In her recent lesson with me, Alice, a flautist in her late 40’s, with much frustration in her voice, complained I feel as if I am having to start all over again this week in my playing. It’s driving me insane! You see, recently we had slightly moved her embouchure so that she was able […]
Tag Archives | performance
New Autumn 2017 Flute Workshop Dates Announced: Come Join us!
4 Flutes Flute Day 2017 with guest teacher Jessica Quiñones 4Flutes is an independent registered charity set up in 2003 as a continuation for the ideas and previous events of Ruth Ballantyne. The ethos behind 4Flutes is to bring to the southwest performers and teachers that would usually only be available in the major British […]
How to fall head-over-heels in love with musicology (+ why it took me a while)
Have you ever considered… Why you play your classical music the way that you do? (And who decides these ‘style rules’ anyway?) Why one type of playing is valued over another in the music conservatory (by the way, who decides what is ‘proper’?) Why there are so many recordings of musicians performing the same pieces […]
Your invitation to join me for 4 Days of Fluting + Relaxation in Cornwall
–SOLD OUT– The Refreshed Flautist Retreat is designed over 4 days to give you both music & relaxation in a stunning natural setting on the North Cornish coast. Deepen your flute playing skills, refresh your musicality and take time to rejuvenate by the sea, all with the popular coastal village of St. Agnes as your […]
Everything I know about receiving support (artistic, or otherwise)
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 […]
Tap into your musical flow at the upcoming Flowing Flautist Retreat in Cornwall, UK
I’m leading a second Boho Flute Retreat this year in Cornwall… and you’re invited! This retreat is called The Flowing Flautist and is taking place on the 16th-18th of September, 2016. Achieving a state of ‘flow’ is about being ‘in the zone’ and finding the magic in your playing so that you can tap into […]
My up-close-and-personal conversation with flautist and interdisciplinary performer Zara Lawler
I’ll admit that I was skeptical (and intrigued) when I first read that New York city-based flautist, Zara Lawler combines dance, voice and text while she plays. But, listen– that skepticism didn’t last long because after I watched her brilliant theatrics in action I was hooked. The fact that she quotes poetry by Rumi in the middle of her Andersen etudes (as one […]
“How do I get more magic in my playing?”
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 […]
Teaching Improvisation? 9 Steps To Get Your Students Improvising (Pronto)
This step-by-step guide is designed to help you introduce basic improvisation in your lessons and offers a structured framework that can be easily modified for pupils of all levels. (This was originally written for and published on the Trinity College London Music Support Blog in Nov. 2015 here) There is often a core belief amongst students […]
How to Use Your Alter Ego for Performance (+ what we can learn from Beyoncé)
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 […]