by Pam Murchison, flute teacher with Kathy’s Music, LLC
When I started middle school, I began taking flute lessons
with Wendy Webb Kumer. Wendy is a true
force of nature, and one of the most generous and hilarious people I’ve ever
met. I am lucky to still count her as
one of my closest friends. She claims
that “world peace will be achieved when every person joins a flute choir” so it
makes perfect sense that I left my first lesson with a blue folder full of
flute choir music and plans to attend my first rehearsal the following Saturday
morning.
with Wendy Webb Kumer. Wendy is a true
force of nature, and one of the most generous and hilarious people I’ve ever
met. I am lucky to still count her as
one of my closest friends. She claims
that “world peace will be achieved when every person joins a flute choir” so it
makes perfect sense that I left my first lesson with a blue folder full of
flute choir music and plans to attend my first rehearsal the following Saturday
morning.
When I arrived, I was very nervous to see that there were
about 40 flutists who were strangers to me, but seemed to know each other
really well. By the end of that first
rehearsal, I was friends with 20 of them (it was only an hour rehearsal, after
allJ)! That’s the magic of
flute choir. While the music profession can be notoriously cutthroat, there are
many opportunities for flutists to join together in their love of all things
flute, and rejoice in that camaraderie.
about 40 flutists who were strangers to me, but seemed to know each other
really well. By the end of that first
rehearsal, I was friends with 20 of them (it was only an hour rehearsal, after
allJ)! That’s the magic of
flute choir. While the music profession can be notoriously cutthroat, there are
many opportunities for flutists to join together in their love of all things
flute, and rejoice in that camaraderie.
Here are some things that I learned from playing in flute
choir:
choir:
- Valuable large ensemble and chamber music skills.
- Information about composers from every historical period, as
well as living composers. - How to play music in a variety of genres: from classical to
folk to pop. - Exposure to new instruments, like the piccolo, alto flute,
and bass flute. One of my jobs today is playing piccolo in professional
orchestras. I can trace this directly
back to flute choir! - How to be a team player.
- How to meet new people.
- How to sight-read.
- How to create performance opportunities.
- How to enrich and engage with the community.
- If playing in a flute duo is a great, playing in a flute
choir is SPECTACULAR!!!!
There are so many things I learned from playing in flute
choir, but my favorite is the importance of friendship and community. Today, I am friends with some of those people
who I met at that first rehearsal, and many of us have continued a lifelong
relationship with the art of music. I am
constantly amazed at the creativity, passion, and resourcefulness of my flute
friends, and thankful that I have been part of the flute choir tradition for
over 20 years!
choir, but my favorite is the importance of friendship and community. Today, I am friends with some of those people
who I met at that first rehearsal, and many of us have continued a lifelong
relationship with the art of music. I am
constantly amazed at the creativity, passion, and resourcefulness of my flute
friends, and thankful that I have been part of the flute choir tradition for
over 20 years!
A recent picture of
Wendy Webb Kumer, Lianne Sheplar, me, and Dan Parasky after a flute choir
celebration in 2012. We were all in attendance at my first flute choir
rehearsal in 1992.
Wendy Webb Kumer, Lianne Sheplar, me, and Dan Parasky after a flute choir
celebration in 2012. We were all in attendance at my first flute choir
rehearsal in 1992.
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