Lessons

 

 

I want every student to believe, feel, and think that THE FLUTE IS FUN! Playing the flute should be life-long, and I strive to get all of my students to feel this way. My grandmother fostered a life-long love of music in me, taking me to symphony performances as a young child. It was a trip to hear Christina Smith (principal flute of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) play Mozart’s Concerto in G Major that made me know that playing the flute for the rest of life, choosing it as my career, was my dream. It was her dream to have a grandchild play the flute, and she passed this on to me.  With every lesson, my goal, first and foremost, is to instill that same love of music and the flute in my students.

Lessons with me are more than just 30 minutes once a week! Learn more!

I want each of my students to develop the most lovely flute SOUND possible. I believe that with sound as a foundation, everything else flute-related is possible. Almost everything I teach points back to this. As a beginner, I struggled with making a characteristic flute sound, and did not make a sound AT ALL for the first six weeks of sixth grade band! I refused to give up, though, and my struggles taught me the value of hard work and determination. I want my own students to believe that anything is possible as long as they keep working hard.

Lessons are student-driven, and no two lessons are alike. I love to teach by asking questions, leading the student to think more about the music, instead of simply telling him or her what to do. I teach problem solving through practice, and this bleeds into other aspects of my students’ lives: school work, other extra-curriculars, relationships with friends, parents, even siblings! When we encounter a tricky spot in music, I am ready with ways to take it down to the most minute pieces, discovering exactly where the problem is and ways to improve.

Lessons are friendly and low-stress even while I maintain high expectations of my students. Any level of student is welcome, from beginners on. I love serving as a flute (and more!) mentor to my students, and each lesson is definitely a highlight of my week.

During the school year, lessons are taught on a weekly basis. 45-minute lessons are the standard, but I am also open to teaching 60-minute lessons. During each lesson, students can expect to work on tone, technique, intonation, and musicality both as their own concepts and as related to any piece of music. I am happy to help with any band or orchestra music a student might be working on, but I will also assign music specific to lessons with me. Music theory and history will also be taught. Students are encouraged to audition for District Honor Band, All-State Band, extra-curricular ensembles such as the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as play in ensembles at school.

For practice at home, I use the following model: each student should practice 5 minutes a day multiplied by her grade in school (therefore a 6th grader practices for 30 minutes a day while a 12th grader practices for 60 minutes a day). Students should expect to practice 5 days a week.

For the summer, I teach on a weekly basis, but lessons are scheduled individually as the student’s camp and/or vacation schedules allow. Summer is the perfect time to improve on something you’re not so great at, or to tackle something new. Without homework and school in the mix, there are so many hours available to practice!