I'm giving a 30min flute lecture/demonstration as par of my uni course and wondered if anyone had any ideas for a topic? It's got to be something that can have some form of demonstration in (playing an example of what i'm talking about) but i'm struggling! I've thought along the lines of the development of articulation but i've heard lectures on that so many times! Any ideas? Anything you'd particular like to discover on the flute if you had to go to a lecture?

Thanks!!

Hmmm... 30 minutes... not that long... is it going to be on flute technique or repertoire?

Either really. If it's repertoire then it has to be something I can still demonstrate, like a comparison of styles perhaps?

Would you have an accompanist?

no, although i can demonstrate some points using recordings

How about demo and talk on "advanced" technique, such as flutter tonguing, use of harmonics and quarter tone?

Demonstrate the "lesser known applications of the flute" - use it as a broom handle, a zimmer-frame, a toothbrush, a gong beater etc...






Seriously - I don't know much about flutes specifically... But I do know that 30 mins is not long for something like this... Personally, I'd be tempted to make a comparison of styles (as somebody else suggested) to show how versatile and useful the flute is... Show short pieces of baroque, classical/romantic, modern, jazz, pop/rock and latin styles, and talk BRIEFLY about how the flute fits into each genre and the variations in technique and style needed to play each one...

(And if anyone tells you that the flute can never fit into rock music, cite Jethro Tull...!)

What about looking at studies written for the flute in a particular era? Baroque studies would be fascinating and would give you plenty to talk about and to demonstrate.

You could always talk about French Orchestral Music, such as Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe, or Debussy's Prelude a L'Apres Midi d'un Faune, and how the flute represents nature, etc...