The short answer is: NO, it is not safe to play the flute during the pandemic around other people. (But read on for a more detailed explanation.) If you read nothing else, re-read the sentence above. Flutists are potentially super-spreaders of the virus. In this blog post, I will discuss some of the early research that addresses flute players during the pandemic. The physics of sound production on the flute is complicated. We do, however, know that the flute requires lots of air to be expelled forcefully. Furthermore, flutists must take frequent and deep breaths while playing, which may place ..read more

No power? No problem. Playing an instrument is not a digital experience. It is analog. No screens. No electronics needed. Several times we have lost power at the house while I’m teaching flute lessons. When this happens during daylight hours, it does not affect my teaching. As long as the student can see the music, we can carry on right where we left off. Once, we were without power in the evening. There was some light outside as the sun was beginning to set. It was too dark in the house to see the music, so we moved lessons outside to the front porch and carried on. sunsetFortun ..read more

Music therapy has received a lot of attention in the media recently. Although it may seem like a new idea, the value of music is something that I believe all music educators and performers already understand. I know the power of music. It’s my life’s work. I have worked with preschoolers and their families in music class, taught middle school students how to play the flute, led community choirs, and helped kids with learning disabilities. In these and many other ways, I have seen lives changed by music. That’s why I read this article in the Philadelphia Enquirer with interest. http ..read more

Flute acoustics are complicated. Until recently, scientists did not have a good understanding of flute acoustics and how a flute makes a sound. We can easily classify the sound production mechanism for most of the instruments. For instance, brass instruments use vibrating lips, reed instrument have a vibrating reed, strings have vibrating strings, and percussion instruments are struck. However, scientist have found it much more difficult to describe how the flute sound is made. The flute is one of the the oldest instruments. People have been playing percussion instruments since ..read more

The flute renaissance is here! The flute is suddenly the hottest instrument. It’s making a huge splash in pop music (thank you, Lizzo) and I’m seeing a spike in kids choosing the instrument for band. Article in The Guardian Check out this article from The Guardian, dated July 2019: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jul/09/flute-lizzo-and-the-woodwind-renaissance?fbclid=IwAR2fqIhgVAvGQ-GrnJdcE-SXq_-Ta9ge9cXrQgDrqyaLVCoevxel-Q7X1Q0 Still a Classic Minds are still being blown by Ian Anderson, one of my favorite flutists who was able to fuse hard rock, classical, folk, and ..read more

A recent study shows that music is beneficial to the brains of premature babies. Check out this article from the University of Geneva dated June 1, 2019: “How Flute Music Helps To Build Brains of Premature Babies” Researchers were interested in seeing if exposure to music could help premature babies. Babies that are born early often have trouble with too much stimulation and can develop neurological problems that persist. At the beginning of the study, the researchers determined that the most soothing and interesting music to the babies was made by the Indian snake charmer flute ..read more

The short answer: you should practice as much as possible and probably a lot more than you are now! A good rule of thumb for young musicians is to practice every day at least the same length as your lesson. So, if your lesson is 30 minutes, you practice at least 30 minutes a day. As the lessons get longer, the practicing also increases. Remember, for every 30 minutes of practice, be sure to take a 5 minute break. Roar If you have read any of my blogs, you know I self-identify as a TIGER MOTHER. I make my kids practice every single day unless it’s their birthday, Christmas, or t ..read more