Master Flutist, Teacher and Pedagogue

Robert Cavally (1906-1994)

Presenters:

Bootsie K. Mayfield

Mark Thomas

Ronda Ford

Leonard Garrison

Joan Cavally

“One of the goals of teaching is to produce a person who has the ability to understand and implement the skills of his/her art. A student’s mastery of these skills is determined by the teacher’s ability to develop a high level of self-concept in their students….a self-concept that enables latent capabilities to arise from within each individual. It has been my experience that the success of this process depends on the ability of the teacher to understand and motivate each student as an individual. This is a teaching skill in which Robert Cavally excelled. He trained his students in all the fundamentals that build within each one of them the ability to think and create on an individual basis. This approach developed the high level of individuality necessary for continued growth and fruition as a musician.” “Tribute To A Master Teacher” Bootsie K. Mayfield

Very few, if any, flute teachers in history have designed a comprehensive and progressive system for teaching the fundamental skills, among which are embouchure development, breath control, tone development, technical development, articulation, stylistic interpretation and many other components as did Robert Cavally. If flutists, whether teacher or student, use his material out of sequence or ignore his editorial markings, they totally miss the developmental process for which they were intended.”

From “The Cavally Legacy” by Bootsie K. Mayfield

Presentation at the 1995 NFA Convention

Robert Cavally’s Life and Career

Recognized in International Who’s Who in Music, Music and Dance in the Central States, and My Complete Story of the Flute by Leonardo De Lorenzo

Ancestors: Great- Great Grandfather – Flutist in the Court of Frederick the Great

Descendent of Baron Leopold Christian Burckhardt of Germany (1786-1868)

Great Grandmother – Sophia Burckhardt (1824-1866) married Louis Cavally

Leopold Burckhardt and 2 sons – Founders and Owners of Cincinnati Oil Works in 1880’s

Parents: Father - Frederick L. Cavally Jr. (1878-1962) – Famous Graphic Design Artist

Mother - Pearl M. Cavally (1882-1908)

Step Mother- Ina Phillips Cavally (1883 – 1967)

Education: Business studies – University of Colorado (excellent business man but love of the flute prevailed)

BM- Cincinnati Conservatory of Music

Graduate work - Paris Conservatory

Teachers: Ary van Leeuwen, Phillipe Gaubert, and Marcel Moyse

Personal Life: Married: Roberta Timmons Cavally (Commercial Artist) (1908 – 1951)

Daughter - (Baby Girl Cavally) (Oct. 9, 1934 – Oct. 29, 1934)

Son – Christopher Cavally (1943-1997)

Widow – Joan Harrison Cavally (Married 1955)

Home: Historic BenPittman/Robert Cavally Mansion on the banks of the Ohio River

Listed on National Historic Registry – Built 1884 by Ben Pittman (1822-1910), Architect and Art Instructor at the Cincinnati Art Academy– Purchased in cash by Robert Cavally in 1939

27 foot cathedral ceilings, elaborate wood carvings, 9 foot doors with silver plated hinges, stained glass windows, verandas, porches, terraces and garden statues - Architecture is cross between a Swiss chalet and an Italian Villa

Panoramic views of Ohio River, Hills of Kentucky and Downtown Cincinnati

Hobbies: Expert Horseman and Sheriff Assistant in Denver Colorado while in High School. Animal Lover, furniture builder and wood carver,

excellent writer, worked with William S. Haynes on flute design and extra keys, loved entertaining colleagues, family, friends, and

students.

Career: Flutist in theatre orchestras accompanying silent movies, flutist for chamber ensembles in the lobby of the famous Brown Palace Hotel.

Toured with Sopranos, Lily Pons, Pearl Besumer and Mary Moore of the New York Metropolitan Opera; Piccolo Soloist with John Philip

Sousa Band, Orchestral Flutist and Soloist with the NBC Radio Network, WLW Radio Orchestra, Paris Opera, Armco Band, Dayton

Philharmonic, Cincinnati Summer Opera Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for28 years, First Flutist with the Dayton

Philharmonic.

Flutist for famous conductors: John Phillip Sousa, Arturo Toscanini, Fritz Reiner, Eugene Goosen Thor Johnson, Max Rudolf, Georges Enesco, and

Igor Stravinsky. Autographed photographs lined the walls of his studio.

Professor of Flute and Woodwind Ensembles: Professor of Flute and Woodwind Ensembles, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (1938-

1979), Professor of Flute for Xavier University and Private Studios in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Retired Professor Emeritus, University

of Cincinnati- College Conservatory of Music.

1st Editor and Contributor for the “Flute Forum” published by W. T. Armstrong Company (1959): Worked in collaboration with the great flutists of his

time,(i.e.,Emil Medicus, Leonardo De Lorenzo, William Kincaid, Marcel Moyse, Albert Tipton, Betty Bang Mather, Byron Hester, Walfrid

Kujala, Mark Thomas, etc.) As Editor of the “Flute Forum”, he wrote many articles including the Editor’s Corner, Questions and Answers

by the Editor, and Master Lesson Plans.

Famous Works dedicated to Robert Cavally: Andraud Barthe, “Suite”, Henry Brant- “Colloquy and Temperamental Mobiles”, Willis Cherkowsky-

“Concerto”, Serge DeGastyne “Partita”, Felix Labunski- “Air for Alto flute”, William Latham – “Fantasy Concerto”, Van Leeuwen –

“Tarantelle, Soliloquy and Danse Sacral”, George List – “Memoire” and “Scherzino”, George McKay – “Christmas Morning Suite”, Fred

Noak- “Scherzo”

Premiered: “Concertino” by Cecile Chaminade while studying and performing at the Paris Conservatory in Paris, France.

Samples of Famous Students and their affiliations:

Rochelle Doepke – Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Jack Wellbaum – Piccolo and Personnel Manager – Cincinnati Symphony,

David Vornholdt – Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Joane Bennett – Chicago Symphony, Concert Ramoreaux,Paris, France, Robert Patrick – Detroit Symphony, Jacob Berg - St. Louis Symphony,

James Hamilton – Kansas City Symphony, Gary Peppers – San Diego U.S. Army Band,

Robert Gifford – Navy Band,Huntsville, AL SymphonyDonald McGinnis – Ohio State University,

Overda PagePenn State, Ohio State, Wilmington College,Ruth Royer – University of South Dakota,

Sarah Baird Fouse – University of Florida, Helen Grambiehler – University of Washington

James Riley – University of Cincinnati, Rodney Hill - Eastern Michigan University

Carol Torrence- University of Virginia. Sara Nichols Landgren– AnnapolisSymphony

Elizabeth Brown – Philharmonic Virtuosi of New YorkJames Petty – Conductor, Jacksonville, TN Symphony

Lana Johns – Florida Southern UniversityMary Ellen Porter – Florida Junior College

Linda Brunner – University of MaineGil Byerman – Wittenberg College

Alice Aikens – Butler UniversityMartha Rearick – Univ. of South Florida Accompanist for Julius Baker

William Foster – Dayton PhilharmonicDiane Gilley – Dayton Philharmonic & Wright State University

Kenneth Powell – University of Pittsburg

Joan Harrison Cavally, Free Lance Flutist, Univ. of Cincinnati & Edgecliff College

Bootsie Mayfield – Auburn University, Dallas Baptist University, Rollins College & Gardner-Webb University

Cavally Students who have been recipients of NFA Lifetime Achievement Awards: Jacob Berg & Jack Wellbaum

Contributions to Flute World: Edited and compiled over 200 Publications for Flute and Woodwinds placing them in a sequential and progressive order according to levels of difficulty. Works include – 22 Method Books, (Famous Melodious & Progressive Studies) 6 Solo Collections for flute and piano, (including 24 Short Concert Pieces) 60 Solos for Flute and Piano, 58 works for Flute with other instruments, 14 Flute Ensembles. The true value of these books exists in the careful editing and sequential order of major flute works which present a progressive study for the development of breath control, technique, embouchure and style.

Teaching Style: Diagnostic and Prescriptive, Progressive and Developmental, Detailed and Analytical, 5 Tier Approach of (1) Tone Studies, (2) Velocity Studies, (3) Scale Studies,(4) Method Book, (5) Solo Repertoire. Specific goals for each assignment. Taught verbally using illustrations. Master of communication. Task Master. Willingly taught any student interested in learning. Robert Cavally maintained a rigorous teaching schedule teaching day and night in order to accommodate his busy performance schedule. Robert Cavally instilled in each student the love of the flute and of music.

Robert Cavally Catalog: Works are carefully edited with articulations and breath markings, Method Books contain famous studies by Andersen, Kohler, Gariboldi,Terschak, Boehm, and others,organized into Progressive and Developmental order and containing both lyrical and technical studies in various styles. Solo Collections are carefully edited and put into various levels of study containing works by famous composers from all periods of music. Brilliantly designed to be interrelated. All works designed for each level of development.

Teaching Techniques available for the first time: In process of writing at time of his death. Bequeathed to Bootsie K. Mayfield, Robert Cavally Protégé, to compile, edit and publish. Published in 12 volumes of 3 books in 4 levels. The Developmental and Progressive Studies of Robert Cavally consist of Tone Studies, Velocity Studies, and Scale Studies. Primer and Book 1 levels currently in print. Level 2 and 3 books to be published in 2014. Hal Leonard, Inc. is the exclusive publisher of the entire Robert Cavally Catalog.

*Special Thanks to Joan Cavally for her efforts in saving the Cavally Library by securing all copyrights and transferring the ownership to Bootsie K. Mayfield who is the Curator of the Robert Cavally Library.

Hal Leonard Corporation

Exclusive Publisher and Distributor of the Robert Cavally Catalog

Words of Wisdom (Quotes) from Robert Cavally

On Teaching:

A student is not born being a great flutist, they must be developed…
To be a good teacher, the student must always come first…
You cannot force someone to learn. Give them as much as they want to know but don’t waste your energy on those that are not willing to work…
On rote teaching: Do what I say; you don’t want to imitate me…
On developing a good tone: It is the player, not the instrument…
Learn the formula, don’t memorize or read from a book…
Design a lesson plan for each student. Don’t let them select their own material. If they knew what they needed to learn, they wouldn’t need a teacher…
Select exercises and solos which are a challenge but within the reach of the student. Never select material which the student does not have the skill or background to master at the correct tempo…
Never allow your students to call you by your first name. The teacher must always be the authority figure…
There is no such thing as a natural embouchure. Like everything else, a good embouchure must be developed…

Advice for Students:

Don’t waste your time learning extended techniques until you are ready. If you can’t play your instrument with a good tone quality and proper technique you are wasting time. The fundamentals of good flute playing must always come first…
What good is it to play fast if you have lousy tone?
Even if you’re on your deathbed, get up and do your tone studies. Then go back and die…
When in doubt, trill…
If you are always concerned about being better than another person, at best, that is all you will be; but if you compete with yourself, the sky is the limit…
If you can’t play something slow, you can’t play it fast.”
In teaching students to acknowledge rests for their proper duration and not barge ahead. “Have a beer, eat a sandwich, and takeyour time.”
Talent is 10% and hard work is 90% of success.”
In Ensemble playing: Play your part to the best of your ability and remember that the last part is just as important as the first…
If you focus on the music and what the composer is trying to convey, you won’t have time to be nervous. You will have too many things to think about... the performance is not about you…it’s about the music!
Never think that you know everything for there is something to be learned from everyone, even the very worst flutist…
When someone compliments you on your playing, don’t stand there and tell them all the things you did wrong. The time for critical analysis is at your lesson. Don’t convince someone who thinks you did well that they don’t know what they are talking about……just smile and accept their compliment...
If you are going to mess up at least do it with gusto…
A performance is never better than your best practice…
Performers are human beings and a performance will never be perfect. There is always something that can be improved. The day you walk off the stage thinking the performance could not have been any better is the day you need to quit!
A person’s greatest strength is also their biggest weakness…

On Life:

Don’t be concerned when someone speaks ill of you. Remember that if people aren’t talking about you it is because you are not doing anything…

On Professional Behavior:

Don’t tear down your fellow flutists. We are all in this field together and the more successful we are as individuals, the more opportunities we will create for our colleagues…