It's even better when SB staff take part in the hijacking.
Patillo is - surprisingly - classically trained from a prestigious institution. What he found, though, is that even a talented and skilled flutist made less money than the typical bagger at a grocery store. From the article I read, he started playing around with "beat box" on the flute just for fun on his lunch hour from the grocery, and soon was getting more for that hour, playing on the street, than he was for a full day working in the store.
What I like about both him and Robert Dick is that they coax sounds from the flute that others wouldn't even dream of trying. Many of Robert Dick's compositions include specific instructions on how to achieve the sound effects he incorporates, and they're interesting to listen to.
I've had the pleasure of seeing Sir James in concert, and he is quite expressive on many pieces.
Flight of the Bumblebee, though, is something of his "show off" piece, where he demonstrates just how fast he can play. My flute teacher had me working on a couple of pieces that Galway was scheduled to perform, and the evening of the concert she asked, "So, are you ready to tell Sir James how to play Faure's
Pavane?"
I said, "Yeah, right after I teach Lance Armstrong how to ride a bicycle."
