Author: utahfluteteacher

Flute

Flute Festivals

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Why Flute Festivals?

Pros: A bigger goal to work towards. Gives students a performing experience in front of others besides their studio peers. Provides an opportunity for feedback from other teachers. Strengthens memorization skills (when required). Sense of accomplishment.

Cons: Can create more stress for students and more work for teachers (but it’s worth it).

Last week we held our 24th annual Utah Valley Flute Festival. Many years ago, a flute friend of mine had the idea to start a festival where the students could perform without a requirement to memorize. She felt that memorizing gave some students too much pressure. Sitting in the living room of another friends home, the three of us brainstormed ideas of how we could set it up. That was the beginning of the non-profit Utah Valley Flute Festival.

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Flute

March Forth

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Today is the 4th day of March. Is it March Fourth or March 4th or March Forth? Many years ago, my grandmother’s funeral services were held on March 4th. My uncle spoke and said that he felt his mom (my grandma) would wish for all of us to march forth with our lives and strive to be better. Let’s briefly look at what it means to march forth as a musician and as a person.

Merriam-webster.com defines forth as “onward in time, place, or order”. Dictionary.com defines it similarly and also as “forward…go forth…out, as from concealment or inaction; into view or consideration…to journey forth.”

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Flute

Flute Pet Peeves

utahfluteteacher

As soon as I saw this picture I knew that I needed to write something about it. This represents perfectly one of my pet peeves.

When younger students take a break and need a place to put their flute, they often have a tendency to set it on the music stand. I’d recommend NOT doing this because you never know if the stand is loose and the weight of the flute will cause the top part of the stand to move down or tip forward and possibly cause the flute to fall off. In addition, with other fellow band students walking around during a break, your flute could very easily get bumped and fall off. I know these scenarios happen because I’ve seen them. When either of these things happen, then you have created a bigger problem of bent keys or a dented flute.  A better suggestion is to ask a trusted friend to hold it for you or invest in a reliable flute stand such as a Hercules stand or take it with you while you get a drink from the drinking fountain.

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Flute

Mr. Love

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I started playing the flute in the 4th grade band program in Arizona. I have memories of staying after school occasionally for lessons with the band teacher, Mr. Love. I remember him as a tall, lanky man and very patient and kind. (I admire anyone who teaches elementary band.) A few years later when I reached 7th grade, I had progressed and was ready to learn the piccolo part to Baby Elephant Walk. You know you had arrived when you got to play the piccolo part on that song. Thanks for your encouragement, Mr. Love.

To this day, I still love to hear the Baby Elephant Walk by Henry Mancini. If you haven’t heard it before or lately, it’s a great piece to lighten any mood. Then the song will stick in your head for the rest of the day and make you smile.

Flute

Mistakes Happen

utahfluteteacher

Years ago during a lesson, one of my former teachers, Michel Debost, said in his French accent, “If you make a mistake, you make a mistake.  The heavens are full of mistakes up there.” 

What does that mean to you? I take that to mean a couple of things. First, don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Sometimes I’ve had students stop playing in the middle of a phrase. When asked why they stopped, they said, “Because I was afraid I was going to mess up the next part.” How many people have not done something because they were afraid of making a mistake?

Second, give everything your best shot and full effort. Don’t back off if something doesn’t go quite right. If you are going to make a mistake, make it with a good sound, and keep on going.  It’s not the end of the world.  We all make mistakes and you can keep trying, keep playing, keep improving, keep learning and keep sharing your talents. 

In fact, Debost had a good musician friend who, as he got older, wouldn’t have flawless performances like he did at the height of his professional music career, yet he continued to play and perform because he still loved it. Mistakes and all.