And The Wind Was Howlin’
Interview with Howlin’ Wind by Lucille Karenne
As I stood waiting at the door of local musician, Howlin’ Wind’, I could hear the cheerful shrieks from children coming from the inside. I was in the Otway’s Victoria, where lush forest and undulating hills meet the rugged southern ocean. I peered in through the glass door and a large figure came into view. A fifty something man, with wild, wooly, grey hair, flute in hand, wearing shorts and bare feet greeted me. This must be him. I introduced myself and I walked into what I knew was a musicians house. Acoustic and electric guitars were sitting on the vibrant red leather couch, orange maracas were next to a small ukulele on a coffee table, bookshelves filled Bach, Beethoven and the Beatles, music magazines sprawled across the carpet and a massive collection of vinyl records and cds stacked on top of each other, adjacent to the all time famous Vox amplifier. This place is a musician’s heaven.
This is Howlin’ Winds house and music has been his life and livelihood for over 50 years. Howlin’ Wind is a world renowned flute player and composer, who has made music his lifestyle, not just a career choice.
Just as we were about to sit down to a coffee and a few questions, a young girl with long, blonde hair, blue eyes and a cheeky grin poked her head out from behind her mothers apron, saying a quick “hello”, then running off. Howlin’ says his five kids are what he lives for.
His love for music began when he was a kid, listening to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix, just as every baby boomer did. I then asked why the flute? All these groups are rock n roll bands. Howlin’ said that during his visit to an optometrist “there was a funny old music shop next door.” Displayed in the front window was a flute. His face lit up, when he said “It was only $50 and I was thinking WOW, this is what Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull plays. Groovy.” At the age of 21 Howlin’s love for the flute began.
Howlin’ Wind ventured to London to study the flute with the world’s best players, hoping he would bump into Ian Anderson and get lessons. He never did. He studied with Sue Milan from the Royal London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jimmy Galway and William Bennett from the English Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of St Martias In The Field Orchestra. Howlin’ said “Bennett is the maestro on the flute. His was my mentor and teacher for eight years and now my life long friend.” Howlin’ still plays the “twenty-four scale patterns and arpeggios composed by Taffanel and Gaubert, Bennett taught me over 50 years ago”. This was in the days before he became Howlin’ Wind. Howlin’ said he would “practice like a freak, for 10 to 12 hours a day.” He said he was in love.
As AC/DC once said “It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll,” and this became evident to Howlin’ during his busking years in the Green Park underground railway station. For six years he took the morning shift busking in the tube, 7am till 10am, Monday to Saturday, playing everything from Danny Boy, Green sleeves, to The Sky Boat Song and she moved through the fair. Howlin’ said how “you try to play Mozart, Debussy and Faure`, but no one knew them and they didn’t bring in the money,” so he stuck to playing what everyone knew. Howlin’ was named the Greater London Council’s number one busker in 1980. He was also arrested six times and “kicked to bits” by gangs in the London tube for playing the flute. He said, “It was as if I had taken holy orders to devote my life to playing the flute”. Despite the ruthless gangs of the underground stations breaking four of his ribs, Howlin’s determination and passion to play the flute has continued to stay strong and sailed a steady course for over 50 years.
Life as Howlin’ Wind began when he returned home to Australia, where he developed his own individual, expressive style on the flute. He chuckled while he sipped his coffee he described how he gave writing flute music “a go” and “decided he loved it.” Howlin’ shifted his feet under the table and said he felt embarrassed talking about himself, yet happily told me of his love affair with music, the flute and “processes of practice, of dreaming of a flute piece, creating it, writing it, recording, engineering it and then producing that piece of flute music”. He then finished with “it’s my life.”
The name Howlin’ Wind came from the local fishermen in Apollo Bay. Howlin’ said, “They used to come into the pub, describing the weather conditions, saying “aah shit man, it’s wild out there” and that “the wind’s howlin”. Howlin’ said “They didn’t know they were giving me a stage name at the time.” He then began to tell me how he’d always loved blues names like “Ringo Star, BB King and Howlin’ Wolf,” and that Howlin’ Wind was another bluesy name.
Howlin’ Wind has written, recorded and produced 70 of his own albums and two cover albums over 50 years. Each album ranging in genres and style. Howlin’s music combines the sophisticated classical traditions of flute music, with earth folk roots. Each album breaking through with the considered post modern sound, combining elements of blues, rock, dance, techno and his own individual sound of the solo flute. All these aspects work together to create a flute recording unlike any other.
Howlin’ Wind records, produces and engineers all his own albums in Magnetic Heaven. Magnetic Heaven is his old style analogue studio. It sits on a verdant side of an undulating hill, overlooking the picturesque Bass Straight ocean. Howlin’ said He began building up his analogue and valve studio, “gathering bit by bit over 40 years”. Howlin’ said he would “scrounge old equipment” from wherever he could. His first piece of major equipment was a Tascan 234 four-channel cassette recorder, then an Otari eight track, then finally a Swiss Studer- twenty-four channel 2 inch tape recorder. Howlin’ passionately spoke about how he “loved the sound of the beautiful, old, Swiss Studer.” Howlin’ now uses a Dave Harrison mixing console, handcrafted in Nashville. These classic pieces of recording equipment, coupled with Howlin’s unique style form the rich sound that he is renowned for. Howlin’ says his main aim is to “give the flute a far more vocal, more passionate, and vastly more expressive sound” through his own compositions, performances and recordings.
Howlin’ Wind’s recordings feature a stellar cast of contemporary Australasian musicians. Such as Jim Moginie and Rob Hirst from Midnight oil, Chong Lim from John Farnham band, Shane Howard from Goanna, Peter Jones from Crowded House, Manny Seddon from Southern Lightning, Paddy Free- producer and engineer from New Zealand’s dub group Pitch Black and “tones more locals, friends and family”.
Although Howlin’ feels embarrassed talking about himself, he says he’s “just an average bloke” and that he barracks for the Melbourne Demons football team. Yet he “Loves the flute, the dream, the romance, the possibilities of endless sounds and expressions and the whole vibe of the thing.”
Howlin’ says, “The flute is wild and needs to be played by wild people”. And for anyone who knows him, they are aware is his exceptional verve, love of life and his wild spirit that cannot be tamed, like the howling winds off the Bass Strait Sea. Thus his lifes dedication to the piece of “phosphorus bronze pipe” amalgamates and fuses these two wild elements together to form Howlin’ Wind.
It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll
Interview with Howlin’ Wind by Maria Richardson
Q) When did your love for playing the flute first begin?
Listening to Jethro Tull in 1971. Ian Anderson was the main singer/songwriter and he played the flute. They were such a great English rock band. Their two albums ‘Thick as a Brick’ and ‘Aqua Lung’, 40 years later are still two of my favourite recordings. So naturally, I loved the flute, without knowing anything about it. They came to Festival Hall in Melbourne in 1972 and then I saw him in action and fell in love with the flute. He was a really great performer. Soon after that gig I saw a flute in a musical instrument shop and went and tried it and bought it; it was $50.00. It was an ‘American Olds’, it was pretty good. I fell in love with it straight away, I never stopped playing it. I had a terrible eye condition at the time called ‘Glaucoma’ and you had to have these eye tests every day with these painful eye drops and you had to wait in a dark room to wait for the drops to wear off and I used to play my flute in the dark room. I instantly was fascinated by the sound and the shape of it and couldn’t believe this is what this guy in this rock band was playing. I was instantly attached. Since 1972 I have hardly missed a day of playing the flute – coming up for nearly 40 years.
Q) What are your musical influences?
My musical influences are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Free, Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher, The Beach Boys, Elvis, Maria Callas, Yosha Hifitz (the greatest violinist) and Claudio Arrou (the great Chillain pianist) and I used to love the English Chamber Orchestra and the Academy of St. Martin’s in the Fields Orchestra; infact I love all these groups and musicians more than ever today, 2013. Their sounds and style are, just for me, heaven. I love everything about their harmony, their rhythm, their melody and their interpretation of the great classic repertoire of the great J.S Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. They still sound the best to me. And therefore they have always been a huge influence in my style and sound, in the shaping of notes and in the creation of melodic lines and harmonic structures on my flute. They have played enormous parts in my mind and heart; enforging the sounds and style and shape that I create with my flute today.
Q) What genre is your music?
I have released 50 flute albums, 48 flute of which are original compositions and original Howlin’ Wind music. The style of which spans world music, folk music, atmospheric music, dance/night club music, techno music, rock music and soul meditative, dreaming style music. There is a whole range. I made two albums of easy-listening flute covers of Hollywood tunes, Beatles, well-known songs from films and theatre shows- ‘Memories’, ‘The Way We Were’, ‘Taras’ Theme’, ‘Moon River’, ‘Danny Boy’, ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘Strangers In Paradise’ - but my main love of composition for my flute is feeling the song lines of my great home land, Australia and writing music for my flute that reflects my feelings for my great country Australia.
Q) How do you write and perform your music?
All the main tunes, melodies and riffs for my flute compositions are written on manuscript paper, usually collected in a 50 page booklet, so they’re all in batches. On each page is the key signature written out in long hand, in old-fashioned style; I prefer using a lead pencil to write. All the phrasing is written in really long arches, all the accompanying chord patterns and shapes or sequences are all written out on each page and I work them out on either piano or synthesisers. Sometimes there is very strict attention to 4-bar phrasing, so that I can write in the style of the great masters like Schubert, Schumann, and Beethoven, etc; so that the structure and the form of these pieces becomes very stylised. Then when I write a much more avant-guard style I will write out the main motif or theme and then indicate with squiggles whether I am going up the scales, across the scales, across the universe, or – simply chattering or jamming, throwing in wild elements. I often write on the manuscript, go crazy, smash it to bits, or fall asleep – so that there is always contrast within the compositions. When I perform my music, every piece, every song is fully committed to memory. So that when I perform my music live there is never any music stand or paper work; because I’m playing from my heart now and I know where every sound is going. I feel this is the only true and honest way to perform my music, or anyone else’s music. I must say, I feel the audience feel a greater connection with my music because they are seeing me right in front of them, playing my flute, playing my heart out.
Q) How do you use Intervals, Chords, Scales, Progressions, Dynamics, Rhythm, Phrasing, Intonation and Expression?
Intervals: In my compositions Intervals are critical – for example in ‘Dreaming of Home’ it is a rising major 5th to establish the glorious melody. Sometimes I will use a rising minor 3rd to give a way more melancholic vibe. For a quick, happy, fast song I might repeat major 3rd’s, major 5th’s and major 6th’s intervals, to give a happy, chattery, whistling type of song. For atmospheric music such as ‘Nullarbor Plain’ - I use a rising 7th to create a really eerie, out of this world atmosphere and then I use melodic minor and harmonic minor scale passage work up and down the flute over three octaves to create the composition. I use lots of minor seconds and semi tones. I use semi tone declining patterns to create lots of harmonic tension and drama.
Chords : My choice of chords is mainly to accompany my flute. Generally I will choose 1-4-5-1 pattern and then I can go anywhere from there; adding sharp of flat intervals or selecting major or minor chords in each pattern. The chords are critical to compliment the melodic line.
Scales: Scales are an integral part of my composition technique and performance. Each day I practice the ‘Paul Taffanel’ and ‘Phillip Gaubert’ scale patterns of the 24 keys for my flute. Simply, without practicing these scale patterns each day for nearly 40 years; I can’t imagine anything else. They are my whole love; blood and heart beat of my flute playing.
Progressions: Progressions are essential in my compositions. The selection of chord progressions, chord shapes – are critical to the harmonic content of each piece of music I write, record and perform.
Dynamics: Dynamics have a very special place in my flute compositions; flute recordings and flute performances, because dynamics (the very loud to the very softs range of sound) are the doorway to raw emotion and feeling of the music. The exploitation of dynamics enables me to develop the sound of my flute into a far more vocal, more expressive, more passionate, more dramatic instrument. My selection of dynamics within the music allow me to search for the greatest sounds way beyond a simple old flute.
Rhythm: Rhythm is an essential element in my music, whether it’s a full on beat, a 4/4 rock piece, a ¾ slow waltz, a rumba, a tango, or 2/4 march – rhythm is essential. Especially in the big band music, techno dance, and the funk, RNB or rock - rhythm sets up the character of the song or the piece of music; therefore the rhythmic variation is a critical elment to the music. Also in slow pieces a almost sub aural rhythm can be implied and hinted at to give an almost invisible illusion of rhythm by selecting some very low deep frequencies and pulses.
Phrasing: Phrasing is beautiful. I love phrasing it makes sense of all melodic line and the consistency of phrasing and phrase-length within song or composition makes that music or song beautiful to listen to. Phrasing is like breathing; it must happen. It’s essential to the elegance and structure of each composition. I already said I love using heavy lead pencil on paper to amplify my phrasing of selection of notes - to show the tunes, to show the riff.
Intonation: In 1974 I began learning the flute with the greatest mater of all ‘William Bennet’ and ‘Wibb’ (as he is affectionately known by) taught me complete tuning of my flute and how to memorise each note and each interval so that intonation of my instrument became perfect. So that intonation and the memory of each interval, each harmonic, each octave and especially the A and the A octave were all firmly drilled into me and now implanted deep inside my brain; so that intonation is never an issue. I am always in tune. In fact he drilled me so well and he was such a magic teacher, that after about 12 months of my 10 years with him; I threw my A 440 tuning fork off the Waterloo Bridge (London) into The River Themes one night. Therefore making the ultimate commitment to my flute and myself, that we were bonded forever and I would always have the absolute sound of A 440 imbedded in my heart and mind forever.
Expression: My aim is to make the flute a far more expressive instrument than you have ever heard before. (Using all the above). Expression is what makes the flute magic. These answers are very brief, I will be most happy to speak at length if ever needed.
Q) What advice can you please give to a music student?
To all young players who love music, whether it’s singing or instruments or both – practice as much as you can. Work as hard as you can, day and night. Go to the best players and singers you can find, anywhere in the world and learn from them, study from them, ask them questions. If you love it enough and work hard enough you will have a wonderful life of creating music; like I have been blessed to have.