A Gold Star for… Young People!

On one of my favorite podcasts, the co-hosts trade turns giving—to themselves or others—”Gold Stars” and “Demerits”, which range from silly things like emptying the dishwasher (Gold Star!) to serious things, like reading your iPhone instead of paying attention to a child (“Demerit”!).

So today, as we near the end of this long and strange school year, I’d like to award a GOLD STAR to the many Young People in my life who are doing exceptional things. It’s easy to say they (not us, no, not us, never!) spend too much time glued to YouTube and so forth, but the evidence is otherwise. These kids are pulling off a lot of serious work, under enormous pressure—from family and societal expectations, academic pressure, a shaky economic outlook, and, of course, a … pandemic.

In my own life, I see this up-close and personal with my 12th grade daughter, working furiously to finish high school well under the oddest conditions, looking forward to college (hoping to not start college on Zoom in her bedroom…), but still finding time to participate in a peaceful protest here in Lisbon last weekend. The word “commitment” comes to mind.

Likewise, the constellation of my students, prospective students, and many other flutists I’ve met briefly in classes, shows me the power of this generation to PERSIST, to keep on working, striving, improving, (while waiting for a live concert like us all), and yet, remaining profoundly humane to each other at the same time. I look forward to being able to greet and hear them IN PERSON before too long.

In the meantime, everyone is “making do” (“desenrascar” in Portuguese, a great word) using Skype, Zoom, and recordings, in spite of the limitations and imperfections involved. A huge thank you to you all, along with the GOLD STAR, for your dedication, effort, and good cheer!

Poster for our 8th and last recital of the year at ESART (a Zoom event, naturally)

Doriot Anthony Dwyer, in memoriam (1922-2020)

How sad to report that one of the brighs test stars of the flute universe has passed away at age 98—the wonderful and unique Doriot Anthony Dwyer, retired Principal Flute of the Boston Symphony.

I had the great honor and pleasure to work with the inimitable Doriot at Tanglewood many years ago, as well as in a few illuminating private lessons, and a red-carpet-rolled-out visit to the Powell Factory in Boston, where she helped me pick out the flute that, 27 years later, I still love and play.

Aside from my personal connection, she was a force to reckon with, musically and personally. A direct descendant of the American suffragette Susan B. Anthony, she too broke barriers, namely in winning (and holding for 38 years) a Principal position in a major U.S. orchestra. At that time, 1952, there were few women in the top orchestras, and none in a Principal position. Doriot (“DOH-ree-oh”) earned her job after preparing, she told me, “as if it were for a doctoral dissertation”, memorising the entire list and basically blowing away the competition.

As flutist of the B.S.O. she recorded innumerable works in recordings that are now considered recordings of reference. Her style of playing was uniquely vibrant, flexible, expressive and extremely powerful. The last time I heard her perform—the Concerto written for her by Ellen Taafe Zwillich, at an N.F.A. convention in Boston, AFTER her retirement—she walked onstage, last on a program of flute concertos, wearing a bright-pink, floor-length gown (she was actually tiny), planted her feet firmly, and…projected the hugest sound I ever heard into the entire hall. 

(Do you even have to ask? Yes, she was a Powell Artist—performing on a Custom Platinum Powell.) What a woman, what a flutist, what a musician!

Indeed, her comment to a journalist after retiring from the B.S.O. was “now that I’m retired, I finally have time to practice!” And to record chamber music and concerto CDs, and to continue teaching.

She was fierce, in the best possible way, and she will be missed, but always remembered. Thank you, Doriot, for breaking through an important glass ceiling, and for all the artistry of your playing, for so many, many years. Now, finally, dear Doriot, rest in peace.

The young Doriot Anthony; photo courtesy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Coming up for air / Bravo Maria and Simão!

Oops, I've been so busy I haven't been blogging…but time to get back on the saddle, because there is a lot to write about!

To start off, just a sweet photo of two ESART students, Maria Paixão (entering 3rd year) and Simão Francisco (completed Masters in Teaching in 2017), together in Tomar. As Simão was Maria's teacher, at the Canto Firme School of Music, where he is Professor of Flute and also the Director (!), you can sense in the photo the special connection between students and teachers, and a love for music that is what makes me enjoy teaching so much. 

Shortly after this photo was taken, Maria won 1st Prize in the "Sons de Cabral" competition in Belmonte, and Simão was busy directing the flute ensemble and helping organize the 6th Summer Flute Academy in Tomar—congratulations for two jobs extremely well done!

ESART in Tomar—Maria Paixão and Simão Francisco

Pedro de Alcantara @ 5th Summer Flute Academy!!

Consider yourself invited to attend our 5th (!) Summer Flute Academy— it promises to be the biggest, craziest and most fun EVER! Don't come to sit there watching, you'll be there to play, play, play, and also do a little listening and lots of trying out of new ideas!

There is really TOO MUCH planned to list it all in one go, so I'll just start in with one hot-off-the press bit of news: Pedro de Alcantara, one of the world's best-known teachers of the Alexander Technique and a wildly creative person, will be present! I'm very excited to announce this as it is not easy to get Pedro, based in Paris, "down" to Portugal, not for lack of interest, but only because he's often busy working in exotic places such as Australia or Japan! 

Pedro is Brazilian, trained in the US and the UK as a cellist, and has lived and worked in Paris for quite some time. He is the author of "Indirect Procedures", a book about the Alexander Technique for musicians published by Oxford University Press, has released several CDs, including improvisations, and is also a writer of novels. Check out his site and blog!

But mostly, he is a wonderful, insightful and unique person, who will bring his own ideas on music-making to all of us at the Academy! Thank you, Pedro, for fitting us into your schedule! "Expect nothing, anticipate anything."

Pedro de Alcantara, musician, writer, thinker, healer, creativity expert

Lisbon — it's Jacaranda Time!

The jacaranda time is here! I love the outrageous purple of the blooms contrasting with the typical yellow buildings on the left and especially the pistachio-green building on the right — repainted a few years back, surely with this (often brief) moment in mind! One torrential rain or wind, and the blooms fall to the street, also beautiful, but then are lost. Fleeting beauty, rather like music…Carpe Diem!

D E D I C A T I O N !!

Yesterday, on my way to rehearsal, I passed by a diplomatic ceremony in front of the Jerónimos Monastery. I was feeling grumpy because I'd had to get off a warm seat on the tram to walk past this "stoppage" and catch another tram on the other side.

Then I saw these colleagues, from the Portuguese Army Band, out on the street, playing at 9:15am, when the temperature—yes, in Lisbon!—was 4º Centigrade (that's 40º F). WOW, guys, that is great for skiing, but COOOOOLD for standing still, let alone playing. Yet there they were, and playing beautifully and somehow even in tune.

My hat's off to these musicians, that's for sure. I hope the diplomats had some appreciation.

We know all the years of practice and dedication it takes to reach professional level, but sometimes it just hits you in the face: you really have to be, and stay, DEDICATED!!

PS: No, Lisbon is not supposed to be this cold (but it is, sometimes)!! PPS: Yes, there were at least 4 flutists in the band—BRAVO!

The Portuguese Army Band, performing with class and distinction in 4ºC weather!