Flourishing Flutist

Hello! Welcome to the ‘Flute’ section of my ‘Flourishing in Music’ blog. Whether you are a beginner or a professional – stay connected with me through the contact form at the bottom of the page or by following my Facebook business page to see more posts relevant to both flute playing and the professional music world.

I have my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Flute Performance. So what? A good number of flutists do, actually! But, I also have a very unique journey into and through music – which includes some surprising success as well as significant disappointments - pieces of which you might find truly helpful in your own growth and development as a flutist and as a well-rounded person. As part of my unique path, for example – as a flutist, I got a ‘late start’ – which meant that I had to ‘undo’ and ‘redo’ significant aspects of my playing in order to play music the way I wanted to artistically, with plenty of ‘breath,’ and no pain (I overcame carpal tunnel syndrome that developed while I was in college). My search to accelerate my path to excellence led through a path that involved dissecting some things that challenge many flutists to find ways to make playing the flute easier. I delved into various schools of flute pedagogy - keeping and rejecting bits and pieces from many expert flutists. As I advanced through the flute repertoire – I discovered that there were musical areas that I needed to solidify – such as rhythm – and as a result I am able to help musicians develop a solid sense of timing and understand rhythmic notation much better. Simply playing with a metronome does not improve rhythm or even help one develop a steady beat! I have also overcome and still am overcoming hurdles that no person should have to face in life, and yet despite being well acquainted with suffering, also have found it possible to flourish regardless of setbacks.

Check back in here to discover tips and tricks for playing the flute, as well as to understand some of the highs and lows of going from having never studied the flute in private lessons to being a full-time college professor and having played in an orchestra – and back again. Having the fortune to achieve many of my goals as a flutist before I was out of my twenties afforded me the opportunity to also really consider the place that classical music has in my life and the lives of others – while I am still passionate about music - I made a choice after my initial experiences teaching college not to pursue a doctoral degree – which would have been the ‘next step’ of my original career path. The time I’ve spent in nonmusical activities and pursuits has vastly broadened my world-view, allowed me to meet many lovely people, and has given me perspective that many professional musicians with my level of experience often do not have.

Today – my passion in music is simple – to pass along the joy of playing and the many true and worthwhile aspects of being a musician- to anyone who wants to play. My professional experiences both in and out of music have brought me to a place where I truly believe music study can do wonderful things for a person’s overall flourishing when undertaken with a teacher who keeps a balanced perspective of musical studies, and keeps achievement secondary to goals of developing in ways that are truly life-giving and aim for the most positive outcome for the student. I am a ‘student-centered teacher’ - my student’s overall well-being comes first- after having experienced both the good and the unfortunate ugly truths in the music world. Launching Flourishing Foundations Music Studio, LLC, felt like the next logical step in being able to truly be a blessing to others with the musical gifts that I’ve been given. I strive to be honest and humble about the realities of pursuing a musical career, or even music as an amateur, and for those who choose to do either, to help light the way to a path that contains the maximum about of ‘good’!

I look forward to pursuing more musical and non-musical flourishing with you here! I always welcome you to send me a message of encouragement, feedback, or ask a question through the contact form on the website.