i dont play the flute nut when i see some professional flute players play the like swirl the flute while playing. why do they do this?

It is some sort of creative dancing to the music?
Attention seeking?
Some physical repreesentation of the emotion they feel?

Who knows?

Some people like to watch it. Some hate it, and find it very distracting. It has got some people kicked out of orchestras.

To do it to in an attention-drawing way when one is not the soloist in any given situation, is surely rather rude.

Some players seem to feel they cannot help it. I don`t know how they would manage if the happened to play some instrument where it was not possible.

I honestly dont know, but I do it and I always found it to be relaxing, and I find it easier to interpret music in that sense as opposed to sitting still. But thats just my opinion.

I`ve seen really bad flutists do it too.

It irritates me and it looks silly, but I feel that they must feel something in the music that literally moves them.

Kinda like a prayer meeting and some people get really really close to God.

Some people don`t realize what they`re doing...

Maybe they do it just because they want to. It`s not just flute players that do it either.

I sometimes do it, and when I notice it, I find that it keeps me on beat, even though I do tap my feet at the same time...

Arak is right, it`s like a dance.
It`s weird when someone is going overboard and swaying so much that you are afraid that they are going to fall off their chair...but as long as it is gracefully done, it looks beautiful to see a flutist connecting with the music...

Its usually when the flute section has to hold a note until the band director cuts them off.....if its only the flutes that have that then the 1st chair flute does the swirl thing and the rest of the flutes stop playing that note.....i had to do it a while ago for a comp.

Pico wrote "..It irritates me and it looks silly, but I feel that they must feel something in the music that literally moves them..."

I think that as often as not, like the clarinet player who hisses out the side of the mouth, or the cellist who snorts, it is little more than a lack of self control.

Imagine how stupid it would look if an entire flute ensemble were all swaying around independently.

Standing like a complete stature also looks silly. All that is necessary is slight movement to convey that the musician is relaxed.

Anything more will probably irritate as much audience as it impresses.

Of course there is room for more fflexibility as a soloist, providing your standard of `dancing` does not detract from your flute playing!

And as has been said, SMALL movements may be need to bring in other players in an unconducted group, or indicate the end of a paused note, or a ral, etc.

As a general rule, it should not be happening to any degree in a conducted item, because to flaunt your own interpretation is an insult to the conductor.

IMHO

"or the cellist who snorts"
Lol! I have yet to hear that one! How funny!!
What do you mean by a Clarinet player hissing? Do you talking about when they are blowing air into the instrument and they let it leak out the sides of the mouth?
There is a guy that does that in a band that I am in, and it drived the 3rd clarinetist crazy.

I have heard loudly snorting string players in recordings, even small groups such as trios. Gross!

Yes, that is the hissing I mean. I hope that no clarinet hisser will ever get any jobs recording.

All they need to do is make some effort to strengthen their "ooooo" lip muscles, to close the `corners` of their lips against the mouthpiece. Perhaps the best exercise for this is to stop hissing!

Hi, i have learnt the flute on my own and i am wondering whether i can study and pass my grades without having to go to colleage or have lessons. Will i be able to study at home then enroll myself in an exam