The Breathing Book for Flute by Amy Likar
Published by Mountain Peak Music
37 pages; spiral bound
Flutist and piccoloist Amy Likar is a San Francisco Bay Area based performing and teaching artist. Equally at home in an orchestra, as a chamber musician or as a soloist, Amy is also a passionate and committed teacher of all ages. As a member of the Oakland Symphony, she is committed to the symphony’s mission of classical music for all and mentors for their Music for Excellence Program and advocates for music education on a regular basis. For almost twenty years she has been an innovator and educator for musicians’ wellness as a teacher of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique. She is the Director of Training for Andover Educators, a not-for-profit organization of music educators committed to saving, securing, and enhancing musical careers by providing accurate information about the body in movement. Amy has been a soloist and guest artist at colleges and universities throughout the United States and Europe and a frequent performer and presenter at conferences and conventions throughout the world and is a Powell Performing Artist. Dr. Likar holds Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor’s in Music Education and Flute Performance from Kent State University. Her flute teachers include Martha Aarons, Katherine Borst Jones, Randy Hester, Peter Lloyd and Tim Day. In 1991-92, Ms. Likar taught high school English in Swaziland, Southern Africa. As a licensed Andover Educator, Ms. Likar has presented “What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body” at the University of New Hampshire, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England, Cal Summer Arts, Holy Names University, Columbus State University (GA), Clayton State University, St. Olaf College, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and other venues across the county and Europe. Ms. Likar has presented the work at multiple conferences including National Flute Association Conventions, Performing Arts Medicine Association Symposiums and the Music Teachers National Association Tri-Conference. Ms. Likar has studied the Alexander Technique for over 20 years and received her teaching certification and training from the Alexander Training Institute of San Francisco, studying with Frank Ottiwell, Robert Britton, Larry Ball, Rome Earle, Simone Biase and John Coffin. She has also studied the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping over the past 20 years with Barbara Conable. She is a member of the American Society of the Alexander Technique (M.AmSAT) and Alexander Technique International. Ms. Likar maintains an active studio and coaches young students to professionals. She works with singers and instrumentalists on enhancing greater freedom and ease both physically and musically.
To breathe well means to breathe free of tension, and flutists who breathe well create a resonant tone quality. The Breathing Book provides concise information about breathing alongside etudes and activities encouraging application of this knowledge in musically meaningful ways. The Breathing Book teaches the truth about breathing, establishing a reliable foundation for improved resonance, articulation, and tone quality. ”
Being completely involved for over 60 years with the joys and tasks of breathing both for “life” and for wind playing, I found Amy Likar’s highly informative book a boon! I appreciate her thoroughness in discussing the breathing process by including invaluable exercises for our own “instrument” as well as our external ones. I am comforted to know that something that is so illusive as the breath process is explained coherently and enthusiastically. Having been blessed myself to study with the pupils of FM Alexander, the founder of the Alexander Technique, I will use this book as a perfect reference and self help guide. As the slogan taped atop my own flute case reads (courtesy YOGI TEAS), “The voice of your soul is breath,” I will carry forth with my own research and experience now supported by this wonderful new book. I salute Amy Likar for affirming all of this and so much more.” – Carol Wincenc
“The Breathing Book takes the mystery out of what we need to be aware of as we breathe and perform in everyday living and as flutists. This book gives me the tools to review and explore my breathing in clear and concise ways that I’ve never experienced before. A must read for any student or teacher of any instrument.” – Jeffery Zook, Flute and Piccolo, Detroit Symphony Orchestra
“Finally a book that details a simple but profound and complete way of breathing for a flutist! Amy Likar, through her studies of Alexander Technique and Body Mapping, offers us a way to understand the breathing mechanisms that are the real “engine” of our art. The book illustrates simple but effective exercises to improve and make natural an act that involves our whole life. Improving breathing is the fastest way to improve our sound, and this is even more true for the piccolo! Surely I will adopt this text for my lessons and I will recommend it to my piccolo students.” – Nicola Mazzanti, Solo Piccolo at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra (Italy), Piccolo Professor at the Milano Conservatory (Italy), Piccolo teacher at the Luzern Hochschule and Lugano Conservatory (Switzerland)
“Amy Likar’s Breathing Book is an invaluable contribution to flute pedagogical literature. It is full of clear explanations of the facts of breathing, is easy to read and understand; a fascinating book to enjoy and refer to for both teacher and student.” – Sarah Newbold, B.A. (Hons), A.R.C.M., L.R.A.M., Senior Fellow H.E.A., Licensed Andover Educator, Professor of Flute, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, United Kingdom
“At last, a book on breathing for flute players. The Breathing Book for Flute is extremely readable and has everything for student and teacher alike. It is an invaluable addition to the flute repertoire and takes away all the breathing myths – a must for serious flutists!” – Philippa Davies, B.mus (Hons), A.R.C.M., Flutist of the Nash Ensemble and London Winds, Professor of Flute, Guildhall School of Music and Drama United Kingdom, Licensed Andover Educator
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