To start off, I`m a 45 year old guy, that took up the flute for my Mid Life Crisis (There is a joke I tell here, but not in this forum).
I paid $25 for a Pawnshop Artley, and $70 to make it playable, and thought that "hey I won`t be out too much money, if this doesn`t work out".
I`ve been playing for over a year, already had the flute tuned by a professional (How he tamed that beast, I`ll never know), had an beginning flute instructor, and now I have a Rock/Jazz instructor.
Some time in January I`ll be buying a new flute, but will be test playing some instruments this month.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull was one of the performers that got me into the flute, but Rahsaan Roland Kirk is a big influance as well.

Howdy! There are some older folk here (me included)!

Hi I am not really an old person in fact I am 17 years old. I would like advice as to what you would do if you were in my position. I started to play clarinet when I was in 3rd grade. I started to play sax in eighth grade and then in ninth gsrade I started to play flute but that is also when I started to loose my eyesigh to a progressive disease. In tenth grade I was considered to be legally blind. Later at the end of the year the doctors said that I was completely blind. I still play music though with the help of a very close friend and instructor. He helps me by playing the piece one part at a time and then I try to mimick what he does and when I can not get the note he just tells me. I was wondering if you would continue with learning and playing music. I was considering this because this year I am trying out for districts which is in two days and it took me a really long time to learn the music. I would greatly appreciate the advice. Thank you.

Well...I don`t know how inspiring I can be, since my biggest problem is relearning music lessons from 35 years ago.

But you should take inspiration from Rahsaan Roland Kirk. As a child he lost what was left of his sight due to a medical accident. He learned blow on a trumpet, by ear, by using a cut off end of a garden hose, since he didn`t own any instruments. He attended the Ohio School for the Blind for a while, but music became his passion. He was able, with his insight and talent, to do amazing things, that got him labeled as a "sideshow" act. Not only was Rahsaan a multi-instrumentalist, he was able to play three saxes at the same time. He also played the flute, and was very adept at circular breathing, and singing into the flute.

He was, in his own way, a champion of civil rights and blind advocacy.

A few years before he died, he had a stroke, that didn`t slow him down much. He reengineered the keyes on his saxes and flutes, so he could play one handed.

Rahsaan passed away, on the road, after a performance, because the music was that important to him.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk, was a bombastic, stubborn man that wouldn`t let the backsets in life affect him or his music.

This is pretty much a Cliff Notes of a Readers Digest article, but I had an interest in his music, and I found out this summer that they had published his biography. I hope you can find a copy, because this just barely scratches the surface.

Thankyou for the inspiration. Now I am sure that I am going to continue with my music. I just got done doing districts this past weekend and although I had trouble with the clarinet that I was going to use I had to do the auditions on one of my other clarinets that I had never played the music on before. considering that I though that I did really well. I was exempt from the sightreading obviously. Well once again thankyou for the inspiration.

You`re Welcome...I wish you success on the districts, or any other challenges you come across.

If you are interested, Rahsaan Roland Kirk`s biography is titled "Bright Moments" by John Kruth, which is the title of one of Roland Kirk`s flute songs.

Darkeldar,

Is the John Kruth you`re talking about Milwaukee, WI? We have a musician here by that name....

That should have read FROM Milwaukee.

Ah well, it`s been a LONG semester...

I have no idea if Kruth, is a musician, or just a music journalist. I tend to overlook the author`s bio blurb, but a Google search might help.

Well I hove some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I am deciding to continue music and I know that I will not quit. The bad news is that on the morning of districts the clarinet that I had been playing all the music on did not work properly so I had to use a different one. I did not do as good as I thought on the solo but the scales went well. I did not make district band at all.

Sorry about the Districts...Is this the first time you tried out for the Districts, will there be another tryout next year?

I am glad that you are staying with your music, because you can only improve with time. And I`m still wishing for the best out of your endeavors.

Thankyou for wishing the best. Yes there will be another district tryout next year and yes that was the first time that I tryed out. I know that I am going to tryout again. I really appreciate your help and confidence. Thank you once again.

My profession is being an Architectural Hardware Consultant certified by the American Door and Hardware Institute. To become certified I had to take a two day exam. The first time I had taken the exam I failed, and for a day or so after I received the letter I went through the anger, depression, disappointment and worry associated with my failure. But when I calmed down and reread the letter I found the clues (not the answers) to pass the test the next time. I even read the letter just before taking the exam, and it assisted my attitude enough to help me pass.

By deciding to stay with your music shows that you have a strong character. And with that you should be able control the factors that you can, and minimize the effect of those you can`t.

Good luck with the districts, next year.

Thankyou for wishing me good luck. It was announced that a trumpet player is going to represent our school in districts and I know she did really well. She also gave me a lot of advice for next year. I can also understand about how something that you get from them after you have tryed can help. When I took a look on the audition forms they had quite a few hints on there that will help me for next year. I was really happy when I saw them. I know with those hints that I will do a lot better next year.