<p>I am a 2nd year jazz flute player at a major NYC school. I get $20000 scholarship a year and carry a 3.25 and increasing G.P.A. I never took music as seriously as I should have my whole life until recently. I studied classical privately with a fantastic teacher that hardly taught me anything for the majority of high school and middle school, for whatever reasons- large gaps between lessons ( like months, years) and we would go in circles during lessons, and she really didn't take me as seriously as she should have, because I was a really gifted young flutist. So come late high school, I began to gig around my home town/ state, and started to develop my already naturally gifted ears and began to get to know my way around a flute in a jazz manner. I wasn't studying with anyone at this point, until I decided I wanted to audition for a regional festival- for classical because jazz flute wasn't allowed. So, I got a hold of that old flute teacher, and we stayed focused for about a month before the audition, as I stayed focused, as well....well sort of! And I nailed the audition with little preparation, beat out a region of the state for a principal flute spot in the orchestra, and 2 points away from a perfect score on my audition - 268-270. I ended up getting really nervous for the performance because I was not used to playing in the style, and was playing first flute next to 2 flutist going to study at major conservatories for flute, wow, but I got through it! After this whole event happened, I sort of fell behind preparing for the state wide audition, and did not make the cut, and for the rest of my high school years remaining (1.5) I stopped studying classical privately.<br>
Senior year my band teacher heard I was playing professional jazz gigs and- after asking him for 3 straight years if I could some one join the jazz band- he let me. I transposed every alto 1 sax part either by sight, or my hand, and played with them for the remainder of the year. I enjoyed it and wished at times I played alto saxophone so I could fit in more, so I began studying alto saxophone on the side at school. As far as the high school wind ensemble and orchestra/ pit orchestra goes, I played principle flute since my sophomore year. But at this time- Senior, I was hardly practicing at all, and had taken a few jazz lessons with a world renowned jazz flutist that lived a drive away from my home, realizing I have more of a shot studying jazz flute in college than I do classical flute. At this point in my life, I wasn't as mature as I wished I was...but whatever. So here I am auditioning for some of the top jazz schools in the world on an instrument that isn't so much apart of the culture, and coming from someone who has never put the hard work in. I auditioned at NYU, Berklee College of Music, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and The Hartt School of Music. I was accepted with great scholarships to all, except NYU. I got a call back to NYU but was rejected of acceptance.
So...after a few months studying jazz in the city, I decided I wanted to start figuring out my classical flute chops again, merely for helping my technique with the instrument, got a hold of a great teacher from a great school, and started studying with her on a off. At this point the jazz school I was attending was a bit disappointing to me, very laid back laid back laid back enviournment, and I was wasting my time with my private lesson teacher, who I later dropped by the spring semester because he stole my money ( he would talk about himself for an 45 minutes every lesson after showing up 15 minutes late). So Since school wasn't going so well, and I didn't feel as though I was improving, nor did I think I was as great as nearly any of the players at the school, I starting pushing those classical lessons, and starting studying clarinet privately. The classical lessons began to take flight and I was improving and shown I have a great potential, and gift. My ears and knowledge of theory and harmony put my above many other conservatory students, but my proper teqnique and embouchure lacked immensely. At this point most people would begin to work hard seeing they have potential and realzing if you could put the time work and effort in, you will have a shot at a promising career.....but this is me we are talking about, so I did not, but I sort of started. These lessons continued on a off until the summer, where she invited me to a summer intensive filled with master classes by legendary teachers in the flute world, so I guess I was showing some promise. at this point I began to question my classical abilities, and maybe wanted to pursue classical as a career, but those were mere thoughts, but, at this summer intensive I really began to push myself for the first time in my life, practicing consistently 5+ hours a day, and creating a routine.
So, I came back to the jazz school for my sophomore year, and nothing really changed at school, laid back classes, an alright private teacher, I had improved since the last year, but I still wasn't enjoying school as much as I wished, and I wished I would be learning more, and I wished I was being pushed, and I wished I was staying up late at night with loads of theory homework, and readings upon music history, and such, but I was by far NOT at all. So I kept studying classical music in my free time with this teacher...but a few months in, we had some problems getting in contact with each other, (her not responding to emails) as well as her being too laid back during lessons for my liking, which was uninspiring to me, so I began the search for a new classical teacher. I ended up audition for a community orchestra in the mean time, and won 2nd chair.</p>
<p>After many emails sent out, and asking around, I found a fantastic teacher at Juilliard who was delighted to hear me play. At this point my classical playing was very poor, my embouchure was not set, and I knew hardly any rep except a movement of an Bach sonata- immediately we connected, and we began to work. She was so inspiring to me, but also the price of the lessons were also inspiring $$$ </p>
<p>BUT so this brings is to where I am today.</p>
<p>I have had 4 lessons with her, and with in this time I have memorized 2 movements of the Mozart Flute Concerto in D, really nailed my embouchure down from countless long tones in the practice room with the help of the flute master Moyse and his book, but she has made me feel as though I can pursue classical. ONly after 4 lessons did we discuss my future, and she said that at this point, I could attend a big university and study classical flute there....BUT, this is not what I want.
I want to take time off from school, and I want to practice, and study with her, until college audition time, and audition at some great conservatories, NEC,Jyard,MSM,e.c.t., and give it a shot, because seeing from my past, if I dedicate 8 months of hard work, I will have caught up and could be something really great. </p>
<p>What are your thoughts, and thanks for reading and helping. </p>
<p>LostMusicSoul</p>