Tag : flute

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

Note Reading: Following the Contours

Note Reading is one of the most fundamental, but difficult, skills for beginner musicians. In this blog post, I will share with you one of the novel approaches invented by

Music as a Spiritual Practice: My Path

Music as a Spiritual Practice: My Path The Beginning Like many people, I first began to connect music and spiritual practice while a young child. I attended a large, stone Presbyterian church with

Reinvigorating Flute Practice

“Goodie Bags” for Reinvigorating Flute Practice As musicians, there are times when we know we need some help reinvigorating our flute practice.  We might feel like we’re spinning our wheels and

Grit for Musicians: Practicing and Parenting

Is Grit the Secret to Success In Music? I first heard about Angela Duckworth and her research on “grit” on a Freakonomics podcast. Duckworth talks about how persistence, not talent,

Embouchure Variations

Embouchure Variations What does the “perfect embouchure” look like? I’ve been asked many times what a “proper” or “perfect” embouchure should look like. The answer is simple: There is no

Flute Memes: My Favorites

Flute Memes Social media is overflowing with memes for everything, including music. Flute memes appear on my Facebook page nearly every day. For your enjoyment, I offer a collection of my

Flute Acoustics flute acoustics

Flute Acoustics: the mystery and the science The flute is the second oldest musical instrument in the world but flute acoustics are highly complicated. The drum is the oldest musical

Music and Healing

Music as Medicine: Healing Tunes. When I was an undergraduate at The Ohio State University, the flute studio was involved in a collaboration with the hospital. We worked with a researcher

Gigs

Gigs: The Fun and the Funny. Freelance musicians are dependent on gigs for their livelihood. Though it may seem like an easy way to make money, the truth is a