Mount Carmel, PA Flute Lessons

ad and hear the progress you or your child has made! I am a very patient person and in my teaching I try to keep the atmosphere positive and encouraging. I have taught in person and online all across the country including Hawaii and even as far away as Italy to all ages and levels, beginning to advanced. You never know what talent is hidden inside that could be brought out with proper instruction. After I had graduated college with my music degrees, I remember my first flute teacher finally sharing with me that I was the only student she ever had that could not make a sound in their first lesson! So you truly never know until you try!

*** Check out my Facebook page here ***
https://www.facebook.com/NorthAtlantaFluteLessons/

Lesson Length Recommendations:
Beginner - 30 minute lesson
Intermediate - 45 minute lesson
Advanced - 60 minute lesson

Biography

I was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida and began studying the flute at the age of 12. My interest in music was sparked after weeks of gazing longingly through the window as my twin sister crossed the street to her French horn lessons. I was determined to play an instrument too, so I asked my mom if I could take music lessons. It turned out that there was a fantastic flute teacher who happened to live down the street, so I began walking to my flute lessons. That flute teacher was Betsy Hudson-Traba, principal flutist of what is now the Sarasota Orchestra. Meeting her and starting flute lessons set my life down an incredible journey through music that would eventually take me halfway across the world.

With Betsy's instruction and encouragement, I had much success as a young musician. Throughout high school I played principal flute in Sarasota’s youth orchestra program and was a winner of the Young Artist Competition. I attended Interlochen Arts Camp where I was exposed to many wonderful artists and teachers. With a lot of hard work, I was able to win first chair flute in the FMEA All-State multiple times and also participated every year in the Solo & Ensemble Festival. I loved playing classical music, but fell in love with marching band too and became drum major which ignited my passion for teaching.

Wanting to pursue music as a career, I went on to study with Eva Amsler at Florida State University where I earned my Bachelor of Music in flute performance. Her teaching gave me a greater understanding of tone development, movement, and body awareness. I had a lot of wonderful playing opportunities here and as an undergraduate was playing in the top orchestra. During my time at FSU I was a proud member of the “world renown” Marching CHIEFS, where I served as section leader to 50+ flutes! It was truly incredible having a weekly audience of 80,000 football fans cheering us on. One of my favorite and more unique ensembles I participated in at FSU was the Andean ensemble, Aconcagua. I played the zampona (panpipes) and the quena (Andean flute). I loved it because it gave me the chance to play flutes still, but in a different capacity that was much more free than the classical music setting I was accustomed to.

After undergrad, I decided to go abroad for graduate school earning my Master’s at a small conservatory in beautiful Lugano, Switzerland called the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana. I studied under Italian flutists, Mario Ancillotti, Stefano Parrino, and Giovanni Crola. Through their help I was able to refine and demonstrate greater musicality in my playing. Performance was emphasized greatly in lessons and in our school curriculum. I also had many opportunities to pursue my love of travelling and work on my foreign language skills!

After heading home to the States I began my freelance career substituting in various orchestras in Florida including the Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet Orchestra, and the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. I now live in Acworth, Georgia where I teach private flute lessons and play in the Alpharetta Symphony Orchestra as well as serve on the orchestra board as the Personnel Manager. In addition to music, I love spending time with my family, friends, my husband, Vance, and our adorable kitties (Ron & Harry) and sweet dog (Leia). I also enjoy volunteering at church where I work with the elementary age kids, reading, hiking, trying to bake, organizing, and cleaning!

*** Specialties ***
I specialize in flute and piccolo solo, orchestral, band, and chamber ensemble playing and also audition prep.

gree in flute performance from Duquesne University, where she studied under Damian Bursill-Hall of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

music inspired by the natural and spiritual world.

with saxophone under Frederick L. Hemke and John Wojciechowski, and he is currently pursuing a MM in music at USC, studying with Bob Mintzer.

-home music studio is centrally located in La Mesa between the 8 and 94 freeways. 10 minutes from SDSU, 12 minutes from Grossmont, 19 minutes from El Cajon. Plenty of free parking, a waiting area for parents and siblings, and shopping close by. Many of my parents drop their kids off and run errands during lessons.

“Dave provides a structured template for learning which is tempered by a lot of humor.” –Judith T.

ts of his private studio continue to win regional and national competitions; alumni are pursuing degrees at universities throughout the United States. While living in Baltimore, he has coached ensembles at the Peabody Preparatory and served on the flute faculty of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids program, bringing musical instruction to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

David has performed with the Florida Lyric Opera, Experiential Orchestra, Hunt Valley Symphony, and Occasional Symphony. In addition, he was selected to attend the Marrowstone Music Festival for two seasons, performing with the Festival Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. David has performed under the batons of luminaries such as Marin Alsop, Edward Polochick, Leonard Slatkin, and Gene Young. He can be heard as soloist on the McCormick Percussion Group's album Plot: Music for Unspecified Instrumentation (Ravello Records) and Principal Flute on the USF Wind Ensemble's album Live at Carnegie Hall...and more (Mark Records). He is also Principal Flute on the Peabody Symphony Orchestra's forthcoming album, featuring the works of Aaron Jay Kernis conducted by Marin Alsop, to be released by the Naxos label in late 2017.

David recently earned a Master of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he was awarded a full scholarship and the Clinton Lee Arrowood Memorial Prize in Flute. A native Floridian, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida, where he was named a Presser Foundation Scholar and Distinguished Graduate in The Arts.

la and the US such as Youth Orchestra of Valencia, National Flute Orchestra of Venezuela, Chamber Music Orchestra of Universidad Arturo Michelena, FIU Symphony Orchestra, FIU Marching Band.

I am currently teaching as a volunteer in Mind & Melody, Inc. A non-profit organization that focused on bringing musical experience to participants with Alzheimers and dementia. The sessions are for one hour and they learn basic concepts of music and also explore different instruments through the demonstrations.

My goal is to teach music in a fun way and not only training the ear and the skills but also developing the mind and mindfulness.