6 REASONS WHY I’D LOVE TO BE YOUR ONLINE FLUTE TEACHER

1) Because you have a burning desire to express your music with conviction, courageousness +  personal authenticity. If that’s you, I welcome you no matter what your level may be.  See the success stories from my international clients in the testimonials area below (scroll down).

2) Because you’ll have a smooth, ‘niggle-free’ virtual experience.  With years of online flute teaching and technological ‘know-how’ under my belt, the online teaching techniques I use for the ‘biggies’ (i.e. posture, tone, finger technique and breathing) will be communicated to you with absolute ease.

3) Because I believe in walking the walk. I have an active international flute career as a performer, ethnomusicologist and teacher. Or, in other words, I offer a large musical skill-set to share with you in your lessons because I embody all that I teach in my own playing, too.

4) Because I can offer you a wide range of styles to explore beyond the ‘usual’ flute repertoire. I am not only a classical-trained flautist with numerous performance degrees, but I also specialize (and research) Latin American Styles such as the tango, choro, bossa nova,  maxixe, frevo, and samba. 

5) Because I wholeheartedly know for sure that you can learn flute successfully through online lessons.  Every day I am honoured to meet with a wide range of flautists from around the world who are making huge leaps in their playing. Just like in a ‘live’ setting, we’ll develop our unique flow together. There won’t be a dull moment.

6) And perhaps the icing on the cake, the cherry on top? It’s not just about your lesson hour! I will also send you bespoke personalised lesson notes after our session with a record of everything we do together. Flute playing isn’t a rushed endeavour– take your time to integrate all we work on together in your lesson at your own pace.  

How Does It All Work?

You will need:

• a computer/ laptop/tablet/ i-pad/i-phone
• a video camera (FYI : installed on most modern devices already)
• speakers or headphones

The online communication doesn’t stop after your lesson is over:

• You’ll receive personalised lesson notes after each and every lesson
• You’ll have your own personalised online folder where we share notes, scores + audio files so you can easily chart your progress

Levels taught: I welcome you at any level– whether you’re already a flute teacher,  an absolute beginner, a post-graduate, an adult amateur or even an advanced performer.

Examples of what I can help you with: 

• Western ‘classical’ repertoire for flute, from Mower to Muczynski to Mozart to Bach
• Latin American musical styles such as the Tango, Flamenco, Samba, Bossa Nova, Maxixe, Choro (I am a flute specialist in these areas)
• Bollywood melodies (I have toured in India exclusively playing this genre)
• Improvisation (helping you to move away from the score, finding your own expressive style in a variety of genres)
• A  fresh approach to your preparation of music for :
  -Competitions
• – Professional Orchestral auditions
• Graded exam syllabus for the UK ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall,  Canadian RCM,  Australian AMEB, and USA All-State auditions
  -Music school auditions for conservatoires and colleges
  -Undergraduate/ Post-Graduate exam recitals and juries

Still Curious?

• To learn more about my teaching philosophies, see my teaching manifesto here
• On what you can expect in your flute lessons, click here to see my further teaching pages
• To view my current professional experience,  see my CV here

Skype Student Testimonials

“Just sign up ! If you read no further – that’s  my message. In my experience as a student, I feel that Jessica’s intuitive, observant, ‘straight with you’, kind, person-centred style have been key to my learning and enjoyment of the flute.

Having lost connection with the flute for many years, I was a bit terrified of approaching a virtuoso flute player, a teacher of teachers – Jessica’s credentials are awesome; yet in lessons Jessica is so relaxed, humble and keeps it all straight forward.

Over the last 9 months of fortnightly Skype lessons, I felt my awareness, confidence and motivation really improve, through: positive guidance; practical daily exercises; new pieces to tackle; tools to break down challenges into steps; opportunities to return to the familiar and to feast on the new, and lots more.

Jessica has worked systematically to underpin the wobbly walls of my playing with a view to set solid foundations.

It’s the most exciting experience to re-discover a delight in playing, to develop a better tone and articulation and have a fun way forward to improve my skills.

So, thank you, Jessica, I am so grateful and I look forward to the next sessions with enthusiasm.”

Emily Priestley, Cornwall, UK

“I have been having  Skype flute lessons with Jessica for over a year now. I live in Australia and having Skype has given me the opportunity to seek out a teacher anywhere in the world, that really offers what I’m looking for and also offers the flexibility to work around my unpredictable  working hours.  The Skype interaction works very well re quality of sound. My teacher student experience with Jessica continues to be a truly wonderful experience. She is so professional on so many levels and at the same time I feel like I have made a lifelong friend. She uses an online account where she stores all my lesson notes and links to the recourses she provides. In this way I have at my fingertips a chronological record of our progress and access to the recourses I’m using wherever I am.
She is a very creative teacher and responds to my learning needs and also the creative direction I am taking my music. She is very encouraging, positive and has such a passion for flute playing. She is very clear in her instructions and suggestions yet always gentle in her approach. It’s a great pleasure studying with her and I really recommend her as  a teacher.”– Kate Andrews, Australia

“Lessons with Jessica are very clear, and enjoyable. Her teaching approach is in direct response to me as an individual. The practice she suggests helps me in exploring in and around the parts of my playing that challenge me. Her teaching approach is dynamic. She is a real pleasure to interact with. I am not good at speaking English, but there is no problem in having a lesson with Jessica. She is really amazing tutor and is very responsible. I can surely say Jessica is the best! This is relative to other off line class teachers, too.
I can do everything with Jessica there was no limits, nothing was impossible with her. I will never forget this since I have learned not only playing the flute but also gained lessons about responsibility and attitude from her.” —Ran Park, Singapore 

“Jessica’s Skype lessons have greatly helped me renew my childhood passion to study the flute. Her Skype lessons are always very enjoyable and she gives me great encouragement and confidence to improve. Skype is a great platform for studying the flute. Jessica is able to see and hear everything from tone to technique all from my i-Pad! Skype lessons have provided me with an option to study the flute without having to leave my home, which suits me and my young family. Jessica has been very flexible towards my busy schedule and has always been accommodating to slot Skype lessons in to suit my own availability.  Her teaching is always focused towards my needs, adding new repertoire and concepts each lesson to assist my personnel development and to achieve my own goals. Jessica is always well prepared for our Skype lessons and she has always been very punctual.” — Liz Allen, Ireland

“When I joined Jessica for lessons I was actually considering giving up the instrument; I had major problems with my technique including breathing correctly, and even simple things like holding the instrument correctly.
I was sceptical at the start about having lessons on Skype, but Jessica is an expert and nothing escaped her attention!
Within a few lessons my flute playing had improved enormously and over the time I was with her my technique and my confidence grew no end.
She introduced me to melody writing, playing by ear and guided me through music theory.  My lessons were always fun and I got something new out of each session. I would highly recommend Jessica as a teacher.”– Moira Mccarty, UK 

“Desde hace varios años me entusiasmé por aprender a tocar Flauta transversa, sin embargo mi trabajo me demanda mucho tiempo, y buscando alternativas descubrí que había algunos sitios web que ofrecían clases vía Skype, actualmente tengo varios meses recibiendo clases con Jessica que empiezan a las 6:45 am y estoy muy feliz aprendiendo y mejorando mi sonido y mi técnica, así también estoy muy satisfecho con mis avances, ni la distancia geográfica, los diferentes horarios e idiomas han sido obstáculos”– Jaime Eduardo Blanco, Guatemala, 47 años

“For various years I have been excited to learn to play the flute, however my work demands a lot of time, and looking for alternatives I discovered that there were websites that were offering classes via Skype, currently I have several months taking classes with Jessica that start at 6:45 am and I am very happy learning and improving my sound and technique, and I am also very pleased with my progress, neither the geographic distance, the different times or languages have been obstacles.” — Jaime Eduardo Blanco, Guatemala, age 47

“Jessica is a dear teacher who unearthed a deeply buried dream in me. She reminded me of a folk artist I had greatly enjoyed years ago but had felt unable to appreciate because the repertoire was supposedly less legitimate than the standard Western repertoire. But Jessica showed me that genres outside the classical realm are not relegated to second rate musicians. She also affirmed that my current skill set is valid, even if it is not as extensive compared to that of my colleagues’. My time with Jessica was very special! I worked with her for a few months over Skype, and I sincerely hope to meet her in person some day.’– Charity Distad, Georgia, USA

“My daughter has grown in confidence since starting lessons with Jessica, her teaching style is so encouraging and supportive. I’ve been really pleased with being able to use Skype for her lessons it allows us much more flexibility as we no longer have to travel miles to the nearest tutor. We’re so pleased how she is getting on she now often picks up her flute to play without any reminder which is what I have always hoped and as well is often sitting at the piano and playing away as she has realised she can read music! Yesterday she said to me ‘I think I would like to learn saxophone too and could you get me the next piano book?’ Thank you, our wonderful teacher.”
“– Kay Hudson (proud mum), England, UK

“It’s fun, Jessica is a really good teacher and I’ve enjoyed everything about learning the flute with her. It’s a brilliant way to help children to learn an instrument, I love Skype it’s so easy to use. It’s fabulous to reach my goal of playing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ on the flute”– Jasmine, England, UK, age 10

“Jessica is a teacher like no other!  It is not just her teaching methods that set her apart, but her approach to music in general.  Nothing she does has any resemblance whatsoever to the dry, dull exercises that you may have learned in band at school – or anywhere else for that matter.  I started out not knowing how to hold, much less blow on a flute, and went straight into band at school, where no technique was taught.  After becoming a student under Jessica, it was impossible to tell that I had been playing for two months and not for a year!” —  Sophie Johnstone, California, USA, age 12

“I was a definite skeptic when it came to online music lessons – Jessica has completely changed my opinion!  When we couldn’t find lessons locally to fit our schedule, I reluctantly turned to the internet to search for a class online.  I am now so completely thrilled with our lessons with Jessica!  I am glad this is the path my search for a teacher took.  It is not often that you can find someone with the level of professional accomplishment that Jessica has attained that can then also teach at any level, including beginners.  She is extremely patient, very thorough and concise in her explanations and not only a talented flautist, but a gifted teacher as well.  My daughter has flourished in her lessons with Jessica.  I unreservedly recommend her lessons to my friends!” — Mindy Johnstone, a parent of Sophie, a student in California, USA

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for what you do for my son. – particularly in not judging him for being who he is, and in fact turning that into something to be celebrated…I want you to know that I feel so lucky that we found you and have been able to be touched by your amazing energy and insight, and am so grateful to you for guiding both him and me to follow his own path… You truly are the most special person! Much love” — Rachel P., UK 

“Since we move often Skype lessons were a logical choice, although I was a bit skeptical about how well they would work. However, working with Jessica over the past eighteen months has been ideal. I am an adult beginning student with several years’ experience on the piano, and Jessica has been able to help me utilize that experience to its fullest potential in my work on the flute. Her individualized lesson plans and willingness to adapt to my needs and my schedule makes her wonderful to work with. She is always able to find something positive and supportive to say, and her emphasis on all aspects of musicianship makes learning the flute so much more than simply learning the proper technique. I would highly recommend Jessica to anyone in search of a teacher, whether via Skype or face-to-face.” –Dr. Helen Schicketanz, Spain / Italy/ USA