Kirsten K  
Instruments: Flute, Piccolo
Styles: Classical, Musical Theater, Marching Band

I have been teaching private flute lessons for a total of five years. When I was in high school, I regularly taught three to four students who were in elementary and middle school. After I graduated from the University of Illinois, I taught private lessons to three elementary and middle school students and flute sectionals to students at a local middle school. I emphasize fundamentals in my lessons, including tone quality, breathing, posture, and scales. These are the building blocks that will create a well-rounded and successful player. We then incorporate those fundamentals into pieces, whether that be etudes for personal practice, solos for competitions or recitals, or the pieces my students are working on in band.

For beginning students, I usually start with John O'Reilly and Mark Williams' Accent on Achievement, which guides students through short, recognizable piece and duets. I will also introduce scales and exercises that help develop tone. As the students progress, I'll introduce solo repertoire to expose them to notes, rhythms, and techniques that will expand their skills beyond band repertoire. For adults, I will ask what the student wants to get out of the lessons and progress from there. No matter the ability level, it is important the lessons are fun because that's what drives the student to continue playing and what sets the student up for musical success