Even though we spend countless hours alone in the practice room, the action of playing the flute is actually a pretty social one. And the longer you're stuck inside of your own head, the easier it is to question your decisions and progress!
The reality is that you don't know what you don't know, and there's nothing wrong with that! When you don't know something, you go to the person that does know. If you don't know why you're sick, you go to a doctor. When you want to know what the weather is like, you check the forecast on a weather app. So when you don't know how to make progress on the flute, where do you go?
You go to a teacher who specializes in your instrument, who understands your strengths and weaknesses, and who can help you navigate the unknowns. If you're on the fence about taking private flute lessons, here are some reasons to start now:
1. You constantly doubt your progress
Do you have a little voice in your head that either questions or criticizes every choice you make in the practice room? Even if you are making steady progress, it's hard to acknowledge it when your negative inner dialogue keeps running in the background.
A private flute teacher knows what it's like to deal with the negative voice in your head, because they have experience dealing with their own voice! Flute teachers spend years learning how to look past the negativity and focus on constructive analysis to build confidence, and they can turn around and do the same for you.
As a type-A perfectionist, I know the tell-tale signs of a fellow perfectionist. I also know how that there's a time and place for perfection and music is not the place. Practice makes progress, and that should be the goal when playing flute!
2. You dread having to practice or perform
Have you ever had shaky knees, sweaty palms, or butterflies in your stomach during a performance? Sometimes it feels like your whole life is on the life, holding your flute on a big stage with a room full of people staring back at you.
Knowing how nerves hit you during performances can make you lose motivation to practice. Working with a private flute teacher can help you process your nerves and feelings of dread. Knowing that you can have fun performing and practicing will help build positive feelings around playing flute, which will make you more excited to practice!
3. You worry about making mistakes
Playing the flute should be enjoyable, but if you're focused on how many mistakes you're making it takes the fun out of playing. You're probably thinking, "How can I get better if I don't focus on my mistakes?"
You can acknowledge your strengths WITHOUT ignoring your mistakes, and that's honestly one of the fastest ways to improve in the practice room. You can talk to a private flute teacher about how to balance facing your fears and using that to build up your strengths.
4. You stress about practicing (and not practicing)
Decision paralysis is what happens when you know you have to do something but you get so overwhelmed that you just avoid getting things done. And that feeling can add to the stress of knowing you need to put more time into practicing the flute but don't really see the point in putting your flute together.
Sometimes you just need a simple and clear-cut approach to practicing and tracking your progress. My favorite part of teaching private flute lessons is that I can create a unique practice approach for each student, making the dreaded "What should I practice today?" question no big deal.
5. You want more than playing in band
Chances are that you started flute in beginning band at school. And while band is a great place to be, there's so much more to playing the flute than middle or high school band.
Every private flute teacher brings different things to the table for their students. In the Simper Music Studio, students get to perform solos, duets, and more on studio recitals. They perform with local youth orchestras and audition for regional competitions like All State.
And on top of those playing opportunities, we have sweater parties, pool parties, and other events to bring like-minded flute students together. Because like I mentioned earlier, playing the flute is a social activity and we should embrace it as such!
6. You want music to feel more personal
Playing flute in band can make you feel like just another number. Your band director doesn't have time to specifically tailor every class to your personal needs when it comes to flute.
When you take private flute lessons, you matter more as a person than a musician. It's your private flute teacher's job to get to know you so you can feel confident, make progress, and make your musical journey more personal.
Final Flute Notes
Private flute lessons aren't just about showing up once a week and filling time. It's a way to take control of your musical journey to get what you want out of studying the flute. You can feel confident inside and outside of the practice room with a little help!
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