I started on the flute in the 6th grade music program at age 11. At the time I knew what various orchestral instruments looked like from photos, and I knew what they sounded like from recordings, but I couldn't associate the sound to the instrument because I had never actually seen any of them played. So when I had to pick an instrument for band I picked flute by accident, intending to pick clarinet. When we picked up the used rental flute at the music store I was shocked but too embarrassed to admit my mistake. I figured I'd give it a chance and see how it went.

I got a sound out of it rather quickly but it never seemed to be the right sound. The good news was that it was clear - not a breathy, windy sound like most new flute players. The bad news was it that was far too loud, brash and harsh sounding. My mom always asked me why it didn't sound like the person in the music store who played a scale on it as a function test before giving it to us. I didn't know, but I also could hear the difference. Her asking confirmed my diagnosis but also added to my frustration.

I became proficient and played a solo song for the school. My teacher selected "Georgy Girl". As if I didn't already get enough ribbing as a boy flute player, that put it over the top! Good thing I was a tough fighter, and it was near the end of the school year.

I played through junior high but tapered off in high school. In junior high I picked up the bari sax for jazz band which was easy & fun. Wayne Colyer, the jazz band teacher, encouraged me and made the bari available. But in the end, I never had private lessons on any instrument and never learned how to soften my loud, brash flute tone.

Fast forward to post college (late '92) at which point I hadn't played in almost 10 years but still had my old flute and decided to pick it up again. Thinking back, that was a bold decision that I will always thank and respect myself for making because it improved my life for many years to come. I practiced at least 1 hour a day every day after work. Took me at least 6 months just to get to the point where I had left off.

Not long afterwards, mid '93, I hit the wall with my improvement and went to the local music store looking for lessons. Started taking lessons from a guy named Steve Logoteta. Steve was a great guy, primarily a sax player but proficient with the flute and a good open minded teacher. He also directed the Vallejo community band and hooked me up with a masters class at UOP.

In '93 I also got a new flute. Up to now I had been playing that old Artley I had since 6th grade. It really was (is - I still have it) a pretty good student flute but I was ready to get a "real" flute: open holed keys, solid silver, B foot. Nothing esoteric, but a basic conservatory/pro quality model. I got a Gemeinhardt 3SB-GLP used from the classified ads. It was in mint condition from the original owner who bought it new yet found it too hard to play or didn't like the tone. I paid about $700 - half what it would have cost new. Looking back, this turned out to be a good thing. It is not my primary flute any more, but I still have that flute today. It's not easy to play but it does play beautifully. It has a clear and focused Haynes like sound - more purple than yellow. The lowest register is not easy to play but with some practice it makes a big fat sound. The 3SB's key action is smooth and faster than my fingers. It really is a wonderful flute especially for the price. For a while I had a Jupiter Medici 18kgp D4 headjoint but I finally sold it after getting tired of its modern tone, intonation difficulties, and nearly impossible bottom register. I suspect there was nothing wrong with that headjoint - it was very well made but for a different flute. In my experience headjoints are in general overrated, especially aftermarket ones. They are fun to play with but I wouldn't want to let them become a crutch.

In early 2005 I tried several different flutes to see if I could get one with a better scale and intonation than my old 3SB. Long story short, I ended up with a Jupiter 1011. It has all the beautiful tone of my old 3SB, with vastly better intonation.

After all this about flutes I should say I've played several different flutes over the years and for each one (including my own), there was something unique to like. The sound I like is more of a "Rampal" sound than a "Galway" sound. As for materials, I'm not convinced that silver, gold, platinum etc, are much different in sound quality. Physics says it is the air column - not the flute itself - that one hears. Thus the sound is primarily due to the shape & cut of the instrument - not its materials. For example if you have a plastic with the same density as grenadilla, all else equal (headjoint cut, tone holes, etc.) it is going to sound virtually identical. And it's going to be a lot less expensive, easier to maintain, last longer, and is easier on the rainforest! But of course all else is never perfect equal. While nobody can prove that materials don't make any difference in sound, it's certainly true that sonic differences that often are attributed to materials are actually due to design, cut or geometry.

Steve Logoteta forwarded me to my next teacher, Charlene Romano. Charlene was a great flute player who lived in Fairfield. On our very first day she helped me improve my tone 100%. She helped me convert my brash tone into a powerful, precise and dynamic tone. In late '94 I moved to San Diego and stopped private lessons. I still practiced 1-2 hours each day and played with the local symphony. When I moved up to Alameda to take a new job in early '96 I no longer had time for fluting. I picked it up a few times a year but that was it. Almost 9 years later in late 2005 I started playing regularly again. I play just for fun but take practice seriously, mostly tone and technique exercises: Wye, Moyse, Anderson, Boehm, Berbiger, etc. According to NFA level ratings of material, this is level G to H stuff (A = beginner, J = advanced). It's about entrance level for a college music performance major. I enjoy the absolute focus and concentration it requires - getting into the zone.