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Questions
What level of students do you teach ?I teach students of all levels from brand new beginners through the most advanced players in college and older. I really enjoy the variety of working with students of different levels and ambitions. I believe it is really important to understand where the student is in their development, what the student's ambitions and goals are, and what I can do to motivate the student to want to improve. Because of how I started and the obstacles I had to overcome in my own playing, I especially enjoy the opportunity to start beginners off correctly. See How I Got to be Dr. Cate Back to Top
Aren't you a teacher just for the *best* students ?Not necessarily, though I really do enjoy working with students playing at the highest level. I also get a great deal of satisfaction out of working with students who do not necessarily want to be music majors, but really enjoy playing and who want to learn to play better for their own enjoyment and to get the most out of their band experience. The attitude students bring to their lessons is more important to me than their ambitions. Back to Top
If I'm a beginner, why do I need a teacher as good as you?I can help you succeed in your playing faster than you can in a class setting at school, with an older high school flute player or virtually any other flute instructor in this area. This is because I've only ever been focused on how to play the flute myself. I'm not a band teacher whose primary instrument is something else like trumpet or saxophone or clarinet. I will watch and listen to you very carefully to make sure you are doing things correctly like developing a good tone with tonguing, holding the instrument correctly, learning to read music and count for yourself. When I get students out of school programs and even other flute studios in the area, I expect to spend a lot of time on basics with these students because there are always gaps in understanding of most music skills including tone production, articulation, reading and counting, building blocks like scales in both flat and sharp keys. If you want to succeed and have fun playing the flute, you need my expertise. Back to Top
I heard you are a tough teacher. Will you yell at me ?No. Actually, I like to have fun with my students by kidding around. I'd say that I do expect you to come to your lesson prepared to play your assignments. This means sufficient home practice for your level of playing. I laugh a lot with my students and make bad jokes, tell stories to make a point and emphasize how you can have a lot of fun while working to achieve your flute playing goals. I suppose I've gotten the reputation for being tough because I expect you to bring your best efforts to a lesson. If I'm not getting your best effort with a lot of excuses, I may be firm and let you know what I expect. I do understand, however, if you have had an exceptionally heavy school load, are involved in a sport or have been ill. If you let me know what's going on with you, I am happy to make allowances until you can put more time into your flute playing again. Back to Top
What is a good age to begin playing the flute?For most kids sometime between the ages of 10 and 12 years old is a great time to begin playing. That said, I have started students as young as 7 years old with great success. This is usually when the child has been pestering mom and dad at home to play the flute. If the desire to play is coming from the kid, it is probably OK start young. Otherwise 4th or 5th grade is just fine. Back to Top
You charge more than most flute teachers. What do I get for my money I can't get elsewhere?If you are practicing at home the material, concepts and ideas we explore in your lesson, you will make more improvement in less time than with any other flute teacher in the area. You will learn how to play with a mature tone, good rhythm, phrasing and expression at all levels of study. You get the benefit of my 40 years of playing the flute, 12 years of college and graduate study as a performance major, 25+ years of teaching experience and my unique ability to motivate my students to succeed. There is much more at the page on this site: About Me Back to Top
I'm thinking of getting a better flute. What do you recommend?This depends on your level of playing and also your long term ambitions. The brands I personally recommend include Jupiter, Altus, Azumi, Brio!, Dean Yang, Muramatsu, Miyazawa, Avanti, Lyric. These days the first question to ask is whether the instrument has a modern scale to facilitate good intonation (playing in tune with yourself). The brands listed above all have a modern scale. For more on flute buying, see my page on this site: Buying a flute Back to Top
Dr. Cate Hummel.
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