Project: So Low
How it works
Do you have a piece for an instrument in the flute family? Would you like to hear what it sounds like before that piece goes to print?
Are you prepping a piece for a competition, but loathe to send in the dreaded MIDI? (Extended techniques on MIDI? YUCK.)
Do you just want to pick the brain of a flutist with all the auxiliaries?
That's where I come in. I can breathe life (hah) into your works for piccolo, C flute, alto flute, bass flute, or contra. Recordings will be made using a high quality mic and my trusty H6 Zoom, in the best space available on your timeframe. (Sometimes, this is the university performance space. Sometimes, this is the university band room. If you're on a tight schedule, this is my living room - but I do have high ceilings.)
Available instruments:
C flute: a silver Powell with an original 85/15 Lafin head
piccolo: Burkart Elite with gold tenon rings or a brighter early Roy Seaman piccolo
alto: a very sturdy silver-plated Pearl; it is possible to rent a silver Altus for an additional fee
bass: silver-plated Armstrong
contrabass: Di Zhao contrabass flute
If you would like written feedback about the piece - its inherent challenges, items in the score that are ambiguous, or any other instrument-specific troubles, that feedback is available. Are you better in person? Let's set up a phone or Zoom call to talk through your concerns.
Are you prepping a piece for a competition, but loathe to send in the dreaded MIDI? (Extended techniques on MIDI? YUCK.)
Do you just want to pick the brain of a flutist with all the auxiliaries?
That's where I come in. I can breathe life (hah) into your works for piccolo, C flute, alto flute, bass flute, or contra. Recordings will be made using a high quality mic and my trusty H6 Zoom, in the best space available on your timeframe. (Sometimes, this is the university performance space. Sometimes, this is the university band room. If you're on a tight schedule, this is my living room - but I do have high ceilings.)
Available instruments:
C flute: a silver Powell with an original 85/15 Lafin head
piccolo: Burkart Elite with gold tenon rings or a brighter early Roy Seaman piccolo
alto: a very sturdy silver-plated Pearl; it is possible to rent a silver Altus for an additional fee
bass: silver-plated Armstrong
contrabass: Di Zhao contrabass flute
If you would like written feedback about the piece - its inherent challenges, items in the score that are ambiguous, or any other instrument-specific troubles, that feedback is available. Are you better in person? Let's set up a phone or Zoom call to talk through your concerns.
Rates
Each 5 minutes of recorded music*: $30
Written feedback: $10 with recording (provided gratis for works exceeding 15 minutes)
30 min. Q&A/Feedback Session: $30
*In order to ensure your recording meets your expectations, an additional fee may be assessed for pieces that require more time-intensive prep. We will discuss this at the outset of the collaboration!
Written feedback: $10 with recording (provided gratis for works exceeding 15 minutes)
30 min. Q&A/Feedback Session: $30
*In order to ensure your recording meets your expectations, an additional fee may be assessed for pieces that require more time-intensive prep. We will discuss this at the outset of the collaboration!
Payments
A fee will be set at the outset of the project based on the approximate timing and difficulty of the piece, as well as your timeline between score delivery and recording date. Most recordings can be completed in 2-3 weeks, but faster is (sometimes) possible. To do this, I may need to reschedule lessons or rehearsals, and a small fee may be assessed to minimize the impact on my own life.
If feedback or a meeting are desired, they can be added at any point during the process.
After receipt of the score, an invoice will be shared. A deposit of 50% is due before prep or recording will begin, and the remainder is due within five business days of receiving the recording. Payments can be made via Venmo or by money order.
Most of your payment will go directly to Project: So Low. Thanks for your support!
If feedback or a meeting are desired, they can be added at any point during the process.
After receipt of the score, an invoice will be shared. A deposit of 50% is due before prep or recording will begin, and the remainder is due within five business days of receiving the recording. Payments can be made via Venmo or by money order.
Most of your payment will go directly to Project: So Low. Thanks for your support!
Why a contra?
I am a collector by nature, and have wanted a full complement of low flutes for a long, long time.
The desire came back in a BIG way during a flute ensemble rehearsal at Missouri Southern, when one of my students - a quieter type whose flute sound matched her general demeanor - switched from bass flute to C flute between pieces, and was suddenly supporting her sound in ways she had never managed before. What was different? The bass flute had made her work for it.
She sounded amazing.
I love the contra because it's ridiculous and enormous - and when else can a flute sound like a fog horn? It's a great pedagogical device, composers seem fascinated with it, and I would love nothing more than to bring it to elementary schools for instrument "petting zoos" as long as there is a healthy supply of sanitizing spray between tiny music enthusiasts.
After my experience with the student on the bass flute, I became determined to get a contra for the university. We received partial funding, and I was in negotiations with an off-campus sponsor ... and then COVID hit. It's not going to happen for the school, but I'm going to make it happen for myself. Working on your pieces helps you, I hope, but it will also fund bringing the instrument to some really special students at my university.
The desire came back in a BIG way during a flute ensemble rehearsal at Missouri Southern, when one of my students - a quieter type whose flute sound matched her general demeanor - switched from bass flute to C flute between pieces, and was suddenly supporting her sound in ways she had never managed before. What was different? The bass flute had made her work for it.
She sounded amazing.
I love the contra because it's ridiculous and enormous - and when else can a flute sound like a fog horn? It's a great pedagogical device, composers seem fascinated with it, and I would love nothing more than to bring it to elementary schools for instrument "petting zoos" as long as there is a healthy supply of sanitizing spray between tiny music enthusiasts.
After my experience with the student on the bass flute, I became determined to get a contra for the university. We received partial funding, and I was in negotiations with an off-campus sponsor ... and then COVID hit. It's not going to happen for the school, but I'm going to make it happen for myself. Working on your pieces helps you, I hope, but it will also fund bringing the instrument to some really special students at my university.