Vertical flute UpRite flute headjoint Sanford Drelinger

The Vertical Flute

The body of my flute is an Altus, model 1507, with a William Bennett scale. The headjoint is the UpRite® headjoint by Sandy Drelinger, mentioned on my Why Play Vertically? page. Although the configuration took a little getting used to, the design is great, and the sound of it is even better!

Working with Sandy Drelinger was really very easy. He is not in a situation where he can send out UpRite® headjoints for trial, so I made a trip to his studio in White Plains, NY. Once there, I began experimenting with his traditional headjoints to get an idea of which configuration I preferred. When we were able to narrow the selection down a bit, Sandy switched me over to the UpRite®. Well, that was a whole new ball game. But, I could tell instantly that this was going to solve my problems.As I played on it for the next couple of hours, we continued to try various lip plates and adjustments to the attachments that come with the headjoint. Sandy was really very helpful, running all over the studio in order to listen to me from various rooms and offer feedback.

Next came the hard part - waiting for my headjoint to arrive. It had been a long time since I had been able to play with any regularity, and now that I knew I would be able to practice and perform again, I could hardly wait.

The headjoint comes with various attachments:

a peg for resting the foot of the flute on one knee while you are sitting
an incredibly comfortable rest for the right thumb, since most of the weight of the flute lands here (I'm sure once the clarinetists of the world find out about this, he will have a whole new list of clientele)
a crutch for the left hand for additional support
a modified bopep for the left hand
a rest for the left index finger
a neckstrap
O Ring tuning indexers
a special cleaning swab, peg, and case

For the whole scoop, please visit the Drelinger UpRite® website.
It took me several months to get completely comfortable with the new configuration. We are all individuals, so I feel certain that those of us who are currently using the UpRite® all approach it a bit differently. For my current setup, I built up the left hand bopep by adding extra foam rubber, and experimented a lot with right thumb placement. If you make the decision to purchase an UpRite® (and I heartily recommend it for anyone),do it knowing that there will be an adjustment period, and prepare to experiment and be patient.
This headjoint creates an ease in playing that I never experienced with the traditional setup. It's really quite remarkable how the natural arm position opens up the sound and enhances technical fluency. The workmanship that Sandy has put into this headjoint is truly superior, as is all of his work.