Artist Bio
Lauren Glass (USA)
Lauren Glass is described as having an appreciation for tone color and musical imagination. She began her flute studies at the age of nine with Bonnie Blanchard. Over the years, she has performed locally and nationally, both as a soloist and as part of several ensembles. Lauren has been a principal with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and has performed as a member of the Academy Chamber Orchestra, the Roosevelt High School Symphony Orchestra and many smaller chamber groups.
Lauren has been seen soloing with numerous orchestras. Her debut was with the Musicians Emeritus Orchestra in 2007. Since then she has soloed with the Philharmonia Northwest after winning the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival Concerto competition in 2009 and the Academy Chamber Orchestra. In May 2010, she soloed with the Seattle Symphony for a three concert set.
Lauren has been successful in competitions around the region. Her achievements include 1st place for solo flute in the Washington State Solo and Ensemble competition in 2009, 1st place for her woodwind quintet in 2007 and 2008 and 2nd place for her flute duet in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Nationally, Lauren won 2nd place at the Music Teachers National Association Woodwind competition in 2009 after having won at the state and regional levels earlier that year. She has participated in the Horsfall competition sponsored by the Seattle Flute Society and won 1st in the lower division in 2006 and 1st in the upper division in 2009. She has placed 1st in the Simon-Fiset Competition. For many years, she was awarded ‘Outstanding in Division’ in the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside and each year was a concerto finalist.
In the fall of 2010, Lauren will study flute with Donna Shin at the University of Washington as well as explore her interests in other areas. Besides flute, she loves to read, go running, rock climb, play guitar, spend time outdoors and cook.
Artist Interview
Lauren Glass (USA)
We had the opportunity to ask Lauren a few questions. Check out her thoughts on preparing for competitions, her typical practice routine as well as advice for upcoming flutists.
1. Why did you choose to play the flute?
I initially chose to play an instrument because my sister did and as the little sister, I wanted to do everything she did! I attended her middle school band concerts, and at one of the concerts, the wind ensemble played a piece that featured two flute soloists. I was utterly amazed by the way they sounded and looked and so I decided I wanted to play the flute. School band started in 4th grade in elementary school but I knew there were tons of flute players and I told my mom I didn't want to sit in the back row, so I decided to start taking lessons the summer after 3rd grade.
2. What does your typical practice routine look like?
My typical practice routine begins with tone work. I play chromatic scales starting on low C working my way up the scale. My focus is mainly on warming up my whole body, from my breathing, to movement, to hand position, to lips, to air flow. I move on to technical work, which varies but currently is a mix of etudes, and of course Taffannel and Gaubert. Next, I move on to solo repertoire. Depending on the level I'm at in working on pieces or any upcoming performances this can include memorization work, collaboration with a pianist, style and phrasing work, or technical mastery. I work on anywhere from 2 to 5 pieces at once, and usually practice about 2-3 pieces a day.
3. What music are you currently inspired by?
I just recently played in a concerto concert at my school, where we played six concertos. I love to hear other instruments solo because I believe you can learn so much about phrasing and performing from watching other instruments. I was especially inspired by the rendition of Barber's Violin Concerto because I love the way that every violinist I've heard play this piece has approached it from a very different place. I appreciate when I hear soloists truly take a piece and play it in a way no one else has.
4. What musician has had the largest influence on your playing?
I would say that Michel Debost has had the largest influence on my flute playing. Early on I was able to attend his Summer Flute Institute at Oberlin for two summers. This was the first time I was truly introduced to different ways of working on technique and tone. It was here that I started working out of the Taffanel and Gaubert etude book and I still incorporate many of these exercises into my playing today. Additionally, Debost's book "The Simple Flute" allowed me to think about flute playing in a completely new way, and is a great resource for anyone feeling particularly frustrated with aspects of their playing.
5. You have competed in and won many competitions, what preparation tips can you give to others? How do you conquer nerves?
As far as preparing for competitions, the key for me is to practice sufficiently in the same environment that I will be competing in. I mock the competition conditions in ways like inviting an audience to listen to me, practicing in the dress and heels I will be wearing, running up and down the stairs then trying to play (to stimulate being nervous and out of breath). If a piece needs to be performed memorized I practice playing memorized in stressful situations, such as in front of people in a recital situation or first thing when I wake up and haven't warmed up. You can't say a piece is memorized concretely unless it has been tested many times, and I never feel comfortable competing memorized until I'm sure it won't fail. On the day of the competition to conquer nerves I always eat a banana a few hours before I will have to play and be sure to drink lots of water the day of as well. If possible I like to exercise earlier in the day before a competition because that always helps get extra jitters out. I used to struggle with getting a dry mouth from being nervous, and I've found that eating a small piece of dark chocolate before I play helps this a lot. For people who really struggle with stage fright, I have found it helpful in the few days or weeks before a competition to do some visualization of the performance as I am falling asleep. I go through the entire piece in my head, watching myself play successfully. This boosts confidence for the actual performance because it feels as though you have already played the competition many times before.
6. What upcoming performances do you have that you are currently looking forward to?
I am looking forward to giving a recital in March at school. It is my freshman year at the University of Washington and usually in my studio we each give one to two recitals a year. I will be playing memorized Mozart Concerto in D, the Nielsen Concerto, and the Muczynski Sonata. I always love preparing for recitals and am looking forward to giving my first college recital on my own!
7. What are your other passions outside of music?
I love to run, do yoga, rock climb, and when time (or the seasons) allow, go hiking or snowshoeing. Living in the northwest allows me to do tons of fun things outdoors and has so many easily accessible places to explore. My dorm is located right by a great trail to run on, and it makes it convenient to wake up and run before class. I also am a movie enthusiast, and love to read and cook. I'm looking forward to moving to an apartment with a real kitchen so I can do a lot more cooking! I also really enjoy volunteering, and for the past 4 years have volunteered at the Seattle Children's Hospital nearby. I enjoy traveling very much, although time and money doesn't allow much of it. Last year I went to Paris, and hopefully this summer I will be going to Israel.
8. How did you come to choose Miyazawa as your flute of choice?
I have now owned two different Miyazawa flutes and have absolutely loved both of them! I bought both of my flutes through the Seattle Flute Fair, which has booths for every different kind of flute. When choosing my flutes, I always did it "blind" where I didn't know what kind of flute I was playing. This helped me focus only on what I was hearing, instead of any biases towards particular flutes. Both times in the end, Miyazawa won out clearly over any other flute. It is clear to me that they are superior in all ways, and I have only been overjoyed with how they have helped me grow as a player.
9. If you have one piece of advice for an upcoming flutist, what would you tell them?
I would encourage upcoming flutists to play with people as much as they can. Even as I have participated in many solo competitions and performances and have enjoyed these greatly, the most joy has come from playing with other people. I have always played in my school orchestra, various small ensembles, and the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras. Some of my best friends have come from these groups, and each group I play with has taught me things about my own playing as well as given me a sense of belonging to a community of people I can relate to.