Fresh Perspectives for a New Year

The New Year provides all kinds of opportunities for renewal. I like to take a monthly 'tonal inventory'  to see what particular element of my sound might need a little extra attention. Is my low register powerful, but singing? How are my high register tapers? Is vibrato at all distracting on my middle register notes?  Tone is not a 'static' element, but something that changes depending on the demands of your current situation. For example, when I'm playing a lot of  high register piccolo, I make sure that I spend extra time on the low register of the flute to stay flexible and balanced on both instruments.  If I'm working on a piece with a lot of extended tonal techniques, I make sure basics are in balance. Listen very carefully when you practice your long tones today. Hone in on the weakest link, one very specific concept,  and go about fixing it.When working on tapers, be sure to have your tuner handy, or use a drone pitch. Experiment with moving the lips upward rather than only forward, to keep the pitch up at the ends of notes.