The Adventures of a Klutz October 19 2013

Ok.  It's been out for a long time.  Yup.  I am a klutz.I was born that way.  It manifested itself very early on.  If there was anything in a room to trip over, my toe would find it.  If there was an icy patch on the sidewalk, I would be down for the count.  Learning to ride a bicycle was a long and bruising project, as was roller skating.

In the 9th grade during a basketball drill, I tripped over my feet, fell down face first, and broke my two front top teeth.  Ever seen yourself with out teeth?  That's when I cried.  The school nurse suggested I avoid soup for lunch, called my mom, and said it was really a minor thing. Then I talked to my mother.  She heard the lisp, called the dentist, and next thing I knew I was in the chair.  My dentist was very young, and had the nicest blue eyes...

The process was very long and involved because the objective was to save the roots of the teeth and crown them.  Such adventures with those temporaries!  Running down the hockey field, chasing the ball, oops! Out fall the temps.  Off to the dentist for a new set. French class, and saying "du" resulted in the teeth flying across the room.  Home Economics.  Stirring peach jam. I asked for the timer.  Plop. Into the bubbling peaches. Hello Dentist.  Band was a nightmare.

And then there was the horror of all horrors: I had to take the teeth out for swim practice.  No one ever saw me smile at the Brandywine YMCA pool.Just so you know, my front teeth are housed in lovely permanent crowns.

But even those were not totally safe.  Five years ago, starting a trail walk with my sister and my yellow lab puppy, she said something funny, I bent over, doubled up in laughter, just as the puppy bounded up to share the joke.  Bam!  His skull impacted my front tooth, and out it popped, landing under a car.  My sister became very pale as I retrieved it and wanted to continue the walk.  She insisted on driving me to...the dentist, who was still very attractive...Enough about my teeth, and on to even more fun adventures.  How many times would I be given an orchestral bow, only to get halfway up and realize my long black dress was caught under the chair?

Or the time I tripped over something and landed into a dishwasher.  It is now part of family lore: "Hey!  Remember the time Joanie fell into the dishwasher!?"

At least I can be entertaining.

So here I am at age 61 and still a klutz.  I had real proof of this two weeks ago as we were debarking from the Stenna Line Ferry in Harwich, UK.  The gangway was very long, and down hill.  I was being helped along by my 48.3 lb suitcase (a whole story in itself).  Did I see the wet patch on the plastic coated floor?  Nope.  My left heel went out from under me, and wham!  I impacted the floor, landing with all my weight on my right elbow.  (Today the bruise is a greenish yellow.)  So I am lying on my back, and as I look up, 6 or so cyclists, dressed in their best spandex, helmets and biking shoes, looking very concerned indeed, said in their charming British accents, "Are you quite alright?"  My thoughts?  1. do my fingers work? And 2. How can I make this moment last?

This personal history has resulted in my  policy to never walk anywhere with my flute out of the case.

Here's why: It was a concert that involved six of us: a soprano, tenor, yours truly, an oboist, cellist and an organist.The venue was a church with a marvelous marble floor.  We were walking out to the applause to start the concert, and I realized the soprano was moving too slowly for the rest of us to make it onstage while the applause lasted.  I pulled out to pass the soprano.  Oops!  My leather sole slid on the smooth marble and there was a gasp as I stumbled and got myself into an upright position.  Lesson learned:  long dress + high heels +14 Karat flute = potential disaster.

So if there is a klutz in your life, enjoy it! Life will never be dull, and you will always have someone who looks even sillier than you!

Getting back into concert shape/Flute Spa October 14 2013

After having been in Europe for two weeks, it is time to get back into concert shape both on the flute and in how my clothes fit!

Last week, I practiced each day, and was astonished at two things: how unlike myself I sounded a week ago, and how much like I sounded like myself yesterday!

What a relief, especially as I had many dreams of not being able to play the flute while I was traveling.

The winning combination seems to be: Power Lung; lots of low long tones; slow, careful scales of all types. And my old standby: Taffanel-Gaubert 17 Daily Exercises. 

Another reason for my desperate attempt to regain concert shape: the Flute Spa set up for next week with my friend and colleague Mindy Bowman.

Flute Spa day activities feature: playing through all of Taffanel-Gaubert.  Ha! We will start out day at 10:00 with coffee and the first half of T-G, or to the end of No. 8.  Then lunch at our wonderful Corner Bistro downstairs (we will have wine), getting back to T-G and No.'s 9 to 17, followed by a chair massage by the incomparable Ginny Fisher. 

Want to join us?  We can all participate virtually, and share our experiences!  Compare aches and pains.  See what revelations we have at the process.

www.fluteproshop.com

e:info@fluteproshop.com

Musicians have the very best vantage point. September 01 2013

Have you noticed that when events are tightly controlled, and people are expected to be at their very best, and are nervous about doing so, the most hilarious things happen?

As a musician I have been in many occasions that call for just that.  I have been part of  the actual situation, as in a concert or recital; or I have been in a more observational vantage point, as in events like Weddings, Christenings, Funerals, Art Openings, corporate events, and once, the ceremony in which a woman was made a full Army Colonel

Today I am reflecting back upon the time in my career during which I would play upwards of 60 weddings a year.  In addition to being very labor intensive in the planning stages, there were many hilarious or ironic situations that could come up at any point in the process. 

Even early in the process.  Like the time a groom asked us to play Rite of Spring for Flute and Guitar.

Let me share one of my all time favorites ceremony stories,

This happened in Southern Delaware, where weddings are a very big deal indeed.  The actual ceremony took place in a beautiful historic chapel.  It was the autumn, just getting chilly, so everyone was in long sleeves, including the bride.  Hers were satin. 

The wedding party enjoyed champagne on the way to the chapel.  

My harpist and I were playing the Prelude music, and kept going and going, well past the intended ceremony start, until the wedding planner gave the signal to begin the Processional.  All happened as planned.  The Mothers entered looking lovely, the handsome Groomsmen lined up appropriately, the brides maids processed beautifully, and the Father and the Bride came up to their places in front of the church.  The bride was a bit wobbly, but that happens.

Until she fainted.  Dead away.  Down into the center of her hooped satin gown.  As her frantic father and equally frantic intended husband tried to get a grip on her satin covered arms, she melted further into the hoops.  Finally, in a last ditch attempt, they turned her on her side, where upon the hoops did what hoops do: they retained their hoopy state, and the poor bride was more exposed than she ever had dreamed she would be.

Oh-we kept playing background music as I tried my hardest not to laugh.  You cannot laugh and play the flute.  I know-I've tried-it does not work.

The bride was escorted to the sacristy, and a little while later came back to the ceremony and was duly married, pale, but otherwise unharmed.

None of us who were at that wedding will ever forget that event.  

I am not the only one with a limitless supply of funny stories.  Please share yours, and we can all enjoy these moments when all the planning in the world does not work at all.

Martin Gordon Headjoints September 01 2013

At Flute Pro Shop, we are always looking for the highest quality products for ourselves and our customers.  So when the opportunity to bring Martin Gordon headjoints on board, we jumped at it.  These fine hand made, hand cut headjoints are the perfect way to modernize an older flute, or to bring a new sound dimension to a newer flute.  They are very different than American or Japanese headjoints.  The tone has a broader range of harmonics, and a strong fundamental pitch, and supports loud and soft playing.  Depending on the flute, the articulation and response are very fast.  They work the best, for us, on Powells and Miyazawas, and are excellent on Sankyo, Trevor James and more.

And, as I am always watching out for the style factor, Martin Gordon's crowns are distinctive and lovely.

We are showing them in the shop and on the road, so satisfy your curiosity and try them out!

Flute Pro Shop 3rd Birthday Bash! July 09 2013

Today, Flute Pro Shop, Inc., turns 3 years old.

July 10, 2010 is the day that I made Flute Pro Shop my full time occupation.

Initially, it was 2 distinct sole proprietorships: me as Flute Pro Shop, and David Kee as Musically Sound, sharing shop space which we "inherited" from Vince, a Buffet Clarinet dealer.

As both businesses became busier, and more intertwined, we made the move to incorporate in April of 2012.  This simplified bookkeeping, billing, inventory and more.  Plus, I am now in a business partnership with a person whom I greatly admire.

In fact, I admire all of the people here at FPS.

Here's why: they all share the same dedication to quality, integrity, and service to each and every client that is so important to Dave and me.  Time and time again I witness everyone pulling together to serve our clients with the very best we have to offer regardless of their standing in the flute world, their purchase level, or if we stand to lose money on a situation.  Phone manners are impeccable, follow up is considered important, and interaction with the clients consistently puts the client's interest at the forefront.

Behind the scenes, we have a very positive and supportive culture.  When I travel for long periods of time, I know that the FPS staff will give clients the same time and attention that I would have. Emails and phone calls will be answered, people who ship flutes informed their beloved instrument is in the shop safe and sound, and precious flutes are packaged to exacting specifications.

So, how to celebrate??  An all-new web site!

User friendly, easy to navigate, bright, clear, beautiful photos, and so much more.  In fact, as I write this, I realize that the web site reflects us all at Flute Pro Shop!  Quality is our hallmark, and this web site is exactly that: a quality experience for all who enter.

Please visit the site, let us know your thoughts, browse at your heart's content, be inspired by a flute, and join with us in the love of this great instrument that has given those who play it, service it, and care for it so much joy.

Greetings from Whispering Lane, Wells, Maine July 09 2013

 VACATION!

And for my husband and I, that means the farm in Wells, Maine.  We load up the Labradors, the humans, all sorts of beach stuff, and head north.  In about 7.5 hours, we are in a little piece of heaven, here in southeast Maine.

Here the sounds of traffic are rare, the bird calls frequent, the wild turkeys abundant, and where the Labradors can run free through the hay fields.

Some years ago, some of the land around this property was sold to create a country club and golf course.  Then the  recession hit and the project was abandoned.  How quickly the forest took over what had been cleared!  There is a mountain of top soil that is now covered with trees and underbrush.  We counted 15 abandoned earth movers, tractor trailers, trailers, paving machines, a steam roller, all scattered in the field across Burnt Mill Road.  What an eyesore and waste this all is.

But back here at the farm, we don't see much of that at all.  We are shielded by the remnants of an apple orchard, rolling hills, and a white clapboard house about 1/4 mile away.

The activities are honed by years of visiting here with our dear friends.  Early on, it was just the 4 of us, sometimes accompanied by friends.  Then the babies came, and we had quite a group.  There was the annual play the kids put on, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, trips to Dad's Ice cream, Boogie Boarding, canoe trips, and more.

Beach time is a big deal around here.  It is hard to think that there is another beach more beautiful than Drakes Island Beach.  When the tide goes out, there is a broad beach of hard sand, making it perfect for bocce ball, a fiercely competitive game in which we use a tape measure to assure accuracy!  Long walks down the beach are a must.  Early in the AM, the Labradors enjoy a swim and a fetch at the beach, where it is a canine play ground.

Then there are the great towns of Kennebunkport and Ogunquit, where the food and shopping are excellent.

Today, since it is raining and cool, we will go to Freeport, ME, and make the annual visit to L. L. Bean and begin holiday shopping.

The great fun of this is that we have shared this vacation time with dear friends for decades.  It is wonderful to spend time with a friend who knows you so well, who understands the non-verbal communications, who respects your space, and can tell when it is time for me to go to the Laundromat (when the kids were with us it was  how I got a little solitude)  This is the only friend I have like this, and I treasure this precious  time with her.

We can go other places for summer vacation, and for some years we did, but a week each summer in Maine remains a tradition that we cherish.

Just a little breather before NFA....Oh no!  Now I have to practice....

Welcome to the Flute Pro Shop Blog January 14 2013

Running a flute business is a fun and fascinating thing to do. Everyday there is a new person to meet, a beautiful new instrument coming in or going out of the shop, another story told. We share many of these stories here, and invite you to comment and enjoy! www.fluteproshop.com

Link to previous blog posts: http://www.fluteproshop.blogspot.com/