Talking Flutes

Let’s talk about our mental health!    Burnout, stress and performance anxiety!   During August, instead of having a summer break, Clare Southworth-Stammeijer and Jean-Paul Wright decided to look back at some of their favourite podcasts which might be a little too far back for those who have only started to join us recently.   Here's an excerpt of the full podcast recorded in 2019 and 2020 where C...

A dot over a note doesn't mean 'short', it means 'detached'!! This week on 'Talking Flutes', Clare and Jean-Paul answer more questions that have been sent in by listeners.  During their conversation they speak about the many different types of tonguing and also copyright issues with music! 'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking Flutes Extra' are podcast productions by the TJ flute Company.  For more inform...

"Singing is so natural so sing a phrase first then play it!"  This week on 'Talking Flutes', Clare and Jean-Paul answer more questions that have been sent in by listeners.  They cover the subject of the need to 'Open your throat' when playing and also why you should buy your flute from a specialist music store with expertise in flutes rather than off Amazon or eBay.  'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking...

How to get a beautiful third octave and how not to go flat at the end of a note? This week Clare and Jean-Paul answer some of the many questions that have been sent in to us over the past 8 weeks from listeners.  (1)"How do you not go flat when you are fading out a note at the end of a passage?" (2) "I’m struggling with high notes.  My teacher says that I’m forcing it too much!" (3) "What does my...

Let's talk Ghost notes, whistle tones, harmonics and the power of exaggerating dynamics!   After over four years and 220 podcasts, Jean-Paul interviews his co-host Clare about her flute playing career and highlights.   'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking Flutes Extra' are podcast productions by the TJ flute company.  For more information visit www.trevorjamesflutes.com    

"I want flute playing to be expansive and to communicate a story! This week on Talking Flutes, Clare speaks with the wonderful London flute player, and Professor at the Guildhall College of Music in London  Philippa Davis about how she started and always being very busy!! Philippa Davies has established an international reputation as one of the finest flautists currently performing. Originally Pri...

"There's something really human about making a mistake!" This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra' Jean-Paul speaks with flute player, Professor and a Life Coach Dr Rik Noyce about nerves, confidence, imposter syndrome and much much more.   Just because you may not have followed the 'usual' route in to something, it doesn't mean you can't succeed! You find out more about Dr Noyce at https://www.riknoyce...

"We all flourish at different times and I wasn't ready when I was younger!" From musical prodigy to West End shows and orchestras with severe burn out along the way, this week on Talking Flutes, Clare speaks with musician, flute player and founder of the eFlute Festival Abigail Burrows. An enlightening podcast where Abbie speaks openly about the benefits and also difficulties that being a hugely t...

"It's not just speaking in to a microphone, its how podcasting can open up your flute playing and performance by enabling you to understand your own unique voice" This week 'Talking Flutes' combines with another flute podcast 'Flute 360'  with podcaster Dr Heidi Kay Begay and 'Talking Flutes Extra' host Jean-Paul Wright. We speak about how podcasting during the past 4 years has changed our own 'vo...

"I'm still a flute player, It's just that I now have funny coloured legs" This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra' Jean-Paul speaks with a remarkable musician and flute player Emma Brown.  After a terrible accident two years ago in which Emma became a double leg amputee, Emma talks about her determination to become the flute player she wanted to be before the accident.  She also speaks about her lows,...

"A brilliant app to quickly hear how a piece sounds!" Take a photo of a piece of music and your mobile will play it back to you! This week on 'Talking Flutes', Clare speaks with PlayScore Creator Anthony Wilkes about his brilliant app. The PlayScore 2 sheet music scanner takes traditional sheet music scanning to the next level, using the latest techniques in Optical Music Recognition. When you try...

"In one piece there was 33 Top D's!" The joy of making a crowd funded album and meeting either in person or virtually all the wonderful people who made the project happen!! This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra' Jean-Paul speaks with musician and flute player Daniella Mars about the making of her exciting new flute album.  From initial conception, through to the process of crowd funding to the decisi...

The freedom to discover tone without restrictions! In part 4 of 'The Food For Thought' series with Flute Professors and musicians Clare Southworth and Elizabeth Walker, it's the week to discuss flute tone! From "Green Custard to Blue Custard", looking at air speed, harmonics, whistle tones and even touching on the big subject...Vibrato! "We shouldn't just be playing in monochrome!" An enlightening...

A 'live' Feldenkrais lesson with flute player, soloist and Feldenkrais teacher Niall O'Riordan. In a first for 'Talking Flutes' we hand our podcast channel over this week to Niall to take you through a 'Live' session. You can find out more about Niall, his popular audio programmes and also more about his Flute Online at https://fluteonline.net 'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking Flutes Extra' are podcas...

"There's a complexity to breathing which belies its simplicity!" A must listen Talking Flutes podcast this week on the important subject of 'Breathing' for a musician. "It's crucial to align breathing with your posture as you whole body is your instrument". In part 3 of their 'Food for Thought' series, Clare Southworth and Elizabeth Walker take a look at 'Breathing' and how "...if your posture is...

"Breath is rhythm - movement is rhythm" This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra', Jean-Paul speaks with the wonderful musician and flute player Elsa Nilsson about her two new albums, and in turn, has a lesson on the beauty and community of the giant Redwood trees.  Following the opening up of the music scene again (post covid) Elsa explains that it was "The communal experience of creativity was the thi...

'Food For Thought' part two for flute teachers.  In 'Talking Flutes' this week, Clare and Elizabeth Walker are back with pt 2 of their 'Food For Thought' series aimed at flute teachers and those thinking of going in to the profession. During the podcast they talk about lesson payments, structuring lesson content and the importance of having lesson and prepared notes for each student.  Also the imp...

"I rarely smile in photos!' "If you see me in a photo and it looks like I'm not smiling, it really is me smiling, it's just me smiling how relatively happy I am!" This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra' recorded in a coffee shop in the centre of London,  Jean-Paul welcomes back the brilliant musician and flute player Philippe Barnes for a catch-up.  With updates to his popular 'Irish Music On The Silv...

Organisation - Preparation - Adaptation! "The role of the teacher is to unlock potential" In 'Talking Flutes' this week, Clare Southworth talks with Elizabeth Walker in a new series of podcasts for flute teachers called 'Food for thought'.  As they both agree "You teach the student and not the flute!" If you've any requests for future podcasts either on subject matter or guests you'd like us to ha...

'It's so important to open our eyes and take off our blinkers to other cultures, music and instruments." This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra' Jean-Paul speaks with musician and flute player Veronika Vitazkova about some of her 70 'World' flutes.  During the podcast Veronika explains that emotion is culturally defined and that we need to find the borders of our instrument to really make it sing. Che...

99% of the time, it's not as bad as you think! This week on 'Talking Flutes' Jean-Paul and Clare talk about the importance of not beating yourself up if a practice session or a performance doesn't go to plan.  The need to have an acceptance that some days will always be better than others, and, as if to back up the podcast title and content, Jean-Paul and Clare are totally blindsided by 4 of Clare...

Hitting musical puberty! This week on 'Talking Flutes Extra' Jean-Paul speaks to YouTuber, teacher and flute player Dr. Angela McBrearty about her teaching and advice videos on YouTube along with her many years of experience teaching and guiding flute players.  We also touch on piccolo playing and the getting the dreaded 'Buzz'!! 'Talking Flutes' and 'Talking Flutes Extra' are podcast productions...

How to fit the encore to the audience! In 'Talking Flutes' this week, Clare and Jean-Paul discuss musical listening and how it's important to have more than one set of ears.  Save your 'critical ears' for when you're teaching or have been asked for feedback, and choose listening and appreciative 'Granny' ears for other moments. It would be wonderful if you could 'like/follow' and rate this podcast...

Being a flute nerd.  An hour in the life of Josh Johnson. Back by popular demand, Jean-Paul speaks with Josh Johnson about the brilliant Song flute headjoints, Sankyo, Altus and TJ flutes, the need to change your headjoint cork, flute photography and loads more.  Oh and along the way, drink loads of coffee! 'Talking Flutes' is a podcast production by the TJ flute company.  For more information vis...

"Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do something!"   In 'Talking Flutes this week, Clare Southworth speaks to the seriously lovely guy, talented musician, flute player and author of 'The Flute Gym' Stephen Clark about changing his previous fast life of 365 days a year flying and giving concerts around the world to studying in Alabama for his DMA.   This is a really insightful and thoughtful...