New Recordings!

 Beethoven, Symphony #5: https://youtu.be/lmAgVXPELhY

Beethoven, Leonore Overture #3: https://youtu.be/lmAgVXPELhY

Faure, Morceau de Concours: https://youtu.be/MtBhjlNWWLs

Summer Update

Just a quick update today.

I've been doing a nice job keeping up with practice and with rotating my DeLorenzo exercises. I started incorporating more of them into my practice rotations as well. There were many that I've putting off certain exercises until I was "ready" for them, which is slightly misguided. No, I'm not ready to plow through tons of exercises at a fast tempo, but I can definitely do a few a day at a slower, reasonable tempo. This variety from day to day keeps my practice interesting, and it stretches my abilities just enough. After enjoying my coffee and a crossword on the balcony, it'll be time to start today's practice!

Happy Fourth of July!

My Journey with Anxiety

Since it's summer I decided to try and get back into practicing regularly with the hopes of being able to put together a recital in early fall (we'll see if that works out or not). It's not uncommon for me to ebb and flow and try to get into a new practice routine only to have it fall apart pretty easily. I then end up in some sort of shame spiral because I've yet again failed to prove myself a "real musician."

Earlier this week I had a realization while practicing that it has been seven years - SEVEN. YEARS. - since I was practicing and playing regularly and at a fairly respectable level.  No wonder why it's been so hard to get back into the swing of things! I was under a lot of stress during the end of my time in grad school (around 2011-2012) and that was the beginning of some significant anxiety for me. I left West Virginia after finishing grad school in 2012 and moved to south Florida, where I've had some significant dry spells.

During my last year in graduate school, I had a pretty humiliating experience with a playing a chamber recital for a pianist friend. The repertoire was the Prokofiev flute sonata and Saint-Saens' Tarantelle for flute, clarinet, and piano. By this time I was already struggling with stress and it was beginning to have a negative effect on my playing. After a several rehearsals on the Prokofiev and a couple coachings with the pianists' teacher, she told me that her teacher had decided that another flutists should play the Prokofiev. No one had indicated to me that there were significant issues with my playing. The pianist hadn't voiced any concerns to me directly (I don't know that it would have served anyone well if she had; it likely would have had the unintentional consequence of looking tacky on her part), her teacher hadn't said anything to me, and my own professor hadn't said anything either. I should add here that maybe they did, maybe someone did try to tell me that I was not up to snuff. If they did though, I never got the message.

This was the start of significant issues for me. My self esteem dropped, my playing continued to suffer. This manifested in two significant ways: long phrases were impossible (even "normal" length phrases were very difficult), and playing anything in the second octave (especially C/B/A's). Once I had moved to south Florida, my anxiety eventually got so bad that some days I couldn't even produce a sound. I remember once having to literally tell myself that everything was okay and I was fine just holding the flute down by my side.  Keep in mind that I had just finished my MM in flute performance and I had given my final degree recital only a year before. This was the tipping point for me.

In either 2013 or 2014 I started going to therapy for anxiety. I was teaching very part-time at a university and thankfully was able to sign up for therapy for very cheap. Going to therapy really helped provide me with tools to manage my thoughts and stress levels, and I was able to get back to playing although I still struggle with performance anxiety.

It's been a long time coming, but I am feeling more comfortable and confident about myself and my playing. I still have times of worry, but they are usually shorter and I have ways to handle the situation.

Facing Uncertainty

I find myself unsure of how to assess myself, how to "rate" where I am in life. By many accounts I'm doing just fine, even doing exceptionally well! I'm co-running a small but worthwhile arts non-profit, I have ample work (too much work, even), things are good.

Except when it comes to my actual relationship with music. I don't practice anymore. Honestly, the main reason is because I just don't have time. Each day is a marathon - get up early, barely make it out the door in time, race around all day going from obligation to obligation, and come crashing into bed just in time to get almost a good night's sleep before doing it again. I don't have any time left in my schedule to devote to practicing, certainly not practicing regularly. When is my next performance? April, maybe. Maybe.

Every once in a while I have a little time to play. I practiced for 20 minutes on Monday, it had been probably close to a month since I last took my flute out of its case, well over a month since the time before that. Part of me feels like I should just become one of those people who "used" to play an instrument, who "used" to be a musician - I'm halfway there already. Even as I type this though, it hurts, it really causes me pain.

I see people I used to perform with, I used to dream of becoming when I "grew up," and all I see is the unattainable. Even the times I've been able to play, to perform, it's been a whirlwind of stress and worry instead of medicine for my soul. I would love to play again, to feel the deep personal satisfaction of making something beautiful, and doing it well. I just don't know how I'm supposed to get back that joy, how to light that fire.

When I daydream of starting it back up again, my brain immediate comes up with grandiose ideas that sound great to my dreamer self, but don't meet the standards of my pragmatic side. The thought of practicing once a week, let alone everyday is realistically nothing more than a chore. It's another thing that I have to do, otherwise I've failed and fallen behind. It's almost easier to just push it down and forget about it than to try and remedy the situation.

It's easy to say "Just play for fun! Just throw a recital together! Just find a little gig here or there!" Playing isn't really fun if it comes at the expense of not doing something else that's realistically more important or time sensitive. As a professional musician and someone who runs a performing arts organization, "throwing something together" only works if the end product is really great, which it can't be if you don't have the time to amply prepare. I can't just take little gigs here or there if I don't have the time of day to go to the gig!

It's funny how I picked the moniker "The Balanced Flutist," and balance seems to be the most elusive thing in my life. It's not that my life is bad. It's not that I don't have tons of amazing things going on - I do. I just keep finding myself in situations where I've gone too far to one side, where one part of my life is sucking the life out of the rest of me.

Time to re-evaluate a few things, rebalance my life.

Building and Maintaining Consistency When Doubling

I've recently begun preparing music for four concerts between now and the end of June, and I'll be doing a lot of doubling. The first concert is only alto and sopranino recorder, the second is both recorders and flute. The third is going to be my first multiple woodwinds recital (piccolo, flute, clarinet, alto sax, and alto recorder) ever, and as the woodwinds professor at NSU.

The main concept I have to remind myself about - which is not earth-shattering - is that you must carry over as many concepts as possible when doubling. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the differences between instruments that basic concepts fall by the wayside.
Concepts like:
- consistent airflow
- swift, relaxed finger motion
- clarity in tone and articulation
- intonation

It's far too easy to let yourself think "Oh, I'm just running through this, I'll worry about intonation(tone/fingerings/etc.) later."

The issue here is that by allowing yourself to essentially drop your guard this one time you're setting yourself up for inconsistency in performance later, which is a much steeper price to pay than to just focus in on an issue when it springs up. I remember once when I was still in school I was playing clarinet in the pit for "Annie Get Your Gun." I hadn't prioritized clarinet, and wasn't practicing properly or enough. In the middle of the show one night I went to play an exposed solo - and completely blanked. I simply couldn't remember which key to press! If I had just been practicing the tiniest bit, I really doubt that would have happened.

If you're getting back into the routine of doubling, try this:
Set aside some time *before* your practice session starts to plan out your practice session. Incorporate some time to work on fundamentals (tone, articulation, scales) before delving into repertoire. I also strongly recommend that you work toward a "standard warm-up" for each instrument. Whenever I practice other woodwinds, I start my practice the same way and it always helps me "settle" into the new horn quickly and easily. Even something as simple as five minutes at the beginning of a session will an immediate impact on your practice session and, perhaps more importantly, will set you up for long term success.

October Update

It has been a ridiculous amount of time since I last posted, and a lot has happened! This semester at NSU brought a very strong start to the Pro Musica Ensemble, which I'm glad to be co-directing (check out the Upcoming Events page). I got married in September, and just last week finally bought a new (to me) clarinet. The end of this week (October 10th) is also my one year anniversary at ASM, where I teach piano. Good times!

 

Lovewell Institute

I'm so glad I got to work at the Lovewell Institute this past July. This arts program for elementary through high school students has been around since 1989. These students got to write, rehearse, and perform their own complete musical. It was a great experience! I was a music intern for the Teen show, and our show ended up being about a vaudeville troupe circa 1913 struggling to deal with the introduction of silent films and the decline of live performance.

Awesome experience? Yes.

Summer Plans

Originally, I had this grand idea that after my recital I would hit the ground running and would plow through at least one more technique book plus etudes and new repertoire, but as the dust settled I realized that I want to use this "down time" to refocus my efforts as a performer and teacher. I want to approach my practice in a more holistic manner. This will help reduce muscle tension and pain. Instead of seeing how much ground I can cover this summer, I want to take this time to reevaluate how I've been achieving my goals. While I am proud of the work I've put in this academic year, and of the progress I've made, I want to make efforts to tweak my habits toward a more healthy approach.

The longer I've been teaching keyboard the better my playing has gotten, but I'd like to spend some time this summer working on really becoming a more well-equipped pianist. Part of this will require me to just squeeze in a little extra practice time here and there, but I'll also be doing a lot of reading. I've currently been working my way through two texts that a colleague at the university loaned me (A Symposium for Pianists and Teachers: Strategies to Develop the Mind and Body for Optimal Performance edited by Kris Kopff, and The Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher by Marienne Uszler). It's great to be able to say that I've recognized some of those pedagogical approaches or encountered the same issues as I've been teaching, but it's strangely even more exciting to see how much of this field I'm just not familiar with as I keep investigating.

I'm also working on a couple side projects, including a scale book geared towards woodwind doublers and general woodwind teachers like myself (but more on that later).

Recital in Review

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of presenting a recital at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. While I haven't yet heard any recordings yet, I'm satisfied with my playing. It wasn't perfect, but I'm okay with that.

As I was preparing for this, I thought quite often about the "how" of the process. How many times should I run my entire program? How should I arrange the music on the program? How many programs should I print? I also began to think about what others thought of this process, so I asked. I created a survey and put it on my Twitter and asked you to share your perspective, and 38 people shared their opinions! Here's what I found, and I'll add my own thoughts as well. I do want to note that every question was multiple choice, so the results don't fall into neat percentages.

First, I wanted to know how repertoire is picked:

I pick music that I like.	67.57% 25
– I try to pick music that my audience will enjoy.	45.95% 17
– Anything, really.	24.32% 9
– Always new music!	13.51% 5
Total Respondents: 37

I tend to go for a mix of all of these. For this recital, I picked works that I had been wanting to perform for a long time, some of which I thought would also be audience pleasers. There were also a couple works I chose because I felt they were important for me to perform as a musician and flutist. For example, I had never performed a work with extended techniques, so I programmed two contemporary works that I felt would be good for me as a first-timer.

When asked how early rehearsals start:

9-12 months - I start before I even know I want to do the recital!	2.63% 1
– 6-9 months - Lots of time!	47.37% 18
– 3-6 months - Not too much time, not too little!	47.37% 18
– 0-3 months - I like the pressure!	15.79% 6
Total Respondents: 38

I technically started preparing around 6-9 months ago, but my real work didn't happen until about the 4 month mark. I liked that I felt I had time to not be rushed, but also felt some pressure to not slack off. One work I intentionally waited to begin preparing (Piazzolla's Tango Etude #1) and I enjoyed having the extra pressure of less time for that work, especially since there were works that I had been practicing on-and-off for over a year.

How people prefer to prepare multiple works:

A little bit of everything!	15.79% 6
– I focus on one work at a time. I have to feel comfortable before I'll move on to the next work.	5.26% 2
– Somewhere between, it depends on which pieces I feel need the most work.	81.58% 31
Total Respondents: 38

Overall I worked on a little of everything, but sometimes you have to just focus on one or two works for a while to get them up to where you want them to be.

How much do you record yourself?

Never.	13.16% 5
– Occasionally (1-3 times a month)	39.47% 15
– Fairly regularly (1-2 times a week)	39.47% 15
– Often (3-4 time a week)	5.26% 2
– Always. The recorder is constantly on!	5.26% 2
Total Respondents: 38

I put myself in the "fairly regularly" category. I found that recording often was really helpful, but sometimes I just didn't have the time to listen between practice sessions. Whenever that happens, those recordings become old news really quickly.

What tools do you use in practice?

Metronome	94.59% 35
– Pitch Drone	27.03% 10
– Audio Recorder	59.46% 22
– Video Recorder	21.62% 8
Total Respondents: 37

Several people added Tuner and Mirror in the comment section (I forgot to include those two!) I never made a video recording of myself but I think I really need to do that next time around. Here's a comment that I really liked:

"Skype for playing for people; email accountability group to share daily practice times; Music Journal app ; or chart. Lift app for tracking practice times, slow play times and motivating me."

I love the resourceful integration of technology, plus the tracking and sharing of daily practice times. 

Do you run the entire program in advance of the recital?

Yes	94.74% 36
– No	5.26% 2
Total

I hadn't given a recital since 2010, so I was very worried about stamina and nerves. I ran the entire program every weekday the week before the recital, and it was probably the best thing I could have done. It assured me that I wouldn't wear out before the second half even started, and gave me a chance to remember what it was like to walk "on stage" and simply have to deliver no matter what happens.

How often do you run through the entire program?

Never.	0.00% 0
– One week before the program	27.03% 10
– 2-3 weeks in advance	59.46% 22
– 4-6 weeks in advance	18.92% 7
– 7+ weeks in advance	2.70% 1
Total Respondents: 37

While I think that the way ran the program multiple times in the week preceding was extremely helpful, the people who voted for 2-3 weeks in advance hit the nail on the head. Starting run-throughs a little earlier would allow extra time to go back and re-hone some spots that I could never hit right on during a mock performance. By waiting until the last week, there were some unexpected rough spots that came up that I just couldn't give the time they needed.

What is your main instrument?

Woodwinds	57.89% 22
– Brass	7.89% 3
– Strings	18.42% 7
– Piano	5.26% 2
– Percussion	0.00% 0
– Voice	10.53% 4
Total Respondents: 38

Here are some of my favorite tips that people gave:

- "Always be able to play through the recital twice, then it will be no problem to play through it once."

Amen! I'm adding this one to my plans for next time as well!

- "I think it's a good idea to have a balance between pieces that represent the style periods of art music (or genres, for those who play a wider repertoire)."

- "Practice in the shoes and or clothing you plan to perform in before hand in case you are not comfortable or have wardrobe malfunctions."

- "Run the full show three times prior to performance, including stage entrances and exits, cleaning the instrument, taking drinks, bowing, acknowledging composers, speaking to the audience, etc. while wearing any difficult components of performance attire (ie: shoes, jewelry)."

- This: "One can never be too prepared." And conversely: "Take it easy and do not over prepare pieces. Give yourself enough time to take breaks."

Both are very valid points. There are some things I wish I had prepared in a more efficient manner, but if I had worked on some that lit for another week I might have lost it.

- "I always practice slowly and isolate trouble spots. Also I listen to several recordings of each piece and score study them."

- "Imaging with the score, no instrument, in program order = most powerful tool the day before and day of, at the very least."

I sort of implemented some of both of these ideas. The night before I spot-checked each piece, but didn't do a run-through. The morning of the recital I listened to each work in concert order with the score, which was really great.

- "Slow practice is so important. Learn a piece slowly and correctly - speed will come much more organically."

- "Practice scales, technical exercises, études all the time to help you learn repertoire more quickly. Being in good shape cuts down on recital prep time."

- "Think about the order the pieces will go in, try them in different orders. That's why I go through the program in order a couple times before the recital. Sometimes a piece that requires more stamina needs to be closer to the beginning, etc."

Special thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute to my survey!

Looking Back

During the month of October I tried to challenge myself by making a few key changes, namely moving to a strictly vegan diet.
I started the month strong, with lots of fresh produce, homemade shakes and smoothies. It was very exciting, and I learned a few new kitchen tricks. As the month wore on, I lost some of that enthusiasm and relied on premade meals. I stuck to it though, and made it through the month eating only vegan foods.
I still want to change some other habits, and I'll be working to make adjustments to my fitness habits and practice routines.
The month of October brought many changes, namely a significant change in my employment situation. I'm now working entirely in music, which is very exciting. I'm still adjusting to the new job, but it's been fun to be working with a group of great kids.
As we move forward to the end of the year, I'll be trying to get back to a higher level of focus and drive in my professional life.

New Job

I haven't talked about it much here, but I've been working part-time at a restaurant since we moved down to Florida. It's worked out pretty well, because it allowed me to make a liveable wage and still gave me flexibility to pursue gigs and other opportunities as they became available to me. Over the past few weeks though, my schedule kept getting cut back further and further, so I had to start looking for a new job. After looking for about a week and finding that there were no music jobs that didn't require me to have a childcare license I was starting to give up on finding a music job. Then I found a listing for a keyboard instructor. I called on a Tuesday, had my interview on Wednesday, and started training on Thursday!
My first official day was Saturday, and I am loving this job. It's an after school program, and they only offer piano/keyboard, guitar, and drum lessons. I only teach private lessons, and while most of my students are under 10, I have a couple who are 15-18. So far they're all good kids and we're having a great time! My coworkers are all very friendly and helpful, and I don't have to deal with any of the scheduling, they have a two people on staff who handle all of that for the teachers.
All students use the same book system for their basics - the Alfred Basic Piano Library. There are around eight levels I think, and each one has a theory book, technic book, lesson book, and recital book. I'm really glad that these kids are getting exposed to good basics, especially in the realm of theory. Maybe my perception is a little screwy because I didn't start taking lessons until my senior year of high school and no music theory until college for me. If a student starts getting bored with their books, we can bring in outside music like their favorite song from the radio to keep them engaged and learning.
I've never taught piano before, and I haven't taught students this young before. It's very humbling to think that for some of these kids I am at the beginning of their exposure to music as an engaging activity. While it's easy to get lost in their antsy-ness and all the stickers we hand out, it's quite a responsibility to think that what I do and say might have a major influence on whether a child might continue on with music for a lifetime.
Over the last few days I've been cleaning/reorganizing my little room. Hopefully today I'll remember to post some pictures, be sure to check my twitter to see them: @balancedflutist
I'm so incredibly thankful for this job, and I can certainly say that having this job relieves so much stress. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

One Week Vegan

I'm so glad to say that I survived this first week of eating entirely vegan! 

*One thing that I do want to clarify from my last post is that I absolutely do not regret watching documentaries on veganism. I'm so very glad that I did. It's really helped to give me the push to change my diet in a way that I've been wanting to for a long time, and that's something that I'm very grateful for!*

There were a couple factors that played into my ability to follow through with this goal. First of all, I watched a lot of relevant YouTube videos. I watched mostly presentations or discussions about why the vegan diet is more effective and healthier, plus some videos by vegan YouTubers about what they eat, some of their favorite recipes, and tips on how to successfully transition. The biggest tip that I saw was that if you switch to lots of whole fruits and veggies, then yes you will consume a much higher volume of food. Knowing that helped me to know that it's okay to load up on food at meals, and getting hungry between meals doesn't necessarily mean I'm doing it incorrectly.
Another helpful thing, which was sort of incidental, was that I found good, filling breakfast ideas that weren't fruit smoothies. It's a veggie smoothie! I've had fruit smoothies, and I like them, but I just wasn't able to get nearly as much variation as I wanted, plus they turn brown and start tasting funny very quickly, so making them in advance wasn't really an option. The veggie smoothie recipe that I tried was this:

1 medium carrot
2 celery stalks
one big handful of spinach
1 pear (or apple)
coconut milk (or other vegan milk)

It's very tasty! The pear/apple adds a little sweetness without going overboard. I've also been adding two kale leaves and half an avocado to mine which makes it more filling and creamier. Another thing I tried which worked well was I put in about a quarter or less of bell pepper. That spiced it up and changed the flavor profile in a very positive way. I'm going to add/subtract ingredients so that I can slowly increase my options and increase variety further. Usually I would drink half of the smoothie, saving the other half for the next day/later that same day, and eat a bowl of corn flakes to get some carbs too.

While I did everything I wanted to with my diet, I still didn't get as much exercise or as much practice time in as I wanted to. Now that I have feel like I have my diet in a good place that I can maintain, I'm really going to focus on the other two.
To that end, I'm going to go switch the laundry over and then hit the stack of recital music that is currently staring me down. November 24th, here I come!

31 days of Change

Last night I made the mistake of watching a lecture on veganism, and it's safe to say that I'm pretty skeeved out by animal products now. Besides that little adventure, I have been eating in a pretty unbalanced way and I need to get myself heading in the direction I've been wanting to for a while.

I'm going to try to make it 31 days eating strictly vegan.

Yes, I said "try." I know that it takes commitment to make these things happen, but if I just say that I will do this and then mess up, it's all going to be over. So, in an attempt to keep myself on the path that I want to take, I'm going to say "try."

I have a few other goals for this month, but I'm going to put them a little lower on the totem pole so I don't overwhelm myself. The first goal is to practice every day. Every. Day. I'm getting ready for a recital in November, and the spring and summer will be taken up by the Latin Flute Affair, so I want to get some quality practice in now, and stock up on some solid technique as well as assuage some body use issues before the pressure hits.

Besides regular, quality practice time, I need some exercise. My yoga practice has fallen by the wayside since we moved. Mostly, it's because getting to my old studio would require me to drive in fairly heavy traffic, and I haven't found a new one in my area yet. Plus, I just haven't made it a priority lately. Mostly it's that. I'm also hoping to go walking/jogging more.

So far today I've been a good vegan and a good flutist, let's keep it that way!

Garbanzo Bean Salad

It's been a [long] while since I posted any recipes, so I thought I'd share something that I made just now. It's just a simple cold side salad, but would work well as the entree of a light lunch too!

What you need for the beans:
one large or two medium garlic cloves
1 cup dry garbanzo beans
approx 2 1/2 - 3 cups veggie broth (or just water is fine too)
salt and pepper to taste

What you need to make the rest of the salad:
One medium/small carrot, shredded or chopped into small pieces
several slices of dill pickle, diced
 2-3 tbs. vegan (or regular) mayo - start with less and add more to taste
approx. 1 tsp. of dill

Instructions:
1. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic. (Save the ends/skins for making soups or broths!)
2. Cook garbanzo beans and garlic in broth (or water) overnight, seasoning with salt/pepper to taste. 
3. Drain and save bean liquid. Pat beans dry with paper towels.
4. In medium bowl, mix beans, carrot, pickle. Add mayo to taste (I prefer just a light coating), and then add dill to taste.
5. Enjoy! This should last several days in the fridge, and the recipe can be increased/reduced as needed.

I hope you enjoy this dish! It's very flexible, let me know in the comment section what variations you tried and liked!

Exciting news!

I'm excited to announce a joint venture with a great colleague, Alejandro Pinzon!

We are teaming up to present "Latin Flute Affair," a series of Latin music programs! Each program consists of recitals, conducting workshops, and lectures leading up to a concert of music for flute and orchestra. We're currently finalizing details for our first event, which will be at the end of April/beginning of May with the final concert being held on Cinco de Mayo. As the title implies, this program will feature all sorts of Latin music. Some will be by Latin composers, some will simply be in a Latin style or based on other Latin influences.

Interested in partnering with us musically or financially? Perhaps you know of a great location or organization that we should contact! Let us know via here!

Be sure to bookmark our website and check in frequently, we're working on adding more concert dates and venues around the country!

Last month of my Year of Practice!

It's already been about a year since I started using this blog actively (a term I use loosely), and it's been quite the year.

A little review:
Just after starting, the Year of Practice we up and moved over a thousand miles from the beautiful hills of West Virginia, where I had just finished grad school, to the beaches of south Florida. The move was a major leap of faith (really though, the only reason I get to call it a leap of faith is because it happened to work out for us. It very well could have been absolutely disastrous).
I was in probably the worst playing shape of my life.  Ironic, I know, since I had just finished a Master of Music, but thanks to a little bit of unfortunate circumstances, and a lot of unfortunate habits on my part, I found myself in a place where my nerves were so bad I could barely get a sound out of the instrument some days - and that was when I was practicing alone in the house.
I was working part-time in a sports restaurant doing prep work. As much as I wanted to be gigging, teaching, or otherwise musically employed, I wasn't in a place to take any work, even if I could find it.

The goals I set for myself at the beginning of this year included:
To be in a stable financial place.
To be an employable musician, with 25% of my income coming from music.
To increase the home/from scratch cooking.
Begin exercising.
Do some scholarly writing.

With the exception of the last one, I can say that I've met each one of these goals. While I do still work in foodservice, I'm also now on the faculty of a university as an adjunct professor. I've also had a few good gigs. Few, but enjoyable.
I have also been cooking more at home, and all at-home cooking has been vegan, which I'm pretty happy about. I've also been going to yoga since sometime in February. It's been extremely helpful for relieving stress, tension, nerves, all sorts of things.

If you go back in the blog, you'll see that I had a grand plan for this entire year. A plan that fizzled out pretty quickly. It was nice in theory, but I think it was too rigid of a plan, which was exasperated by the chaotic nature of this past year. An idea like this one would work better in a more stable environment and it would need to be more flexible, changing and adapting as it progressed.

Over the next month, I'm going to keep working and practicing like I have been. I'm currently working my way through Moyse's 480 Scales and Arpeggios, which I'm almost halfway through, plus various tone exercises, as well as a few pieces and excerpts. I'm also hitting the clarinet and sax again, getting ready for the school year to start again. Maybe I'll do something special to commemorate the year ending. Ideas?

Tweet tweet!

Two posts in one day, wow!

If you have a Twitter account, let me know you're there! @balancedflutist

Changing It Up

I've been trying a new routine lately when I start my practice, inspired by a segment I heard on NPR called "The Art of Practicing," if I remember that correctly. The program features various professional musicians and how they practice. The one I heard featured a bassist with the NY Phil, and I must admit that at first I was pretty disappointed. I was going to hear a world-class bassist rip through some crazy scale routine or an etude that is nearly impossible, but no. He set a drone to a C# and played a C# minor scale slowly. Talk about a change of perspective.
I've been starting my practice like that since, and it's ready amazing how much it's helped. It's certainly improving my flute and piccolo playing, but it's even helping my clarinet and sax playing!

Moving Forward

I was trying out a yoga studio, and I've decided to sign up for regular classes. The environment is very positive, and I feel safe to challenge myself (or take it easy) without getting self-concious.

Recital preparation is going well, as is my general practicing. While it's not been as much or as regular as I'd like, I can hear and feel subtle changes and improvements.

Even though I included money and fiscal concerns in my mission statemenys of sorts for this blog, I've shyed (shied?) away from actually discussing it, mainly because I wasn't sure how to speak on the subject without revealing too much. I'm going to give it a shot now though. My original goal was (and still is) to be making my living 100% from music by the time I'm 30 (5 years from when I set the goal). I can say that, so far this year, I'm at about 40% music work and the rest from my two part-time jobs. Woo!

I think it's Quarter 3 now?

I'm probably a solid month into the third quarter, and things are going really well!

The South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble is getting ready for our second annual Youth Pride Band concert, which is coming right up (Feb 24)! There's some really challenging works on the programs (I never thought Harry Potter would ever get the best of me), but the kids are holding their own, and I'm looking forward to working with them this weekend and next. Grant writing for the group is actually a lot of fun. It's totally lame and bookish, but I'm really enjoying it!

I'm still working on solo materials, but it's a bit of a mish-mash right now. I have to find a different place to perform if I want to do a recital in the upcoming months (which I do!), and I need to have some unaccompanied works ready to go as well to perform in school masterclasses or other piano-less situations. Those unaccompanied works are kind of taking priority right now.

I've been much less self-deprecating, and that alone has had such a positive impact on my daily life. There's been an important change from a "Why can't I do this? Why do I suck so much? " mindset to one where I accept my own limits and current capabilities.  Notice though, that I'm not talking about settling for less. Instead, I'm facing the very real and acceptable fact that 2012 was just not my year for makes leaps and bounds of progress in my flute-playing. I was working too much, trying to finish my thesis, there was that whole "let's move across the country" phase, and I had surrendered myself to my "failures." What I mean instead about my current mindset is that I recognize that while, no, I can't just rattle off the Leonore excerpt or the Mendelssohn Scherzo, I've done it before, and I can do it again. It'll take some time, and it'll definitely take some dedicated work, but if I could do it then, I'll do it again.

I've really been trying to take care of my physical self as well. There's a great yoga studio not that far from where I live that has a great "new students" deal that I've been trying to take full advantage of. I'll just have to make a whole new post about the amazing benefits that two weeks of yoga has given me. 

There's a lot more to talk about, but I'll save that for another day in hopes of getting myself to post here more often!