The Flute Suite

Just a quick invitation at the start of the year, to add more improvisation into your practice! Some words of encouragement, and tips to get you started. Enjoy!

Practicing is more than technique and tone. As an end of year virtual hug, I encourage you all to practice and explore ideas that can help through the stress and anxiety - like tapping into your core values.

Camilla Hoitenga has worked with some of the most important composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. In our conversation we talk about her approach to improvisation, collaborating with composers: in particular her long friendship-collaboration with Kaija Saariaho, and the importance of trusting in, and following your curiosity. I highly recommend listeners to check out her website , and you can f...

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Laura Raudaskoski, lector of Flute from the Lapland Institute of Music and Dance.  I asked Laura about how she motivates her eager class, in spite of living way up north, a long distance away from most other flute activities in Finland. We talk about teaching, practicing, and motivating students through collaborations and building a sense of community. Laura's...

Here we are at the end of this series - but maybe the foundation of everything. Just some ideas to add to your practice on how to become curious about your tone and intonation. Happy fluting - and please, I'd love to hear how the ideas in this series have changed your own practice.

Need some help on how to face technical challenges? In this episode I give you some things to think about in your technical practice, how to apply that to challenges in your ensemble and solo pieces, and help you remember the importance of knowing where you are right now (and how that's fine!!)

Let me explain how I practice Awareness in my studio and practice room. Examples of how to stay present in the practice room, and how to create a safe space for your students to learn how to be aware and present in their work.  Awareness helps us become better learners: more motivated, less likely to cause injury, and that leads to more confident performances!

This is the start of a short series on things you can do to find more confidence in ensemble rehearsals and performances. This series is targeted more towards students and adult amateurs- but teachers and ensemble directors stay tuned! Maybe you can pick up ideas, or pass this on to someone you think can benefit. This first episode focuses on how to up your rhythmic confidence. I share some exerci...

Hi everyone! It's been a while - so I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned from my students so far this year. Thanks to all of you for your listenening and support! Please share The Flute Suite with someone, and review us whereever you listen.

In this episode, I'm reviewing some books that I've found useful to introduce students to extended flute techniques and contemporary performance practice.   Here's a list of the books I talk about in the episode (Note – this is not sponsored in any way – these are just materials that I've found interesting and helpful!)   Musique rigolote  pour les jeunes flûtistes ( Funny music  for young flutist...

Laura Lentz has given us a new book: The Modal Flute Warmup: Sound Discovery and Color Palette Expansion where she revisits and expands a classic Sam Baron exercise to introduce classical flutists to All the modes, encouraging exploration and discovery. In this conversation, Laura presents her book, and we talk about the importance of finding space in our practice and teaching to allow for discove...

Hi everyone! An update during the last few days of my summer break on things I've been thinking about, and a little on plans for the future. I talk in this episode a little about my second passion - photography - and if you're interested in seeing some of my images, you can find them on instagram at kathyweidenfeller (no flute!)  I'd love to hear from you! The Flute Suite is on Instagram and Faceb...

In my conversation with Sami Junnonen we talk about his newly released recording of the Ibert, Jolivet and Rodrigo flute concertos, as well as the power of teachers, music competitions, and the idea of Life as Art, and Art as Life! Flute Concertos / Ibert, Jolivet & Rodrigo     is recorded on Resonus Classics: RES 10335 Learn more about Sami at www.samijunnonen.com I'd love to hear from you! The F...

Hi! Join me for an informal coffee meeting where I catch you up with all the flutey things I've been doing this spring, as well as an overview of Finnish flute events happening this summer, and a sneak peek at some upcoming happenings here in The Flute Suite!

Reflections and stories on communication and community as The Flute Suite reaches the one year mark!

This is part two of my short series on practicing: How to help your students become more motivated to develop a personal practice.    How to move from a 'telling' teaching style towards reflective questioning to develop awareness. The importance of being specific, lowering your expectations, and including movement, space, and awareness in lessons.   Reach out – you can find The Flute Suite on Inst...

I invite you to reflect on your own personal practice: not so much What you practice - but How you think and talk about it. 3 Pillars of good practice: Cultivating Joyful Curiosity, including Movement and Novelty, and remembering the need for Space and Time.   Some of the resources mentioned in this episode: #music_360 #violincase (Hillary Hahn) #justanotherflutist Sophie Dufeutrelle: The Flutist'...

Really nice to be back after a longer than planned break!  A quick update and preview of up and coming episodes and other projects! Nice to be back and talking with all of you - I'd love to hear from you as well! @theflutesuite www.kathyweidenfeller.com If you enjoy The Flute Suite, would you consider buying me a coffee! It doesn't have to be much - helps keep the 'lights' on here! Thanks :) https...

Reflections on this fall and the start of The Flute Suite as we reach the end of 2023! Thank YOU for listening!   Reach out – you can find The Flute Suite on Instagram and Facebook, or me as Kathy Weidenfeller,flutist and at www.kathyweidenfeller.com   Would you like to help support The Flute Suite? Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/kathy25562   And share The Flute Suite with a friend! Give us a...

Here is part two of the wonderful conversation I had with Jaana Laasonen, flute teacher at the East-Helsinki Music Institute and developer of the Colour Flute method of early-instrumental teaching.  2.10 Challenges in the Finnish instrumental education system 12.00 Our students are our best teachers 22.00 Solfege as a tool for musicianship and composition 27.00 The visual aspect of Kodaly

Jaana Laasonen is Lector of Flute at the East Helsinki Music Institute, and the creator of the 'Colour Flute' method, part of the 'Colourstrings' family: a method for beginning instrumentalists based on the theories and methods of Zoltan Kodaly. In this first part of our conversation, we talk about the importance of family and folk music in early instrumental education.  You can find out more abou...

Get a taste of the Young Flutist Festival (Nuori huilisti!) organized by the Finnish Flute Association in colaboration with the Juvenalia Music Institute in Espoo Finland. I share clips of performances and behind the scenes comments from organizers and teachers. I hope you enjoy!! @suomenhuiluseura @nuorihuilisti

Here's a conversation with the lovely Beatriz Machias: orchestral flutist, opera singer and founder of the Tampere Flute Festival here in Finland. In this episode, we talk about teaching, practicing, the possibilities that competition holds for young flutists – and especially being more than your flute!   ·      1.41     How it all started! ·      6.15     Singing and flute playing ·      11.00  ...

In this episode, I sit down with Annika Gummerus-Putkinen, flutist, composer, writer and teacher at the Pop & Jazz conservatory in Helsinki. We got to have a  wonderful converstaion about the similarities and differences between our approaches to introducing our students to improvisation, and the important role improvisation can play in teaching, and in life in general!  Annika is one of the co-au...

Today I'm continuing my 'back to basics' series by talking about how to use singing and playing in practice and teaching. Once again, I've created a companion video to go with this episode, where you can see and hear how I produce and use this effect. You can find the video here. In the episode, I mention John Wion's workbook entitled 'Sing', sold by Falls House Press and Theodore Presser. I also...