Beginning flute players and teachers around the world – listen up!
I have had some great interactions with beginning instrumentalists during various field experiences. Some of the most challanging students I taught were flute students. It makes sense when I think back to woodwind methods class…Nearly every student who attempted the flute struggled to make a sound or struggled with keeping fingers in the right place while trying to sit up straight and avaoid the “flute player’s lean.” As college students we were able to keep trying again and again until we could play “good neighbors” and “hot cross buns.” Many beginners lack that determination and are easily frustrated or give in to defeat before they experience success. However, there are some really cool tools and aids out there that may help these beginners expereince success and gain confidence in their skills.
One neat tool I have seen and used for teaching lessons is a contraption called a “Pneumo Pro Wind Director.” This thing is basically a plastic tube with some little fans placed here and there. The Pneumo Pro is shaped to be like the head joint of a flute. The fans are placed in a column. The student is to use the Pneumo Pro to learn how to isolate the direction air is blown. The great part that really helps students is that the student can see where the air is going when the fans spin. So if the teacher instructs the student to blow air to the lowest fan and he or she is spinning the top fan, the student can see what is going wrong. The visual aspect of this tool is just amazing! I found that students were able to have great discovery moments when using the Pneumo Pro. Instead of trying again and again and remaining unsuccessful, these students were able to visualize the air spinning the individual fans. This experience proved to be priceless when they showed substantial improvement in the following lessons I observed.
Bopep flute finger aids are another great tool I have seen used for teaching beginners. These little things are great for helping students develop good hand/finger placement habits from the beginning. The series of finger aids include: the finger saddle, finger rest, and thumb guide. The finger saddle and finger rest are designed to aid in placement for the left hand. The thumb rest is designed for the right hand. To quote the box, “[The Bopep] eliminates cramping of the left-index finger, eliminates twisting of the left wrist, and lessens the need for left hand pressure and improves technique.” The only problem I see with incorporating these aids into lessons is that they are too expensive to buy enough for a “class” of flute lessons. It would be best for each student to own his or her own set of finger aids. I realize that is not practical for most students taking lessons in a public school. I still think having one or two sets to share is better for students than having nothing. Cultivating good habits early in the learning process will allow students to achieve better and faster results. I found these finger aids to be so effective in the lessons I observed and taught – I bought a set for myself!
I think the most important thing with using any type of aid like the pneumo pro or the bopeps is that they are not the solution/cure. Students need to understand that depending on such aids do not replace practice time and good habits. If a student is depending on the aids out of pure laziness, the aid needs to go away for a while. The finger aids, etc…are not essential to playing the instrument. They are aids not replacements. Once a student realizes that, I think the aids will amplify their skills and develop even better habits and results!
When high school musical auditions roll around, which type of audition will you be holding? Which audition process is more familiar to the students? Which process will envoke more phone calls from parents? These are all questions to be considered when holding auditions, especially in a high school setting. 
