The Process vs. The Goal (or, don't to the crime if you can't do the time)

This was originally posted over at The Baroque Performance Clinic (used with the author's permission . . . ).

In my private studio I am almost ready to offer a money-back-guarantee to all baroque flute students over the course of ten (10) lessons.

If each student does EXACTLY what I prescribe in the lessons, they will make excellent progress and lay the foundation to advance to the level that they ultimately want or imagine for themselves.

The students make progress, most of them good progress, but to date, NO ONE has done exactly as I have prescribed. That means the technical exercises, time required for each task, and examining the body mechanics involved in each process or exercise.

Learning an instrument of any type is a process. Practicing is a process. But people usually look at it from a goal-oriented perspective. "I want to play Sonata XYZ by Composer 123, six months from now."

This is not going to happen if you are just starting to play the baroque flute, or even if you have a little bit of experience. Well, I suppose it could happen, but with grisly results.

I have had a few students who just refused to do what I prescribed and, after a few years of not making much progress, were getting frustrated, mostly in the area of tone production. A couple of students switched to a different teacher, or took lessons from the two of us on alternate weeks, and my colleague told them the same things, just phrased differently (hmm, does that tell anyone anything?).

Some of my recorder students have been equally reluctant to do what is prescribed but so far all of them have come around to seeing the practice for what it is: a process. And guess what happens when they start treating it that way: improved playing, more fun, and being relaxed when playing, thus enhancing the whole musical experience.

Most of the frustration for baroque flute players comes from the embouchure and its development (but body mechanics and timing are also frequent visitors).

"Teacher X says I don't have an embouchure." [That's because you refuse to practice the embouchure development exercises.]

"I can't do these exercises because I don't have an embouchure!" [And you never will until you practice the prescribed exercises.]

"Teacher Y says I have a lot of tension in my arms." [So did I . . .]

Do the embouchure developing exercises I give you, and you'll develop an embouchure. It is that simple.

Why does this avoidance of the prescription happen? Because there are certain aspects of Pineda's Prescribed Method for Learning Baroque Flute (PPMLBF) that are less-than-fun.

Some of the work is similar to a physical workout at the gym, sort of like lifting weights. For me, embouchure development is 5% lips, 90% breathing and blowing, and 5% attitude.

Student A went to one my colleagues and asked for a lesson on embouchure development only. It made no difference in Student A's progress, because my colleague told Student A essentially the same thing that I have [I'm beginning to see a pattern here . . .].

Student B went to another colleague and asked for the same thing. The answer and the results were the same [Yep, sure looks like a pattern . . .].

If you go through the prescribed process, then you will acquire the skills necessary to play the baroque flute.