Every community needs its flute player
Dear Flute-lovers,
In these uncertain times, it's good to know why we're here as fluteplayers.
We bring the songs of the heavens down to earth, and dance within the breath of life. It is a joyous thing to bring these sounds to our communities.
___________________
Update here in Canada:
Music buildings have been closed as have restaurants and libraries.
I'm at home, realizing the important things in life, and thinking of phoning half the people I know.
We're still a bit stunned here in Canada, as everything closes down around the world. But we remain ever grateful for our medical teams and their devotions toward ending the pandemic.
__________________
If you want distracting:
Personally, I'm not so much as fluting but
knitting!
For flute news, scroll down.
I'm creating an entire small wardrobe in forest colours for a much loved niece (a former flutist, and now graduating in health care), and am enjoying the uninterrupted knitting, counting and planning time.
It's so lovely to work with yarns and colours and plan by making little sketches of the layers of the clothing. Sleeveless vests have matching cardigans that float over them, and cabled sweaters have matching or contrasting cowls and shawls.
I'm doing this because wool really works in so many good ways to make your clothing work functionally and well.
When I started out in the working world more than 30 years ago, I was basically wearing raggy bits, as I recall; mostly second hand clothing, and many borrowed or donated coats and sweaters. We had a saying: "Can you tell from my costume that I am from SLOBovia?
I sewed my own clothing when I moved to the westcoast and joined a Symphony and the faculty of the local University.
But then I took up knitting in my '50s, and now have a woolen wardrobe (and so do some of my flute students and family members) that looks less like Slobovian national dress, and more like this:
The wool makes a huge difference in warmth in such a damp place as the "wet coast".
My niece's choices will be for a young person who loves westcoast forest camping, and so will be in entirely new yarns for me; everything from silk to alpaca, to rough hand-spun feeling yarns that are 100% organic. Some are local, some are from distant lands, but everyone of them makes you think of hobbits. :>)
With the leftover forest-colour/silk/ yarns I'm planning on making brilliantly coloured fairisle "leftover" hats, cowls, and thick and complex socks for winter. I have months and months to do this, and enjoy finishing each piece, blocking and photographing it, and then mailing the pieces to my niece. It's all slow fashion and very exciting.
One day I'll put some photos here of the complete young-forest-wardrobe, but, it's, of course, completely un-flute-related. ha ha.
So this blogpost is only to distract us and remind us all to keep creativity effervescent!
Every now and then I get up and practice (or eat, or cook, or go for a sunny walk.)
Flute:
We're "home alone", so I'm currently bopping up and playing everything from JS. Bach (the "Well Tempered Flutist" by Robert Stallman is a treasure trove) to Stravinsky. I love two music stands and and endless supply of different quality items to play.
For company, I even played along with Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony when the Vancouver Symphony did their
live broadcast this past weekend (still avail. on their website.). I just set up
the music stand with a copy of Flute 1 on the stand, and had a blast (you can fast forward the video to the good parts) playing the Sixth Symphony with them all. So fun! Try it; choose an A-440 recording from youtube (not one where you have to push your headjoint all the way in; that way lies sharp futures.)
But then back to planning the young person's "forest coloured" wardrobe and putting on another dozen rounds (circular knitting, what else?)
Most engaging.
I dearly hope everyone out there is well and staying calm and engaged in their projects. Comments welcome.
(Knitting is ALOT like music making; but this is likely the only knitting post I'll ever post here, actually. Good to take your mind off things, though.....)
Peace, calm and hope to all of us,
Jen
P.S. Sister Mary Anna in the comments wished to know what exactly is hanging over the flute player's shoulder. I've found the painting, and lightened it and done an enhancement. It looks like a hunting horn with a complicated set of tassels slung over his shoulder. Take a look here. :>)
