The 2024 Ball State Flute Day is coming up on October 19th, and I am so excited to attend again as an exhibitor along with Flute Specialists! You don’t want to miss this FREE event. Dr. Watanabe and her flute studio have a full day of masterclasses, flute choir, warmup sessions, and recitals planned. If you haven’t registered yet and are free on October 19th, here are some reasons why you should attend: 

You will get to learn from Guest Artist Austin Brown and Dr. Mihoko Watanabe 

Principal Flutist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Austin Brown, will be Ball State’s featured Guest Artist this year! He will be leading a masterclass and Q&A session, and he will be performing a recital for everyone attending. This is the perfect opportunity to learn from Austin and get to know our new ISO Principal Flutist!  

Flute Professor at Ball State University, Dr. Mihoko Watanabe, is not only hosting this event, but she is leading the mindful warmup session and flute choir reading in the morning as well as leading an open clinic to close the flute day.  

Play with other flutists in the warmup and flute choir session. 

Flute choir reading sessions are SO fun. You don’t always get to play with solely flutes, and this is a unique opportunity to just have fun and play music with your fellow flutists. Dr. Watanabe’s mindful flute warmup will help you get in the mindset to have a relaxed, yet focused and productive flute day. She has done extensive research on applying mindfulness in your practice, so this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from her. 

Meet and make connections with other flutists. 

Flute events like these are the perfect way to network with other musicians. Who knows, you could even make lifelong friends at this event! The music community is smaller than you think, and it is incredibly important to make connections with your fellow musicians. Plus, flute players are the coolest and are so positive, supportive of each other, and fun to be around. 

Try out flutes and stock up on flute accessories from Paige’s Music and Flute Specialists. 

You will have time during the day dedicated to come visit the exhibitors! I am so excited to bring a variety of pro flutes and piccolos for you to try. Without giving anything away, I have some NEW models that I didn’t bring last year. These are some of my favorite flutes that I’ve brought in the shop. 

Hear some amazing performances in the Guest Artist Recital and the Masterclass. 

Did I mention before that this event is FREE? Take advantage of this opportunity to listen and learn from not only Austin Brown, but also collaborative pianist Dr. Michael Seregow and Dr. Mihoko Watanabe. While we don’t know what the repertoire for the recital will be, we do know what will be played in the masterclass! Masterclass performers will perform the following pieces for Austin Brown: Fantaisie, Op. 79 for flute and piano by Gabriel Faure, Sonata by Sergei Prokofiev, and La Flute de Pan by Jules Mouquet. These are very well known and popular flute solos to play, and this would be a great way to learn more about performing them! You can find the scores and more info at the event website: https://ballstatefluteday.weebly.com/ 

Bass Clefs, Treble Clefs, and Tenor Clefs. Oh my!

The euphonium is a unique and often misunderstood instrument, even among experienced musicians. Over the years, I’ve encountered many questions about it: Is it called a euphonium or a baritone? Why don’t we see euphoniums in orchestras? Should the bell face forward or up? Does it have three or four valves? And what exactly is a compensating euphonium?

One of the most intriguing questions, and the one we’ll explore today, is: Why is euphonium music written in both treble and bass clef?

The beginning of the school year is here! As the excitement of the new term settles, you may hear from your student’s band director or teacher that it’s time to upgrade their flute—especially if they’ve been playing for at least a year. Choosing the right step-up flute can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to make it easier for you!

How to Start the Flute Upgrade Process

We are thrilled to announce that world-renowned jazz artist John Raymond will be hosting a jazz trumpet masterclass at Paige’s Music on November 23rd at 5PM!

As an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, John brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. He has released nine albums under his own name, and has been featured on over thirty recordings, including four GRAMMY-nominated albums! Along with his musical accomplishments, John is the author of “The Jazz Trumpet Routine: Fundamentals for the Creative Improviser” and hosts the popular podcast “The Trumpet Summit”. As a Bach performing artist, John Raymond’s insights will be invaluable to musicians of all skill levels.

This masterclass is open to trumpet students of all ages and abilities who are eager to dive deeper into the world of improvisation. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just beginning, this clinic is for you!

We’re excited to partner with Bach and Conn-Selmer to present this incredible opportunity. More details, including how to RSVP, will be shared on our social media outlets and website soon. Plus, there will be a special giveaway for attendees—so make sure to stay tuned!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. We can’t wait to see you on November 23rd for this unforgettable event!

The summer months are very important in your development as a trumpet player. Many students will leave their trumpet in the case in a closet for 2-3 months which is a terrible idea! Can you imagine not walking or running for 2-3 months and then trying to run a 5K or 10K? If you don’t play your trumpet all summer, that is essentially what you are doing to yourself! We use facial muscles to play the trumpet and as with any other muscle in the body, if you don’t use it then you lose it. So, it is vital that you practice your trumpet to at least maintain the growth and endurance that you had during the school year. Check out these tips for practicing over the summer:

1. Listening

When I was in middle and high school, I did not realize the importance of listening to professional trumpet players. When you first learned to talk, you did so from listening to your parents and others. There are many speaking accents throughout the world and those are passed on from generation to generation through children listening to those around them and recreating what they’ve heard in their head through their voice. The same is true with the trumpet. My tone and sound are similar to my private teachers’ sounds as well as the trumpet players that I’ve listened to the most. Take time this summer to listen to artists like Allen Vizzutti, Michael Sachs, Hakan Hardenberger, Wayne Bergeron, and others to find your sound. See which artist you like best and dive deep into their recordings!

2. Find a private teacher

If you are looking to really improve during the summer, then I highly recommend finding a private teacher. There are so many great trumpet teachers within the Indianapolis region as well as throughout the state of Indiana! We have a list of private teachers on our website, but you can also reach out to your band director to see if they have someone that they recommend. One of the major advantages of taking private lessons is the one-on-one training that you receive. In band class, there are so many other students in the band as well as the trumpet section that your teacher is trying to work with. In most cases, they don’t have time to help you on an individual basis with your sound, range, articulation, or other fundamentals that are key for your success as a trumpet player. If you have trouble finding a private teacher, feel free to reach out to me directly and I am more than happy to help.

3. Listen to online masterclasses or podcasts

In our current world, we have some incredible resources online that you can use to help grow as a trumpet player! There are many colleges and competitions that post masterclasses that different artists have held. There are also a few trumpet-related podcasts available to listen to that go into details on playing the trumpet. I highly recommend searching for your favorite artist with the word “masterclass” after their name on YouTube and see what comes up. You may be surprised with what you find! If you need any recommendations, feel free to e-mail me and I am happy to provide some recommendations!

4. Play your trumpet!

The most important summer practice tip is to play your trumpet! Like I said in the introduction, it is vital for you to play your trumpet over the summer. If you don’t play your trumpet, you risk injuring yourself when school starts back up especially if you are going to be in marching band. Set small goals for yourself to start and grow your practice time from there. Maybe just warm up every day for one week and then the following week play some of your favorite pieces from the previous year or look up your favorite song online to find sheet music for it. I personally recommend practicing in 15-20-minute chunks for 30-60 minutes per day. If you do that and use your time wisely, I guarantee you will feel ready for band class in the fall.

Make the most of your summer by actively engaging in these practice tips, ensuring you start the next school year at your best.