i've been looking for pieces for my under grad. audtion to James Madison University, (Harrisonburg, VA.) and i really don't know what to choose... has to be two pieces of different styles. any suggestions would be nice. i've been able to master just about everything with a little practice, but usually between a grade IV and V

When is your audition date? If you're auditioning early this spring, you may want to go with pieces that are already part of your repertoire. If it's late spring or next year, you may have time to work up new pieces.

the latest audtion date is mid march... i believe the 15th and 16th.

to be honest... i really haven't... solo work hasn't been part of 'band', so up until now i haven't really thought about it. i have been able to manage most of james galway's arrangment of mozart's concerto in d major, if that gives you an idea.

If you have already been practicing the Mozart, I would say continue on with that one, and then perhaps something out of the French Composers book. Cantabile et Presto is one of my favorites from there, and Ballad is also an interesting piece. It's also not the Chaminade which I can guarantee you will be sick of hearing at receitals by the time you graduate college!

the last posting suggested good pieces, mainly, they want to hear you play different styles and tempos. When building a repetoire, select your favorite pieces from each century.

Speaking of the Chaminade...I have only heard it once at a recital this year. Last night. By a Junior. Who really just needed to slit her throat and wrists with the sheet music because that would have been more entertaining that her playing this freaking piece. Her Junior recital was the night before, and she played the Carmen Fantasy darn near flawlessly. She really let me down listening to her play this piece badly. Last night was the Undergraduate Performance Major Recital. I wasn't impressed to say the least. First off, it lasted almost 2 hours! Secondly, eventhough you're a performance major...this is not called..."Time to show off and mess up horifically" Recital. Two people traded off on the Demersseman Sonata...The player that played the first two movements was pretty good...she can double tongue like a mother! The guy that played the third mvt...sucked. His sound was so airy you couldn't hear the notes. This one tends to play pieces that are TOO technical for him, and doesn't ever get them clean, and then blames it on his 8 month old gold Burkhart flute! A little case of denial. He also played the third mvt of Poulenc today at a seminar...he was doing about 180...and messed EVERY run up. I didn't have nice comments on that one. LOL Anyway, last night...there are two senior performance majors..they each played a mvt of the Nielsen...really badly. It's like they play things that are so technical and just *hope* that it all works out in the recital without having to do any work to make it right! The Freshman (which would not include me as I am not a performance major) got to mess up the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto. They did a good job at messing it up! I was proud of them! I was very pleased with two performance, though! One guy played the Martin Ballade...fabulously! Then his recital partner played Divertimento by someone I am not sure of...very well. They are both Juniors. For some reason there are 2 performance majors in each year except there are 4 in Juniors right now...the other junior played Griffes Poem...not well either. I talk about how great our music school is, and it really is wonderful! I just don't think there is discretion used when choosing performance pieces. Someone needs to step in and say...I understand you are a performance major, but you are not here to show off...play something at your level! To get back on topic...DON'T play the Chaminade!!!

Rant over!

-Dennis

College can help some people and be a good learning experience, but I have heard some really horrible players come out of college and some of the most fantastic players that never set foot in college. Talent can only take you so far, either you have it or you don't. Training is different. Dennis, you have talent so you will definitely be an exception. Blaming it on his new gold Burkart... should I puke now or later?

I agree with Dennis, DON'T play Chaminade. It is overdone. If possible I would tend to stray away from any of the peices in the french composer books also. IMHO, they also tend to be a bit of an overkill.

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"The Freshman (which would not include me as I am not a performance major) got to mess up the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto."

Now, that is bad. LOL!!!

Dennis, the trick is to make those pieces sound fresh, which is the measure of a real artist, many don't get that, they put themselves in front of the piece and it loses all meaning, that happens to all of us.

Very true Patrick! I was guilty of it, but have learned and am growing from it. One of the Freshman Performance majors is fighting every step of the way that the teacher is trying to change his sound. His philosophy is "If it isn't broke..."! He doesn't seem to hear how broke his playing is though! Anyway...I have to go to English...byeeeeee!!!

-Dennis

Sorry to hear you weren't impressed with the recital Dennis, I know it can be a let down. I think what happens is so many flutists think they have to be the best and at some of the more advanced recital levels they feel like they have to fill their program with flashy music in order to impress or intidimate other students. The truth is if you have to play several pieces at once like that, you should probably give yourself a piece to kind of chill out on before the next major piece. Most of those pieces are 7-10 minutes long, so making your audience sit and listen to a roughly 45 minute recital, and playing it bad is just not the way to go. I agree with you completely. Pick something you can play and that you can play well. People will give you more respect for that then they will flubbing something that is a famous flashy flute piece. It's another reason why I suggested against auditioning with the Chaminade. So many people have heard their favorite professional and EDITED flutsits play these pieces that it is going to be rare to hear a college student play it like a master flutist on a cd.

What pieces are you working on at the moment?

Was that for the original poster or for me? If it was for the original poster pay no mind to the following!

1. Khachaturian 2nd Mvt for Gala Recital
2. Danzi Mvt 3 for Performance Jury
3. Paganini Etudes (But I don't know which book as my teacher only gives me one per week...she doesn't allow me to know the name of the book because I will buy it and read through them all as usual...she wants me to have a fresh start on one per week.)
4. Gaubert - Madrigal, Nielsen - The Fog is Lifting, Nielsen - Children are Playing, Hindemith - Acht Stucke, Vivaldi and Vinci Sonatas (These are all my Freshman fall semester rep list)
5. Liebermann Concerto for Junior Recital in two years...LOL I am going to do the Last mvt of the Khachaturian and the last movement of the Liebermann for that. Plus other pieces...not the Chaminade.

There are others, but I have to go to band now...I'll get back to you!

-Dennis

Ok now that band is over...

I am also working on the Canzone by Barber for our Band placement auditions for Spring semester. Along with the Dutilleux Sonatine because I am trying to work on my double tonguing. I can't seem to get my tongue to go fast enough ever. That is the one thing I just cannot grasp! I can't single tongue 16th notes faster than at 86 BPM....and that's only SOMETIMES getting them even sounding. I seem to trip over my tongue a lot. Anyone have special learning techniques for this? Where do you hit your tongue when you are tonguing notes?

I am also starting to work next week on a book called Paper Blossoms I believe. I think it is some extended technique stuff. My teacher knows how I despise Ext. tech. so I am sure this is why she is having me do it.

Have a good day all!

-Dennis

Yes, it was for you Dennis, and WOW that is a list!

Dennis, how is that Rhonda Larson piece coming? Have you performed it yet? I finally had a chance to look at it last night, it is a lot of fun to play like all of her pieces are.

I have been working on the Boehm piece. Did you get that one recorded yet? I think that my fingers would fall off if I had to practice all the stuff you are doing!