Joannie Madden

[gorjuswrex]

Great player. Mighty example of her with Brian Conway, Billy Mc Comiskey and Felix making wonderful music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VVozXGoRzA


My reason for posting-

I think the sound and style she gets from the Metal Boehm is mighty. I've admired her playing for years. I know next to nothing about Boehm flutes. Obviously Joannie plays these in preference to the more usual system for Irish flute. Does anyone know if also plays simple system wooden flute. To me if I didn't know I would think that is what she is playing. For other metal Boehm players I've heard I would say they don't sound quite the same. Just wondered why she goes for Metal Boehm in preference. I have some idea of the relative merits of simple v. Boehm; I'm particularly wondering if anyone knows what Joannie herself says on the subject.

[Denny]

there is a bit in this http://www.chiffandfipple.com/joanie.html

I think that the Boehm was what she could get when she started playing flute.

[an seanduine]

I notice she is not using a truly 'classical' grip on her right hand. I can't tell if she is using a plateau or open-holed keyed flute.
Having had the pleasure of attending a Masters' Class with Jimmy (now Sir James) Galway, I can attest to the fact that a trained embouchure can get any darned sound you might want out of a modern cut embouchure. . . .
I think by shortening up on her right hand grip she gets a little snappier response on the taps and rolls. . . and she's got to have a very well adjusted mechanism to cut down on key clatter. . . .
My tup'pence worth. . .
Bob

[Denny]

plateau....I think

I don't believe she cuts with a right hand finger (L1 or L3)
The Boehm reacts differently to cuts

There is quite a bit in Grey Larsen's book about her adaptations

[jim stone]

'I play a solid silver heavy weight Miyazawa (Japanese make) concert flute.'
from Dale's interview. I believe this is a very expensive flute.
When they get this good the keys are very quiet to silent.
Bet the ranch it has 'open' holes.

[s1m0n]

Great player. Mighty example of her with Brian Conway, Billy Mc Comiskey and Felix making wonderful music.

Check out the CD:

Just wondered why she goes for Metal Boehm in preference. I have some idea of the relative merits of simple v. Boehm; I'm particularly wondering if anyone knows what Joannie herself says on the subject.

Joannie posts here form time to time, so she might answer directly, but if I'm remembering correctly, she began playing at a time when wooden flutes were extremely difficult to find, particularly in north America*. A friend of her father's was going to Ireland, and he offered to try and find a flute for Joannie. When he returned, it was to say that he'd no luck finding a wooden flute, but he did have a silver flute for her. She was disappointed, but has since made peace with her flute.

*Even the great Mike Rafferty was reduced to playing a boehm flute when he started playing again until he met Patrick Olwell.

[Denny]

yep....they don't seem to offer closed hole

they aren't terribly expensive (a bit over $12k fer silver)

does come with Straubinger Pads
and, I think, a headjoint.....

[Akiba]

One significant adaptation JM has made to play ITM on the Boehm is to use R2 instead of the recommended R3 finger for F#--I believe it makes rolls possible as well as playing in the key of D a bit easier.

For my ear, I still think the metal flute lacks that extra character that comes from a wood flute. Hard to describe but it's like the metal flute is too even and smooth, too in tune throughout the scale; lacks the "crunchy" bits to my ears, similar to the "uneven" sound of the Uillean pipes but to a lesser degree.

[Denny]

I've never met anyone that wasn't a classically abused flute player that used XXX OOX for f#

[Akiba]

I've never met anyone that wasn't a classically abused flute player that used XXX OOX for f#

That would be me. The classical fingering above does get a better, more in-tune, fatter sounding f#, FWIW.

[Denny]

yep.....drives the sax players crazy though

[deisman]

Joannie is an amazing player - I think she can get that sound because that is the sound she is after. I'm sure if she wanted a dark crunchy sound she would make it sound that way.

I'd stumbled across that video before while looking for vids of her. Thanks for sharing.

Deisman

[Cathy Wilde]

When I played with her at an Augusta session a few years ago I remember noting it as a closed-hole flute, or else the holed keys were corked.
Of course, I was mostly focusing on not humiliating myself in front of her, so it was a bit of a blur ...

[gorjuswrex]

Joannie posts here form time to time, so she might answer directly, but if I'm remembering correctly, she began playing at a time when wooden flutes were extremely difficult to find, particularly in north America*. A friend of her father's was going to Ireland, and he offered to try and find a flute for Joannie. When he returned, it was to say that he'd no luck finding a wooden flute, but he did have a silver flute for her. She was disappointed, but has since made peace with her flute.

*Even the great Mike Rafferty was reduced to playing a boehm flute when he started playing again until he met Patrick Olwell.

I have never played Boehm but would it be fair to say that as she is a whistle player she could easily swop to simple system wooden if she wanted now they are easily available?

[Denny]

I seem to remember her saying that she didn't want to....

CTL plays quite a bit in simple system not friendly keys