Kaira R
Instruments: Flute, Piccolo, Music
Styles: Classical, Marching Band, Avant-garde
Kaira R
Instruments: Flute, Piccolo, Music
Styles:
Classical, Marching Band, Avant-garde
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 10-80
2013 Miller Family Music Education Scholarship
2013 - Lawrence Conservatory Deans Merit Scholarship
2013 - Peninsula Music Festival Scholarship
2013 - Dan Riley Music Scholarship
2017 - Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society - Music
I am a passionate and devoted instructor and performer who loves exploring music with students. I graduated from Lawrence University in 2017, where I received a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance in the Lawrence Conservatory of music. I have studied and performed throughout the United States and Austria and in recent years, have grappled the walls of classical music into the world of improvisation and alternative genre experimentation. I have been fortunate to learn from leading performers in the music world, such as Dr. Erin Lesser of Alarm Will Sound, Dr. Julie Thornton of the Colorado Symphony, and Dr. Furugh Karimi, kinesiologist and flute professor of the Music University of Vienna. I am currently a graduate student at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music, where I am working towards a Master of Music in Flute Performance.
During my undergraduate, I began my teaching experience in a flute pedagogy class, where I realized I had a passion not only for playing the flute but teaching as well. Upon graduation, I moved back home to Sturgeon Bay, WI, where I started my private teaching studio. I participated in school outreach and volunteerism, teaching private lessons at the Denmark Community School and working with flute ensembles at the Denmark High School. I encourage healthy performance practices through body mapping and mindful awareness. After all, our bodies are part of our instrument, and if our bodies hurt, music isn't nearly as fun. I work with students of all ages, and every student has their own set of goals. I consider every single person's individual goals when structuring our lessons so that any student of mine can achieve their wildest dreams with the flute!
For young, beginning students, I usually work from the Hal Leanard's Essential Elements mixed with separate, individualized exercises, usually intended for regular practice warm-ups. For students that have grasped the fundamentals, we will explore solo repertoire and etudes that are not only appropriate for their skill level but also interesting and fun to play. For advanced students, I will often create custom lesson plans and materials that suit that student's wants and needs. They will work with solo repertoire, etudes, technique exercises, tone exercises, and any ensemble repertoire they may have from school or community band/orchestra. I aim to help students be as flexible and musically versed as possible as well as being a versatile soloist and an engaging ensemble member.
After experiencing performance injuries like tendonitis at a young age, I specifically gear my teaching style toward healthy playing practices that are conducive to playing with ease. During my undergraduate degree, I have completed an introductory course and multiple workshops on the Alexander Technique. I have geared my playing to this mindful practice, and I believe that it is beneficial for any musician of any level to experience it. My students will be asked to notice what they feel as they play, and if it is uncomfortable tension, then we will redirect to make whatever feels awkward, more natural. In this way, I customize my lessons for every individual's interests and needs and pace accordingly. I like to create a friendly, non-judgemental, positive learning environment to make the experience of playing the flute enjoyable and fulfilling!
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