Mastering the Flute with William Bennett

Mastering the Flute with William Bennett
By Roderick Seed
Foreword by William Bennett
Published by Indiana University Press
Softcover; 76 pages

British flutist Roderick Seed graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2009 where he studied with William Bennett and later went on to study with Lorna McGhee at the University of British Columbia, Canada.  In 2010, Seed was a First Prize Winner of the Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition in New York and is currently on the flute faculty of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music in Vancouver, British Columbia.  For the first time the exercises and teaching methods of world-renowned flutist William Bennett are featured in one workbook.   After more than a decade of study with Bennett and many of his students, Roderick Seed has documented the tools that have made Bennett known for his ability to give the flute the depth, dignity, and grandeur of the voice or the stringed instrument. Topics range from how to overcome basic technical difficulties, such as pitch control, to the tools for phrasing, prosody, tone, and intonation needed for playing with different dynamics and ranges of expression.   Advanced musicians will find useful exercises and techniques in this book that will deepen their knowledge and enjoyment of making music and help them in their quest to master the flute.

“Roderick Seed has collected a wide range of exercises covering many topics that give the flute player the tools to play with different dynamics and a range of expression, and simultaneously helping them with associated technical difficulties such as pitch control. [He] has introduced my approach to the flute in a clear and logical way with his own insights and experiences.” -William Bennett, Foreword from Mastering the Flute with William Bennett 

Contents:

“Covering topics such as sound production, intonation, embouchure and phrasing, this volume offers an invaluable insight into how to achieve the hallmark Bennett-school sound. ..[The] combination of intellectual understanding and musical instinct is supported by a range of useful exercises and vocalises designed to help develop skills in each area.  The book is clearly written, and while it assumes a certain level of knowledge, may be adapted by teachers to suit students of all ages. The format lies mid-way between being a book and sheet music, meaning that it is portable but also appropriate for the music stand. I found the diagrams of sound envelopes (the shape of an individual note) particularly useful… each exercise has much to offer.”

Carla Rees, editor of Pan, the journal of the British Flute Society.  (March 2018)

“I wanted to thank you for your clear and in depth presentation of Wibb’s ideas. I studied with Wibb, Geoffrey [Gilbert] and Trevor [Wye] in the 1980’s and have pages and pages of notes from my classes and lessons. As I would turn a page in your book I would discover something I had drawn or sketched out…now much more organized and legible! I’m excited to review what I have learned from your perspective today, Roderick. Thank you for this fantastic book.”

Jeffery Zook, Principal Piccolo of Detroit Symphony Orchestra