Collaboration Across Instruments

A voice-flute duet teaches students expression and connection and fosters community.

At Upper Valley Music Center, there are group classes (several students with an instructor) and individual lessons (a student one-on-one with an instructor) — and then something in between.

During a recent session, UVMC faculty Faith Goodness, flute, and Jennifer Hansen, voice, worked with their students on a flute-voice duet. “Cross the Wide Missouri” is a piece for voice, flute, and the piano, and offers many opportunities for expression.

“Both students — the singer in her 20s and the flutist in her 80s — had not done anything like this before,” Hansen said. “We took them slowly through the piece, section by section, with Faith sometimes doubling (playing the same line as) her student, and me sometimes doubling my student’s vocal line. Despite the generational difference, their own nerves, and a lack of experience, both students were warm and affirming of one another and really responded to the coaching points that Faith and I gave.”

Changing the instrumentation adds an entirely new element to a song. “When one practices in a particular way, one becomes accustomed to hearing it that way,” Goodness said. “Introducing new instruments changes the timbre of the piece and adds much more depth.”

The flute is probably the closest wind instrument to the human voice. “Unlike reed instruments, or brass instruments, producing the sound on the flute is similar to singing in that you are shaping your mouth and airstream to produce tone,” Goodness said. “Flute and voice can also overlap in terms of range, which leads to some really magical moments of unisons and harmonies.”

Helping people make music together is a hallmark of the expert teaching staff at UVMC.

“From day one, Upper Valley Music Center’s mission has been to bring people together through music, and we are constantly working to meet our community’s need for ensembles and group learning,” said Ben Van Vliet, Executive Director of UVMC. “Having the chance to work with gifted faculty can make a duet a transformative experience.”

“Making music with others is one of the ultimate goals of music. We are speaking a new language together, and in this language we are sharing with our listeners,” Goodness said. “Music is something that can bring anyone together — no matter your background.”