Teamwork is a word we often hear applied to the business world and to that of the professional athlete. Since so much of our musical life is spent alone practicing or auditioning, it is easy to forget that making music is essentially a collaborative art which requires a very specific contribution from each member of the team. The flute section is a...

In recent years I have found myself teaching many more adult students. The majority of them have played flute before and have taken a hiatus of a few decades.  There are also some students who have begun as adults to relax from their professions or to be able to play music with their children.  Some are the parents of younger students whom...

I recently returned from an enjoyable tour of Texas, during which I travelled to San Antonio, Waco, and Houston.  This was my second visit to Texas in two years, performing and teaching the flute and piccolo at eight Universities, two flute clubs and multiple high schools. I find instruction in this part of the country fulfilling as the music programs...

Before a singer actually begins to use the voice, the breath is engaged and activated so that the larynx and facial muscles can be used efficiently. Wind players could do the same thing, and get to the work of tone, articulation and fast digits MUCH QUICKER! Those quivering lips and jaw can mean that the breath isn’t being used effectively, and all...