This months issue: January

Jazz flute


One Jazz Flutist's Perspective on the Recording Industry - Holly Hofmann
I am often asked to write and speak about my recording career, and that makes me smile because these days it's an ever-changing scene. When my first CD came out in 1989, it meant more to have a recording. At that time, a young artist had to be noticed by a producer. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer jazz record labels, mostly because they are discouraged by huge numbers of self-produced recordings. Also because of this phenomenon, the press and radio stations are deluged with so many CDs they rarely have time to listen to all of them. The Alto Flute in Jazz Ali Ryerson The alto flute makes a great jazz instrument, often my first choice over the C flute . The thicker timbre of the alto is better matched to the sound of brass or reed instruments. In fact, I actually approach the alto flute more as a horn player. Subscribe to read the full article

Starting a Jazz Flute CD Collection - Norman Meehan
Among the most well known of jazz flutists is Herbie Mann. He began recording during the 1950s and although he occasionally performed on piccolo, saxophone and bass clarinet he mainly focused his energies on the flute and alto flute. Subscribe to read the full article

Occupational overuse syndrome


Playing for the Rest of Your Life - Alexa Still
I think a lot of flute players do not fully appreciate the intensity of what we do physically in playing the flute. Just as carpal tunnel syndrome can wreck the career of someone who might be passionate about writing and therefore uses computers a lot, flutists are susceptible to injury doing what we love. Big muscle movement, like breathing, is not that different to what we do every day life. But all that finger waggling, neck and back twisting potentially happening in the struggle to hold something reasonably weighty to one side, and all that jaw movement, can and does cause flutists a lot of trouble. The posture we assume in performance is seldom at the front of our awareness. Subscribe to read the full article

Looking After Yourself The Feldenkrais Method ® and Occupational Overuse Syndrome Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd
When I was a concert guitarist I suffered and recovered from Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS). I found that conventional medical treatments were primarily aimed at relieving pain and symptoms. For my rehabilitation to really be effective I needed to understand what I was physically doing with my body to cause the deterioration in finger technique and general muscle aches I was experiencing. My successful rehabilitation came through the Feldenkrais Method®, an education system that develops our ability to become aware of our movement habits. We learn not only how to perform movement with minimum effort and maximum efficiency but also how to change habits of behavior. The Method is named after its originator, Moshe Feldenkrais, Dr Sc. (1904-1984). Subscribe to read the full article

Other features & columns

Why you should practice your scales! - Bridget Douglas
Jazz Chords - Bridget Douglas
Piccolo Notes - Nancy Luther Jara

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