When I studied with Lennie Tristano and asked him about doubling on the sax to get more work he said, “Do you want to be a great flute player or do you want to be a great sax player?  You can’t be both.”  And I had already spent years on my classical flute technique – yes, practicing! 

But I listened to him and never played sax, and I’m glad I didn’t because he was right.  I think I’m a better flute player because I didn’t spend time practicing the saxophone.  I did learn vibrato for classical music and had to unlearn it, which was difficult, to play jazz.  That took practice.”

“That’s an interesting question. 

Again, I’m playing music, and it just happens to be on the flute.  I call it jazz because it’s mostly improvised, although jazz artists play melodies without improvising and it’s still essential to make it our own, and never play a melody the same way twice.  As far as choosing my audience, that’s not something I even think about. I’ve enjoyed many types of performances over the course of my career, including some very nice restaurants and some jazz clubs, although not as many as I would have liked.  Jazz is still very much a man’s world and women still make up only a very small percentage of instrumentalists – I’m often expected to sing just because I’m a woman –  and so club work was always a struggle for me, and I did more private work, playing private parties and many more restaurants than jazz clubs.

I did spend many years playing in healthcare facilities playing what I call “music wellness” programs and was able to provide some real relief for folks who are not very strong or healthy.  Once a woman said to me, “You make me happy I live here” and that was quite a surprise because no one really wants to live in a nursing home.  I played mostly solo “strolls” and duo concerts.  Once I played bedside in a hospital for someone the healthcare workers couldn’t rouse and were able to do so with a song, which blew everyone’s minds.  I think I played “Amazing Grace.”

Wellness work also paid much better than the clubs, and so I was able to actually make a living at it after many years, and for many years.  I was so busy at one point I was averaging over 30 one-hour gigs a month and offered a consultation to other artists called “Making a Living in Music Wellness”.  The work was very gratifying.”

Why did you pick flute music in the first place, or did flute music pick you, so to speak? Is it natural selection, or years and years of practice?

“My mom was the neighborhood piano teacher and I did play classical piano from a very young age.  When I was going into 7th grade I was signed up for the band and we were asked which instrument we wanted to play and I had no particular instrument in mind.  My mom said, “How about the flute – it’s easy to carry”!  Little did I know I’d be lugging around a heavy amp on a luggage rack to get to work.  But I took to it rather quickly and was happy not to be taking piano lessons anymore.

And I did practice classical flute for many years, to learn good techniques which are important especially when it comes to posture and fingering and breathing.  But when I started jazz I had to unlearn vibrato which had taken a long time to learn, and a long time to unlearn!  Being able to use it or not became very important in my playing.”

What kind of practice have you had with flute playing, whether it be educational, or performance experience?