This is actually my 2nd attempt to film this. The first was so badly focused and lit that I couldn't go through with editing it! Sometimes stuff like that happens, and you have to roll with the punches. Oh well!

I also realize that the microphone looks HUGE in this. Whoops. That's one of the dangers of using a wide angle lens. I've been making a lot of these videos with the wide angle because it's more iconic of video blogs. The portrait lens is great for more sophisticated, formal videos, but these videos are too casual for that format. I speak more genuinely this way too, so wins all around!

Hope you guys are having an awesome weekend so far. See you guys next week!

​-Joanna

So, I was totally supposed to have more time to spend on this video. And then I ended up wresting with our dryer. Yay!

But oh well, I kind of liked how raw this ended up sounding and looking. :)

I had to have a large enough sample size of students before I could make this video. Honestly, I've been flying by the seat of my pants for the past 6 years, just kind of going with my students' different paces and feeling out frequencies and lengths of lessons that I originally wasn't comfortable with. Sometimes you just have to say yes and experience new things. It's been wonderful to be able to explain what I explain in this video to new students because it always makes them feel more comfortable. I found myself explaining it enough times that I knew I had enough experience to make a video about it.

Hope this is encouraging to other teachers and students out there. Have fun at your lessons!

​-Joanna

I hope you guys enjoy watching my ASMR intros as much as I enjoy making them. There's something wonderfully calming and creative about making them, and I feel like it helps calm the viewer down too before I start talking.

I found myself accidentally finding the words to articulate my feelings about making videos about my own instruments during a practice stream recently. This has been a pretty persistent question ever since I started making review videos. Quite honestly, it's probably my most requested video.

I know that this video is pretty much the exact opposite of granting that request. But it's really cathartic for me, and I felt that it fit really well in my channel. So, I hope you guys understand. :)

See you guys in the next one <3

​-Joanna

I've been wanting to film something like this beginning sequence for SO LONG.

I haven't done it until now because I couldn't find a good reason to. I now realize that... I don't really need a good reason. I can just do it. :)

I hope you guys are down for a new chapter in my YouTube channel. Things might look a little different, but it's still me. :) I want to dive into deeper topics and get more insight from more people than just myself.

See you in the next video!

​-Joanna

Gosh, I really struggled with this problem for a long time. The worst part was that I felt so alone in it. Everyone else seemed to find time and energy to practice, no problem.

What was wrong with me?

Turns out: Nothing.

I had just grown up, and grown-up things were happening with me, and I had to deal with grown-up things. That really eats into your practice time.

I have been guiding my adult students through this issue, and now I see it finally asked about in my comment section. I hope that what I have to say about it at least helps you all not feel so alone. We're all in this together. :)

Much love,
​Joanna 

This has been a pretty trying couple of weeks for my practice sessions. It's actually been pretty rough to even start them on time. One Twitch regular suggested that it was probably due to my anxiety about conquering these few exercises, and you know what... I think they're right.

Even just looking at those notes used to give me anxiety, but I'm now finding that I can look at them fairly comfortably! I still have a ways to go, but I can feel that this "burst practicing" method is really working to train myself to stay relaxed, so I wanted to share. :)

Gonna keep trekking. Happy practicing!

​-Joanna

Holy cow, what a SURPRISE when I opened this package up!!!!! My favourite thing to do when I'm traveling and spot any kind of flute is to mess around with it and play the Lord of the Rings Hobbiton theme. I've always loved the sound of keyless wooden flutes but have never gotten around to actually studying them. It was so fun to handle professional level keyless wooden flutes--they feel absolutely DIVINE in your hands and when played. I've fallen in love.

It may be tempting to see these flutes as fun "toys", but they're really not. These are professional instruments and must be treated as such. It was so cool to read about the care of them! I really need to do the same type of thing for my piccolo (oiling, waxing, etc.). 

What a delight to play these. Thank you, Flute Center of New York and Windward Flutes, for giving me these amazing opportunity.

I feel like a kid again!!

​-Joanna
__

Windward Flute #737 - Keyless D Flute, Maple Wood
Windward Flute #591 - Keyless D Flute, Mopane Wood
FCNY's current stock of keyless flutes!

*Please note that because of their delicate nature, these beautiful Windward Flutes are not available for normal in-home trials. All Windward Flutes must be purchased and paid for in full before we will ship, but we will allow a return period of 7 days. The flute must be properly cared for, per the instructions, during the return window, and we will not accept returns if there is visible damage to the flute, including cracks, caused by neglect or lack of care.

FCNY Music
Use my discount code "JAF" for 10% off your entire order!

Flute Center of New York
Use my discount code "JAF" for the following perks!
1. Free shipping
2. 10-day trial
3. 18-month warranty (new flutes)
4. Try 3 instruments per trial

Like the Flute Center of New York on Facebook!
Follow the Flute Center of New York on Twitter!
Follow the Flute Center of New York on Instagram!

Flute Center of New York
Contact the Flute Center of New York
About ClubFCNY

**Huge thanks to the Flute Center of New York for sponsoring this video!
**Prices listed in this video as of September 2019, subject to change.
**Full transparency: I do earn a commission on each instrument and sheet music purchased from FCNY using my code "JAF". :) Thank you for the support!

Hey firsties! I'm so excited for you to start this new chapter of your lives! Here are a few tips that I wish I had done in music school, and I hope that, with these tips, you guys can get further than I did!

The start of music school really felt like I was transported to Hogwarts. So much to learn! So much to see! So much to do! So many thing... I never even heard about.

I very soon became self-conscious of that fact that I really didn't know much at all about music. I questioned whether I was worthy of being in music school. I questioned whether I was worthy of my professors' time. I questioned whether I was worthy to even play the flute.

It took me a really long time to realize that I had mixed my personal worth with my professional work. Save yourselves the headache and heartache. You ARE worthy! You are worthy of music school! You are worthy of your professors' time! You are worthy to play your instrument! Your worth actually has nothing to do with any of those things!

Just the fact that you are a living, breathing human being is enough to make you worthy. You are worth everything. You matter much more than any instrument in the world.

Sending you guys so much love. Enjoy the wild ride of music school! <3

-Joanna

This was a really difficult video to organize my thoughts well. I'd been wanting to talk about this subject for a while, as I have been finding myself constantly preparing students for auditions since the spring!

The hardest thing to hear from my students is, "I HAVE to win." But... do you? Back a few months ago, I stunned a student into silence when I responded with, "But what if you don't win? What happens to you? Nothing, right?"

Ever since then, I've been trying to figure out my own thoughts about auditions. I used to hate them because I felt like I couldn't control them. Now, I don't hate them anymore (granted, I still don't like them, haha!)... but for the exact same reason: I can't control the outcome. I've come to the conclusion that if I can't control it... then why bother trying to control it? It's been incredibly liberating since then, and I wanted to share that liberation with everyone. :)

Happy auditioning!
-Joanna

This was a delightful surprise!! I'm absolutely certain that I'm not the first person to come up with this practice technique, but it was cool to stumble on a new (to me) way to practice technique! Who knew that my piano background would help me like this on the flute??

Practicing regularly really makes me a better teacher--I don't stay stagnant in how I see practicing and the flute, and I always have new things to share with my students! It keeps me humble and grounded. It's surprisingly difficult to carve out time to practice when you actually do this for a living (ironic, isn't it?), but I encourage all teachers out there to do so! It really helps enrich your professional work. :)

Hope you guys try this out, happy practicing!

-Joanna