Here are some videos of my kids – from the early beginnings at the top to last summer at the bottom of the page. Click the picture for the YouTube video.
Both of my kids started flute at age 2. The Suzuki Method’s other title is the “Mother Tongue” method – so it only makes sense that the beginning stages are all about learning to speak the same language your mom does! Above left is a practice session – Clara at age 3 practicing Hot Cross Buns. After Mariah’s Book 1 Recital at age 5 1/2 (below) Clara insisted that she wanted her own recital. She wanted to do it on her 4th birthday, but settled for the day after. Above right is a clip from Clara’s almost 4th birthday recital.
We started out pretty informal, but they established very regular practice routines between ages 3 and 4. After a couple of years of flute I encouraged them to choose just one or two instruments, after a few years of study of piano and violin subsequent to their flute beginnings. But above is the start!
And below are more recent performances – they’re both in college as of this 2015 post (Mariah will graduate from Vassar this May! Clara is a sophomore at Oberlin) – but both play with me professionally over the summers. Below are a couple of videos from the past 2 summers. Below left is a performance of Beethoven’s Serenade for Flute, Violin and Viola. Below right is an entirely different style – an Irish tune called “I Love My Love in the Morning” – with Mariah on harp this time and Clara again on viola.
We named ourselves “Turidae” – a variation on the latin for the Thrush family of birds – known for their flute-like song, with the Hermit Thrush also being the state bird of Vermont. You can click the word Turidae for more information about our performance offerings.
Or click one of the highlighted links ahead for more information about flute lessons for young beginners and the Suzuki Method.
