"The flute is the show-off of the wind section, the big shot: Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway — both millionaires. (How many millionaire bassoonists can you name real fast?) Well, that's fine. Everybody knows it's the hardest, blowing across a tiny hole with your head tilted all your life: it's like soloing on a pop bottle. The problem with the flute is that it vibrates your brain, and you start wearing big white caftans and smocks and eat roots and berries. You become a pantheist and sit in meadows, and you believe that all is one and God is everything — God is a column of air vibrating — and you know that's not right."
from Garrison Keillor's Lutheran Guide to the Orchestra
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
The Flute
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5 comments:
I had a recording of that bit at one time and loved it. He was so dead on with most of the instrument personality types.
Uhh, I'm not really sure I understood any of that, but Happy New Year!
I definitely need a white caftan.
I used to play sax before I went to flute. Hmm.
I need that recording, Kendall!
And umm... I don't see what's so wrong about thinking that God is a column of air vibrating...
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