, and tuba player Bill Pritchard 

to the slower summer times to make any plans. I do know what I want to compose, but plans change depending on who I meet and interact with. So far a must do is a flute choir piece commissioned by the Flute Choir of Atlanta directed by Kathy Farmer. They will premiere the piece at the National Flute Convention in Washington, DC. I've been in flute composing mode for a while, and it would be great to branch out and compose some band pieces. There seems to be a need there.

In the meantime, I've got lost of upcoming concerts and compositions being performed by old and new friends. Last week, tuba player Bill Pritchard and pianist Dr. Kaju Lee gave the first public premiere of "Surus". The best premieres are those given by good old talented friends. But, looking forward to hearing about upcoming performances by people who I just met, and know they are just as talented like Areon Flutes. Who knows? Maybe I'll finally make it out to California, however, my bank account still likes to say otherwise. Regardless, I am certainly looking forward to this year. Its been pretty exciting so far.