Toot My Flute

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