Sunday Dec 06

I started playing flute in grade school and played in band all the way through high school. I had this old, heavy pitted flute, that no body else in the flute section could even get a note out of , much less play songs with. I learned to be a competent flute player, but certainly not first chair material, but i sure did have fun playing in the marching band, etc.

I eventually sold it at a garage sale - probably for very little, because it wasn't worth all that much.

18 years ago we moved to Clayton Indiana, and we started going to the Clayton Presbyterian Church. As most churches do, this one had (and has) a choir - and despite the fact that most of the members can't read music, this choir is without a doubt one of the best choirs of the area. So i joined the choir - and as with my flute, i sing a competent alto. Certainly not solo material, but i blend well!

one of the songs had a flute part, and i thought - wow,,,i betcha i could play that if i had a flute. So for that first year, i borrowed a flute when we sang a song with a flute part, and finally, i decided to buy a new flute for myself.

So i went to Musician's Repair in downtown Indy - this place has been in business forever. All the local professional musicians take their horns there for adjustment. They also sell instruments! They set me up with a nice flute - about $350 - not a professional grade, but certainly better than the one I started with. It has a beautiful tone, and a great lower register.

But i find that some of the bad habits I had developed when playing my original flute won't go away. I have a hard time sustaining a C for example. A simple C! and i know it's not the flute, because i took the flute BACK to Musician's Repair and asked. "Is it the flute or is it me?" And that man played a beautiful SUSTAINED clear C. very irritating.

I was talking to my son Josh over the weekend about bad habits learned on bad instruments. And he agreed with me that my problem is because of that original flute! He learned to play trumpet on an Olds - beat up and clunky! My brother played this OLDS in high school until he got his Bach. Josh started taking trumpet lessons on the Olds...and his teacher said "Oh no no no no - you'll have to relearn on a decent horn! so many bad habits!" people learn to compensate on bad horns..and bring those bad habits along when playing on decent ones later on. Luckily my brother decided Josh needed his Bach - we couldn't have afforded on at the time! But now? Josh finds that when he plays the Olds again, those compensating habits come right back.

Anyway - i played flute today for the choir..first time in about 3 years. And it was ok - i heard lots of ick, but everyone else seemed to think it was beautiful. But I still am having problems with that C. Hah - sometimes i think i psych myself out..because i KNOW that C is coming up and do i still have the problem or do i tense up because i THINK i still have the problem?

I was playing Greensleeves - choir sings...flute rests for 36 measures...flute plays...rests...finally plays WITH the choir. Meanwhile, the church is cold, the flute is cold, the flautist is OLD...hah

but it was fun.