Just Friends is a five piece combo that began when
several local musicians who knew each other from years of playing in local bands, orchestras, and ensembles, got together
to play American popular tunes. The group has evolved to include
five members. Just Friends has been performing for more than 15 years.
Just Friends in Concert
The Woodlands, Fairfax, Virginia, August 2010. Photo by William Chandler, Woodlands resident.
Cindy Pedder started playing flute when she was nine years old. She now plays C flute, soprano flute, piccolo, alto flute, and bass flute. She has played in several local community bands and in “pit” ensembles for Broadway musicals. Cindy currently plays flutes and piccolo in bands and flute choirs in northern Virginia. Believing that you are never too young to enjoy learning music, she taught preschool music and directed a children’s choir. Her hobby is quilting and she is a long time member of Quilters Unlimited.
Anne Hennessey played flute in high school and into college. At that point life intervened, and she didn’t get back to playing flute until about 25 years ago. She now plays C flute and alto flute. Over the years she has played with a variety of groups including concert bands, flute quartets, and flute choirs. She currently plays with the Loudoun Symphonic Winds in Loudoun County, Virginia, and she is half of a flute duo, called “Flute Vibrations”, that plays for private events like weddings and gallery receptions. She also plays the piano for her own enjoyment. Anne is a breeder [Krystal Wolf Siberians] of Siberian Huskies. She raises, trains, shows, and races her award winning dogs. She is also an animal massage provider specializing in performance dogs and horses.
Phil Hunter began playing guitar in college and plays 6 string and 12 string acoustic guitars. He studied voice and sings in his church choir, with periodic solo opportunities. He is currently studying piano. Phil enjoys flying as a private plane pilot.
Terry Bender played percussion with a concert band for a time but prefers the independence of drum set. The piano lessons he took as a child and his love of carousel music laid the groundwork for music as an avocation. He is well known in the National Capital area as an organ grinder, performing at large fairs and other community events with his German hand cranked street organ and his mechanical monkey. He also provides entertainment with Bender’s Circus Calliope. Terry collects model trains and enjoys riding real trains.
Jan Bender has been involved with music performance since starting piano lessons at age 5. She added French horn at 10, pipe organ at 15, and string bass as an adult. She minored in music in college. Jan has played French horn with many community bands and orchestras in northern Virginia and has played both French horn and string bass in pit orchestras for numerous community and school musical productions. She also plays Swiss alphorn and German hunting horns, and she assists with the operation of Bender’s Circus Calliope. Jan is a fine art photographer, exhibiting in northern Virginia, and is a member of Great Falls Studios, The League of Reston Artists, and the Reston Photographic Society.
C Flute
The concert flute or C flute is the most common flute, and it is used in many different kinds of ensembles. It can be made of metal or wood, but a professional concert flute is generally made of silver, gold or combinations of the two. The standard concert flute is pitched in C and has a range of about three octaves. It is played by blowing a stream of air across the embouchure hole.
Alto Flute
The alto flute is the next larger size flute. The tube of the alto flute is wider and longer than the C flute. It has a mellow tone, particularly in the lower part of its range. The headjoint, or “blowing” end, of the flute may be straight or curved. The curved head version is frequently preferred because it requires less of a stretch for the arms. The straight version is usually chosen for acoustical reasons. The alto flute is pitched in the key of G, so music for this flute is written in a different key than for a C flute.
Bass Flute
The bass flute is much larger than an alto flute. Its tube is approximately 57 inches long. It is made with a tightly curved head joint to bring the embouchure hole and hand placement within reach of the player. A bass flute is most often made with a silver plated body and head joint to make it lighter weight. It is built in the key of C and has the same fingerings as a C flute, but the sound it produces is an octave lower than the notes are written. The bass flute is used primarily in flute choirs because its low sound is easily drowned out by other instruments.
Piccolo
The piccolo is less than half the size of a C flute and has fewer keys. It is the highest-pitched instrument of the wind instruments. The first piccolos were made out of wood. Today, a piccolo can be made from wood, silver, or even resin. A modern piccolo is built in the key of C. There are older piccolos (and music written for them) that were built in the key of D flat. The C piccolo has the same fingerings as a C flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than the notes are written.
