February Feature – The Piccolo

THE PICCOLO

This month features all things piccolo from some informal interviews with some good friends to a list of resources for all the piccolo players out there.  We even had a simple Facebook post turn into a much larger event than we could have possibly anticipated.  The piccolo is a mighty little instrument that is developing into a respected solo instrument.  Every year more and more works are being commissioned and performed for this pocket-sized powerhouse and the piccolo is finally earning a place as a virtuoso instrument.  Several builders have answered the call to create quality instruments with more accurate scales and new mechanisms allowing the instrument to reach new heights (pun intended)

 

 

INTERVIEWS

This month we thought it would be fun to interview four individuals who have strong ties to the world of the piccolo.  We asked all four of them the same questions so that we could compare their unique and individual answers.  There were so many options when it came to choosing who we wanted to interview and narrowing it down was difficult.  We decided on a performer, a teacher, a composer, and a technician.  We knew that these categories would provide some interesting angles but also, they are so completely intertwined and one couldn’t exist without the other.  Ultimately, we chose the individuals because of their specific contributions to the piccolo and It didn’t hurt that they are also our friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT DO THEY PLAY – PART II

It happened one day, simply by curiosity, that we happen to ask some of our friends and colleagues what was their choice of piccolo.  We were completely shocked when the post exploded with responses.  We thought it might be nice to share our findings from this informal poll.  Piccolos and their players vary so widely and not many companies support “Piccolo Artists,” like they do the flute counterparts so this list and infographic are meant to show the current preferences of the respondents as well as list a few names of people we know and love.  The information provided here may be subject to change and was done out of curiosity and for fun.

OUR FAVORITE PICCOLO RESOURCES

We have compiled a list of links to some of our favorite resources for the piccolo.  These represent resources that we use regularly and thought that they might be of use to some of you.  We would love to know which links you found helpful or if there are links that you think should be added, let us know!

 

TIPS AND TRICKS

Share your favorite piccolo tip or trick.  We have all had “that section” of a piece of music that seems impossible to work around, so how did you do it?  Let us know!

 

 

 

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This issue of The Flute Examiner is dedicated in memory

of Carl Hall and Morgan WIlliams