This article was originally published in 2014 and was based off the wildly popular presentation I did with GySgt.(Ret.) Cynthia K. Rugolo of “The President’s Own” Marine Band at the National Flute Association convention in Washington DC in 2015. Both piccoloists, both in military bands and both invested in musician’s health (I took over her position as chair of the …
Your Hips Are A Hinge
This article was originally written as a recap after a presentation at the Florida Flute Association Convention. It is such a joy to me to get to be able to personally walk people through the mechanics of fitness and learning how to properly use their bodies to better play their first instrument, their bodies, before picking up the flute. Speaking …
Being A Military Musician Interview with Flute 360 Podcast
Recently I had the honor of being interviewed by Dr. Heidi Kay Begay about my experiences as a military musician. You can listen to it here: In today’s episode, Heidi talks with Sergeant Angela McCuiston about her time being a Military Flutist in the U.S. Army Reserve Band. She goes into detail about the audition process, her experience with basic …
Lighten Up! A Study Of Lightweight Professional Model Flutes For Injury Prevention
According to a 2011 study[1], 95% of skilled flute players suffered some form of performance-related musculoskeletal disorder. While many injuries are a result of overuse and muscle imbalances, playing a heavy flute can contribute to additional problems. For many flutists, a lightweight flute can help mitigate these imbalances, lessening the chance of injury severity. Throughout the past 11 …
Exercises for Flutists
Recently I was asked to write an article for Flutist Quarterly, the quarterly publication of the National Flute Association. There are a LOT of beneficial exercises for flutists, but I picked 2 stretches and 2 strengthening exercises I felt were the most beneficial, with no equipment, for the general population of flute players. These may be more difficult for some, …
Beneficial Exercises For Flutists
View PostPlaying Flute with Scoliosis?
A little while back, I received this email from a teacher concerned for her student with scoliosis: “I have a student that has scoliosis. She has been told by her doctor that she is going to have to stop playing flute due to the severity. I know that if she is sitting correctly, and using complete correct posture this really shouldn’t be …
The Maturing Flutist
Yesterday Dr. Steve Mitchell and I co-presented at the National Flute Association Convention in Orlando, FL. Our talk was titled “The Maturing Flutist” and it covered a lot of the issues that concern aging musicians and the elderly populations. You don’t need to be a flutist to benefit from this, as lots of the things we covered relate to the …
3 Marching Band Fitness Hacks for Flutists
Ah band camp….long, hot days with your instrument and at the end you’re rewarded with an aching back and feet, right? Well, you might not be able to get out of marching band, and you might not be able to change your band director’s mind about what’s good for you to do vs. what looks good, but here are 3 …
Activating a Weak Rotator Cuff Using the Body Blade
Have you heard of the BodyBlade? It looks deceptively easy, but if you have any muscle weakness you’ll be shocked how difficult it is to control. This is an excellent tool for activating the weak muscles of the rotate cuff which can be especially painful in musicians such as flutists, guitarists, string players and pianists. Start out with 5 sets …