Category :flute

Yanny or Laurel? laurel or yanny

Do you hear “Yanny” or “Laurel?” This audio clip was the internet sensation for May 2018. In it, a voice is heard saying a word. Many people hear either “Yanny”

Competitions and Contests: Lessons from the Trenches

Competitions and Contests Another Solo and Ensemble Contest season has come and gone. All of my middle school and high school flute students participated this year. I feel that competitions

Stories from the Studio: Flute Mystery dyeing Easter eggs

A Flute Mystery I love teaching because it always presents new challenges. This week, I had to put on my detective hat to solve a mystery, A high school student

The Singing Revolution: Another Vision for Activism

The Singing Revlolution Offers a Model for Nonviolent Protest The Singing Revolution is the name given to the Estonian uprising that led to freedom from the USSR in 1991. It

The Journey: Discovery

It’s not the destination that’s important. We are travelers on a long journey of discovery. I am constantly reminded of how much I don’t know. Because music is a process

Vacation Practice Tips

Seasons greetings! This final week for lessons in 2017. My students will have two weeks of no lessons during winter vacation. Nonetheless, my students and I will still be practicing

Resilience and Recitals

Nothing ever goes as planned. He takes a deep breath, blows, and only air comes out. She practiced hundreds of hours and spent weeks preparing only to have her performance

Creative Ideas for the Studio: Decorating a Recorder

Creative Ideas for the Studio: Decorating a Recorder I love my students and their creative ideas. My students and their families are some of the coolest people in the world. I’m

Flute Harmonics: What, why, and how

Harmonics for Flutists What are harmonics? Why do flutists have to understand them? Are there exercises that use harmonics? Note that the terms “harmonics,” “partials,” and “overtones” refer to the

Marching Lyre for Flutists (Humor)

In a previous post, I talked about the miserable options for flutists using a marching lyre. In marching band, musicians often have to learn music quickly, and bringing sheet music