Flute Society of Kentucky
Flute Keys
April 2000 (Volume 1, number 2)
(web edition)
Jennifer Hunt, Editor
(The web version is sans graphics, etc. Join to see the real thing!)
Inside:
Letter from the President
Editor's Notes
Report on Campbellsville Flute Day
Officer's Spotlight
The Technician's Corner
News Bits
Membership Information
Kentucky Flute Calendar
Letter from the President
Dear Flute Society of Kentucky,
It has been very exciting to watch the FSK grow. We began with a
handful of people who had an idea and a lot of dreams. Now we have
more than 100 members from across the Commonwealth, we have had a first
major event, we have our own website, and we are publishing our second
newsletter. But, this is only the beginning, so keep an eye open for
all of the upcoming activities and opportunities for you to be involved
with the other Kentucky flutists.
As I said, we have our own website. This is all thanks to our
very own "web-meister," Dr. Sonny Burnette! With the help
of Georgetown College, Dr. Burnette has created an attractive and useful
website at the address: www.FSKentucky.org.
Please send your thoughts (and thanks!) about the website to Dr. Burnette.
The Board of Directors will be meeting again soon and we are anxious
for your ideas and dreams for the future of the FSK. Please contact
us personally or via the website and let us know your thoughts. I
would like to encourage you all to continue to work hard as the school
year ends and challenge yourself during the summer. I hope to see
you all at the upcoming flute events!
Take care and keep practicing,
Lisa McArthur
President, Flute Society of Kentucky
Editor's Notes
SOLO AND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL REVISITED
Recently, we had the experience of serving as judges for a district
solo and ensemble festival. This brought back many memories of
playing at these events ourselves, and reminded us that there are several
basic points that cannot be re-emphasized too often.
- You and your teacher should pick a reasonable piece to
play.
- Get an accompanist if your piece calls for piano, and practice as
often as possible with the pianist well ahead of time.
- Make an impact with your playing; observe dynamics, communicate a
musical idea.
- Tune to the piano or to your fellow players; not to the tuner.
- Don’t stop and repeat notes if you miss them or make a mistake,
move ahead.
- Be sure you are in observance of the festival rules regarding
supplying the judges with an original copy with measures numbered.
Jennifer and Leslie Hunt
Report on Campbellsville Flute Day
On January 14, 2000, 85 flutists descended upon the small town of
Campbellsville, Kentucky. The occasion was the first meeting of the
Flute Society of Kentucky, which was founded by Dr. Lisa McArthur, flute
professor at Campbellsville University.
The day began with registration of attendees followed by the first
meeting of the Flute Society of Kentucky (FSK). Officers were
elected and assignments for the day’s flute choir rehearsals were
given. Participants spent the first hour and a half in flute choir
rehearsal for a concert to take place later in the day. Following
the morning flute choir rehearsal, the master class began. Jim
Walker, a recording artist and teacher in the Los Angeles area, as well as
a native of Kentucky, was our guest artist. He was tireless in his
enthusiasm with the fourteen students who were selected by taped audition
to perform in the master class. It was an excellent opportunity for
all concerned to hear him teach and play with Kentucky flutists.
The afternoon was spent with a continuation of the master class with
Mr. Walker, and in another flute choir rehearsal before the final
concert. The evening concert featured the work done by all the
students who attended Flute Day. They performed the pieces studied
during flute choir rehearsals through the day. Newly-elected
officers Leslie Hunt (treasurer), Lisa McArthur (president), and Jayne
Copland (secretary) also performed solo works. Jim Walker joined
members of the flute quartet Flutopia in the performance of works he had
arranged. Mr. Walker also played solo performances in the evening
concert. As one ensemble, all Flute Day participants performed a
world premiere of an arrangement of My Old Kentucky Home by Jim Moore,
which was conducted by Dr. J. Robert Gaddis, FSK Board member and Dean of
the School of Music at Campbellsville University.
Jayne Copland
Officer's Spotlight
The FSK elected officers at the first meeting held at Campbellsville
University on January 14, 2000. Officers will serve two-year
terms. This column will feature a different officer in each
newsletter.
President, Lisa McArthur
Vice-President, Gordon Cole
Secretary, Jayne Copland
Treasurer, Leslie Hunt
Editor, Jennifer Hunt
PRESIDENT, DR. LISA McARTHUR
Dr. McArthur is an assistant professor in flute, music theory, and
music education at Campbellsville University, where she is also university
orchestra director. She holds the B.M. in music education and a
Performer’s Certificate from the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam
College, New York; and M.M. in performance and an M.A. in music theory
from Kent State University in Ohio; and a Ph.D. in music theory from the
University of Kentucky. Dr. McArthur was selected to the 1996
National Dean’s List; has been awarded the O. Helton Memorial Acres
Scholarship for Excellence in Professional Service, Scholarship,
Leadership and Performance in Music; and received the 1997 University of
Kentucky Association of Emeriti Faculty Scholarship, recognizing future
excellence in college teaching. She founded the FSK in 1999.
Technician's Corner
Hello fellow flutists. In this edition of the Society Newsletter
I wanted to mention a few emergency repairs that anyone with confidence in
their ability to fix things (I hope not misplaced confidence) could
do.
- "All of the sudden" you can’t play Bb with the 1st
finger of the right hand. First check to see if the C# rod has
come partially out of the key that your left hand index finger
activates. If it has, slowly screw it back in checking to make
sure that the Bb key continues to move up and down. Try playing
the Bb. Then if there is still a problem check to see if you can
play the Bb with the thumb lever or the Bb lever just left of the F
key. If you can, then there is a simple quick fix for the
problem you experienced. Look under the trill rod on the back of
your flute just to the left of where your thumb goes. There is a
lever mechanism which you can see. Press the F key down and
release several times and watch the lever move. Now press and
release the thumb Bb and watch the top half of the lever move.
You need to add a little to the adjustment between the two
parts of the lever. Try one thickness of paper at a time until
the Bb and the F work properly. (If it’s too
thick the F will not speak). If all is well use a tiny
bit of glue to hold the adjustment in place until you can have a
lasting repair done.
- "All of a sudden" your thumb Bb will not work but
the other two fingerings work fine. Look at the thumb key
as you press and release. On the right side of the key you can
see that it lifts a tail piece that in turn presses the Bb key
down. The adjustment between these two needs to be
thicker. Use the same process as before, a little at a time.
Have fun making music,
Gordon Cole
(If you would like repair questions answered just send them by e-mail
to gcole00@pop.uky.edu.)
News Bits
Stained Glass Images, a composition for flute choir by Dr. Sonny
Burnette, FSK board member and associate professor of music at Georgetown
College, was included on the recently-released CD "High
Altitude," recorded by The National Flute Choir. The group
consists of 19 professional flutists from across the USA, representing 14
states from Alaska to Florida. Stained Glass Images was the
winner of the 1995 James Madison University Flute Choir Composition
Competition.
The National Flute Association will hold its annual convention August
17-20, in Columbus, Ohio. It is an unforgettable experience and
close to us this year, so consider going. For information on joining
the NFA, carpooling, or sharing rooms, etc., please send a message to fsk1999@hotmail.com.
Membership Information
The Flute Society of Kentucky is a non-profit educational organization
whose membership is open to all flutists, teachers and supporters of flute
music. We are glad that you are interested in joining an
organization that wishes to further the study and performance of the flute
in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Annual membership fees are $15.00 for regular members and $10.00 for
student members (including university students). Benefits include
the Flute Society of Kentucky quarterly newsletter, Flute Keys, discounted
admission to FSK events, as well as the opportunity to learn of the
exciting flute activities happening all around Kentucky. The FSK
annual membership period runs from September 1 to August 31.
To join the Flute Society of Kentucky, please complete the electronic
submission form located on the Society web site at www.FSKentucky.org.
Your membership will not become official until your check is received by
FSK Vice President Gordon Cole.
Please make check payable to Flute Society of Kentucky and mail to:
Prof. Gordon Cole
School of Music
105 Fine Arts
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0022
Office telephone: 859-257-8172
Kentucky Flute Calendar
(Please select "Calendars" from the main menu.)
Return to Top of Page
| 