Flute Lessons with Kelly

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Flute Lessons with Kelly

My name is Dr. Kelly Catlin (a doctor of flute!). I teach flute and piano lessons online and in-person to all ages.

I believe in building confidence and creativity in every student I work with. Follow along as I share helpful tips and inspiration.

03/05/2022

Encouraging people to write their own music is one of the best ways to boost their self-confidence and spark their creativity. It took me a long time to give the little melodies I sketched value. For some reason I thought the music that came out of my head was worth less than the pieces I was assigned to play in lessons. Now, all my students’ compositions are encouraged, celebrated, and valued. I hope these practices help them feel that their voices are important and unique. For more information on composer diversity in the US, visit the link in my bio. To get help writing your own music, send me a message or visit the link in my bio.

26/04/2022

FLING! Flute Intensive of North Georgia is the perfect summer flute day camp for middle- and high-school flutists in the Atlanta area. I’m excited to join the FLING team teaching group classes and sharing my enthusiasm for electroacoustic composition! We’ll inspire each other, learn about microphones and electronics in a supportive learning environment, and write our own music. Flutists will also learn from guest artists in the area (including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra flute section)! Get more information and sign up at the link in my bio.

25/04/2022

Has anyone ever told you to “use more air support” when playing flute? “Support” is a pretty magical term that’s thrown around in wind bands, but I think lots of people are a little fuzzy on HOW to support their flute sound. For some extra reading on air support, visit the link in my bio. For one-on-one help with air support and breath control, send me a message or visit my website.

21/10/2021

Should the flute be held parallel to the ground? Marching band flutists typically hold their flutes in that position, but for playing in non-marching ensembles, solo performance and regular practice, it’s much healthier in the long run to hold the flute at a comfortable angle. Drop and relax your right shoulder (none of this 🤷🏼‍♂️ going on) and let your head tilt ever so slightly with the angle of the flute. Your upper back, shoulder, and neck will thank you in 10 years when you don’t have more issues than Vogue.

18/10/2021

Band directors all say the same magical phrase: “blow hot air!” Ever heard yours say this? And it usually makes us sound better after! But why did this phrase work and what did we do subconsciously to blow hot air? It’s as simple as dropping your tongue in the back. There are so many reasons this is great for our flute-playing (and for the other wind instruments but we don’t speak of them here 🤫). What other magical sayings have you heard a band director say? Leave ‘em in the comments!

12/10/2021

Why is it a good idea for flutists to learn basic piano skills?

1. Basic music theory concepts are easier to grasp when you can visualize them on a piano (as seen in this graphic)
2. Flutists play sonatas and chamber music with prominent piano parts. It helps your understanding of the piece if you can plunk through the piano part.
3. A study conducted by Gottfried Schlaug shows that learning piano (specifically) strengthens the bridge between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Learning piano has also been tied to increased motor proficiency.
4. It’s FUN! As a flutist-composer, the piano is also the instrument that I compose and write songs on the most. Express yourself!

All of my flute students get a basic understanding of the piano over the course of their flute studies. Personally, learning piano drastically changed my own brain and motor skills. I’m even convinced that studying piano is the reason I got so much better at math in middle school after years of elementary school math homework tears!

If you’re interested in an article all about the benefits of learning piano, click the link in my bio. Send me a message to start your joint flute/piano lessons.

11/10/2021

Leaks happen! If you’ve been practicing or playing your flute a lot and you start to notice that you’re having to push down on the keys really hard, or that your notes aren’t coming out so great anymore, you might have a leaky pad prob. Use these visual cues, but then visit your local flute repair technician for fixes (and probably a COA too).

08/10/2021

Why should flutists learn more than the traditional Classical, Baroque, or Romantic era repertoire? Why should they write their own music? Why should they get their friends together to play it? The world opens up when flutists learn to think critically, historically, and creatively. The flutist who thinks out of the box doesn’t just become a better flute player (although that’ll happen too when she learns how to play in different styles), she makes a better surgeon/artist/biologist/designer/whatever she wants to be.

By the way, this song is called “The Wild Ones”, performed by and written by me, a flutist who thinks out of the box and teaches others to do the same.

07/10/2021

Many beginning and intermediate flutists aren’t aware that the flute they’ve been playing on that’s been in the family for decades needs a tune-up every 1-2 years. They work harder and harder to get a good sound out of their instrument as time goes on…subconsciously squeezing down on the keys and slowly accumulating throat tension and posture that looks like 👹. Do your future pain-free self a favor and make friends with a flute repair technician in your area. You’ll sound better, learn better, AND feel better!

01/10/2021

What’s the point of private flute lessons? If a beginner flutist is in band, they’re already learning how to play the flute, right? Band directors are incredible musicians and teachers, but their main instrument is not usually the flute. Students need individual attention from a flutist who knows how to correct dangerous beginner flute habits, help with lip placement challenges, and teach flute audition preparation tools. Flute students in my lesson studio also explore writing their own music, because I believe in building my students’ unique senses of creativity. For more information about signing up for flute lessons, click on the link in my bio.

30/09/2021

Does it ever feel like you’re in tune when you play the tuning note with your ensemble, but you’re out of tune once you actually start rehearsing or performing? That’s something a lot of flute players struggle with. While your A or Bb might be in-tune, what about all those other notes? The game-changer is learning the natural intonation tendencies of all the notes on your specific flute (because everyone’s flute is slightly different). To download and print the intonation tendency chart shown in this post, click on the link in my bio.

28/09/2021

Let’s talk about your right hand pinky and footjoint position! When flutists start out, they often align the footjoint so that the keys on the footjoint line up with the keys on the flute body. This leads to lots of pinky-locking, which never feels good! In order to keep your right pinky curved on the footjoint keys, I recommend aligning the footjoint so that the rod points straight into the middle of the flute body keys as shown. Remember: ALWAYS keep your right pinky curved so you can slide around on those low flute notes without the dreaded pinky lock or painful tension. Try it out and let me know how it goes!

Address

30605

Website

http://kellycatlin.com/

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