Winter is supposed to be a slower time of year.  A good time for reflection and planning for the upcoming busy seasons.  You might be cleaning out a stack of papers, going through a junk drawer, planning your next music performance, or making summer vacation plans. 

Gina's Flutes will be in Vail, CO again this summer for the Bravo!Vail Instrument Petting Zoo.  You might not know what an Instrument Petting Zoo is!  This summer's Free Family Concert in Vail, CO, begins at 11 a.m.  at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.  It is a beautiful outdoor theater with the mountains and woods as the backdrop view.  Before the concert, starting at 10 a.m.,  Gina's Flutes will be in the spotlight.  Bring your kids--they can try playing a flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and even a euphonium!  At 11 the concert will begin and this year Gershwin's Magical Key will be on stage.  This is an event that is both fun and educational, and it appeals to kids and adults.  The concert is my favorite part, and I'm not even a kid!

New this summer will be a second Instrument Petting Zoo and concert in Gypsum, CO at the Lundgren Amphitheater beginning at 5 p.m.  The Free Family Concert will begin at 6 p.m.  Use the winter doldrums now to visit www.ginasflutes.com.  Show the kids some pictures of the different instruments available.  Plan that summer getaway to our beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains and schedule in a free concert while you are visiting.

Christmas Music

As we approach the holidays, playing music is a highlight.  Creating opportunities to play develops the musician's skills, experience, and enjoyment.  So go now before the rush to the music store or online, find some interesting holiday tunes, get your musician practicing now, and start thinking of where to perform.  You could perform for family, at a senior center, in front of a store filled with shoppers for the holidays, at church, or even at a bookstore.  It is connecting with people and experiences that makes playing Christmas music so enjoyable.

Well, it is the time of year when graduations are on the minds of many of us.  I was just talking today to a lady in my tennis class whose daughter will be graduating in a few days with a Music Education Degree.  She has her sights on a band director position for a middle school or a high school.  We were talking about how the direcctor can be just the inspiration needed to compel a student to go on with music and take it into adulthood, where unlike some sports, it can be enjoyed well into old age.

My own childhood experience:  A Mr. and Mrs. couple were our band directors.  They were so engaged in summer band.   They were encouraging, inspiring, and taught us those beginning books with such vigor it was infectious--and practicing was fun, not a chore.

Summer band will soon be starting.  Enroll your kids.  Encourage them to play along, with a friend, or in larger groups.  Group playing is motivating!  Have them play for church, a dinner party, their grandparents, etc.  I get pictures quite often of students who bought instruments from me standing with their saxophone by the Christmas tree, playing in a parade, or giving a special performance.  Take every opportunity to enjoy music!

Gina's Flutes at the Instrument Petting Zoo at Vail!

The Gina's Flutes Instrument Petting Zoo at Vail! Bravo was a big success. The Philadelphia
Symphony was warming up for their Peter and the Wolf concert while we set up. When the
gates opened, we were delighted that so many families came to try out the instruments. Some
kids selected one instrument--one boy kept coming back over and over to try out the alto
saxophone. And actually, he was quite good at it! And his puffed out cheeks made us all smile.
Some kids tried to get 4 notes out of just a flute headjoint. Some very small kids wanted to try
out the very large euphonium which was a cute picture. And some kids wanted to try and feel
every instrument. Even some parents couldn't resist giving the instruments a try! All enjoyed
the concert that followed. There is something about orchestra music--the blending of many
sounds into one, that gives us energy and excitement when we hear it. Music is interesting--it
touches people of every age!  Head to our Facebook page to see some pictures!

Gina's Flutes is participating in the Vail! Bravo Instrument Petting Zoo this Thursday, July 10.
What is an instrument petting zoo, you ask? It is similar to an animal petting zoo in many ways.
But instead of petting animals, you can see, touch, play, and hear all the different musical
instruments for yourself. Always wanted to try a flute? How about a Euphonium? Come by our
booth at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater this Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Kids of all ages can try
out a variety of woodwind and brasswind instruments. Already a player? Stop by and give us
your best memorized rendition. And stay for the free family concert performed by the
Philadelphia Orchestra at 11:30 a.m. They will be performing Peter and the Wolf--a classic for
kids of all ages.

I sometimes get the question, "How did you end up selling instruments"?

When I was a 4th grader ready to start band, my budget-minded parents took me to the local
music shop and bought me the cheapest flute in the store. It was very old, ugly and leaking air.
Sheer determination helped me slog through the detriments of the beast, and I found I enjoyed
playing! Next came countless hours of babysitting and saving money for my first new flute. It
wasn't anything fancy by today's standards, but I earned it and used it all through high school
and college.

Do you still play? Yes, I do. I have moved on to a professional flute. I play in a trio group with a
cello and violin, sometimes alone too, and have found practicing as an adult to be a real joy
and not "I-have-to-get-the-time-in work at all.

So maybe that is the draw to all these beautiful instruments I sell. I want my customers to have
the best experience with music that they can afford--thus quality instruments of all kinds--not
just flutes!

Today is the first posting of the Gina's Flutes blog. We want to give musicians interesting and
useful ideas and tips about music news, becoming a better player, and finding the perfect
instrument--whatever you play!



Summer is foremost on our minds in this first part of June. We want to relax and enjoy the
beauty of summer, but we also want to make it a productive time to maybe do something we
don't do during the regular part of the year.



If you are a music student, find some music you've always wanted to learn. Practice it a little bit
each day. Mark your progress at the end of the week. Goals are important too. So instead of
just practicing with no goal in mind, find others with your skill level and form a little group. Play
for visitors. Record yourself! And watch yourself takeoff to new places. Make your summer
worthwhile and fun!