Any of the following ring a bell? “I’m feeling bored with what I’m currently practicing.” “I’m practicing regularly but I don’t feel like I’m making any progress.”“I don’t even know what to practice anymore.”If you resonate with any one of these nagging thoughts, don’t worry! As we evolve as musicians, so do our practice needs. I have…
As described in FluteSpresso Episode 24 with Patricia George on November 6, 2022Goal: 25- to 60-minutesBegin practice with a few exercises from Chapter 3 for embouchure development and flexibility.Ask: What does my playing need and practice that.(Ideas: articulation such as T, Key, Hah; slurring patterns (see page 141-144); vibrato; dynamics; and articulation marks (detache, staccato,…
by Eric LacyNo Substitute for Hard WorkAn aspiring composer was working on some music he was writing for a small orchestra. After several months of composing, he reached a point of frustration with the outcome. When his teacher looked at the score, he assessed the music as being above average. However, he insisted that if…
By Chelsea TannerAs a mindset coach I get asked very often, “How can I stay motivated?” Motivation is tricky and it is something I’ve been thinking a lot about. It is literally coming up with motives or reasons we believe in and are compelling enough to take action.Now, this can be positive OR negative. You…
Exactly what is vibrato? On the flute, vibrato is a change in the pitch and dynamics of a note that is created by a controlled fluctuation of air speed. Vibrato adds expression to a note, and that fluctuation needs to be controlled by the player. Many people discover they have an unpredictable air supply; this…
by Danilo MezzadriI am writing this article in an attempt to help those of us who are confronting the new reality of another semester of online lessons. I am basing this article on my own successes and failures during this past spring and summer semesters. Together with many other musicians around the globe, I have…
