Sharing the spotlight with other flutists from the DFW area is always an honor. Sunday, February 25, 2024 was the Texas Flute Society’s Annual Spring Concert at the Downtown Dallas Public Library’s auditorium. Since my performance at one of the first TFS spring concerts, it has evolved into a beautiful time of sharing. There is something about listening together to the breadth of performers and music with an audience of flutists experiencing the unexpected, the resonance and energy of the sound in the room, watching the performers feel the rhythm, communicate with each other, “jam” together, and solve problems together that creates something that cannot be duplicated at a contest or with airpods. This was a time of sharing. A time to appreciate. A time to observe the love of why we do this.
There is such value in the community of sharing, not judging; we need to do more of that as musicians, parents, teachers, and humans. Therefore, I am not writing to review the concert, just to give thanks for the new repertoire heard, new friends made, and for the energy felt as the music transcended the notes on the page and enveloped the audience with resonance and emotion. It was a concert full of incredible music and performers, but even using the opinionated word “incredible” signifies that I have judged them or their skill to be “incredible.” I should say, “It was a concert that moved me and that I truly enjoyed, because I shared the experience with people of like interests and that have traveled a similar life path.”
In my early childhood music and piano classes, we call a performance “sharing.” I think that is an important distinction and one that needs to be made especially to our students and audience/family members (see my first blog The Art of the Response).
Sharing, according to Oxford Languages is defined as:
- Have a portion of (something) with another or others.
- Give a portion of (something) to another or others.
- Use, occupy, or enjoy (something) jointly with another or others
- Possess (a view or quality) in common with others
- Have a part in (something)
- Tell someone about (something, especially something personal)
It is worthwhile to ponder how a live performance can be enjoyed in each of those six ways. In this concert, where I was a performer, part of an ensemble, and an audience member, I experienced all six definitions. This concert was intimate; I felt as though each performer was sharing something personal: a journey, a story, an offering, a challenge, an emotion...I pondered how many hours each of these performers had practiced to arrive at this product with no finality. Funny, I don’t ever ask myself that when I am listening to a recording.
Oh! To play for the joy of playing and to listen and observe for pleasure. Being present, feeling the energy. NOT judging, teaching, or competing. NOT having an opinion. Just listening. We were present. We saw. We listened. We performed. We experienced.
I appreciated seeing the flutists conquer those really tough parts in the music; I felt their triumph. I loved feeling and responding to the music along with the performer and hearing the air split across the riser. Watching the musicians and feeling the resonance live makes completely different synapses in the brain than listening to a recording. I was glad to see children in attendance being enveloped by the music.
What was shared on the concert?
The concert was opened with Flutes Unlimited Flute choir with a history of over 30 years of sharing smiles, love, and music; it is always an honor to join them in a concert. Louke’s telling of her journey to the Grand Canyon in Canyon Dreams has fun alto/bass flute parts to provide the foundation for the rambling and rushing Colorado river that was synchronously delivered by the flutes and piccolos. Playing with some of my best flute friends, I had so much fun and absolutely felt the love!
Min Hee Kim performed Kapustin’s Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano. It was riveting and fun. I want to play that piece now! I have heard of her enthusiasm, dedication, and beauty of her performing and teaching. I finally got to witness it. Thank you, Min Hee!
A Kulauh Duet (op. 18 Duet no. 1: III Allegro Assai) was juxtaposed with Yuhwa (the Goddess of the Willow Trees) by Adolphus Hailstork that I had never heard of and I might not have ever come across. The Kulauh performers, Gabriela Salinas and Erika Martinez made me feel nostalgic of the Flute Festival days when I played a duet each year from 6th through 12th grade with my best friend, Ashley. The Hailstork was a reminder that no matter how long we perform, we will have not played or heard every piece written for flute and sometimes pieces are best left to others to play and that, too, is ok! Because of the subject of the piece, Yuhwa, my thoughts immediately soared to my friend, Erich Tucker and his thesis “Mythology and the supernatural powers of the flute” which I intend to read for a bit of light reading! Because on hearing the journey of his research, I thought of this piece as a part of its own genre depicting beloved stories in fantastic and imaginative interpretations beyond words.
SungAe Song’s performance of Ballade by Martin was a nice reminder that I was not teaching it but listening to enjoy the on-the-edge-of-your-seat energy, contemplation, and strife that was emotionally conveyed and felt.
Anai’s Niog performed Rhonda Larson’s Be Still My Soul, a piece I have wanted to explore with some of my students, but they always chose something else. I loved the use of singing to open the piece. Peace, Anai, your sharing of this piece did sooth the soul and invigorate it!
Memory for Solo Flute by Chen Yi and performed by Celia Kang was thought provoking experientially and flute-technically! Again, I loved hearing a piece that I might have not sought out. I didn’t think about whom I was going to teach it to or if I wanted to play it or not, I was present for the experience and appreciated the feelings it provided.
Jeong Hoon Lee played the voyage that is Moonshine Ride by Sang Jin Kim which evoked a range of emotions, but mostly the full span of happiness and joy. It was a beautiful and fun way to end an hour of sharing with friends, family, colleagues, and other lucky people who made the decision to spend an hour listening with their minds, ears, and hearts.
We all need to find a way for ourselves, for our students, and with our friends to share music with each other for the reason that we began to play flute in the first place: For the enjoyment, for the love of music, and for the way it makes us and our audience feel. More important than winning a competition, playing for a teacher, or critiquing is the loving: The love of music, the love of flute, and the love of the human soul.
About the Author, Rebecca Cauthron:
Rebecca Cauthron is an adjunct flute professor at Dallas College Mountain View Campus (7 years), flute instructor at Duncanville ISD (25 years), and is in her first year teaching in the Austin area. She also teaches early childhood music, performs with local ensembles, was a founding developer of the NFA’s Youth Flute Day, and has written The Potential Contender, which bridges the gap from elementary music to an intermediate flutist.
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