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.
Toot My Flute 