Im planning on going to a Conservitory or some type of music school...I play on a Gemeinhardt 3SHB...Should i up grade to a different flute before I graduate or just stay on my 3SHB?
I dont graduate until 2010.
what would be a good flute to play on thats under $3000?

if you plan on going to further your education on flute, i would hold off for now and see if you cant increase your budget. yeah, you can find good stuff out there for under 3k, but not much. also, theres not really a reason for you to have a professional instrument in high school. bought mine in high school. i kid you not, mine received a hefty dent in it courtesy of an uncaring flutist who thought it would be funny to kick it over.

others may disagree with me, but it will stay in better condition if you keep it for college. and dont say youll use your other flute for school. i said that too and it didnt last a month.

maybe your senior year as a christmas present (if you celebrate christmas) would be a good time.

Unless the job opportunities for professional musicians are alot better where you live than in the UK, you should think very carefully about spending an extended period at a specialist music college. A broader university education would leave a wider choice of career opportunities open.

The UK system is a bit different to the US, but here as elsewhere specialist (and good) colleges like the Royal Academy of Music have been known to talent pick in an attempt to fill their places. A modular University degree such as Music and xxxx (except media studies) could lead to a broader teaching and other careers rather than instrument teaching or performing. Spending 12 months at the Royal Academy for a diploma as well as would not curtail a professional career.

The bottom line is that most professional musicians feel underpaid and many don't like the competitive career environment. Too often instrumental teachers are paid less than car driving instructors. Some musicians who make it to top orchestras switch careers because they don't find playing the standard repertoire very interesting after the first few years.

Despite my caution, the opportunities for musicians are better than 30 years ago - although those for scientists are not!

10,000 might be the highest ill go.

id still wait until my senior year at least that way my expensive investment stayed nice longer. but thats just me. i dont have $10,000 and my next flute will most definitely be bought with student loan money. for my masters.

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more expensive doent always mean better!

you may find that a miyazawa 101 plays better for you than a handmade powell. i said before dont be blinded by the silver content, well dont be blinded by the price either. ive played many inexpensive flutes that outplayed their more expensive counterparts.

nice budget, but all that money might not get you the flute you want, it would, however, give you lots and lots of choices, including good headjoints.