I play the cello with the Boulder Symphony Orchestra and am pleased to announce our upcoming performance:

The Boulder Symphony Orchestra along with the Cherry Creek Chorale presents the Brahms Requiem conducted by Devin Hughes on May 18^th and 19^th. Soloists are soprano Teresa Castillo and baritone Thomas Fitzpatrick Kittle. The concert also features the world premiere performance of “Inter” by Austin Wintory. Tickets are $15. Learn more about the orchestra and order tickets at the Boulder Symphony Website.

Join us for a wonderful evening of music on one of the following days:

Friday, May 18^th at 7:00pm, First Presbyterian Church, Boulder
Saturday, May 19^th at 7:30, Bethany Lutheran Church, Denver

I have been chosen in competition to be a member of the 2012 Professional Flute Choir, and will be performing in concert with other flutists from across the nation at this year’s National Flute Association Convention in Las Vegas, NV. If you are attending the convention, or live in Las Vegas, this is a chance to hear a one of a kind concert of challenging music. We will play at the Pompeian Ballroom in Ceasars Palace on Saturday, August 11^th at 10:00am and for the closing ceremonies at the Augustus Ballroom in Ceasars Palace on Saturday, August 11^th at 4:00pm.

Thanks to Brian Hunter at the Swallow Hill recording studio in Denver, I have replaced my ten year old homemade flute and harp recordings with new professional ones. On the recordings I am playing on my new solid rose gold and silver Powell flute that I bought last summer. I was accompanied by talented harpist, Mary Keener.

Our duo is available to play for your Colorado wedding or event, and I invite you to listen to samples of our recordings:
Wedding Music for Flute and Harp
Event Music for Flute and Harp
Christmas Music for Flute and Harp

This Tuesday I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great Colorado wedding professionals at a networking party hosted by The Knot. As I meet more Colorado wedding professionals, I’m continuing to find that they are a friendly and supportive group that works well together and also takes time to have fun together. Wedding and events run smoothly with collaboration and I think these professionals are doing it right.

Among those I met were Laura Pearson of L Elizabeth Weddings and Events and Photography. Laura has kindly invited me to another event to get to know more wedding professionals. I also had a great conversation with Molly Richardson of Blair Bennetts Photography and I met Stacy Harris of Cielo at Castle Pines. Stacy was excited to meet a flute player that she can recommend to brides. I also met Vi Wickam, a fun-loving and multi-talented fiddle player, and Mike Neville of MPN Photography, who took the time to give me lots of helpful information related to the wedding business in Colorado.

On the following day I went to an event hosted by the Wedding Singers, a group that has recently expanded to Denver. I met lots of very talented musicians, and vocalists in particular. I also enjoyed talking with Julia Tobey again, this time in a much more relaxed setting than at my Wedding Singers audition!

I am one of the presenters for this month’s Colorado Flute Forum meeting, where I will give a presentation on how to play Celtic flute music, specifically music of the Irish tradition. There will be two other presentations, one of which will be given by Greg LaLiberte on the Brazilian Choro. This meeting will be held in held at Chris Potter’s house in Boulder, CO on Friday, April 13th from 10am to 12pm. Contact me for more information.

I have further discounted my brand new piano and flute sheet music. If you are looking for sheet music, this is a great opportunity to get some for a great price. Go here to see the complete list.

In addition to my existing wedding and event ensembles, I am now teamed up with the fun-loving and talented Ribbons and Strings Ensembles. With them, I am playing in flute quartets (flute, violin, viola, cello) and flute trios (flute, viola, cello). The flute has a smooth and sweet tone quality that is distinctly different yet complimentary to the sound of strings. Because of the different timbres, the sound of a string ensemble with a flute is reminiscent of an orchestra – for a fraction of the cost. The flute quartet was a well-liked combination for classical composers while sounding equally good with today’s popular songs.

Ribbons and Strings’ flute quartets and trios include 1000’s of musical selections ranging from classical and traditional music though today’s most popular modern wedding and event songs . Through the talent of Ribbons and Strings’ manager Deb Corisis, we have 100’s of her excellent one-of-a-kind song arrangements. If we don’t have a song, Deb will even make an arrangement special for you. Visit the Ribbons and Strings website to learn more about the group, listen to music samples, or to view the complete repertoire list. To see a complete list of the flute ensembles I offer, visit my weddings or events page.

When I tell people that I am a musician they frequently respond with “I wish I knew how to play an instrument,” or “If only I had continued to take piano lessons when I was young… ” Most people say they would love to have the skill to play an instrument beautifully – and get paid to do it!

I do love my job as a musician, and there are few things more satisfying than transforming the atmosphere of a wedding or event and speaking to people’s hearts in a meaningful way through music. The rewards of being a musician are great, but as with any career, it presents many challenges as well.

Being a wedding and event musician requires balancing musical training with business savvy, money to get started, and knowing how to make a beautiful and professional musical performance.

Education:
“Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it”. – Brian Tracy

- Years of private music lessons
- Extracurricular music activities (masterclasses, music camps, conferences, competitions)
- Music degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate)
- Practical experience (public performances, playing in groups, community service)

Expenses:
- Health insurance
- Unpaid vacation time
- Self-employment taxes
- Advertising (paid ads, business cards, advertising materials, website, booking agencies etc.)
- Professional instruments
- Regular instrument maintenance
- Supplies (music stands, carrying cases etc.)
- Sheet music
- Technology (computers, sound recording equipment, amplification systems etc.)
- Performance clothing (formal eveningwear/tuxes, concert black etc.)

Non-musical Skills:
- Human relations (with clients and other musicians)
- Advertising
- Finances and Taxes
- Computer and Internet
- Organization

Performance Preparation:
- Availability (most performances are limited to weekends and certain times of year)
- Private practice and/or ensemble rehearsals
- Good communication with client, bride, wedding coordinator etc.
- Travel
- Hauling heavy equipment
- Set up and tuning

From early music lessons through the final notes of a performance, being a musician is both challenging and highly rewarding, and for me, its benefits far outweigh its costs. Playing live music and being a music teacher are two ways that I personally better my own life and the lives of those around me in very direct, concrete and tangible ways.

Join us at Caffe’ Colla’ge in Estes Park, CO for an Empty Bowls Fundraising event and a live piano performance by myself. Caffe’ Colla’ge is located in Estes Park and they are remaking the old Creation Station Coffee shop into a new coffee shop that will be a place for the arts, community service, ministry, and of course – coffee! The event is this Friday, March 23rd at 6:00pm with live piano music beginning at 7:00pm. For more information, contact Rachel Hartman at 970-691-1339. Find Caffe’ Colla’ge At the Courtyard Shops: 165 Virginia Dr. Unit 7 Estes Park, Co 80517.

Don’t miss the upcoming Colorado Flute Choir Festival which will be held on Saturday, April 28th. The festival is presented by the Colorado Flute Association and open to all association members. Attendance is free and open to all flutists from middle school through adults. The festival will be held at Longs Peak United Methodist Church, 1421 Elmhurst Drive in Longmont, CO from 9am – 5pm.

The festival will have workshops for piccolo, c flutes, alto flutes, and bass flutes. There will also be a low flutes reading session, mass flute choirs, a class on contemporary techniques for c flutes, and a festival recital. Clinicians include Christina Jennings, Kay W. Lloyd, Christine Potter, and Michelle Stanley. Go here for more information.