We’re Back! – Part 3

AWESOME FLUTE EXPERIENCES

I had the opportunity to play my flute/piccolo at different venues with a lot of different people. It is so special to perform music with other people. In an article by Sunny Jane Morton published on February 1, 2022, called The Power of Music to Make Connections, Sunny Jane says “Music helps people connect with each other. It’s most obvious when you watch musicians performing together. They must cooperate, listen to each other, and synchronize their efforts. Often, you can see them smiling at each other. That’s not just part of the performance. The experience of singing together releases chemicals in the brain that increase pleasure and help people form closer, more trusting bonds.” This quote also applies to instrumentalists.

For the past 2 1/2 years, I’ve performed my flute/piccolo at:

• Children’s Chorus of Collin County 15^th Anniversary Season Spring Concert.
• Park Cities Baptist Church weekly rehearsals and Christmas / Easter special performances.
• First Baptist Church of Rockwall – weekly rehearsals, Sunday mornings and special event performances.
• The Piccolo Army World Record attempt with the Dallas Winds on July 4, 2023.
• Rockwall Philharmonic Orchestra Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 concerts – playing with fabulous musicians to make awesome music outdoors with the sun setting over Lake Ray Hubbard. It is quite the experience, for the musicians, the conductor and the audience!

• Brookhaven/TWU Flute Choir concerts – Fall, Christmas, and Spring concerts and weekly rehearsals with the most talented group of flutists I have ever played with! I had to bow out of this group July 2024, right before performing at the National Flute Convention, because of an injury that flutists sometimes get when they practice a lot. I’m still recovering – as it takes 6 months to 1 year to heal.

• Ebby Band performances (a band I put together with Ebby Halliday realtors). We played at three Ebby Halliday Christmas Party events and two of the Involved for Life Galas at the Galleria.

I also joined the board of the Rockwall Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and took on the role of music librarian and social media. I have created and posted more than twenty videos promoting the Spring and Fall 2024 RPO concerts. I wrote the interview scripts and interviewed the conductor, Jeremy Kondrat, while Scott filmed the interviews. The last interview with Jeremy at The Castle at Rockwall was especially fun because of the subject matter and the location.

What we learned

Performing the flute/piccolo is a passion of mine. I love the success that comes from tackling hard music that I think is impossible for me to play, practicing it and then being able to play it. I love the teamwork with other musicians as we work together at performances. I LOVE the performance – which to me is almost always magical! Being part of the planning and execution of the concerts gives me great satisfaction.

Before each good performance, there is always lots of practice involved! I look back at the pictures of past performances and I think “WOW! How fun!” But then I remember the hours of preparation. However, after each performance, I am usually ecstatic. It’s like the famous line from the show/movie the A-Team, where John ‘Hannibal’ Smith says, “I love it when a plan comes together.” That is how I feel after my practice results in a great performance.

I could not do what I do without Scott. He is at every rehearsal and every performance! He is my chauffeur, tech support, sound guy, food guy, cheerleader, etc. He is my Roadie! When I needed a sound guy for the KPMG band, Scott learned how to work the sound equipment and did a great job!

Stay tuned for Part 4!