Florida Flute Association Article #1

Hey Everyone!! As a member of the Florida Flute Association (FFA), I was able to provide an article to their monthly member newsletter! I do plan to write more to explain some of the projects I have coming up but here's my first article!

Beyond the Symphony: Symphonic Metal Flute™
Sara Vertanen | www.youtube.com/SaraVertanen

Flute is an incredibly diverse instrument that can perform countless styles and genres. Though it’s typically typecast into classical, dainty, or new-age musical genres, one genre yet to be well explored is Heavy Metal. If you ask most people to describe metal music, they’ll often describe is as loud screaming with inaudible lyrics; but that’s not quite the case. Like the flute, metal music is incredibly diverse. One sub-genre that is often overlooked is Symphonic Metal. This type of metal combines classical elements, such as chamber choirs and full orchestra complete with strings, winds, and percussion with the standard elements of rock and metal music such as guitars, bass, drums, and keys. The singers are often classically trained in opera or other chamber-style vocals. Most notable bands include Nightwish, Epica, and Within Temptation.

Both classical and metal music require a high caliber of technical performance. Merging these styles creates an audience immersive experience that excites and inspires!  Symphonic Metal Flute is a concept that describes the use of the flute to replace (typically) female soprano vocals commonly in Symphonic Metal Bands to harmoniously contrast with the harsh elements of distorted guitars, deep bass, and fast drums. Due to many of the similarities between singing and flute playing, replacing the vocals with flute was a smooth transition.

I started my YouTube channel to share a new concept of music where flute can take the lead and can be heard over a heavy and intense ensemble. With a variety of experimentation with tone and recording techniques, there are many ways that flute can be utilized. One instance is the use of guitar distortion and effects. In my YouTube cover of Epica’s song, “Storm the Sorrow”, during a portion which would be growled or screamed by a male vocalist, the flute is played using multiphonics on the ‘low B’ note and varying harmonics of jet blowing, processed using guitar distortion, reverb, and other effects which produces what is termed, “Flute Growls”. Not only can flute be beautifully layered on top of fast and aggressive harmonies, it can expand into using other various extended techniques and amplification/electrification methods.  

While getting started with expanding and exploring all that is possible with Symphonic Metal Flute, my channel has reached viewers who would otherwise not have pursued flute as an instrument of choice. Using the Symphonic Metal genre as a way to motivate and excite newer players, it can help increase player retention and encourage them to practice music more often. There is ample opportunity to enforce standard classical flute techniques when performing Symphonic Metal Flute Covers so that the student not only learns proper technique from their teacher, but also enjoys and looks forward to practicing these techniques.

Please feel free to check out my YouTube channel for more examples in which Flute can be expressed in different genres and subscribe to stay tuned for further developments in the world of Symphonic Metal Flute.