Resource Library

The purpose of the Video Resource Library is to give adult flute students who aren’t able to attend weekly lessons a one-stop shop for growing their understanding of the flute, improving their skills, and advancing their growth as a musician efficiently and effectively.

From my years of experience working with adult flutists, I know the struggles of trying to balance reaching your flute goals while meeting the demands of life. The demands of family, scheduling issues, health issues, financial circumstances, (list goes on and on….) make it difficult to attend weekly lessons. When you do get time with your instrument, you want your practice time to be efficient and productive.

 While in-person, weekly lessons are the ideal, there are seasons of life in which this just isn’t possible.  

Let’s think about what typically takes place in a traditional 60-minute lesson?

            The first 2-3 minutes the student and teacher chat while the student assembles their instrument and gets out their books. The next five minutes or so are spent warming up. Following that, the bulk of the lesson consists of the student playing something (scales, a tone exercise, a solo, or etude) while the teacher listens and identifies areas where improvements can be made. The teacher brings these areas to the student’s attention and offers possible solutions. This pattern continues: 1) listen, 2) evaluate, 3) identify problem areas, 4) present tools to fix the problem.

From a time perspective, the bulk of the lesson consists of the student playing. The four areas where the teacher interjects (listen, evaluate, identify, instruct) make up only about one third of the lesson time or less. That isn’t to say that the teacher job isn’t valuable. It definitely is! But looking only through the lens of time, spending 60 minutes on 20-25 minutes of instruction seems inefficient for a busy adult.

My goal with this Video Resource Library is to help adult flutists become more critical listeners capable of objectively evaluating their playing, identifying challenges, and then provide them with the knowledge and tools to create solutions to those challenges. The videos deliver the most pertinent points of a weekly flute lesson.

Anticipated questions and answers:

1.     Who is this Video Resource Library (VRL) for?

·       It is designed for adult community band flutists.

·       Flutists who consider themselves to be intermediate/advanced players.

·       Flutists who are willing to take ownership of their music education.

·       Flutists who are unable to take weekly lessons.

·       Flutists who are between teachers but want to continue to grow their skills.

·       Flutists who want an extra boost to their weekly lessons

2.     Do I need special equipment to access the videos? No, with a paid subscription and internet access, you should be able to watch the videos on your computer, smart phone, or tablet without issue.

3.     How is the VRL structured?

·       The VRL is presented in 4 categories: Fundamentals, Took Kit, Solos, Performance Confidence.

·       Each video is brief and covers only 1-3 concepts just as a traditional in-person lesson would. Allow yourself adequate practice time (perhaps a week of diligent daily practice) before moving on to other videos. THIS IS NOT NETFLIX. DO NOT BINGE WATCH VIDEO AFTER VIDEO.

·       Videos in the Fundamentals category cover the core skills that we need as musicians such as tone, articulation, musicality, and technique.

·       The Tool Kit videos provide information on how to practice effectively and efficiently.

·       In the Solos category, I discuss how to break down solos from the standard flute literature into manageable chunks, pitfalls to watch out for in these works, and how to polish each piece for performance.

·       I added the Performance Confidence section because I found that many musicians lack confidence when performing despite having incredible skills on their instrument. I struggled with this for years until I finally found a process that worked. I hope to help give others the tools they need to not only give their best performance but to also be able to enjoy it in the moment!

·       Rewatch the videos as needed. Students usually need to have information presented several times before it can truly be processed and remembered.

·       Additionally, you want adequate time for figuring things out for yourself before consulting the next video. This is how you develop your ear and your ability to problem solve for yourself.

4.     Where should I begin with the VRL?

·       Start with the Tool Kit. Here I discuss setting your goals, planning out your practice time, and being efficient in your practice. Once you’ve drafted your plan, you will find a multitude of videos in the Fundamentals category to set you on your path.

5.     If these videos are intended for intermediate/advance players, why are there some videos that cover very basic concepts?

·       In my experience, it is not uncommon for flutists to have gaps in their knowledge of the flute and how it works. Sometimes having a quick review of previous information can be transformational.

·       Even if you have playing flute for several years, I recommend reviewing the beginning videos. I often find in working with intermediate and even advanced students that there are some beginning concepts that have been overlooked or forgotten.

6.     How many videos are in the VRL? At the time of this writing there are 62 videos additional videos are being uploaded regularly.

7.     I was hoping to find information on a topic that is not covered in your videos. What do I do? Email me with your request! I will be adding to the VRL regularly.

This video library is not a linear course and is not “all-inclusive” There are gaps. It is my hope to add to this collection over time to make it more complete and offer more insights and new approaches to the challenges we face as flutists.