By Rose Bishop & Lizzy Darling
Though the pandemic-induced lockdown utterly changed our performance schedules, we chose to look at these unprecedented events as an opportunity to pursue scholarly and educationally minded projects our usual schedule left little time for. This decision was especially exciting, as we had received a mechanical license for the Voxman etudes from Hal Leonard only days before the lockdown. In hindsight, this was particularly fortuitous, as our reduced teaching and performance schedules allowed for thoughtful, meticulous, and detail-oriented work on this project.
As private and collegiate educators, the project’s conception came from our annual study, instruction, and performance of these etudes alongside our students throughout their preparation for Honor Band and All-State Ensemble auditions. Though an often-utilized pedagogical work, we were immediately excited to learn all fifty-five etudes, as, though no less valuable to study and perform, nearly half of these etudes are unfamiliar to many educators and students. To better serve the needs of students’ practice and study of these etudes, we did our due diligence, researching the history of each etude and composer; subsequently recording each work with the specified metronomic markings and musical instructions. As such, the supplemental recordings are meant to serve as a template for students to use throughout their study and practice.
A massive undertaking, the arduous recording, editing, and mastering process consisted of seventy-five hours of recording ‘in the studio’ and nearly fifty-five hours of post-production! For those interested in the creation of a quality recording (regardless of scope), a qualified and experienced recording engineer and producer are needed to ensure the recording process is expedited and, most importantly, the end result is successful. Additionally, a preferably sound-proofed space should be procured, and the performers must be exceptionally prepared, as performers must be comfortable to make quick adjustments ‘on the fly.’ After the study and recording of the etudes, we began work on the text, first producing an outline of the book and specific outlines for each individual work. Divided into clear guidelines to target various steps within the preparation process, a brief history of each work and composer, performance challenges, practice suggestions, and general study information were provided. Once completed, we worked closely with our editor (Dr. Steven Darling, Assistant Professor of Tuba & Euphonium at the University of Tennessee at Martin) to ensure all content was proofread, clear, and informative.
A Flutist’s Guide to the Voxman Etudes by Rose Bishop and Lizzy Darling includes historical information on each composer, basic metronomic and performance information, challenges and practice suggestions for each etude, errata, definitions of musical terminology, and supplemental recordings of all fifty-five etudes.
Rose Bishop serves as Instructor of Flute at Coe College, Cornell College, Kirkwood Community College, and Mount Mercy University. An active orchestral musician, she serves as Principal Flute of the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra and Second Flute/Piccolo with the Quincy and Ottumwa Symphony Orchestras and has performed with Orchestra Iowa, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, among others. A highly sought-after guest artist, Bishop has appeared as a guest soloist with ensembles including the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra and numerous university and municipal bands, in addition to enjoying various guest artist residencies at universities throughout the nation.
Dedicated to community outreach, Bishop is the founder and Artistic Director of the Eastern Iowa Flute Workshop, the Cornell College Flute and Clarinet Summer Camp, and is a frequent contributor to Flute Talk Magazine and the Flute Examiner. Bishop is a Trevor James Alto Flute Artist and serves as a member of the National Flute Association’s Career and Artistic Development Committee. www.rosebishopflute.com
Lizzy Darling serves as Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Bethel University and Adjunct Instructor of Music Theory at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Additionally, Lizzy holds the positions of Principal Piccolo with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Second Flute with the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, and Flutist with Duo Cylindre. An active freelancer, Lizzy has performed with the West Virginia, Battle Creek, Rockford, Lima, Richmond, Jackson, Johnstown, Fort Smith, Ohio Valley, and Springfield Symphony Orchestras.
In 2020, Lizzy’s debut solo album Polychrome was published by Centaur Records and distributed by Naxos Music Library. Duo Cylindre’s debut album entitled Movers, Makers, and Shakers will be available in the Spring of 2021. Additionally, Lizzy can be heard on Color + Light (Mark Records), A Higher Place (MSR Classics), and Bernstein, Gershwin, and Copland (Naxos Music Library). An active educator, adjudicator, and soloist, Lizzy frequently appears as Artist in Residence at universities and flute festivals throughout the country.
Rose and Lizzy Darling are co-authors of A Flutist’s Guide to the Voxman Etudes, a pedagogical text and supplementary recordings of Voxman’s Selected Studies for Flute.