Piano Lessons in Roanoke, VA

Instruments: Flute

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Always, and I mean always, begin with long tones. Nothing is more important than working on your embouchure muscles. You can be the best flute player in the world, but if you have bad tone, you will always be considered less than mediocre. The great part about long tones and tonal exercises is that there's so many out there to try out and do! You never have to stick to just one exercise! When you have found at least one tonal exercise you feel comfortable with, you can add on more difficult tonal warm ups to your practice routine.

When will I start to see results?
The tricky thing with results is that everybody sees results differently. For me, a student being able to learn how to play a G in tune is results. You're learning and training your ear to recognize the correct pitch and balance on your instrument. Some people would say playing a G in tune isn't progress or any type of result at all. I say, if you are walking away with new knowledge on your instrument, you're already gaining results. The best part of all of this, you never stop improving therefor you can always keep reaching for better results.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I've had the opportunity to work with many teachers and professors that were, and are, involved with music. The one that inspired me most was my high school band director. He told me to not let anybody or anything stop me from wanting to teach music. I had a lot of people in my life try and convince me to not study music, but I never let those voices stop me thanks to my teachers words. More than anyone, I believe my biggest inspiration is myself. I've worked hard to obtain scholarships to study my passion and seek help when I needed it. No one could have given me the success I have if it wasn't for me. You can be your biggest inspiration, or your biggest enemy.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
My biggest rule in life is, "Am I enjoying this?" If the answer is no, then it's time to sit down and consider whether or not this is a good idea. When it comes to music, I believe anybody is ready to begin lessons as long as they are the one insisting on wanting to do it. If you are a parent forcing your child to do lessons, everybody in the process will suffer. You, the student, and the teacher. If the student is nervous and shy to begin, I promise you, lessons become more than just lessons, they become a form of therapy and a source to escape the real world for a while. As long as the student is wanting lessons, then you're definitely ready!

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