# Back to playing flute



## Musikate

I was a music educator for years, plus I raised children. Then I became severely ill and bedridden. So for about 2 decades, I neglected my first instrument, flute. I regained reasonably good health and resumed regular practice about a year ago, and now I have “the bug” again. I’ve resumed serious daily practice, between 3-5 hours a day. I am on disability, and my husband has retired, plus my kids are grown, independent men (meaning that although my income is fixed & limited, it is steady & adequate for sustenance). I have unlimited time to practice, besides my half a dozen online students. I feel like I am the most fortunate woman in the world to own a decent piano & flute and the ability to use them well.

I completed a bachelors from a good university in choral music education in 1991, then (almost) completed a master’s. I haven’t performed in years, but before COVID struck, I did a year full of vocal auditions (15 or so), and did a couple of choral gigs. But what I would really like to explore now is flute. I’m a solid soprano with pro experience, but my first instrument is flute, and I want to audition as soon as things open up. I have no resume, but I am told that my proficiency is adequate. I will work endlessly & cheerfully towards a musical goal.

What path is there for a person my age? I know auditions are often blind, but with my barren resume, could I even get auditions? And it’s not as if I could audition for some performance certificate programs. What should this Rip van Winkle do?


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## david johnson

Welcome back into the playing world. While you are puzzling this out I recommend you perform some seasonal music at area locations of interest. I'm recovering from a couple of surgeries that interfered with my trumpet playing. I go to various spots and my wife videos me playing Christmas tunes, etc. parks, church lawns... While I am not pleased with some occasional tone issues, I can hear that making myself do that in public is helping me. You don't mention where you live. If the music scene is active' I doubt you will have problems


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