Guitar Lessons in Wichita, KS

Instruments: Flute

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
It is important to put in time practicing, but a little bit of time daily is better than a lot of time once a week. Be sure to practice when you have energy (not when you’re tired). Scales and studies are important to do consistently before approaching performance pieces. Developing a schedule that includes practice time is very important. I teach a lot of different “tricks”during lessons to help students overcome difficult passages. For wind players, it also very important to practice breath control, and there many exercises students can employ to accomplish this.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
The most important indicator is interest, but for wind players, physical size can become important. Breathing is part of the rhythm of the body, so it helps if the child is at least 8 or 9 years old in most cases. Therefore, learning to play the violin at age 5 is more realistic than learning to play a wind instrument at the same age. If a child shows great desire to learn a specific instrument, then this is a very important sign that she or he is ready to start lessons, but children should also understand that learning to play an instrument requires time and patience, but is also a lot of fun!

When will I start to see results?
Results usually happen immediately, but expectations vary based on the instrument. Fortunately for flute players, the tone is easier to hear in the beginning than for string players. However, truly beautiful tones take time to develop. Within a month or two, any beginner can be playing duets with the teacher, something which brings great joy to both the student and the teacher, as well as little concert pieces. All of students have performed in recitals within a few months of beginning to lear the flute.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I have had several teachers that inspired me to go into music.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I wanted to play a variety of instruments as a child, but chose the flute due to its size and ease of transport. I was very young, only ten, so I didn’t understand the world of music performance very well yet.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I have studied several other instruments, but I really only claim to play the flute well.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
Yes.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I am an English teacher by profession, and have performed professionally in musical settings occasionally over the last 20 years. I have done this in a variety of styles - chamber music, jazz, rock, Celtic, and contra dance bands. Most of my professional musical career has been in teaching, which began a long time ago. Teaching is in my blood, as is music, which I cannot live without.

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