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 Come Play With Us!
All three RAFA flute choirs launch their fall seasons September 7. The choirs offer a wide range of playing opportunities and while we can't promise that Lea Pearson (pictured with members of the Winds and Pipes) will visit, we do offer fun, variety and the chance to make new flute friends. Check out the website and find your place in the RAFA choir program. You might even decide to play in two ensembles! |
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Sunday, September 28 from 2 to 5 pm
Carswell Recital Hall, Meredith College
Free for RAFA members & Meredith students
$10 general admission
Schedule
2 to 3 p.m....Concert
3 to 3:15...Questions & Answers
3:15 to 5 p.m. Masterclass
Featuring solo works for flute and two favorite Boone compositions for flute choir
Details on Masterclass participation
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Review & Contest
Registration due October 1
RAFA's 24th annual Review & Contest will be held the afternoon of Sunday, November 2 at Highland United Methodist Church in Raleigh.The event is open to students (elementary through university) and adults (Review only). Last year 150 flutists participated, with a total of $2575 being awarded to the selected winners! The popular event spurs flutists of all ages and levels to set practice and performance goals, reach new challenges, and receive valuable performance feedback!
Registration is due October 1. Registration form, rules and music list are all available on the RAFA website.Contest winners perform in a recital Friday evening, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. Direct questions to contest coordinator Lauren Robbins-Pollack at (919) 557-2272 or density21.5@earthlink.net.
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 How did you spend your summer?
We invite you to submit your summer flute-related adventures.
Photos welcomed and encouraged!
Volunteering at an arts summer camp in Cary, Seema & Sindhu Ravishankar brought music to the lives of children from low-income families. Sindhu taught simple music theory through games and helped the children learn simple songs on the recorder. Seema showed the campers a variety of flutes, including Western, Indian, Native American, recorder, PVC pipe, and Colombian flutes. Seema (16) is a junior at Apex High School, and Sindhu (19) is a sophomore at NCSU.
 (At left) Denton Dodd, Mary Croghan, Annette Rogers and Vicki High participated in Asheville Flute Vacation, a week-long session for adult flutists to study with Kate Steinbeck and Lea Kibler in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville (NC). The next session is being offered September 8-14, 2008.
Helen Spielman taught classes in performance anxiety at Wildacres Flute Retreat, the International Native American Flute Association Convention, the NFA Convention, and the British Flute Society Convention. Helen's next four-part workshop of "Performance Anxiety from Inside Out" will be held in Chapel Hill on Tuesday evenings in September (Sept 9-30, 6 to 8:00 p.m.) at the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont. Call (919) 966-5500 for details and registration.
Rosene Rohrer and students Claire Nickerson and Aarti Thakkar provided dinner music for residents of The Heritage in north Raleigh.
 (At right) High school graduate Christine Meng traveled to Ukraine for a two-week outreach music program for about 40 children and youth. Christine taught flute, piano and handchimes classes each day and was especially grateful to RAFA teachers Rosene Rohrer and Ann Pearce, who provided instruments, music and lots of helpful teaching ideas! Upon returning to Raleigh, Christine quickly packed her bags to begin early summer classes at Virginia Tech, where she has received full scholarships to study flute and piano.
Claire Johnson, eighth grader at Carolina Friends School and flute student of Helen Spielman, attended UNC-G Band Camp. |
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The annual National Flute Association (NFA) Convention in Kansas City (MO) was a highlight for many RAFA members. We're especially proud of the RAFA flutists who were featured as convention artists and workshop presenters. Tom Mease and Mindy Yuan performed in the High Winds Flute Orchestra; Mindy Yuan also auditioned successfully to participate in the High School Flute Choir; Tadeu Coelho performed in an evening gala concert, led an Amateur 30+ Masterclass, and presented the class "Three Steps to Glory" with demonstrations from his flute studio at UNC School of the Arts, and served as panelist for a discussion of attaining peak performance; Nancy Schneeloch-Bingham coordinated the Baroque Flute Masterclass Competition; Ann Pearce's flute choir arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High" won the Newly Published Music Competition, "Wexford Carol" was selected as a finalist and "Upon that Holy Night" received honorable mention; Helen Spielman presented several classes--"Returning to the Flute as an Adult," "Peak Performance Through Mental Visualization," and a pre-convention session on performance anxiety; Kate Steinbeck served as a judge for the Young Artist Competition and also performed with her chamber ensemble Acoustic Dessert; Beth Kupsco helped staff the ALRY exhibit booth; and Rosene Rohrer wrote convention reports for the NFA website. Other RAFA members spotted at the convention were Catherine LeGrand, Larry James, Claire Johnson, and Mark & Judith Thomas.
We also want to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments and performances of the following former RAFA members who were featured in this year's NFA Convention in a variety of ways. It was great to reconnect with these talented flutists who participated in RAFA events and touched our lives while they were living in North Carolina and are now involved in exciting careers across the country. Martha Aarons, former principal flutist of the NC Symphony and recently retired from the Cleveland Orchestra, was featured in a gala concert and another morning recital and also led a masterclass for winners of the Masterclass Performers Competition.
 Martha Long, (at right) former student of Helen Spielman and currently studying with Jim Walker in southern California, was selected as a winner in the Masterclass Performers Competition and also won second place in the Orchestral Audition Competition. Leslie Marrs, former RAFA board member and graduate of UNC-G who is now professor flute at Drake University in Iowa, performed in a world music solo recital and as member of a flute-guitar duo. Alyce Johnson, former student of Brooks de Wetter-Smith at UNC who then performed with Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra and now with Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, served as a judge for the Orchestral Audition Competition, performed in a headliner concert, and in a Virtuosic Variations recital. Kelly Nivison, graduate of ASU, performed with the Florida State University Graduate Flute Ensemble. Rebecca Dunnell, graduate of UNC-G and current flute professor at Northwest Missouri State and president of Kansas City Flute Association which hosted the convention, participated in two flute club panel discussions, conducted a flute choir reading session, and performed a new work for flute/alto flute and electronics.
Mark your calendars now for next year's NFA Convention to be held August 13-16, 2009 in New York City. Featured guest artist? James Galway! Stay tuned.
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Click on the ads below to
learn more about these
RAFA 2008-2009 Sponsors
Visit our sponsor page for a complete listing of RAFA corporate and individual sponsors! |
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Concerts You Don't Want to Miss!
September 28
Mary Jo White (flute) and Benjamin Boone (composer)
2:00 p.m
Carswell Recital Hall, Meredith College
Free for RAFA members; $10 general admission
See article above
October 26
Raleigh Flute Choir
7:00 p.m.
Carswell Recital Hall, Meredith College
October 28
Nathan Zalman, flute
7:30 p.m.
Person Recital Hall, UNC
New music for flute and virtual instruments |
It's Time to Renew
All RAFA memberships expired on June 30. Renew your membership to stay connected and informed by sending in the membership application and membership dues ($15 students, $25 adults). Since 1985, RAFA has established itself as one of the most successful and active flute associations across the country, and it is all because of your participation and involvement. We are excited about the upcoming season and look forward to several fabulous opportunities to learn and share the great art of flute playing! |
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RAFA Pride! Check out the RAFA T! This attractive shirt is available in light blue or black in adult S, M, L, XL. Perfect for guys and gals. $15 at all RAFA events and by mail. Visit our website for to see a photo and to download an online order form. | |
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