Colorado Flute Fair 2012

Carol Wincenc

I attended the Colorado Flute Fair at the University of Colorado in Boulder this past weekend and it was a great day packed full of instructional classes, masterclasses, and concerts. The fair featured guest artist Carol Wincenc, professor of music at Julliard School of Music.

The day began with a warm-up class that focused on relaxation techniques for comfortable and injury free practice. Following that was a tone development class which focused on the importance of breath control. Then Carol Wincenc gave a surburb masterclass. She has a flair for the stage and spreads her enthusiasm to those she teaches. She also has a knack for pushing her students to reach their highest potential while allowing them to remain true to their personal musical style.

After lunch we heard a demonstration of Carol Wincenc’s edition of Andersen’s Op. 15. Anderson’s original etudes are combined with a duet part that Ms. Wincenc wrote for the teacher to play. The duet part highlights the chord structure of each etude, and is a valuable resource for flute teachers.

Following the demonstration was a Flute Association members recital and then a fabulous performance featuring Carol Wincenc. Carol chose an engaging variety of songs from different time periods, in different styles, and with a variety of instrumentation. Her playing is suburb and her technique flawless, and her performance was much enjoyed.

The National Flute Association (NFA) Convention comes to Las Vegas, Nevada

Whether you are flute player or a flute enthusiast, start planning now to attend the 2012 NFA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 9th - 12th. The NFA consists of over 6,000 members from over 50 countries and is the largest flute organization in the world. Come to learn and watch or enter one of the competitions including solo, flute choir, masterclasses, and non-performance competitions. I am looking forward to attending this convention and also seeing Vegas for the first time! Visit the National Flute Association website if you would like more information.

The National Flute Association Convention in Charlotte, NC

Just before I headed out to my new home in Colorado, I attended the National Flute Association’s annual convention, held in Charlotte, NC this year.

I attended numerous masterclasses and competitions,  and a number of educational classes that featured topics ranging from correct breathing to beginning lessons on a Baroque flute. I was particularly inspired by William Westney’s class “How can a wrong note be perfect”.  His premise is that music should be fun, but the way we tend to teach music leads students to aspire for perfection  rather than playing their instrument with life and expression.  At the exhibits, I got to try out different flutes including Celtic flutes, Chinese flutes, and contrabass flutes.

I also saw a number of concerts including several flute and cello concerts, a French music concert, and a concert given by the Charlotte Symphony Flutists that used fascinating modern techniques to create unique sounds. One of my favorite concerts was Trevor Wye’s “50 Variations on the Carnival of Venice for 60 flutes and piano”  where he showed us how to make a flute out of a carrot, played a flute made out of a human bone, and played on his own creations that lit up in humorous ways as he played.

The day following the convention, I attended an inspiring masterclass  given by Jean Ferrandis, who focused on playing the flute with a relaxed and natural posture as if you were saying “hello” to a friend. The convention was inspiring and refreshing and I’m glad I took time to attend even though I was busy with the move.

2011 Spring Recital

Spring Flute and Piano Recital

My music studio's 2011 Spring Recital was a successful and enjoyable event. As usual, my students chose to play music that was unique to their taste and on this recital we had a lot of fun selections including a number of jazzy pieces. If your child performed in this recital and you would like a photo, I can email you a copy.

Winter 2010 Flute and Piano Recital

Congratulations to all those who participated in my studio's 2010 Winter Recital. I am so proud of every one of you, especially if you were nervous and played anyway! If you would like a picture of yourself or your child performing, send me an email and I will send you a picture.

Christen's Flute Students Play at Open House

On Saturday, November 20th four of my flute students and four of Christina Beekman's cello students played for an open house event in Waxhaw. Christina and I also performed flute and cello, and double cello duets. We had fun and I think everyone did a great job.

National Flute Association Convention (NFA) comes to Charlotte, NC

Consisting of over 6,000 members from over 5o countries, The NFA is the largest flute organization in the world. Flutists from across the globe will be gathering in Charlotte, NC for this momentous first in the city's history. Visit the National Flute Association's website for more information on competitions, masterclasses, and flute choirs. Mark Thomas, who was my flute teacher for many years, is the founder and first president of the National Flute Association. I am so excited that the convention will finally be coming to my hometown! If you are a flute player in the Charlotte, NC area, attending this event is a must.