Etude of the Week

In the last year, I joined a Facebook group called Etude of the Week.  Initially, I just listened to everyone as they finished up an etude book (I joined mid-book).  I enjoyed seeing flutists of all levels participating and offering each other support.  Flutists as young as 11 played at their own tempo, working on the aspects of flute playing relevant to their own personal growth.  College students shared their recordings too.  Professional flutists including Amy Porter and Nicole Esposito also posted their renditions and included tips on how to practice or what to focus on.  What an amazing opportunity presented by social media.  I should give credit where it is due, the group was created by a flutist from Flutistry Boston, Katy Wherry.


At this point, I have already participated in a full round (Köhler's Romantic Etudes) and am in the midst of another (featuring Moyse's Melodic Studies and Paganini's 24 Caprices).  This group gives me accountability.  I practice nearly every day and have personal goals, but having to record myself and post it makes it harder for me to neglect my potential to grow as a musician.  Think about it, I am out of school and don't have a professor/teacher to check in with once a week.  This is how I make up for it.  An added bonus is that my sight-reading skills are vastly improving as I only have a week, sometimes less, to learn an etude.  I am learning new music I might not have had reason to explore prior to this experience.  I have an amazing support system via the other flutists in the group; furthermore, each recording gives me a new perspective or interpretation of an etude with which I am now familiar.  There are so many positives to being in this group.

That said, I will be the first to say that I am not an overly big fan of social media.  I participate in it, but I also see that it can create, and has created, a negative environment.  I have watched videos on YouTube and read nasty comments.  When a musician is trying to improve, recording themselves and receiving feedback is key.  But the goal as compassionate human beings should be to provide constructive and supportive feedback.  No one is perfect and there is always something to improve.  But only pointing out the negatives, or just being plain mean, benefits no one and it could do serious damage to a person's self-confidence.

The nice thing about Etude of the Week is that when people comment, as far as I have seen, it is always positive.  They offer praise, words of encouragement, and constructively suggest ways to improve. It is a healthy learning environment.  I am proud to be a member of this group.  In addition to learning my etudes, it is now my goal to contribute positively to the learning environment I admire.

If you had not heard of this group before, you should absolutely check it out! Consider joining - you can be an observer until you are ready to join the fun yourself.  There you go, that is my plug for an inspiring group.  Hope to hear you playing etudes alongside me soon!