Talking Flutes

When a farting boiler in the background brings hilarity to a podcast recording! In the first 'Talking Flutes Extra' podcast of 2019, Jean-Paul is back down in East Sussex in the county of Kent (England) with Irish and Celtic Flute player Philippe Barnes to catch-up on his busy schedule and to cover some of the many questions about Irish flute playing which have been sent in following his last inte...

Hitting the New Year with enthusiasm, focus and drive! Welcome back to the number one flute podcast channel 'Talking Flutes'.  We're so excited for the year ahead and have some great 'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking Flutes Extra' pods lined up along with the extra addition this year of some fabulous giveaways including sheet music and music books, signed CD's, flute case covers and also...drum roll.....

Do I practice over the Christmas holiday period or do I take a short break and recharge my batteries so that I can return to the flute with renewed vigour and enthusiasm in the New Year? In this Christmas 'Talking Flutes Extra' podcast, Jean-Paul plays some gorgeous festive music on the alto flute by Giovanni Perez and takes a brief look at what he and Clare will be doing with their families durin...

Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London Clare Southworth speaks about who inspires her as a musician / flute player and more importantly, why they do! If you'd like to send a flute or music question for Clare to answer in a future podcast then you can do this via flutepodcasts@gmail.com   'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking Flutes Extra' are podcast productions by the Trevor James flu...

Getting musical 'goosebumps' through to playing on a platinum flute with 14k gold mechanism, Jean-Paul asks Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London Clare Southworth some questions sent in by some of our podcast listeners.  We love hearing from you so please feel free to send us your flute questions to flutepodcasts@gmail.com  and we will include them in our podcast recordings fo...

"I really regret not writing down everything he said to me.  It was of such value". Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London Clare Southworth speaking about the late, great Geoffrey Gilbert. In this weeks 'Talking Flutes' podcast, Clare speaks about her three biggest flute influences William Bennett, Geoffrey Gilbert and Sir James Galway whilst also covering subjects such as the...

Discussing a ban on fizzy drinks to cleaning your teeth before performance, being part of the orchestra but 'not actually in the orchestra', and the loneliness of being a freelance flute player. In this 1st podcast of three, Jean-Paul Wright (from the 'Talking Flutes Extra' podcasts) has a chat with Clare Southworth in her home town of Hove in East Sussex (South of England) with some of the questi...

Irish flute playing, coffee and croissants.  What better way to spend a morning! In this weeks episode of 'Talking Flutes Extra' Jean-Paul takes the short journey to meet with multi-instrumentalist and seriously nice guy Philippe Barnes to talk about how he got in to Irish flute playing, composition and recording as well as discussing his fabulous new flute tutor book called 'Irish Music on the Si...

How far do you pull your headjoint out? What harmonic and scales exercises do you use? What's the best note to tune to?.. and many more questions answered by London freelance flute player Ian Mullin.  Following the popular podcast on the flute and martial arts two weeks ago, I've come down again to Tonbridge in Kent (The Garden of England) to put forward the 11 questions we've received for Ian to...

Big tunes, drunken dances, romantic interludes and light, fast running sections. This week on 'Talking Flutes', Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy for Music in London Clare Southworth takes one of her recordings of the the wonderful 'In Ireland' by Hamilton Hardy and breaks it down for the listener.  Not only is this a fabulous piece, but Hamilton Hardy lived and worked in the beautiful Engli...

Discipline in practice, focus and goals are important to develop your flute playing.  Be honest with your sound and also learn to accept and take every opportunity that comes your way. In this 'Talking Flutes Extra' podcast, Jean-Paul travels to the Kent town of Tonbridge to meet with London Freelance Orchestral flute player and Jiu Jitsu black belt Ian Mullin about his flute playing career to dat...

A glorious piece by the fabulous Gaetano Donizetti (b. Nov. 29, 1797, d. April 8, 1848), which Clare Southworth, Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music breaks down in to small pieces and discusses the interpretation using her own performance of the work. Thank you for all your feedback and suggestions via email and social media Direct Messages for future podcasts.  If you'd like to contr...

"If you really want to be a musician, be prepared that it really isn't going to be easy..." and "always know why you want a new flute before you buy one!.." This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra', Jean-Paul speaks with NY multi-instrumentalist and self-confessed flute nerd Josh Johnson who popped in to see us just after landing in London for a few days holiday.  If you've got a spare $100,000+ then I...

Can a professional flute player sound as good on a student flute as an expensive professional one and with so many new flute gizmo's and gadgets continually popping up, are any of the more popular ones worth looking at? In this episode of Talking Flutes, Clare Southworth - Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London answers some questions sent in by listeners. For more information o...

"With improvisation the answer is don't be afraid...you can't be wrong!..Get the fundamentals sorted, learn your scales, be able to play in tune and then simply go for it!" An 'on-the-go' interview this week over poached eggs in London with one of the UK's leading flute and sax players Theo Travis.  From working and going on tour with Pink Floyd Legend Dave Gilmore, composing and recording with th...

Deconstructing Valse Caprice, one of Clare's favourite pieces and one where she feels a strong connection due to the composer Daniel Wood (1872-c.1927) having once also been a fellow Professor at the Royal Academy of Music. As requested by listeners, Clare Southworth talks through and then plays her own performance excerpts from this very well known and beautiful piece.  More information about Cla...

Don't put yourself in a musical box!  Explore and be open to whatever grabs your attention and fascination.  Taking time out of her busy NFA Convention schedule in Orlando, the fabulously creative musician and flute player Melissa Keeling talks to Jean-Paul about using guitar pedals with the flute for the first time, doing her PhD with Robert Dick and and how her first flute teacher encouraged her...

Do you need to look at taking a break from music exams?  With the summer coming to an end, now is the time to stop and take at look at yourself, your study and to be realsitic with yourself as to if you need to take time out from the relentless pressure of the exam merry-go-round? In 'Talking Flutes' this week, Clare's podcast is short and very thoughtful as she questions the need for flute player...

As a musician, you can't and shouldn't be fixed in you thinking.  Performing, teaching, studying, composing, conducting requires you to unlock the creativity that lies within, and you therefore have to unleash yourself from just the notes on the page!   In this week's 'Talking Flutes Extra' podcast, Jean-Paul is talking via Skype with Russian born flute player, composer, arranger and conductor Iva...

"It's never too late to start, It's never too late to learn, enjoy listening, go to gigs, buy CD's and albums" This week in 'Talking Flutes' Clare is speaking with saxophonist Andy Scott in her lovely home by the sea.  A mulit-faceted musician, composer and educator, Andy has composed many pieces for flute and he has an intrinsic understanding of what makes this instrument, as well as many others...

"Music has to come from the heart" and "improvisation shouldn't be scary"  This week in 'Talking Flutes Extra' recorded at the NFA Convention in Orlando on the 12th August 2018, I'm in dialogue with the fabulous musician Elsa Nilsson and talk about her latest and very special new album entitled 'After Us' as well as her winning the Jazz Artist competition at the Flute Convention. For more informat...

A longer than usual podcast giving a brief overview through my own eyes of four days spent at the worlds largest flute convention, the National Flute Association of America, this year held in Orlando.   A huge shout out to every flute player I met, tested flutes with and more importantly, laughed with.  The thing about the NFA is that you get the world's best flute players performing and mixing wi...

In music as in life, love trumps all and is the foundation of everything! Part 2 of Clare's 'Talking Flutes' podcast dialogue recorded at her home in East Sussex, England with the wonderful Wissam Boustany. The flute player, conductor, professor, humanitarian and fellow student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester when Clare herself was there. This is the part two of Clare's conver...

The flute method called 'Love' - Clare Southworth in dialogue with Wissam Boustany. Today in the 'Talking Flutes' podcasts with Clare Southworth, Clare has a fascinating interview with Wissam Boustany, the wonderful flute player, conductor, professor, humanitarian and fellow student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester when Clare herself was there.  This is the first of two podcast...

Breaking down inner barriers - 'Dance Your Flute Off 2.0' returns to the NFA in 2018! On Talking Flutes Extra this week, Jean-Paul talks once again to Dr José Valentino, the creator and driver of the original and very successful 'Dance Your Flute Off' at the National Flute Association Convention held in Minneapolis in 2017 with his "Brother from another mother" the fabulous Giovanni Perez.  José t...