A New Passion: Learning to Play the Flute
63I've always been interested in learning to play a musical instrument. I never really gave it a good try growing up. I'm a math teacher, so numbers have always been my forte. Music always seemed somewhat foreign to me. I dabbled with the clarinet in grade school, but let's just say it didn't go very well. After a month of practicing sessions that sounded more like high-pitched "squeaks and squawks," I figured it was time to move on. I concentrated on activities I could handle like math club, chess and the debate team. Secretly though, I still longed to play music.
A Beginner's Flute
Being a teacher has afforded me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful students, many of whom are amazingly gifted musicians and artists. About a year ago, one of my students invited me to her band concert. She performed such a stunningly beautiful flute solo in front of a sold-out crowd that it brought me to tears. It brought everyone to their feet. What made an impression on me during that concert wasn't just my student's talent but how happy she looked performing. I decided right then and there that I was going to learn how to play an instrument. Of course, I picked the flute!
I asked my students if they knew where to look for affordable flutes for sale. They recommended an online site called Musical Instrument Haven because it offers a wide range of discounted instruments for all performance levels, including beginners. I checked out the site and found an abundance of flutes for sale including the Gemeinhardt flute.
Finding My New Passion
The Gemeinhardt flute was perfect for me. Not only is it affordable, it's specifically designed for the beginning-level student. The flute also comes with multiple extras, which made it an even better buy!
Extras include:
- $100 instant rebate at checkout
- Music stand
- Flute care kit
- 8" x 8" musical canvas wall print
After about six months of practice, I can definitely say I think I've found my new passion. While I don't plan on performing in any concerts for now, who knows what the future might hold!
About the Author: Ann Finn
I am a 20-year math teacher who loves my job. I've recently found a new passion by learning to play the flute. I think the best part about teaching is that my students continue to teach me too.
teikounosenshi Level 1 Commenter 4 months ago
Flute is a rewarding instrument as it usually gets the melody in concert. What was even more fun for me was piccolo. The trouble with that one is that it takes years to develop the lung power to get a good, strong tone.
I actually started playing it before flute in third grade - through private lessons from my older sister. By the time I got to high school, I was playing flute more than piccolo, but with the constant testing on scales and arpeggios - trust me, there's more math in music than you think - that the directors I had began giving me solos on piccolo.
My first competition solo was playing "Carmen" - not terribly difficult, but with my ability to control the tone so I didn't overpower the rest of the band as piccolo is known for doing - "Fantasia 2000" and "Pomp and Circumstance" being a prime example of a piccolo or two at their loudest and highest pitches - earned the band the highest marks. I had a few more and by keeping my tone in check so it was just enough I was very much an undefeated soloist. It takes a lot more control to soften the piccolo's noise levels especially when playing the higher notes.
I don't play much anymore, but my love of playing hasn't diminished. Believe it or not, flute and piccolo both promote healthy breathing habits.
If you really want to see the math in music, find yourself some sheet music to practice with. All those eighth notes and thirty-second notes within a set tempo can be mind boggling. A thirty-second note chromatic scale at cut time takes less than half a second to play. I might be lousy in algebra, but my musical math is good enough to be undefeated.