It's time to register!

Hello, everyone!

It's time to register! The Adult School has updated their website (http://ccas.ccusd.org/) with our class information. The next session will begin Thursday, April 14, 2016. 

Register online here: http://asonline.ccusd.org/onlinereg/
By telephone: (310) 842-4300
In person: 4909 Overland Avenue, Culver City CA 90230

If you have any questions, email CCFC.Info@gmail.com for more information.

Hope to see you soon! 

Concert Information, Soundcloud Update

Hello, everyone,

Our last concert was a chance for us all to remember and talk about, and offer music in honor of Sandra Nixon, one of our members who passed away. Follows is the text from the program, written by our conductor, Patty Sikorski.

March 17, 2016
8:00 p.m.

In Remembrance of Sandra Carter Nixon

Sandy Nixon has been a fixture in the Culver City Flute Choir, almost since its inception. She played with us for 28 years, having joined us in 1988. Back then, she played the C flute exclusively, but over the years, she acquired more instruments of the flute family, due to her unceasing desire to learn and grow as a musician. She played the piccolo, alto flute and bass flute, along with her C flute, always cheerfully and efficiently covering any part that was asked of her.

Along with her talents on the flute, Sandy was also an accomplished pianist, having played that instrument even longer than the flute. And, as a school girl, her first instrument was the string bass. Coming from a family of eight children who all studied instruments, she clearly took her music very seriously.

Back in 1991, the Culver City Flute Choir began doing performances at the retirement home(s) of Sandy’s mother, Mrs. Willie Carter. Wherever she went, we followed, with Sandy performing for her mother and friends, both on flute and piano. It was always a treat for all of us.

Sandy is missed by all of us in the flute choir for so many reasons. Not only was she a dedicated, accomplished musician, but she was an amazing woman of great character, in ways too numerous to mention here. Though she can no longer be seen or heard here with us, she definitely lives on in our hearts.

Our performance pieces tonight reflect her great love of the classic composers, as well as some classic hymns. When left to choose the music, such as during Summer Flute Choir at my house, Sandy would almost always go for the tried and true. Fitting for Sandy, to be sure.

Program

American Hymn Medley (Traditional, arr. Jicha)
Intermezzo (Brahms, arr. Davis)
Menuet and Ballet from Petite Suite (Debussy, arr. Ben-Meir)
Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Traditional, arr. Carter)
Were You There (American Folk Hymn, arr. Holcombe)
“The Magic Flute” Overture (Mozart, arr. Nourse)
Air from “Suite in D" (Bach, arr. Christensen)

Culver City Flute Choir

Conductor:

Patty Sikorski

Piccolo:

Irene Palma

C Flute:

Nina Bradley, Sara Fields, Loretta Gaffney, Carol Inge, Howard Lichtman, Elaine Miller,  Judy Miller, Irene Palma, Roberta Rohwedder, Ronna Shpall

Alto Flute:

Julie Gelfand, Charlotte Hansen, Carol Inge, Howard Lichtman, Michael Okamoto, Roberta Rohwedder

Bass Flute:

Julie Gelfand, Marilyn Holmes

Many thanks to Patty for all her hard work with us, and to Michael Okamoto for the audio recording. And, special thanks to Lee Miller for his many years of dedication to filming our concerts. 

You can listen to this flute concert at https://soundcloud.com/groups/culver-city-flute-choir.

Save the Date: Remembering Sandy Nixon

Please join us at our next concert as we remember our beloved friend Sandy Nixon with some of her favorite composers: Mozart, Brahms, Debussy, and Bach.

When: Thursday, March 17 at 8:00 PM

Where: Culver City Middle School
4601 Elenda Street, Room 1
Culver City CA 90230

We hope you will stay for refreshments and conversation after the concert.

Sandy Nixon played bass flute, C flute and was a talented pianist.

We're here!

Hello!

I'd like you all to know that the Adult School is offering us as a class again, and we've started as of last week. If you are interested in joining us, email CCFC.Info@gmail.com or contact Culver City Adult School by calling (310) 842-4300.

We've just started out new session, and are planning our next concert. We would love to hear from you, and to see you at our concert.

All the best, and a belated Happy New Year to you all!

Meet the flute choir: Carol

I've asked flute choir members to answer a few questions about themselves, so that our readers could get to know us a little better. Please allow me to introduce: Carol.

When and why did you start playing the flute?

I started playing the flute when I was nine or ten years old. I heard an orchestra somewhere and loved the high, clear sound of the flute. Also, my cousin was starting the flute too, so we shared teachers and bought our flutes together.

When did you join the flute choir? Why?

I joined the flute choir because as a Culver City resident, people had mentioned the group to me from time to time, and I was very curious about it. In my mind, I got the idea that it was about 100 flutes all playing the same exact melody all at once. I obviously had no idea what a flute choir was. One of the fellow parents in my son's Boy Scout troop was in the flute choir, and he encouraged me to join. 

Have you played in any other flute choirs or ensembles? Where else do (have) you perform(ed)?

Before joining the flute choir, I last performed 45 years ago with the North Hollywood High School advanced orchestra playing "South Pacific." 

Do you play any other instruments?

I played the piano until I was 17 years old, but wanted to quit when I was 15. I kept missing the right keys. Thank goodness your fingers stay over the same keys on the flute.

What are your other hobbies or interests? Is there any intersection between those things and music? 

My other main hobby is art. I started taking art lessons at the same time that I restarted my flute playing. I guess the main intersection is that they are both creative outlets. 

Describe your family's musical interests and abilities. Does this inspire you?

When I was growing up, my mother played the piano, and my brother played the piano, violin, and French horn. I heard lots of classical music on the "hi fi." There was never any question that I would take music lessons.

Who is your biggest fan?

Ooh, my biggest fans: although my husband has faithfully attended every flute choir concert, I'll say that my biggest fans are my two fellow flute choir members that I play trios with every week just for fun. We give each other a lot of encouragement and support. 

Which famous musicians do you admire (doesn't have to be just flutists!)? Why?

As far as famous musicians, I mostly know singers and would probably list the Beatles and Barbra Streisand as ones that I greatly admire, among many others. I listen to classical music sometimes, but I don't necessarily pay attention to which orchestra or soloist is playing.

What was/is your favorite piece to perform? To listen to?

While I don't have any favorite piece that I perform, I love listening to Beethoven symphonies and anything by Chopin. 

Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?

My first teacher was named Libby and she must have been all of 25 years old. My second teacher was much more rigorous and played along with me as I played. He was a wonderful flutist and I think his name was Mr. Atkinson or something like that. He was very much into modern music. 

What are your fondest musical memories?

My fondest flute playing memories are of playing in my high school orchestra because of all the camaraderie. It was great fun to play the big musicals along with all the singers and performers in the auditorium. Also I felt cool carrying my flute to school.

Do you get nervous during a performance? How do you handle mistakes?

I do get a little nervous during flute choir performances, although I have no earthly reason why. I guess I don't want to let the other flute choir members down by playing wrong notes and making the piece sound bad. Ooh, the pressure! When I make a mistake, I just ignore it and keep going. Usually when I listen to the CD of our performance I can't even hear the mistake. 

What do you practice? How often?

I practice an hour a day, five days a week. I didn't take my flute out of it's case for 30 years - not until I retired from work and my two children were in high school. I'm still pretty busy but five hours a day is manageable. 

What advice would you give new flutists?

My advice to new flute plays would be, of course, to take private lessons and to practice. Then find a place to play with others - duets, trios, a chamber group, something. If after several years it is not your instrument, then move on to something else!

What advice would you give new flute choir members?

For new flute choir members, just come and have fun. You do have to practice unless you are really a fantastic player [Editor: Fantastic Players? You gotta practice, too.]. If you are rusty, keep at it because it comes back pretty fast. And, oh yeah, try and buy a new flute if you are still playing the student flute your parents bought you in elementary school. (But, don't buy your new flute until you come to flute choir and then we will give you lots of advice.)

Culver City Flute Choir Holiday Concert 2015 - NEW LOCATION

Please join us as we feature lesser-known songs of the season!

When: Thursday, December 3, 2015

Time: 8:00 p.m.

Where: Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

4427 Overland Avenue

Culver City, CA 90230

Admission is free, and we hope you will stay afterwards for visiting with the musicians and refreshments.

If you have any questions, contact Irene Palma at CCFC.Info@gmail.com. 

A Not So Strongly Worded Letter

Open Letter to the Los Angeles Philharmonic:

I'm disappointed. With three amazing flutists at your disposal, after reviewing your 2015-16 season, I see that you're not performing anything that features them (enough for a mention in the program). Ms. Karoly, Ms. Jackson, and Ms. Shope are lovely players and it's a shame that they're not playing any of the amazing flute + orchestra music that is out there. Ms. Jackson in particular is an inspiration to me as an amateur flutist and piccolo player, with her enviable tone and (I think) perfect pitch.

With the 2016 Flute Convention so close in San Diego, I really think you've missed an opportunity to showcase and feature the flute this year.

Let the flutes sing. It almost feels as if you're letting these amazingly talented ladies go to waste.

Sincerely,
Irene Palma

Fall 2015

If you have questions about playing with us or about our concerts, please send an email to CCFC.Info@gmail.com.

We would love to hear from you!

Culver City Flute Choir - Concert

Our next concert, which will be a special tribute to one of our dear members, David Shorey, will take place as follows:

Thursday, June 11, 2015

8 p.m.

Culver City Middle School

4601 Elenda Street, Room 1

Culver City, CA 90230

Refreshments will follow.

If you have any questions, please email CCFC.Info@gmail.com. 

Some News

Hello, everyone,

There is a bit of news to share with you. My poor time management skills mean that I am combining what should have been a few different posts into one. One of these notices deserves it's own space; my sincere apologies for not having separate posts.

One of our flutists, Michael Okamoto, very generously recorded and uploaded our last concert to our SoundCloud account. I hope that you will visit our page and have a listen.

Our next session begins next week, April 16th. Patty has already announced that this quarter will be in honor of our dear member, David Shorey, who sadly passed away this year. We hope that our concert (date to be determined) will bring those of you who miss him, peace. I will announce the concert date and location as soon as I can. You can read more about David here.

For information about registering for our class, please contact me at CCFC.Info@gmail.com.

Our next concert

Please join us for a concert unlike anything we've done before. There will be surprises, and of course, you are invited to join us after the concert for treats and visiting. 

When: Thursday, March 12, 8 PM

Where: Culver City Middle School, Room 1

4601 Elenda Street

Culver City, CA 90230

We look forward to seeing you!

Save the Date - Our next concert is coming soon!

We have been rehearsing for our next concert, and are excited to tell you that it will take place next Thursday, March 12, 2015.

Watch this space for more details.

Concert at Lamp 2014

Hello, everyone,

The Culver City Flute Choir recently had the honor of bringing some holiday music to Lamp Community. Lamp is located in downtown Los Angeles, and you can get more information by visiting their website.

Lamp works with the homeless, primarily those with mental illness. We have been playing there mostly annually at Christmas for several years, and it's always a very special performance for us.

This year only seven of us were able to make it for the concert, but I really enjoyed playing this year. The singers who joined in with us from the audience truly made me feel the holiday spirit.

I hope you all have a lovely holiday season, and we'll see you in the new year.

- Irene

2014 Holiday Concert Night Information

Please join us on Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 8 p.m. for our annual holiday concert. The location is Culver City Middle School, Room 1. Please see the address below.

4601 Elenda Street

Culver City CA 90230

If you have any questions, please email CCFC.Info@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Culver City Flute Choir

Concert!

Please join us on Thursday, March 20, 2014, for our next concert!

Where: Culver City Middle School, Music Room
4601 Elenda Street
Culver City, CA 90230

Concert at 8 p.m., refreshments will follow.

We look forward to seeing you!

Winter Session Begins Thursday, January 16, 2014

Winter Session will begin on Thursday, January 16, 2014.

 

There are 10 Thursdays, and the price (still a bargain) is $115. You can register in person at the Adult School, on the phone, or online. Please call the office before heading down there in person!

 

Register online here: http://asonline.ccusd.org/onlinereg/

By telephone: (310) 842-4300

In person: 4909 Overland Avenue, Culver City CA 90230

 

If you have any questions, email CCFC.Info@gmail.com!

Concert! June 13, 2013

We'd like to invite you to our next concert! Please join us on Thursday, June 13, 2013, for a program that will include Debussy and Handel, as well as our performers in smaller groups! We look forward to seeing you! And remember, as always, there will be refreshments after the concert.


When: Thursday, June 13, 2013, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Farragut Elementary School
10820 Farragut Drive
Culver City CA 90230

Look for us on Facebook! Our group is called "Friends of Culver City Flute Choir."

Next Concert!

Culver City Flute Choir will be in concert on Thursday, March 21, 2013, at 8:00 p.m.

Join us for some Bach, Holst, Hirose, and more, including delicious refreshments after the concert!

When: Thursday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Farragut Elementary School, Cafeteria/Auditorium
10820 Farragut Drive
Culver City, CA 90230

For more information about Culver City Flute Choir, please email ccfc.info@gmail.com!

We hope to see you soon!

Winter 2013

Hi, everyone! This blog has been quiet for awhile, but I hope to get back on a more regular schedule with updates. I thought I'd just make an announcement that CCFC is alive and well, and our current registration is 16 flutists, which is, I think, the biggest group we've ever had. It's been so exciting to rehearse with so many talented musicians.

Stay tuned for more information about our next concert, which will be March 21, 2013.

Flute convention stuff

I can't go to the flute convention this year, but I've been reviewing the NFA's schedule of events this year, and as if I were going, making a list of the things that I would like to see and do.

If you're interested in what interests me, here you go.

(The way this works when I actually go to the convention: I make a list of the things I definitely want to do; then, once I'm there, I work in whatever else fits in between. Usually that means going down to the exhibits and playing all the Powell piccolos, or slipping into a concert I didn't intend to attend, where I usually hear something totally unexpected and amazing. So many wonderful flutists to hear!)

Thursday, August 9: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
An American Voice: A Robert Muczynski Retrospective

I'm on a huge Muczynski kick right now, and right now this is the one thing I am really sorry to be missing! Phillip Dikeman will be performing, and he's just awesome.

Thursday, August 9: 8-10 p.m.
Gala Concert

I haven't seen the program of what will be performed, but my crush from about 5 or 6 years ago, Ian Clarke (whenever the flute convention was in San Diego) is performing, and I just love him. I'm sure he'll perform something new, but maybe you'll get to hear him do his piece "Hypnosis," which is totally beautiful. Google it; I saw Darrin Thaves perform it on YouTube the other night. He killed it.

Friday, August 10: 2:30-3:50 p.m.
Remembrance and Healing Concert

At first glance, this looked a little corny to me, but then I saw that (speaking of Darrin Thaves) Darrin Thaves would be performing. As I said above, I just saw him on YouTube the other night, and I was sooo impressed. He plays the way I would like to play: very clean, very clear, very beautiful. I wouldn't miss an opportunity to hear him. He teaches at Cal State Long Beach, and I would love to study with him if I had the time. I don't have the time. Hopefully when he comes back to Long Beach, he'll have some concerts I can go to around town.

Friday, August 10: 5-6 p.m.
Gems for Flute

Faure, Doppler, Hindemith... who wouldn't want to hear these guys performed? Also, Robert Dick will be performing, and he's fun.

Friday, August 10: 8-10 p.m.
Gala Concert

I'm really not familiar with anybody on the program, but you never ever miss the Gala Concert at the convention. It sounds fun, too, with flute + percussion. What flutist could pass that up?

Saturday, August 11: 9-10:20 a.m.
Pastiche: A Chamber Recital

(Just a note: "Pastiche"? Really, NFA?) This is a recital showcasing flute + other instruments, and could be fun. I don't know what the program is, but I would probably pop in and check it out.

Saturday, August 11: 12:30-1:50 p.m.
Showcase III: World Chamber Concert

This just looks fun. Piccolo as soloist with a chamber ensemble? YES please.

Saturday, August 11: 1-1:50 p.m.
Flutes, Loops and Laptops

This is one of those times where you pop in and pop out. I would leave the Showcase above in order to get to this one. Greg Patillo! And the whole laptop thing interests me. I'd like to find out more about using loops and a computer for practicing, and maybe even performances.

Saturday, August 11: 2:30-4:00 p.m.
The Grand Tour

Mimi Stillman is one of the performers, and she's just amazing. I've got past flute conventions to thank for allowing me to hear her play: she's world class. Beautiful, too.

Saturday, August 11: 3:00-4:00 p.m.
The Golden Age of the Flute and Harp

I don't get enough opportunities to hear a harp. I would be curious about this.

Saturday, August 11: 7:00-7:45 p.m.
Evening Lobby Concert III

Ellen Burr and the Los Angeles Flute Orchestra!!!!

Saturday, August 11: 8:00-10:00 p.m.
Concerto Gala

Walfrid Kujala! Alexa Still! Seriously, don't miss it.

Saturday, August 11: 10:30-11:30 p.m.
Saturday Late Nite: 21st Century Guide to Flute and Guitar

Agnew-McAllister Duo, from Scotland. I saw them perform in Long Beach, and they are a wonderful duo! They rarely come to America, and I was really lucky to see them. I have no idea if they are a couple (nor does it matter) but they play with a romantic feel, and they're so talented. I usually wimp out and go to bed after the gala concerts (Patty is always so disappointed in me!) but I'd stay up for these guys.

Sunday, August 12: 9:00-10:20 a.m.
Flute and Friends

I'll admit it: by Sunday morning, I'm usually starting to get tired. The convention is fun but there's so much to do and hear! This sounds like a fun concert but it's a little early... I'd probably be disappointed to miss it but I might choose to sleep in. Sorry!

Sunday, August 12: 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Introduction to Beatbox Flute with Greg Patillo

On the other hand, while I'm pretty sure I don't want to beatbox, I would still love to see and hear this guy one more time!

Sunday, August 12: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Professional Flute Choir Concert

Another opportunity to hear Darrin Thaves, in a group this time.

Sunday, August 12: 10:30-11:50 a.m.
Showcase IV: Kaleidoscope

Seriously, NFA, these names are silly. But! Catherine Ransom from the Los Angeles Philharmonic!

Sunday, August 12: 12:30-1:25 p.m.
Lobby Concert IV

Featuring the Pacific Flute Ensemble, the Long Beach based flute choir conducted by Darrin Thaves. These flutists are really, really good. Check them out on YouTube. Culver City Flute Choir members: they play in tune ALL THE TIME. Something to think about.

Sunday, August 12: 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Piccolo All Stars: Top 40

Sarah Jackson, Sarah Jackson, Sarah Jackson. Love her.

I'd definitely go to the closing ceremony! Not even going to write it down, it's a given.

Anyway, these are just the things that would interest me. I'm sure I'd find myself changing it up and doing things I hadn't intended to, and hearing stuff I wasn't familiar with. It's such a great experience. To all of you going, have fun! If you're a CCFC member, email me your photos and any interesting items you pick up. I know you'll be busy but it would be so worth it to the other flute choir members!