Music is like learning a second language. And we all know that language is best acquired through immersion! If you moved to another country and surrounded yourself in the culture, you would learn much faster than just taking a class once a week.
The same is true for music! We need to hear beautiful flute tone before we can create it. We need to listen to our pieces before we can accurately play them.
So how do you know if you are listening enough?
If you find yourself or your child humming the Suzuki songs then you are doing great! It is very difficult for your child to learn a new piece if they don’t know what it sounds like.
We can’t speak flute, unless we hear flute!”
-K. Lorimier
Here are some suggestions for consistent listening:
Download the Suzuki songs to your devices. That way it’s easily accessible.
Get into a listening routine. (Maybe you always have the flute music playing on the iPad before bed or have it on in the car.)
Explore YouTube for flute music! There are lots of great options there.
Create a flute playlist on Spotify!
Use music to set the atmosphere in your home.
Add 5 minutes of listening time to your regular practice!
In addition to the core Suzuki repertoire, here are some great pieces of music to get you started:
Chaminade Concertino for Flute
Regrets and Resolutions by Gary Shocker
Poem by Griffes
Flute Sonata: Undine by Carl Reinecke
Orange Dawn by Ian Clarke
Mozart Flute Concerto in G Major
Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy by Franz Doppler
Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano by Claude Bolling
Winter Spirits by Katherine Hoover
Vivaldi Flute Concerto in D Major “Il Gardellino” (“The Goldfinch”)