Toot My Flute

Flute Trials Part 2
When I last left off, I had received a box of 5 flutes from The Flute Center NY. The 5 were hand chosen for me by Kristen, based upon my budget and other parameters.

I was so amazed when I opened the box and saw all the beautiful cases.

I was also very nervous about scratching any of them. The instructions they came with had some do’s and don’ts, one of which was to refrain from wearing jewelry. I followed the directions and assembled the flutes, then laid them out on a towel.

My goal was to play them blind, or as blind as possible. I didn’t even read the packing slip. I didn’t want to know how much each one cost, just in case the price point would influence my decision one way or another. An expensive flute might make me think it was better than the rest. A cheaper flute might trigger my frugal side or make me think less of an instrument compared to another.

The flutes in my first batch were:
1. Pearl 795RBE Sterling silver Vigore headjoint with 3k gold lip plate.
2. Yamaha 677 sterling silver headjoint
3. Azumi by Altus Model AZ3SRBEO-C
4. Sonare by Powell Model 705 Sterling silver headjoint (extra silver handcut headjoint)
5. Amadeus by William S Haynes Model 780 (with extra handmade Q Classic headjoint, 9k gold lip plate)
6. With those flutes, I added my own Yamaha 222 student flute to compare them all to.
In total, I had in my possession $30,374.99 in flutes and extra head joints, but nothing had been charged to my credit card. The trial was free, and I would only be charged if I purchased one.

I began playing the flutes almost immediately, going through scales, long tones, and my musical repertoire, but “the one” stood out quickly, and I kept going to back to it. It was the Amadeus by Haynes with the extra Q Classic head joint. It had such a lovely tone, especially, in the mid-range, which was my strongest range. It spoke to my soul.

But that was only a trial of 5, and I didn’t feel like I could, or should, trust such a small sample. Plus, there was another Pearl I had really wanted to trial again. It was the one I had played at another flute shop (and loved). It was another person’s trial, but I had jumped in and played them, too, and been inspired to do my own.

I requested one more batch, with specific flutes that I wanted. It arrived as quickly as the first, in just a few days. In the second batch, there were only 3 flutes, because I had kept the Haynes Amadeus and Q Classic and Pearl 795RBE.

The three in the second batch were:
1. Di Zhao Model 801 (extra head joint)
2. North Bridge 700 Series NB-7BEF
3. Peal Elegant Series Model 795 (extra head joint)
The second trial only lasted one day. I played them all, over and over and over, but, again, one stood out and I could hardly put it down. I was getting antsy to seal the deal and make it permanently mine. I was like, I’ve got to have this flute! Now!

There were a couple that I really liked, the Pearls, their feathery action was just heavenly, but when I asked myself which I couldn’t send back, or which I couldn’t live without, it was (for me) the Haynes Amadeus with the Q Classic head joint.

I think it’s important to point out that I had played the Amadeus with the silver head joint and did not have the same experience. What set it apart, for me, was definitely the quality of the tone produced through the Q Classic, 9k gold lip plate, handmade head joint. It demonstrates just how important the right head joint is to the overall sound of your flute.

It has now been 8 months since this purchase, and I have had no regrets. Not even an inkling of a regret. Every single day playing my “magic wand” has been a revelation and an inspiration to play it better. I am always wondering what hidden layer I might find on any given day and, as I progress, the higher ranges open up more and more to me.

As for price, my magic wand came out lower than budget at about $3,800, which seems a bargain for this flute and hand made head joint. The Q Classic head joint with 9k gold lip, silver riser, retailed (back then) for $1,735.00, the Amadeus 780 with silver head joint retailed (back then) for $3,329.00. Getting the combination for $3,800 seemed almost too good to be true.

Just for the heck of it, I looked up the cost today, post-tariffs/inflation, and the website lists this combo at $4,675. That makes me even happier about my purchase from last October (2024). It would have been worth either price, but I’m glad I invested in my magic wand when I did.

Plus, I’m having the time of of my life playing it everyday!

I want to add something here about the Yamaha 222 I started with and still (sometimes) play–that is an amazing little student flute. Since I used it in my trials to compare to the others I was able to see it side-by-side, and it held its own. It took a special flute to beat it out and prove the upgrade was worth it.

I play both my flutes every day and both have held up. Neither one of them have had a single technical issue.

There has been a lot happening in my little flute journey since the trial, and I will write about it soon– a new online flute teacher, my first online flute recital, and lots of little gizmos, gadgets, and apps that have made my flute life so much more!

(To be continued.)
June 16, 2025

Di Zhao 801, flute, Flute Journey, flute trial, Haynes Amadeus, North Bridge 700 Series, Pearl 795, Powell Flute, Yamaha 222, Yamaha 677
Part 1: Flute Trials, First Contact

I started my journey back to playing flute eight months ago, and during a shopping trip to help find a flute for another flutist, which I tagged along for, I was able to play better flutes and realize I was ready for an upgrade.

The question, when do I upgrade, is complicated.

Did I mention that I play piano? It became my primary instrument when I was about 12. I studied off and on, even as an adult, and try to play everyday. I absolutely adore, love, and worship the piano. At one point, I studied for two years with a wonderful and wise pianist. I was in my 40’s at the time (and I wasn’t her oldest student!)

Well, the question came up about upgrading my piano. I really wanted to buy a new piano after THIRTY years of playing piano, especially after playing her 7′ concert Steinway every week, but I had this flawed reasoning that I had to EARN a new piano and that I did not deserve a great piano.

My teacher corrected me, and said that I should buy the best piano I could afford. Think of it, she said, we spend hours everyday playing our instruments, shouldn’t those hours be lovely? If we expect to earn a better instrument, we might never feel we’ve reached that point. My teacher had refinanced her house to afford her Steinway, but it was also a business investment. I play for my own enjoyment, but I started the long journey of finding my heart piano anyway, and I eventually did. (There is a story behind the people who sold me my heart piano. They were selling everything to live aboard a sailboat they had built in their backyard in Newman Lake. I don’t know what happened to them, but would love to find out.)

When I returned to the flute, I began with a Yamaha student flute, and it was perfect for wading back in and testing my commitment. Did I love playing the flute enough to obsess about it? Did I love it enough to play everyday and, perhaps, the rest of my life?

Yes and yes.

It was time for a new flute. Maybe, not the best, but the best I could afford to buy.

I follow the Flute Forum on Facebook, and many of the members there recommended flute trials through the Flute Center NY. I went to their website and contacted them through their chat:

How can we help you?

I’m a returning flutist, and I want to find the perfect flute for me. I’ve been playing a Yamaha 222, but I’m ready for more. My budget is 4K. I played a Pearl 795, all silver flute, and loved it. However, I would like to do more research and play more flutes.

Within two hours, I received a message back from Kristen:

Thank you for your message, and for choosing FCNY! I would love to help with a trial. It doesn’t look like you have worked with us before, so I am more than happy to answer any questions you have about our trial program- it’s easy and stressless! If you’re interested in a trial, I would love to set up a time to talk things through over the phone.

Truer words were never written.

We had a flute consultation by phone the next day, where she asked me questions about what I was looking for in a flute, and what I had already played. I can’t remember how I answered that, but I hope I said that I wanted a flute that could express many emotional layers.

Within a week, Kristen had sent me a box of flutes and extra headjoints.

Oh my, let the playing begin!

To be Continued: The Arrival

October 16, 2024

classical, flute, instrument, music
‘Lapsed Flutist’: Journey Back

I was what they call a “lapsed flutist,” but after a 40 year hiatus, returned to playing flute, February 16, 2024.

I chose the flute (or, it chose me) in the 4th grade, and I played in band until my senior year of high school. My school(s) did not have an option to play in an Orchestra, but I wish they had, because I think that would have suited me, and inspired me, more than popular marching band music.

Mine was not a perfect flute journey. When my parents first purchased my flute, an Artley student flute, two weeks ahead of the start of school, I had private lessons. It was with a man I barely remember, of unknown expertise. The details are blurry because our time together was short.

After two lessons, he told my parents I should quit. I mean, who says that?!? I was only 10, for god’s sake. Thankfully, for me, I did not quit. Instead, I went along tooting my flute from the ages of 10 through 18.

When band was done, my flute playing was largely finished, too, except a few times picking it up to play, but putting it down again when it felt purposeless, …and lonely.

Eventually, my kids used my student flute as a toy, and it was soon rendered inoperable.

After four decades, and a rather complex musical journey through piano and guitar, which I’ll write about later, a small thought began to fester.

You played the flute once, for almost 8 years, everyday–why not now?

But I didn’t have a functioning flute. A year passed, and another thought crept in:

Buy a flute.

Okay, but it shouldn’t be expensive, …because you don’t know if you’ll like it.

I compromised on a Yamaha 222 student flute. Not a big commitment of money, but not an amazon special either.

With new flute in hand, I felt the younger me urging older me forward.

You’re an adult now. You are free. You can play anything you want, anytime you want, anyway you want. Go for it!

The first thing I did with my new flute in hand was subscribe to TomPlay, which allows you to play hundreds, maybe thousands, of songs with accompaniment. You can even record yourself playing. It definitely makes practicing the flute feel less isolated.

The second thing I did was take a lesson from a professional flutist, which I will write about in another post.

My journey back started hopeful, but also slowly and painfully.

Had it always been this hard? Did I always play this bad, but just didn’t know it? Was my new instrument broken?

I sought help on a flute forum and received much encouragement. Other flutists told me it would take time to build back my embouchure. They told me to play scales and long tones. Some days I sounded really good. Others, really bad. There was no consistency. But I was still having so much fun!

And, voila!, after a few months I was easily playing notes from low C to high G, and getting clear tones more often than not.

In fact, I am ready for a new flute. The wisdom for any instrument is that you should buy the best one you can afford, because you will be spending so much time with it. I’ve spent countless hours practicing on the Yamaha 222, but it is extremely limited.

Last week, I contacted Flute Center NY and set up a trial. I gave them the price range I’m shopping in, 4-5K, and the qualities I would like: silver, expressive, and all the bells and whistles, like split E, offset G, C# trill, and B foot (though in retrospect, I’m not sure I need a B foot.)

There will be 5 or 6 flutes arriving on October 1st, 2024, just a few days from now, and I will have them for at least 10 days.

The start of this blog is also the start of a search for my own Wizard Wand, the Harry Potter comparison many flutists make to flute shopping. It is the true beginning of my journey to find my unique sound and my unique purpose.

The wand (and flute) finds you, they say.

I do hope I find my own magical flute.

September 28, 2024

About Me, flute, Flute Journey, flute trial, lapsed flutist, Pearl 795, Yamaha 222