Funky Flute Groove Experience (Flute + Electronics, w. optional E. Guitar + DJ/Turntablist)
                    (2008; 6')

                    Click to view or print Flute part; please let me know if you perform this.
                    Click to view or print Electric Guitar part; please let me know if you perform this.

     Funky Flute Groove Experience is in a similar vein to my three Urban Dance Music pieces, in that it draws its inspiration from contemporary popular music — in this case funk (the others are derived from blues, rock, and jazz) — and is for solo instrument plus electronics. This piece, however, can also be played with electric guitar and DJ/turntablist. The optional electric guitar part is fully notated, but there is room for improvisation should the guitarist like to do so. In particular, the two choruses of guitar solo at the end of the minor blues section can be improvised. The optional DJ/Turntablist part is fully improvised. FFGE was written from April to June, 2008, and premiered in July of the same year at the Newfoundland Sound Symposium.
    The title is whimsical; I Googled "flute, funk" and noticed that the words "groove" and "experience" also came up fairly frequently in the search results, so I just shuffled the word order a bit until I came up with this one, which seemed in keeping with the spirit of playfullness in the music.
    Flutist Christine Gangelhoff was a collegue for a year (2006-07), during which she founded and directed a Klezmer ensemble and a Shape-Note singing group, worked with local artists including several performances with a DJ/Turntablist, and performed all her other teaching duties admirably. The idea for Funky Flute Groove Experience came after watching her perform with the DJ/Turntablist, who, as it transpired, was unexpectedly unavailable for FFGE's premiere, but we were able to find an excellent replacement at the last minute in Debashish Sinha, who was in St. John's for a different Sound Symposium performance, and who created a wonderfully-inspired improvised part for which I was extremely gratefull.
    The premiere took place during the Newfoundland Sound Symposium on July 10, 2008, at the LSPU Hall in St. John's, with Christine Gangelhoff (flute), Debashish Sinha (DJ/turntablist), and myself (electric guitar).

    • Funky Flute blogged!
    • Funky Flute at MacJams.com.

     © Clark Winslow Ross

(version with MIDI flute and LIVE guitar (me)) (version with MIDI flute but without guitar) (MIDI version without flute or guitar (i.e., for live performance)) If you would like to perform this, contact me and I will send you a CD-quality recording of the electronics tracks (with or without guitar).

Other flute compositions you may enjoy: Toontown Follies (fl/vibe/pno; 2007) Memory Quilt (fl/pno; 1999)