Name: Rachel Mellis
Bio: Rachel Mellis is 2nd flute in the Redlands Symphony and faculty at Occidental College. She has worked with John Williams, Danny Elfman, Gustavo Dudamel, Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Bublé, Christina Aguilera and Seth MacFarlane, performed with the LA Phil and is a soloist on the Ori and Minecraft games.
Session: Rhythmic Exploration
This interactive workshop will dive into some creative ways to improve our internal and external rhythmic capabilities. We will explore practice techniques with and without the metronome, rhythmic games, movement, and address some common pitfalls associated with rhythm and counting. All you’ll need is yourself and your instrument!
Name: Paige Long
Bio: Paige Dashner Long, Altus Flutes Artist and adjunct flute faculty at Daytona State College, directs Metropolitan Flute Orchestra, in summer residence at New England Conservatory, Daytona State College Flute Choir and Florida Flute Orchestra. She is an award winning composer and NFA Low Flutes Chairperson; past president Greater Boston Flute Association www.contraflute.com
Session: Diving Down Under the C
Dive in for a low flutes adventure during this interactive session! Low flutes specialist Paige Dashner Long invites you to explore all flutes that speak below the concert flute in C. During this participatory workshop, you will have an opportunity to improve your low flutes skills and broaden your low flutes knowledge. Don’t have a low flute handy? Simply play the bass flute part on your concert flute. Whether you are new to the low flutes realm or an experienced pro, we welcome you to be a part of these lowly conversations. All playing levels are welcome!
Name: Eva Amsler
Bio: Eva Amsler is Professor for Flute at FSU. Previously she was a member of St Gallen Symphony Orchestra, Switzerland and Professor at Conservatory Feldkirch, Austria. She tours Europe, USA, South America, and Far East. Her teachers include A. Nicolet, G. Rumpel. She served on the NFA board of directors.
Session: An exciting trip into the world of hearing! Experiment with different ways to listen and find yourself progress with your flute. Bring your "oropax” and the flute!
Name: Jenna Brixius
Bio: Jenna Brixius, classical flutist, began directing her flute studio in 2011. Dedicated to integrating the Alexander Technique with modern instrumental pedagogy, she has taught classes at Meadowmount, Querflöte Musikkurswochen in Switzerland, and various clinics. She received her BM from Oberlin Conservatory, and she studied with Eva Amsler and Michel Debost.
Session: Using Alexander Technique Thinking to Overhaul Faulty Performance Mindsets
Stimuli of all types have the potential to negatively influence a musician’s performance mindset, often resulting in the performer losing their ability to remain confident, present, and secure in their tone quality and musical expressivity. In an effort to offer a solution, this interactive workshop introduces participants to the principles of the Alexander Technique and then explores how tone quality and performance mindsets can shift depending on their active “AT Thinking”. Participants will leave with new tools that will help them understand how to unwind tension and enhance the natural resonance of their own body, resulting in beautiful flute playing.
Name: Brittney Patterson
Bio: Brittney Patterson is Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Montevallo teaching Flute and Music History. She earned her Doctorate from the University of Alabama, her Master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Tennessee.
Session: String Articulation for Flutists
Articulation is an integral aspect of flute performance, but often flutists resort to visual images to describe the quality of articulation. In this presentation we will discuss how to incorporate principles of phrasing as well as a wide variety of articulation styles into practice and performance by examining string bowing patterns. This presentation will incorporate these techniques into etudes, excerpts, and repertoire, so bring your flute and prepare to experiment with articulation!
Name: Amanda Sage
Bio: Amanda Sage is active as a flutist in many roles in the Pittsburgh PA area. She teaches privately, and as an adjunct at Mercyhurst Univ. in Erie PA. She is a certified trainer and exercise specialist, and has recently published a book on the topic of performance health for musicians.
Session: Performance Health for Flutists: Exercises and Techniques for Staying Strong and Injury-Free
This workshop was designed specifically with the performance health needs of flutists in mind. Participants will leave with a toolbox of strategies to keep themselves and their students strong and injury free.
Name: Stephanie Dawn
Bio: Stephanie Dawn is a musician, arts administrator, arts advocate based in Columbus, Georgia. Dawn has studied both classical and multiple folk flute traditions for over 20 years. She has music performance and business management degrees from Columbus State University and an MA in Arts Administration from Florida State University.
Session: Traditional Irish Flute Playing: An Introduction
Traditional Irish music is an ancient musical style steeped in tradition. It can be nearly impossible to nail down exactly what a musician does to make a tune come so alive or how they seem to magically move from one tune to the next. This presentation is designed for classically-trained musicians who want to finally understand how trad players bring this ancient style alive. Presented in classical vernacular and in a cumulative way, attendees will leave with a broad, holistic view of traditional Irish music and will be armed with the information to learn more on their own.
Name: Stephanie Hoeckley
Bio: Dr. Stephanie Hoeckley is an award-winning flutist and educator in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the Flute Professor at Phoenix College. Stephanie placed 1st in the Arizona Flute Society's YA Competition and earned her DMA from Arizona State University with Elizabeth Buck. Previous instructors include Carol Wincenc and Nora Lee Garcia.
Session: Interactive Flute Lab: Using Acoustics to Unlock Your Artistry
Ever wondered how air and metal tubing can create such a beautiful sound? In this Interactive Flute Lab, you’ll see and experience the cool, invisible forces we control every time we play. With props like pinwheels and straws, you will understand important acoustic concepts such as airspeed, air direction, and aperture size. Practical tips based on science will improve your tone, high notes, intonation, and tone colors! You will leave with a new understanding of your expressive capabilities on the flute. When you know how the flute works, you can use the laws of physics to unlock your artistry!
Name: Kristen Stoner
Bio: Kristen Stoner is Professor of Flute at UF. She has performed on six continents at international festivals, conferences, and conservatories. She is an active composer, soloist, and advocate for new music by women composers. Her two critically-acclaimed solo albums, Images and Colors, are available online and in CD format.
Session: Creativity and Innovation in the Flute Studio
Music students in the 21st century will require a variety of abilities - beyond performance skills - upon graduation. Creativity and innovation are necessary for success in the modern music world, and these skills are also valued by employers outside of the music industry. But where in their curriculum can they learn such skills? In the UF Flute Studio, students engage in cutting-edge projects each semester to fortify and build upon these skills. From composition to improvisation to unique chamber ensembles to multi-media creations, students are frequently pushed beyond their "comfort zones" to explore innovation. Several of these projects, including videos and audio recordings, will be highlighted in this PowerPoint presentation. Whether you are a professor or a student, you can get inspired to start your own unique projects to develop creativity!
Name: Cate Hummel
Bio: Dr. Cate Hummel performs regularly as a recitalist and clinician representing Altus and Azumi flutes. Cate has a DMA and MM from Manhattan School of Music and BM from the PCPA. Her dissertation is a study guide to Marcel Moyse's Tone Development Through Interpretation.
Session: Exploring Moyse’s 24 Little Melodic Studies
Bring your flute and discover the musical and pedagogical treasure of Marcel Moyse's 24 Little Melodic Studies. Discover why Moyse said, "Play the music, not the flute." We will go over the musical principles in several melodies and then play them together to see how many we can incorporate into our own playing.
Name: Nan Raphael
Bio: Nan Raphael, frequent guest artist, is currently piccoloist with The Washington Winds, International Flute Orchestra, Capitol City Symphony and Columbia Flute Choir. She has 5 albums of music for piccolo and piano, a book of piccolo excerpts and an article in the NFA Pedagogy Anthology vol. 2.
Session: Piccolo Perspectives
Everything you wanted to know about piccolo but were afraid to ask. Find out how to make the transition from flute to piccolo (and back).
Name: Cassandra Flores-Everett
Bio: Cassandra Flores-Everett is a third-year doctoral student, pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the instruction of Dr. Diane Boyd Schultz. She previously studied at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama for her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Flute Performance and Musicology respectively.
Session: Perfecting Your Practice
This presentation will help attendees maximize their time in the practice room by advising on the incorporation of score study, musicological/theoretical research, and targeted practice games into their daily practice. We will explore the origins of common practice mistakes and learn the most efficient ways to deal with errors as they appear.
Name: Francesca Arnone
Bio: Dr. Francesca Arnone is a versatile flutist and piccoloist, equally at home in orchestral, solo, chamber music, and college teaching settings. She is the flute professor at the University of South Florida and coach for the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. Prior to returning home to Florida, she taught at Boise State, West Virginia, Idaho State, and Baylor universities, and at summer music festivals in North America and Italy. She was a featured performer at the 2016 NY Philharmonic Biennial, former class member of Bobby McFerrin’s Creativity 101 class at San Francisco Conservatory, and FFA Friday night recitalist in 2019. www.francescaarnone.com
Session: Music Stories through Interaction
What does music mean to you? What kind of sounds do you like to create? Interested in sharing these ideas through your instrument? Missing the interaction with another human being through music in real time? Then join this session where attendees are broken into randomized small groups and interact with each other in response to written prompts supplied by Francesca Arnone. When time is up, every group returns to share their story through music. In this safe room, there are no wrong notes - only the enjoyment of sharing creating live music together. Have your instrument assembled and get ready to interact with flutists of all ages and abilities!
Name: Ensemble 126 (Vivianne Asturizaga, Alan Berquist, Adrienne Tedjamulia Read)
Bio: Ensemble 126 is a dynamic seven-member flexible flute ensemble founded in Tallahassee, Florida, inspired by the atomic numbers for gold (79) and silver (47). Performances include FFA and AMS conventions and upcoming NFA convention. Dedication focused on expanding flute ensemble repertoire, utilizing world, historic, and full ranges of modern flutes.
Session: Programming for Our Times: The 21st Century Flute Ensemble
Ensemble 126 presents ideas and methods for presenting programs for The Flute Ensemble in a New Era followed by a Q&A session. Focusing on ensembles larger than the quartet, members of Ensemble 126 will speak about how to find repertoire outside the standard canon and the ensemble and audience’s impact. Building thoughtful programs with better inclusion and diversity promotes celebrating underrepresented voices. Resources and ideas will be discussed with an open Q&A for attendees.
Name: Emma Koi
Bio: Emma Koi is flutist and teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is principal flute of Festival City Symphony, founder of the collaborative ensemble, Cadance Collective, and teaches flute and movement at Carroll University. MMus, Carnegie Mellon University; BA, music, BFA, dance, UW-Milwaukee; 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher.
Session: Yoga for Flutists
As flute players, we are often told to "relax" various parts of our bodies, but what does that mean? In this gentle, all-levels yoga class, we will begin to learn what it feels like to be relaxed in the jaw, neck and shoulders, opening up our upper bodies to expand and relax our sound. No yoga experience necessary. Please have a yoga mat, a yoga strap or belt, and a thick blanket or quilt for this session.