News & Events

Teaching & Learning Column

Flutist & Ensemble Profiles

Low to High Notes

Inside the Library Column (Reviews)

We Read (Book Reviews)

Archived Issues

Student Study Grants - The Greater Portland Flute Society is pleased to announce the Study Grant winners for 2022- 2022. The scholarship gives $300 on the student’s behalf for private flute lessons with a GPFS teacher of their choice.  

Call for Flute Fair Volunteers - Volunteers desperately needed to assist with this year's flute fair. One hour time-slots. Please message if you are willing to help - newsletter@gpfs.org.

Young Artist Competition Open - Attention middle and high school students as well as flute teachers, the YAC application is open until 3/23. Learn more/apply: Flute Fair Young Artist Competition

Call for Flute Fair Guest Artist Masterclass Performers - Attention high school through collegiate flutists. This application is open until 3/31. Learn more/apply: Flute Fair Masterclass with Zart Dombourian-Eby

The 39th Annual GPFS Flute Fair Registration Open!

Learn more: Flute Fair, On this webpage you will find: a full schedule and details about the guest artist and her recital, workshop, and masterclass; member performances and workshops; and, all the vendors attending.

Register here: Flute Fair of the Greater Portland Flute Society 2023

Guest artist Zart Dombourian-Eby is the Principal Piccolo (Robert and Clodagh Ash Chair) of the Seattle Symphony and is regularly featured as both a flute and piccolo soloist and clinician in Seattle and across the world. She is a Keefe Piccolo Artist. 

Flute Fair is co-sponsored by the Clackamas Community College Music Department - <read our profile>.

Flute Fair guest artist is co-sponsored by Keefe Piccolo Company - <read our profile>.

First Tuesdays -Registration open for the March First Tuesdays Online with GPFS featuring Dr. Sydney Carlson presenting "Music for Flute and Piano Inspired by Women's Poetry."

Learn more and register here: First Tuesdays

Practice Journaling

This is a review of a practice journal. The article also includes links to a few web-based articles and video about practicing journaling. Briefly, this journal approach is familiar, comfortable and effective with the exception of the practice log not having space for tracking a specific goal, reflection on a specific goal and next steps for that goal. Therefore, my favorite approach remains using a simple notebook using a similar overall approach to this publication. But, for most, particularly with middle/high school and early collegiate players (maybe elementary players too), this approach certainly does much to add structure to students’ weekly goal setting, practice tracking and systematic .

Read the article - <Practice Journaling Review and Links>

Flute World Collective - Did you know Flute World has launched an initiative to keep flute players of all levels engaged, connected, and learning. They are "hosting workshops and events as well as building an extensive library of flute-related resources to build playing, teaching, and professional skills. Our goal is to bring together the different voices of the flute community and create a space where everyone can learn, grow, and be inspired from one another."

Learn more: https://www.fluteworld.com/the-fluteworld-collective/

Throwback Article! Music Review – Seal Mother for Alto Flute by Portland-based Composer Lisa Neher (2021, 5 minutes, D.C. al Platypus Publishing Company) - This beautiful also flute solo calls upon the performer to create sea sounds, whisps and long lines of yearning, keeling - “Seal Mother envisions a selkie in her seal form, swimming not too far offshore, watching her children from a distance. Lyrical melodic lines express her love and longing for her children, while undulating motives evoke currents of water and grief. The embellishments are inspired by Irish whistle ornamentation such as cuts and taps. The piece ends with a reinvention of the Scotts ballad The Great Selkie, a tragic folksong about a Selkie father and his son who are killed by humans while in seal form.”

<Read the Review>

Throw Back Article! Solo for Alto Flute - This low flute article features an introduction to Seattle-based composer and flutist Sarah Bassingthwaighte and a review of one of her pieces for alto flute - Amhran na hEascainne (Song of the Eel) for Solo Alto or C Flute, with Optional Drone - <Read>

Throw Back Article! Bass Flute Music - snowy egret, january messenger, a piece by Oregon composer Deena T. Grossman reviewed for this issue (see article below), works well on bass flute, alto or C flute. Flutist Amelia Lukas performed it on bass for a benefit concert premiering Wildfires and Waterways. Flutist Camila Oliveira recorded it for Deena's T. Grossman's most recent album release Becoming Durga.  <Read Article>

Download the piece here.

Deena, Amelia and Camila are all GPFS members!

Clackamas Community College Music Department

The CCC Music Department is once again generously co-sponsoring the GPFS Annual Flute Fair at their Oregon City Campus. Registration for Flute Fair is open now. 

Read more about the department's degree programs, festivals, ensembles, and live performances.

Attend the Fair and visit the CCC campus. 

Read the full profile - <CCC Music Program>

Profile of Oregon Flutist and GPFS Member David Griffith

David describes himself as primarily a jazz musician. He plays the alto and C-flutes and has been a member of GPFS for many years. He recently retired from a decades-long career in Information Technology and management. He worked for Disney, Fred Meyer, Nike and the State of Oregon. He plays with and is one of the founding members of VoxaNova Trio who will be performing at this year's Flute Fair.

Read the full profile - <David Griffith>

Message from Librarian - 

<Read the most recent Message from Librarian>

Learn more about the library and how to borrow and contribute.

You may be interested in knowing about GPFS sharing its library resources with students and teachers. As GPFS moves forward, we want to continue with this type of activity. Contact the Librarian if you have an interest in contributing - library@gpfs.org. Written by Librarian Cheryl Thompson Merrill. <Read>

Further a small group of volunteers will be working together to revisit the library as well as the flute loan program, particularly to streamline and rejuvenate as needed.

GPFS Free Sheet Music Lending Library

99 Irish Dance Tuens for Flute, by Anne McGinty(1980) 

It’s that time of year – St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Do you have the sudden desire to play Irish music and lots of it. Pick up this charming, thoughtfully organized book of Irish dance tunes arranged by Anne McGinty, an American flutist and composer.

Overall, this collection arranged specifically for flute is simply a fun St. Patrick’s day treat for the intermediate to advanced the flutist - especially for flutists with Celtic heritage in their blood! It also has fun and pedagogical value for the flute student/teacher.

Learn more - <Read the Full Review>

Throwback Article - An introduction to a new CD from All Classical Portland - Amplify: Changing America’s Playlist, Vol. 1.

In this article you will find some of the promotional information for a new CD released by All Classical Portland, guided by their Recording Inclusivity Initiative. The CD has 21 tracks representing works by five composers. 

Learn more - <Read the Full Review>

The entire CD will likely be of interest to GPFS members, but we call out the Sonata for Flute and Piano by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, performed by Portland-based flutist and GPFS member Adam Eccleston. This is the first time this piece has been professionally recorded, posthumously.

Please watch for a review of this piece in the February issue of The Portland Piper.

This is an unknown sonata, and it deserves consideration for concert performances by more advanced flutists. It can also serve as study and recital repertoire for undergraduate and graduate study.

Throwback Article - A review of The Nutcracker Advanced Studies for Flute, Vol. 1 by Sandra Kipp Iles (2022). 

This is a clever, thoughtful, fun, refreshing, entertaining and challenging book of etudes for the more advanced flutist. Compiled by the experienced and passionate pedagogist and flutist Sandy Kipps Iles, it is no wonder it is so. 

This volume offers sixteen etudes. Each one has an introduction that explains what is occurring on the stage at the time of the music as well as her comments about the musicality and technical aspects of the etudes.

<Read the Full Review>

Flutist Adam Eccleston on March 10th 7:30 and 12th 3:00, with the Beaverton Symphony Orchestra presents their Spring Concert "From the New World." The orchestra will play Wagner, Francois Borne, and Dvorák’s epic New World Symphony with guest conductor Raúl Gómez-Rojas and flute soloist Adam Eccleston. Location - Reser Center for the Arts. Tickets available for $10 - $15 with free entrance option for children and students: Tickets.

Natural Homeland Concert - Flutist Amelia Lukas

Flutist Amelia Lukas on April 6th, 2023, 7:30, at the Alberta Rose Theatre, she'll be performing Natural Homeland: Honoring Ukraine. Designed and performed by Amelia Lukas, Natural Homeland is a multimedia, tour de force program of music for solo flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, and electronics, that delves deep into the meaning of home in light of current events. Tickets start at $25. For full event details, please visit the Alberta Rose Theater website.

Introducing Noteworthy - This is a new column for The Portland Piper that was conceived and developed by GPFS member Sue Bonfeld. The column is a short list of curated videos, interviews, podcasts and performances of interest to musicians of all levels, but outside the scope of GPFS’s curated Flute Resources webpage.

Note, this robust webpage is updated regularly and all suggestions are welcome – please just email us at newsletter@gpfs.org.  

Music Crush with FNMC - <Link>

Focused on the contemporary performance world, this is a new podcast hosted by Nicole Riner and Elizabeth Robinson of the Flute New Music Consortium.  Interviews, music listening sessions and conversations posted every other Wednesday.  Portland’s own Lisa Neher joined Nicole and Elizabeth for their February 1, 2023 podcast. 

Also available on Apple Podcasts

Roderick Seed on YouTube - <Link>

This UK based flutist has posted a host of videos focused on playing popular etude collections like Moyse, Drouet and Taffanel&Gaubert.  You can also find helpful exercises on finger coordination, tone quality and warming up. 

Listen to Nora Lee Garcia - <Link>

Cubatina – a recording with Rene Izquierdo - a must listen. Received a great review in NFA Quarterly.

The Cremona Mystery Series by Paul Adam.

A great music-themed murder mystery/thriller trilogy that takes the reader into the world of violin makers, valuable instruments, legendary performers, and music history. The series is based in Italy.

Flashback Article! A review of the book Another Year of Wonder, by Clemency Burton Hill (2022).

This book is just as interesting, insightful and satisfying as her first book. In fact, I would say the same things in this review as I did in my review of her first book for GPFS. So, take a look at that “throw-back” article below. You can also find it in the archives for the We Read column.

<Read the Full Review of Another Year of Wonder>

Throwback Article! - <Read the Review of Her First Book>

Symphony Storytime, Season Three - The OR Symphony starts their third season of Symphony Storytime. This is a great resource to know about. OR Symphony players accompany the reading of a children's books. A recent favorite is a reading of I Am Enough by Creative Chair Gabriel Kahane, accompanied by Artistic Partner Nathalie Joachim on flute.

Listen - <video recording>

Oregon flutist and GPFS member Adam Eccleston also does a couple of the readings. Must listen. Great to share with the little people in your lives. Tell youth teachers about these too!

Learn more: https://www.orsymphony.org/discover/watch-listen/symphony-storytime/

Flashback Article! Book Review - A review of Musician's Yoga: A Guide to Practice, Performance and Inspiration by Mia Olson. A hands-on, practical guide to yoga for musicians, including smart exercises to work into one's practice routine. Highly recommend.

<Read Review>