Last weekend was an interesting dichotomy between two teaching environments. First there was the Future Faculty Fellows Retreat, which I will be writing about more later today. Then I drove from Four Winds Resort to Indianapolis to attend the Indiana Flute Circle gathering.  This month we had a special guest presentation from Dennis Sizemore who both performed for us and held a master class. 

During the teaching part of the gathering Dennis used three techniques:  large group, pairs, and individual demonstration.  During the large group exercises he had us all on our feet holding a flute, our own or one of his, and had us experience the playing techniques he was demonstrating.  Trust me these experiences were loud but if you couldn't always hear the tonal changes in your own instrument, you could hear them in your neighbor's.  Similarly we worked in groups of two for a couple of exercises trading off performing the exercise between the two of us.  For our first exercise he went around the room and had each of us demonstrate tonal shift as we played a single note.  Not only did the solo activities help us learn but it gave Dennis an idea of the playing experience in the company.  Three interesting and successful teaching techniques

Dennis has an impressive collection of flutes ranging from the ancient to modern designs.  I am still in awe that I held a roughly 1000 year old elk antler Cherokee flute and learned that elk were once plentiful in North Carolina.  I didn't attempt to play the flute but several others did and it made a lovely sound.  I did play several of his lower range flutes which was a good learning experience as the holes are somewhat further apart then my fingers can reach with ease.  However I don't think they are so far apart that I can't learn to play the instruments.  Mostly my problems are related to my usual activity, typing, and how it closes the finger spread rather then increases it.  In other words...I can learn. 

He has contributed three essays, at the Mad River Flute Company site, on Flute Selection. I read them when I first got my flute and will probably reread them as I slowly grow my collection (warning the site tries to download sound files to your machine).

• How to Select the Best Flute for You
• Flute Selection, Part II, Tone
• Flute Selection, Part III

Dennis also performed several solo flute pieces and with a group of traditional western instruments - violin, cello, and transverse flute (silver flute).  The group pieces were performed in duo, trio, and quartet with works spanning from the traditional western classical to the premiere of two new pieces written for NAF.

Amended July 24, 2005: There are some nice photos of the session on the Indiana Flute Circle page, including a couple of the Elk Horn Flute. Thanks Gary.

Posted by prolurkr at July 20, 2005 09:24 AM

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