Dr. Jessica Quiñones, flute player
International flautist & flute teacher in Cornwall, UK, near Truro - Dr. Jessica Quiñones
In her lesson recently, Jane said with an apologetic voice, “I’m so sorry, Jessica. I didn’t really get to practice much. My work has been manic lately. I think I only got 4 sessions in since I last saw you. Lately I am choosing to spend my free time in the evenings with my teenage kids, it’s really […]
A letter landed in my inbox last week… Hi Dr. Quiñones, I am currently a graduate student in flute performance. I have always had a drive & joy about choosing this career path. It’s always felt relatively easy to connect with why I want to be a musician or an educator. Lately, though, I’ve felt […]
Recently a letter appeared in my email from a flautist I’ll call ‘Victor’. — Dear Jessica, I studied flute in the school and this year I will graduate from the Romanian music university from Bucharest. I am not graduating from the university in flute performance, but in pedagogy. Currently I do not feel any passion […]
On the 2nd of January, 2017 I decided that my New Year was due a restart. I was in bed with Salmonella food poisoning –there was no way I was going to start the year like that. I’ve aligned my celebrations with the Chinese calendar instead. Happy New Year of the Rooster to you–and […]
It’s a tumultuous world energy right now. News events are happening that have brought me tears and a deep frustration because I just don’t know what to do about it. I can feel small in that sense. I have learned that I have to check-in with myself in order to keep it all in perspective. I do this […]
On the evening of the 28th of November, 2015 my toosh was sat on a very rigid wooden chair that was not designed for reclining of any sort. The uncomfortable seating situation didn’t matter because I was mesmerized by… him. I was in Madrid. At a flamenco club. It was my birthday. Delgado danced—oh, man—did he […]
Here’s a step-by-step guide about how to tap into your alter ego in order to add more freedom to your playing. When American singer Beyoncé was in her 20’s she would embody an alter ego named ‘Sasha Fierce’ when performing on stage. This invented personality, she claimed, was separate from her everyday ‘shy self’. Sasha […]
Hello, my whimsical, hopeful, fresh-faced girl. Since I have your attention for a moment, let me whisper in your ear 10 truths that will be your own only after you leave all those music degree programmes. Keep them near. 1) Your flute teacher –at every stage– matters. Really matters. This person will be like a […]
Musicians who show the world who they are boldly and without any apologies are game-changers for us all. I am talking about artists who are openly unabashed about what they do. The ones who continually aim to unedit their artistic expression. The ones who tend to ignore sentences like: …if I stay with what’s in the rule book I’ll be fine! or […]
Have you been able to witness it? In a recital, on the hi-fi, over Wi-Fi, a bar, or in your car? The air changes, becoming electrically charged with something. Your bum ceases to wiggle about in your seat. You stop worrying about that WhatsApp message niggling you and quit second-guessing whether you’ve locked your doors. You […]