Dear Mary, It is always a pleasure to receive my copy of Flute Focus. I have always found that the magazine has contained something of interest to me... Please do keep up the broad, interesting and often surprising coverage of the magazine! John Sutton
There are nine rules that summarise the basic precepts Quantz sets out in his 'VERSUCH', (ESSAY), 'On Playing The Flute' covering the use of the slur, with one rule that overrides all of the others.....
Your performance of 18th century music should reflect the composer’s intentions and not so much the emotions and feelings of the performer. It must be true to the composer and not impose on his creation the elements of a later style or period. So how do you do that?....
The design of a flute headjoint has enormous influence on the sound of a flute, so what are the design elements, and what does a flute player need to look for when selecting a headjoint? And does any of it really matter anyway?.....
To celebrate the Festive Season, we have asked a number of famous flutists to do their version of the well known tune 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' in their choice of flute genre and style. We will post them here as they arrive, and the very first is from Trevor Wye. Click to play the video below and see how Trevor cleverly makes, and then plays, a carrot flute....
Trevor Wye spends his time giving concerts and master classes the world over including his well known presentation, The Carnival of Venice, for 60 flutes and piano. Besides travelling widely, he teaches at his Flute Studio in Kent and is Programme Director of the 2010 British Flute Society Convention and General Editor of The Flute Ark – the new flute encyclopedia: www.fluteark.com www.trevorwye.com
Second up we have Jean-Louis Beaumadier, adding We Wish You a Merry Christmas to the end of "Bouquet de Roses " by Eugène Damare, with Jacques Raynaut on piano - the first time Santa has played piccolo perhaps?....
Jean-Louis Beaumadier began his flute studies with Joseph Rampal at the Marseilles Conservatory and then continued in Paris at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de musique with Jean-Pierre Rampal. Soloist in the National Orchestra of France, thanks to his abundant discography, his concerts around the world and his piccolo collection published by Gérard Billaudot editions, he subsequently became one of the foremost representatives of the flute piccolo in the world. http://www.jean-louisbeaumadier.fr
Mary O’Brien is a flute teacher based on the North Shore in Auckland, New Zealand. She plays 2nd flute and piccolo with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and is a past president of the Auckland Flute Society and the New Zealand Flute Society. She is the Editor in chief and the driving force behind Flute Focus.
Have you ever wondered if playing the flute is hazardous, or even dangerous? Well, it is. Looking through a list of papers published by various medical journals, I was fascinated by the number of ailments specific to musicians, problems resulting from the activity of performing on a musical instrument. Most specialists are familiar with carpel-tunnel syndrome, occupational over-use syndrome, median-nerve entrapment syndrome, droopy shoulder syndrome, neurovascular syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, and fiddlers’ neck. But what about peritendonitis crepitans, pronator teres syndrome, distal ulnar nerve entrapment syndrome and tenosynovitis?
The weird, wacky, witty, and wild world of flute and piccolo humour. Join Flute Focus Humorist Alisa Willis as she explores the lighter side of music in general and our favourite instruments in particular.
The Heavenly Twins! The Doppler Brothers - Franz Doppler was born in 1821 in Lemberg, Poland, and together with his brother Karl were destined to provide us with some of the most useful repertoire for the flute, especially music for two flutes and piano. No flute player contemplating a concert for two flutes could imagine not playing one of the fine Doppler compositions. Franz, born four years before his brother Carl was the leader of the two, and the better player - or so their audiences said! Franz was also the better composer, though they often collaborated in composing and even in writing operas together, and very successfully too!
Order your copy of the historical October 2009 issue of Flute Focus, last print run.
Puzzle Page contains a flute fingering puzzle, notation puzzle and a riddle.
Flutes and their Players have a remarkable number of similarities....
Trevor Wye spends his time giving concerts and master classes the world over including his well known presentation, The Carnival of Venice, for 60 flutes and piano. Besides travelling widely, he teaches at his Flute Studio in Kent and is Programme Director of the 2010 British Flute Society Convention and General Editor of The Flute Ark – the new flute encyclopedia: 
Jean-Louis Beaumadier began his flute studies with Joseph Rampal at the Marseilles Conservatory and then continued in Paris at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de musique with Jean-Pierre Rampal. Soloist in the National Orchestra of France, thanks to his abundant discography, his concerts around the world and his piccolo collection published by Gérard Billaudot editions, he subsequently became one of the foremost representatives of the flute piccolo in the world. 
Mary O’Brien is a flute teacher based on the North Shore in Auckland, New Zealand. She plays 2nd flute and piccolo with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and is a past president of the Auckland Flute Society and the New Zealand Flute Society. She is the Editor in chief and the driving force behind Flute Focus.
"On the first day of Christmas my teacher set for me..." - the ultimate gift from a flute teacher to their students....
The Heavenly Twins! The Doppler Brothers - Franz Doppler was born in 1821 in Lemberg, Poland, and together with his brother Karl were destined to provide us with some of the most useful repertoire for the flute, especially music for two flutes and piano. No flute player contemplating a concert for two flutes could imagine not playing one of the fine Doppler compositions. Franz, born four years before his brother Carl was the leader of the two, and the better player - or so their audiences said! Franz was also the better composer, though they often collaborated in composing and even in writing operas together, and very successfully too!