Flute Lessons!
Joyful musical instruction for all skill levels here in beautiful Salem, Oregon. Whether you are picking up the flute for the first time, the first time in a long time, or are an active player, I am here to help you reach your goals and develop your musicianship.
Teaching Philosophy
Music is for everybody!
Humans have been making music for thousands of years in thousands of different ways. I believe music is for all ages and skill levels and I am determined to provide musical instruction that meets you where you are and helps you become the type of musician you’d love to be.
If you are a human interested in playing the flute, I’d love to talk to you! If you are a human interested in playing something besides the flute but really like this teaching philosophy, I may still be able to help! If you are not a human, wow, I would also love to chat about that, too!
Music making should be joyful!
Learning new things can be challenging and lead to wonderful rewards. Music-making involves many different skills that we may be unfamiliar with and I aim to teach in a way that is approachable, empowering, effective, and fun! Yes, we will learn about tone production and technique and play around with scales and songs, but at the heart of it I want to ensure that you create a positive relationship with music-making that delights you.
Music instruction should match your goals!
We all come to music with many different situations and goals. My job is to find out what that spark is for you and help you develop a sustainable practice so you can enjoy music-making for the rest of your life. Maybe you want start flute for the very first time, or supplement what you are already learning in school, or prepare for an exciting audition, or any number of things! You are the expert on what you want to learn and why, I am just here to help guide you.
Hi, I’m Michelle! I have been playing the flute for over 25 years and have taught music in one-on-one and group settings since 2008. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University where I studied flute, clarinet, and piano.
Born to a musical family here in Oregon, I have been playing various instruments and genres my entire life. I have played woodwinds (and professional kazoo) in musicals and operas, toured with bands and chamber ensembles across Europe, performed musical comedy acts, worked as woodwind repair technician, and even recorded some rock ’n’ roll saxophone.
I am currently playing flute and piccolo with various orchestras around Salem, playing bass in a local folk band, and writing songs about geese and the Willamette Valley.
About
FAQs
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Nope! I’m happy to meet you where you are and provide training that will help get you to where you want to go.
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Due to the physical size and weight of the modern flute it is recommended to wait until 9-10 years of age. If your child is younger than that it may be best to start on a different musical instrument such as piano or a different type of flute like a recorder or penny whistle. There is no upper age limit :).
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Our initial meeting is free to determine if we are a good match.
I offer lessons for 30min ($40), 45min ($60), or 60min ($80). I recommend shorter lessons for beginners as learning and playing can take a lot of energy. As you gain experience you may prefer longer lessons so that we can cover more material.
Discount pricing is available if you have multiple students from the same family or want to take lessons as a group. Depending on your location, I may be able available to travel to teach in your home for an additional fee.
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Weekly lessons are a standard way to start, but you may find that a different interval works best for you.
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While your musical goals may be unique and I encourage you to share them with me so we can work on them together, I also want to provide a solid learning foundation that will serve you as you continue your musical journey. This includes things like proper care and assembly of your instrument, tuning, reading and writing musical notation, tone production and tonguing, technique and scales, practice strategies, and learning to listen to yourself in a way that helps you become your own teacher. We can be playing Mozart or Lady Gaga or your own fantastical compositions, but I believe the tools to get us there are quite similar.
A standard lesson might look like this
A warm-up focused on creating a beautiful sound
Introduction/review of technical concepts such as scales or counting rhythms
Playing music together that builds on what we have been learning
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Bring your flute, something to take notes with, and any music you are working on or would like to work on. If you do not have any music yet, that is perfectly okay! We will find something for you to work on.
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This will depend on your goals, schedule, and experience, but I recommend developing a practice that achievable for you with small and frequent sessions. I am often surprised at what I can accomplish in 5-10 minutes of focused practice. I believe practicing for 10 minutes 3 times a week will serve you better than practicing for 30 minutes 1 time a week. We want to create a routine that will serve you well over the long term so let’s start small and expand from there.
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I highly recommend renting a flute from a local music store if you are just beginning. These stores will be able to rent you reputable brands that are in good working order. You may see online retailers selling shiny new flutes for $50, but I have found that these instruments are often frustrating to play, easily damaged, and impossible to repair.
If you are a more advanced student looking for a flute then I recommend working with a salesperson to try as many different flute and headjoint combinations as you can in order to find a good match.
If you have an old instrument that has been forgotten in a closet for a few decades we can certainly give it a look, though it may need some professional repairs to get it back into playing condition.