Wrapping up the final edits on my newest arrangement!
And yes, I am fully repurposing my knowledge of my HI recital program into these arrangements.
It became clear to me from a couple of comments that I need to explain a bit more about these duets… the duets that I have dubbed “rep duets” are intended to help you prepare the piece. The solo part is unchanged from the original, but there are some parts added to fill out the interludes.
The second flute part is essentially the piano accompaniment reduced to a single flute line. It’s super useful if you’re like me and want to practice a lot with the accompaniment, but can’t play the piano very well 🙂 The second flute also gets all the melodic parts during the interludes.
The duets work great to record one part and play along, or play along with a student or a friend (my favorite).
It’s interesting how my different skills/interests have intersected by making these duets. I’ve always loved playing duets, and throughout college and beyond was always getting flutists to play duets with me.
I also have played organ and piano for 10 years in church services, and for a number of those years, it was too difficult for my very limited piano skills. So, I learned to simplify the parts very quickly, while still capturing the harmony and melody- almost exactly what I do to arrange a piano accompaniment into a flute part.
I also had fun designing artwork for the arrangement. I’m definitely going to continue exploring designing a visual element to my arrangements. I’ve always felt like I wasn’t a very good artist- my grandma was an accomplished watercolor artist, so I think I compared myself to her as a kid. But I do love combining colors, silhouettes, and textures- I usually have done that with clothing, and I did that for a number of years when I was sewing.
I’ve been reading some books on being an artist and creativity, which has been inspiring. I’m currently reading Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird,” and found a few lessons that felt really relevant.
- Regardless of how accomplished you become, there will be people who like and dislike your work.
- You can get better at anything by doing it.
- Let the characters be who they are- don’t force them to do your will. I feel like this applies to playing music, especially phrasing and style. When you live with the music and the melody, it eventually reveals how it wants to be played. With patience, I arrive at something that feels like it was inevitable- the way it’s supposed to sound. This analogy also works for visual art.
Alyse Hokamp 