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Woodwind Instrument Families: |
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Flute |
Oboe/Bassoon |
Clarinet |
Saxophone |
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Woodwind Page Features: |
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Special Announcement
Master Class in the Bay Area given by Sir James Galway on July 15, 2007 at COPIA in the town of Napa For more information, click here. |
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| What Are Woodwind Instruments?
The piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone are all instruments of the woodwind family. Most of these instruments were once of made of wood, and because they are played by blowing with air or wind, they are called woodwind. Woodwind instruments use vibrating air to produce different musical sounds with reed-like qualities. Disregarding their name, not all of them are made from wood. They may also be made from metal, bone and ivory. Woodwinds are shaped like long sticks. Woodwind players blow air into them to create sounds. The various, specific shape and elements of each instrument help create its specific, unique sound. Familiar woodwinds that play in the orchestra are the flute, the clarinet, the oboe, and the bassoon. Sometimes the saxophone is also a part of the orchestra. The orchestra usually consists of two, three, or four of each of these kinds of woodwind instruments. They frequently play solos for the whole orchestra, because the woodwind tone carries well and can easily be heard over the many other instruments playing. Concert bands use large sections of woodwind instruments, with each family well represented. Jazz bands normally have five saxophone players, and they often double on other woodwind instruments. Woodwinds can be played as flutes or with a reed. With flutes, the player blows across a hole to create the basic sound. The air vibrates through the instrument to amplify the sound and to determine its pitch with different keys and holes. Very similar methods are used with instruments that have a single reed (clarinet and saxophone) or double reed attached to them (oboe and bassoon. A player blows air through the reed, and as it vibrates it sets the air inside the instrument in motion. This creates the sound. Some information was found at http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/instruments/woodwind.html and from http://www.hypermusic.ca/inst/woodwind.html The Woodwind Page is a project of CMEA Bay Section. |
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About the Galway Master Class: This will be the first masterclass that either of the Galways has given in the Bay Area in years. The class is a "bring your flute" event and is designed to meet the needs of players of varying levels of proficiency. Here is what we understand of the agenda: The class begins with warm-ups and lessons with Sir James for the entire group in the COPIA Theater. The plan is that younger students (ages 11 - 15) will then move to a separate room to work with Lady Galway on techniques suitable to intermediate players, while Sir James continues to conduct the session for advanced players, who will remain in the theater. The entire group comes back together near the end of the event, to hear the younger students perform a piece together, followed by a brief concert from Sir James and Lady Jeanne. The masterclass is an educational outreach project of Galway Network Outreach, Festival del Sole/IMG Artists Foundation, and Flute Bay Area. It is being held in conjunction with this year's Festival del Sole in Napa. Online registration begins May 1. A modest registration fee of not more than $20 will be charged, with some scholarships available to those for whom the fee is a hardship. There will also be auditions, opening on May 1, for three advanced students to work with Sir James in front of the class. All details will be posted online at www.flutebayarea.com as they become available. We can also be reached by phone at 415.321.0028.