I also touched on the idea of self-image, stressing that we are who we are on our best days, not on our worst days, and that we must continue to search for physical and mental balance in our practicing and performing. These are issues that dancers deal with daily, and that instrumentalists often avoid. Sandra Sutak, a junior flutist from Burlington, Connecticut, wrote about efficient practice and the misconceptions that often accompany a conservatory mentality of productivity. If music majors get so busy that they squeeze practice time in at the end of the day when they are physically and emotionally drained, there is a tendency to develop bad habits. It would be far more productive if they practiced for several shorter sessions than to wander aimlessly through five hours of unfocused efforts.
Flutists have widely varied and inconsistent musical needs.
Taking time to organize practice sessions helps you develop musical skills and improve your playing. I chose this topic because I was a singer before I was a flute player, and my sister is a voice student, so the connection between flute and voice is natural for me. I think they chose to print it because it draws on something outside of the flute world - no one is just a flute player anymore. They had to think of what they really believe about flute playing and teaching. Ideas always become clearer when they are written down.