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- Summer 2023 Portland Piper
Front Page - Summer Issue, 2023 Published 7/14/23 |
Navigation Links for The Portland Piper |
Click here if you have not had a chance to read the prior issue yet and would like to - April, 2023. Or, click on "Archived Issues" in the navigations links below to see all past issues. |
News & Events Page
Highlights from the GPFS 22-23 Season - Please enjoy reading about the GPFS 22-23 season accomplishments. This is a bit of an "annual report" for GPFS members - Message from the Board June 2023.pdf
A Message of Gratitude for GPFS Volunteers - We are always astounded when we pause to reflect on all the volunteers that make the mission of GPFS happen. This year we acknowledge and celebrate 88+ volunteers who contributed in 22-23. That's almost half of GPFS membership! Gratitude for All the GPFS Volunteers June 2023.pdf
Acknowledging Incoming Board Member Olive Zhang Olive Zhang, Commercial Membership Officer: International Business Manager with almost 19 years of experience in Sales and Marketing across various industries and countries. Her family is all music lovers, and her daughter is currently studying the flute. |
FALL EVENT SAVE THE DATE for 10/20/2023 - "Meet the flutists of the Oregon Symphony" - a concert by Martha Long, Zach Galatis, and Alicia DiDonato Paulsen with Q&A, followed by a reception.  40th ANNUAL FLUTE FAIR SAVE THE DATE for 4/12/24 and 4/13/24, the 40th Annual GPFS Flute Fair with guest artist Marianne Gedigian - GPFS 40th Annual Flute Fair 2024 Guest Artist Marianne Gedigian.pdf |
Attention Teachers and Students - Student Study Grant Applications Opening in September Flute teachers, the GPFS contact list and flute teachers will receive information on this in August/early September. Meanwhile, watch for updates here -Over the year, stay abreast of different GPFS events on their respective webpages below. You will also receive emails announcing upcoming events:
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If you are a Commercial Member/Sponsor - Become a Commercial Member
An Invitation to Write Reviews for The Portland Piper, the online publication for members of the Greater Portland Flute Society Music Have you recently played or listened to a piece of music you think our GPFS members would enjoy? Are you working from a method book you find especially helpful? Is there a book about music or musicians you think other members should know about? Have you composed a piece for flute you would like to share? Are you using an online music resource or app you think members might appreciate? GPFS is looking for GPFS members and others to write short reviews (max one page) to be published in the upcoming editions of The Portland Piper – our online publication for members, gpfs.org/Newsletter-Portland-Piper. You absolutely do not need to be a professional flutist! We ask only that you share your opinion/perspective/general thoughts. Please message newsletter@gpfs.org with your interest. |
Teaching & Learning Column
Highlights from Tim Hagen's Five Golden Rules of Practicing! Tim gives us permission to share his perspective and teachings on practicing. Enjoy this overview and some take-aways! |
Learning about the Flute and Brazil - Enjoy these recommendations from flutists Camila Oliveira and Gabriela Gimenes. They were recent First Tuesdays Online with GPFS guest artists. Their suggestions make learning about the flute and music of Brazil easier for all of us, particularly choro music. They suggest composer, flutists, recordings, songbooks, and more! |
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From the April Issue - Insights from Flutist and Educator Wissam Boustany - Sharing some highlights from a Chicago Flute Club Session. Enjoy! Learn more about Wissam here: Wissam's Website. Especially to be read - his webpage on Teaching and A Method Called Love. Highlights: Teaching and Learning Wissam Boustany Session December 2022.pdf |
Low to High Notes Column (GPFS needs volunteer writers for this and other columns. Contact newsletter@gpfs.org.) |
Move It, for solo alto flute by Carlos Simon Composed by Carolos Simon in 2020 and commissioned by Brice Smith for the National Flute Association, this fun, engaging, energetic piece is a must play for the more advanced player that is willing to put it all out there and have fun with the moving tempo, sequential scalar runs, syncopated rhythms, overblown harmonics combined with sassy tremolos, rhythmic variance, interspersed soulful expressions, chromatic sounding fast elements, and tongue pizzicato. The piece is 3:50 in length with not a dull moment. It is written in such a way that it can reasonably be played on the C-flute, alto or bass. Full Review: Low to High Notes Carlos Simon Move It June 2023.pdf Link to Video: Amelia Lukas Performs MoveIt on Alto Flute |
From the April Issue - Theme and Variations for Alto Flute by Brian Raphael Nabors Flutist Tim Hagen gives us permission to share his recording of Brian Nabor’s piece for solo alto flute – Theme and Variations for alto flute. You can listen to a YouTube recording of the piece performed by Tim. Recording Link: Tim Plays Nabors “Written for the wonderful flutist, Lizzy Darling, the Theme and Variations for Alto Flute explores all the interesting timbres of the very lush instrument through a series of 9 variations. Each dives into a unique sound space that explores the sonic makeup of the lyrical theme initially presented. The work is featured on the Polychrome: Unaccompanied Solos for Flute and Clarinet album.” (Brian Nabors website) “Amplify is a concert series with a focus on BIPOC and out LGBTQ+ composers. Concerts happen multiple times a year, streamed from my living room on my YouTube channel, and each concert features a different composer.” We can also enjoy Tim’s podcast episode where he and Brian talk about “Brian's musical beginnings, the many influences in his music, his vision for creating community, and as always, the role resilience has played in his life. This episode's "60 Creative Seconds" segment features Brian reading his poem "Luminance," accompanied by Tim's flute improvisation.” Learn more about the composer here: Brian Nabor. |
Musician/Ensemble Profiles (GPFS needs volunteer writers for this and other columns. Contact newsletter@gpfs.org.) |
President Emeritus and Lifelong Member Phyllis Avidan Louke It is with deep and enduring gratitude that we honor Phyllis Avidan Louke’s contribution to the Greater Portland Flute Society by gifting her the “no work attached to it” title of President Emeritus along with a free Lifetime Membership to GPFS. Link to Full Article: Phyllis Avidan Louke
Retiring Board Member Donna Schmidt Donna Schmidt has been active in GPFS for 18 years. She most recently served on the Board as publicity and social media officer. She is a longtime member of Rose City Flute Choir, a pickleball fanatic, Zumba enthusiast, and loves volunteering at her granddaughter’s elementary school. Her support for GPFS is irreplaceable. She promises to stay involved here and there, but it is time for her own music, family and pickle ball life. Link to Full Article: Donna Schmidt |
Profile of Musician /Technician and GPFS Member Katie Cooper Read the full profile - Musician Profile Katie Cooper June 2023.pdf
Profile of Oregon Flutist Alexis Evers Read the full profile - Musician Profile Alexis Evers June 2023.pdf |
Still Celebrating the Young Artist Competition Participants & Winners! Learn more about this event and all the young artists who participated this year. The event will next be held on April 13, 2024 at the 40th Annual Flute Fair. Senior Division:
Junior Division:
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From the April issue - Profile of Oregon Flutist and GPFS Member Emily Stanek Read the full profile - <Emily Stanek>  From the April issue - Profile of Oregon Flutist and GPFS Member Cassie Maloney Read the full profile - <Cassie Maloney> 
From the April issue - Profile of Oregon flutist and GPFS Member Robert Wakely Read the full profile - <Robert Wakeley> |
Inside the GPFS Library Column & Music Reviews |
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. |
Colridge Taylor Perkinson's Sonata for Flute and Piano Enjoy this review of a piece recorded by Adam Eccleston on the Amplify CD. This sonata has been overlooked and is a joy to play. lt is a lesser-known work that deserves consideration for concert performances by more advanced flutists and as repertoire for undergraduate and graduate study. In three movements this is an engaging, fun piece to listen to and learn. The overall narrative arc is refreshing. Enjoy this review, below. Music Review Coleridge Taylor Perkinson Flute Sonata June 2023.pdf
Book of Arias, Arranged for Flute by Marie Tachouet This is a brief recommendation for this collection of opera arias pulled together by Marie Tachouet, principal flutist with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Fun fact – Marie is a native of Portland, Oregon. In the early days of her flute playing, she studied with area teacher Rosemary Wood and is an alumna of the Portland Youth Philharmonic and Metropolitan Youth Symphony orchestras. Enjoy the full review below. Music Review Book of Arias by Marie Tachouet June 2023.pdf |
Brain Nabor's Sonata for Flute and Piano This piece is also one recently performed by Adam Eccleston. This flute sonata debut is engaging and beautiful. In three movements, it projects an affection for and knowledge of the whole instrument – Con Moto, Tranquil, and Agitato. A review of it can be enjoyed below. Music Review Brian Nabors Flute Sonata June 2023.pdf |
Upcoming Review - “NarrEtudes” fpr Imaginative Learning Flutist, Teacher and Friend to Oregon Flutists – Tim Hagen gives us permission to share this insightful teaching article of his. Having it All: Teaching Expression & Technique - <link to his posting> or as a PDF here Teaching and Learning Having It All by T Hagen April 2023 Piper.pdf Having it All is about “imaginative learning” and its role in the musical life. He introduces his concept and playing and teaching practice of “NarrEtudes” – essentially the practice of inspiring a narrative in the mind’s eye that helps the musician visualize, free up and actualize their musicality. “Mature musicians are responsible for taking every effect produced on any instrument and using it to convey expression and meaning, a process that requires engaging the imagination. When working with young players, however, we often teach the “hows” (of tone production, finger technique, articulation, etc.) but not this great, overarching “why” of expression. Given that children have far more sophisticated imaginations than motor skills, I see every reason to engage their imaginations, building a bridge from there to the physical technique involved in playing instruments. In this way, expression and technique can be fused from a reasonably early stage of musical learning (certainly beginning within the first couple of years after a child takes up an instrument). Moreover, this is a way to get to the fun part of music-making sooner!” (Hagen, Having It All) In a coming issue of The Portland Piper, we’ll review his method books based on this approach. “Using the newly unabridged story of the Three Blind Mice, this set of 20 studies is designed to provide tools for simultaneously developing technique and expression in young students. In addition to the student book, a teacher guide containing suggestions for instruction is also available.” |
Flutist Friends Around the World Column
Non-GPFS Events - Use this GPFS webpage to find other opportunities to enjoy performances, workshops, recordings, etc. from around the region and world. This page is updated semi-routinely as is the calendar page: Please let us know if you would like to have an event or recording or other resource posted, free - newsletter@gpfs.org. We could also use some help maintaining this page. |
First Monday Meditations with Cassie Maloney Mondays 9:30am – 10:00 PST. Upcoming - August 7 and September 4. These 30 minute livestream classes will include some very gentle stretching and guided meditation to help calm your nervous system and clear your mind. Especially good for those with racing minds, learn to include gentle tactile and sensory experiences to your meditations. Class can be done seated, lying down, or however you feel comfortable. No experience needed. Attend livestream or automatically receive the recording. $8 or through membership.https://www.cassiemaloney.com/offerings/first-monday-meditations |
Album Release – Crossroads Quartet (flute quartet) - "The Crossroads Quartet is thrilled to announce the release of their debut album featuring flute quartets by Eduardo Angulo, Sarah Bassingthwaighte, Eric Ewazen, Herman Beeftink, and Mike Mower. The album is available on all major streaming and purchasing sites including Apple Music, iTunes Store, and Spotify. The Crossroads Quartet includes GPFS member Sophia Tegart (Assistant Professor, Washington State University), Jonathan Borja (Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse), Brielle Frost (Assistant Professor, Lamar University), and Krista Jobson (Associate Professor, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley). Physical CDs can be purchased by contacting Dr. Sophia Tegart at sophiat@wsu.edu, |
Auditions for the Portland Wind Symphony Auditions will be held for flute, oboe, trumpet, and percussion July 24, at 7:00 p.m. Northwest Christian Church. (13405 SW Hall Blvd, Tigard, OR). For more information, contact: pcws.org@gmail.com; 971-732-2676 (Richard), https://www.portlandwindsymphony.org/
From April Issue - Flutist Dawn Weiss’ recital was Livestreamed and archived. It can be seen on: Concerts at First - Dawn Weiss and Friends. "The other thing I might mention about our concert is that we performed the World Premiere of the Roberto Di Marino "Fandango" for Flute and Cello. As I explained at the concert, my first encounter with Di Marino's work was when I attended a GPFS flute and guitar recital a number of years ago. They performed some lovely Tango style music composed by Di Marino and I was very excited about it. I immediately contacted him and asked him to send me his flute and guitar pieces. A number of months later, while considering the possibility of putting together a professional duo for flute and cello, I discovered there really wasn't much successful repertoire for that combination. So, I reached out to Mr. Di Marino and commissioned this work." |
Noteworthy |
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. |
The Flute View – a blog post by Stephanie Rea on creativity along with several recommendations for books to spur your creative approach, Link to Video: Creativity with Stephanie |
International Piccolo Flute Academy – free content on this mainly fee-based site focused on piccolo technique. Link to Resource: IPFA Free Content |  The Flute Practice – a short video discussing why practicing AND understanding scales are important. As a flutist who is not fond of practicing scales, I recommend it! Link to Video: Understanding Scales, Why!? |
We Read Column
Inspired by Women's Poetry - The Poetry that Goes with the Music March of 2022, Dr. Sydney Carlson was the guest artist for First Tuesdays Online with GPFS. The topic for the evening was music for flute and piano inspired by women’s poetry – either written by a woman, about or inspired by. This session was based on a concert presented by Sydney for Portland State University’s Noon concert series featuring School of Music & Theater faculty Chuck Dillard, Sydney Carlson and Kelley Nassief. The Noon Concert Series is a weekly opportunity to experience the sounds of the PSU School of Music & Theater. In the article below, you will find a link to the concert YouTube video so you can listen to this phenomenal concert. You will also find the publishers for these pieces, the program notes and the video begin and end times for each piece. In the spirit of the The Portland Piper’s We Read column, we also added a link to a place you can read each poem online. Link to Full Article: We Read Music Inspired by Womens Poetry June 2023.pdf |
Symphony Storytime, Season Three - I Am Enough Accompanied by the Flute Perfect for the little people in your lives to listen to! Oregon Symphony Orchestra Storytime Highlight features the children’s book I Am Enough by Grace Byers read by Gabriel Kahane and accompanied with lovely flute embelishments by Grammy-nominated flutist, vocalist and composer Nathalie Joachim. The book is described here as “an ode to self-love, embracing our differences, and reminding ourselves that we are enough just as we are.” Listen Here: I Am Enough with Flutist Nathalie.
At the end, there is a charming conversation about Nathalie and the flute. It ends with her playing a short piece – beautiful, be sure to listen all the way to the end. She is a member of the Oregon Symphony’s Creative Alliance. Here's a short, insightful introduction to Nathalie on the OSO website: Link to OSO Article: Meet Nathalie |
General Information to Know About |
 GPFS Commercial Members & Sponsors - Please support GPFS sponsors and commercial members. These partners keep GPFS, and the musical/flutist world in Oregon going! A FEW COMMERCIAL SPONSORS NOW HAVE A VIDEO YOU CAN WATCH. Fun and informative,<Go to Commercial Members Page>
Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission -GPFS is proud and grateful to have received a grant for $3000 from the Oregon Arts Commission. This award will help support the many activities for GPFS including, for example, Student Study Grants, masterclasses, workshops, performances, The Portland Piper publication, the annual fall event, Flute Academy, middle and high school competitions, and the annual Flute Fair. |
A Baker's Dozen of Opportunities - A request for volunteers for the current and upcoming program year - please take a quick look and consider volunteering in a way that fits best for you! <Read> Writers Needed: Please consider contributing to the content of this publication by writing reviews, articles, sharing your awareness of flute resources and events, photography or anything else you can think of - newsletter@gpfs.org. | 
Can you help GPFS reach our goal of $500 in donations this year? Donations to GPFS go either into the general account or are designated by you the donor to go to Student Study Grants, GPFS Youth Memberships or the Sara Lasky Memorial Masterclass fund. It's not too late for you to donate and every little bit counts! GPFS Donation webpage. Thank you! Track our progress below! Goal: $500.00
Collected: $500.00
100%
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Flute Rentals for Members - Flute rentals are back, post covid: Flutes - Flute Loans for Students Alto/Bass - Big Flute Rentals |
Fred Meyer Community RewardsThis program makes it easy for you to donate to the GPFS with the shopping you do every day! To connect your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to the GPFS, CLICK HERE |