Just got this question from an incoming new student:
“Thought I would get the ball rolling a bit. What can I do to get myself ready for September, musically and mentally?”
Excellent question. This is what I suggest for everyone:
- All of you should work on improving your technique. Scales: chromatic, major/minor/whole tone, and arpeggios. Also practice scales in 3rds and chromatic seconds (c d, c# d#, de, d#f, etc). Keep it creative, and remember to change articulations as well as dynamics. Summer is the best time to really buckle down and propel yourself further technically, when you do not have a million other competing musical tasks.
- Maintain a close, friendly relationship with your metronome.
Also, if you have not already mastered it, be sure to memorize T and Gaubert’s ex. #4, and be able to play in any of the articulation patterns listed above it fluently. - Daily practice on Bach C major second mvt for double tonguing work. Also work on Carnival of the Animals for same skill development.
- Work through etude books, ‘assigning yourself’ one new one each week. Try to keep up that pace: it will help build your technique and your ability to learn new materials quickly.
- Tonally: Work on Tone Development though Interpretation and the 24 Petites Melodiques by Moyse. Best if you can have lessons at least occasionally with someone (check with me for recommendations) over the summer to check in on these; sometimes difficult to determine your progress without any extra expert guidance.
- Intonation usually is one of the first skills to slip when working in isolation. Be sure to practice with a tuner regularly.
- Try to keep playing with others over the summer, either independently or in a summer festival or masterclass setting. Pender Island is a wonderful programme; you can drop in and audit for as short of a time as a single day!
- Practice both your flute and piccolo.
- Make sure ALL your instruments are in good working condition. Get any necessary repairs done NOW. You will not want to be without your flute as you near the beginning of the school yr…
- Get going with basic aspects of your repertoire for the coming year (e.g., rhythm and notes), but be sure to keep an open mind for revisions that might be requested by your teacher/s later. IF you do not know what your repertoire will be for the coming year AND you have a first year graduate recital or fourth year required graduating recital to complete in the coming year, please check in with me (via email) before 1 June for guidance.
- Listen to lots of different recordings to situate yourself contextually with the piece as a whole.
- Audition excerpts for large ensemble placement will be posted sometime in June. This audition is always during the very first week of classes, and usually on the first Thurs after classes begin.
- There are lots of things going on the first week or so. Please keep up on all happenings via the UVic School of Music website.
- Then …reward yourself after practice sessions by enjoying some beach time!