Why take private flute lessons and school band?

by Pam Murchison, teacher with Kathy's Music, LLC

Deciding to take private flute lessons in addition to enrolling your child in band is a great investment in your child’s musical development.  Having a private flute instructor is like having a personal athletic trainer: the individualized attention helps the flutist to reach his/her absolute highest musical potential. 

Here are some specific benefits of pursuing private study in conjunction with school band classes:

Individualized attention

Lessons benefit your child whether she is more or less advanced than the rest of the group. Even in a small group setting of 2-3 students, the needs of the individual will necessarily be overlooked for the needs of the group.  If a student is struggling, it might take longer to receive the guidance needed to progress, leading to frustration.  If a student is more advanced, he might be held back by the level of the group. This also leads to boredom and frustration. Individual music instruction will give your child exactly what she needs when she needs it.

Engaging the student

Repertoire can be customized to suit your child’s particular interests and needs in a lesson.  This is difficult to tackle in a group lesson when the curricula is standardized.  Our goal is to engage and the choice of piece or genre can make all the difference.

 Learning to practice

Many of the hours spent learning to play the flute are spent in individual practice.  This is not a skill that always comes naturally, and private flute instruction can help your child devise systematic ways to overcome musical challenges. Learning how to practice is like developing any new skill and lessons provide the time to learn how.  Creating step-by-step plans for tackling obstacles is of course an excellent skill to have throughout life! 

A complete flute education

When a child enrolls in beginner band, the goal of the teacher is typically to help the student successfully perform in his/her first band concert. This is a great goal and we encourage group music making and community performing whole heartedly!  However, this goal is only one aspect of being a musician. The student might learn only a fraction of flute fundamentals in a beginning band program. It all depends on the program. Private lessons with a dedicated teacher will encompass all aspects of playing the flute, including solo & duet playing, music history, customized music theory, and the ability to hear, see and emulate an experienced flute performer week after week.  Modeling is one of the most successful ways students learn.

Other benefits include steady motivation, faster progress and increased musical opportunities.  My private flute instruction throughout elementary, middle, and high school allowed me to meet and perform for (and with!) Pittsburgh Symphony musicians, learn about all kinds of chamber music, and create relationships with other flutists who, like me, had a real passion for flute. 

With the right teacher, enrolling in private flute instruction can only add more value to your child’s musical studies.