10d • General discussion
The Purple Flute Story
I sent my silver Pearl flute off to Luke Penella for an overdue COA, so you'll see me playing my purple flute for a couple weeks. I was reflecting on the purple flute story today and realized that I've shared this story on Facebook, but not yet here.
🌠🌠🌠
Someone asked me, "Can you actually play that Purple Flute??"
Funny Story...
I had a 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤y one day in 2020...
Tragically, during a rehearsal with the COSMIC BUTTERFLIES band, my flute fell...
Off a table!!! Can you imagine how clumsy and disappointed I felt at that moment??
Do you agree that a Flute is simultaneously POWERFUL and FRAGILE - Like us?
The flute that fell was my Pearl flute - the flute that went with me to the All State Band - and UNT- the flute that my parents bought for me, before my Dad died…
And, at the time, the ONLY flute I had!!
I rushed it to the nearest “Emergency Room” for instruments!
Little did I know…
That music shop was about to close its doors for COVID, and a few months later, Forever…
The well-spoken-for repairman my flute went to was about to come down with long COVID, and his wife too…
What started as a couple of weeks of expected waiting time turned into months… and months...
Of no call backs.
Of no text backs.
Of no signs of activity.
What would you do???
The day after, hoping all would be well in a few weeks, I gambled $100 on a flute from AMAZON. I needed a flute PRONTO! The show must go on! Right?
Here’s a question: If you could buy a flute of ANY color, what would you buy?
Seeing that for only $100 I had several color options… I chose purple: because it’s Royal! And high vibrations, Right?
I found out when it arrived YES, IT PLAYS!!!
I was so impressed that right out of the box all of the notes played!!
The lower register even had a kind of edge & “pop” that’s different from my Pearl!
Honestly, I was just glad to have a flute in my hands –
It reminded me of the Yamaha 300 flute I learned on… I remembered the way it felt vibrating in my hands.
I felt grateful: for all the progress I’ve made since then!
Wow, such progress I’ve made since I was 11, taking my first few lessons on that old Yamaha!
Now, not only could I pop out that Low-C with little-to-no effort… even the highest notes were accessible even without a warmup!
In fact, I discovered that the sound differences between the Elegante and the Eastar would be detectable only to the most well-trained professional flutist’s ears!
And let’s be real:
Most people aren’t well-trained flutists.
And flutists, I love you, BUT my music isn’t FOR you…
My music is FOR “Most People.”
Most people don’t care if you’re sharp or flat.
They like to hear good music.
Most people don’t care if you read music.
They like to hear good melodies.
Most people don’t care if you take an extra breath, come in late, or forget your music.
They like to connect & feel connected; they love to love and be loved.
🌠
And I love to play flute.
It’s become my special voice. It’s become my special gift at parties & gatherings; my developed talent for sharing where it can be appreciated.
And I found that MOST PEOPLE would rather hear music passionately played, than NO music.
MOST PEOPLE would rather hear music that’s inspired, not contrived.
And Most People would rather feel Connected, rather than Separated.. by a stage literally, or by traditions metaphorically.
🌠
So, I continued to play the purple flute.
When our Colors Flying debut concert got canceled, we shifted gears to composing & recording… Only playing together live at the occasional outdoor birthday party or firepit, or at the rare home rehearsal, we savored the hours we played together… As did our friends.
The music connected us deeply, even in a time when some were afraid to connect physically.
No one ever asked why my flute wasn’t silver…
In fact, they only complimented the purple flute! Can you imagine the compliments you’d get on a purple flute??
What would you do if you lost “YOUR” flute and weren’t sure if you would get it back?...
As the months dragged on, I went through a series of emotions about my lost flute: from frustration to worry, to grief…
When I felt sad or frustrated or worried that I didn’t have my Pearl, I’d play the purple flute instead… and you know what?
After a few moments of getting lost in the music, it didn't matter anymore what flute I was playing. Or what it’s made out of. In fact, not much else matters other than the music -
Have you experienced that flow state?
Finally, after more than 10 months of being
M.I.A. …
I received an email message back.
He still had my flute. He was alive, thank God!
He had given up on fixing it.
He had started the project, & then never finished it!
After more delayed messages, he agreed to send it to Carolyn Nussbaum -
She’s the knight in shining armor in this story!
And after some more delayed messages regarding the legally binding paperwork (thanks for your diligence Carolyn!)... only a few weeks later and I was getting it shipped home!!!
All-in-all, it was more than 12 months before my Pearl was in my hands again.
In this time the purple flute became my other “trusted companion.”
It went with me everywhere my silver flute had gone with me, and then some. Because it was $100 it came out "everywhere," even in the fog... even by the fire side.
Further, it came with me into memories that will last a lifetime....
If you listen closely, you can even hear it in a few songs on the COSMIC BUTTERFLIES Colors Flying Album. Can you guess which songs the purple flute is in?
There’s so much more that I learned in that year than I can describe in words for you here!
But for my Flutarian friends, I’ll share with you 3 key takeaways:
🌠The sound people hear is more about the quality of the player according to their practice history, than according to the quality of the flute.
Long tones are the foundation of a beautifully controlled tone; if you haven’t dedicated at least a hundred hours to long tones, your tone might still sound “cheap” even on an expensive flute. I’m grateful for the time I dedicated to this earlier in my life.
🌠It is better to play a $100 flute than no flute.
For others: Your family & friends would rather hear you exercise your talent than not hear you at all! Don’t withhold from them the joy of complimenting & appreciating you.
For you: There are benefits to playing the flute beyond the thrill of performance. Besides keeping your fingers fresh for when you’re “ready to perform again,” playing the flute gets you in the flow state. Do you know what I mean? The intentional breathing involved in playing the flute induces a meditative state that is healing - literally and emotionally. For this reason it’s better to play even just ONE note - than play not at all.
🌠Having a flute you can “take with you anywhere” opens your mind to all kinds of improvised possibilities. I think many of us professionals “baby” our instruments like infants – delicately protecting them for their $$$$s worth. Don’t you?
But most of life is actually lived more in the “Toddler” zone! Don't you think? Made up of messy, improvised interactions in unpredicted and unpredictable scenes.
Have you ever shown up at a party to find someone entertaining by playing a guitar, they discover you play flute, ask you to play, and all you can say is, “I don’t have my flute?”
What friendships, memories, conversations, & connections might you have made if you HAD your flute?
I know I've experienced several delightful moments that occurred ONLY because I had the purple flute ready to go “anywhere!”
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The Purple Flute Story
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