We are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of AMEB Flute Series 4 Preliminary to Grade 4 publications.
We sat down with Jocelyn Fazzone, the consultant for these publications, to discuss how these books have taken shape and her key considerations when choosing repertoire.
Guiding principles of the latest AMEB Flute Series
"I had four basic principles throughout the process.
Firstly, all the pieces had to be of the highest possible musical quality and of maximum appeal to students and teachers to keep the students engaged and loving playing their instruments. It was especially important that there weren't pieces that nobody would play because that's a waste of space and a wasted opportunity.
It was, of course, important that the selections were educationally staged according to the parameters of each grade and progressed in logical stages.
Important to me also was the stylistic diversity."
AMEB Flute Series 4 grade books include renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, modern, classical, freestyle swing, blues, Latin jazz, ragtime, and rock pieces, as well as some multicultural selections of folk music from parts of Asia, Eastern Europe and Great Britain.
Sourcing repertoire for the latest AMEB Flute Series 4
"I used many resources to select the repertoire.
First of all, one of my main hobbies for many years has been collecting flute repertoire. So, I had a lot of repertoires to draw from here, some of which I hadn't gotten around to looking at. It was a great impetus for me to look carefully at everything I had.
And then the [AMEB] Federal Office put me in touch with the music suppliers Devirra, Hal Leonard, and Encore. Fortunately, in Sydney, we have a specialist flute repertoire shop, Syrinx Music, and I was able to go there. And the Sydney Conservatorium Library came in handy.
Lastly, of course, the Australian Music Centre and Australian composers of flute music were known to me.
And did I discover new repertoire in the process? — I certainly did!"
Repertoire selection for the latest AMEB Flute Series
"In all the lists of every grade, I've used a mixture of keys and time signatures. So students don't always play in the same key and don't always play in 4/4. Instead, they have a mixture of slower, moderate, and faster tempi pieces and articulation types to keep up their learning progression.
Female composers feature in every book. Every book includes character pieces with descriptive titles so that students' imaginations are sparked. Hopefully, they get the hang of trying to tell a story through their flute playing. Melting ice-cream (one of my favourites) by Ross Edwards is in the Preliminary grade book. Insects by Alan Haughton in Grade 1, and another favourite is Grandmother tells a ghost story by Theodor Kullak in Grade 3.
Every book includes duets for two flutes. Students will be able to work on their intonation and, matching styles, ensemble skills, and especially have fun. Students always love to play duets.
We've included more classical period pieces in these books. The last series didn't have very much from this era. I think it's important that students learn that the music from that period is absolutely wonderful.
We had a piece specifically composed for us for Grade 2 – Dancing Lorikeets by Carolyn Morris. That's pretty exciting. And on that note, a number of wonderful Australian composers have been really happy to have their pieces adapted to the appropriate levels, which has been fabulous. A big thanks to them.
We're very fortunate and appreciative that we were allowed to include five pieces in every list for every grade. That gives us a good selection and the opportunity for teachers to enhance the growth of their students and not just learn the one piece that might be appealing from that particular list.
I'm excited about students accessing the material in these books."
The repertoire is selected to support the development of flute students at all levels.
Workshop event with Jocelyn Fazzone in 2023
Join us online with Jocelyn Fazzone for a free Teachers’ Workshop exploring the new publications.
When: Sunday 26 February 2023, 2pm AEDT
Where: Online via Zoom
Register here: https://bit.ly/3z9Ie4G
Jocelyn Fazzone
Jocelyn Fazzone is a well-known Sydney-based flute teacher, performer and pianist. Her musical career is busy and varied - she teaches at the Sydney Conservatorium High School and has a large private studio. She is the Woodwind Chief examiner (NSW), an AMEB Federal examiner and performs with the Windfall quintet. She enjoys combining her instrumental roles by working as an associate artist on piano with some of Sydney's leading flautists and accompanying her own students to give insight into the interpretation of repertoire. She is also a music editor, publisher and author of pedagogical flute works.
