by Jean Bernadette
Even though I have been teaching flute for 16+ years, witnessing the excitement of finding a new instrument never gets old. Working at FluteWorks Seattle, I get to experience this joy along side our customers every day. I enjoy the look on faces when flutists of all ages come into the studio and see a row of 7-8 shining flutes on the table, set up just for them.
Everyone doing a trial will get to work directly with Erik Nugent, flute maker and owner of FluteWorks Seattle. As an 18-year veteran of building handmade flutes in the Boston tradition, he will show you the best features of each flute, including pad type, metal alloys, upgrades, and headjoint styles. He will be able to answer all your questions and provide expert advice.
We have a lot of tips for having a wonderful experience with your trial. But most of all, come ready to have fun!
Scheduling Your Trial
We do flute trials by appointment only. That way, we can give each client 100% of our attention. Before your visit, we like to talk to you by text, phone, or email. This helps us get to know more about the player and their goals in their search.
With your price range in mind, we will put out a selection of flutes ahead of time, so you can spend more time in the studio playing and comparing the different instruments.
Feel free to book your appointment now or contact us for a chat.
Who To Bring With You
You are welcome to bring someone to be an “extra set of ears” – or as one customer said, “I’ve brought my emotional support human.” We also encourage teachers to come to the trial with their students. We love the enthusiasm and wisdom that teachers bring to the process. In fact, we think it is essential that students work with them to find the best fit.
The studio has limited space. We recommend that participants be limited to the player and 1 or 2 others.
Students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
What To Bring With You
- Sheet music
- A list of questions (more will pop up during the trial, I’m sure!)
- Driver’s license and a valid credit card of the financially responsible party
- A sense of adventure!
Arriving at the Appointment
In-person trials are done at Erik’s home studio. We will send directions and parking information via text or email. Please try to arrive on time so that you have the most time available to play, ask questions, and fill out paperwork. We do understand Seattle traffic can be challenging, so we try to be as accomodating as possible.
Please ring the bell at the garage window, and we will direct you to the front door, where you will likely be greeted by our furry Chief of Security, Curie. We will show you into the studio. (No need to remove shoes!) Please wash your hands and rinse your mouth if you have just eaten.
What To Expect During the Trial
Even though purchasing a new flute is exciting, it can be hard to know where to start with all the options on the table. We want to make this a comfortable, no pressure process for you. I suggest opening with your goals. These may change over the course of the trial, but it gives you a place to start.
Feel free to pick up and play the flutes that we have set out for you! They are ordered left to right, lower price to higher price. Erik will guide you through the forest of flutes and all the choices that come with them.
The best way to compare flutes is to use the same excerpt, scale, long tones, harmonics etc. on each flute. Having some familiar sheet music to read can be beneficial, especially for players who have a little bit of performance anxiety. Please limit this to an excerpt of 8-16 measures, otherwise we won’t have enough time to play all the flutes!
Erik and I will also give suggestions during the trial, asking you to play a scale in different articulations to test the responsiveness of the flute and longtones to get a feel for the dynamic range. If your instructor is with you, they will guide you with input as well.
I like to say, “Drive it like a sports car!” In otherwords, test the limits of the flute. Can you bring more power into your playing? Are you able to more easily decrescendo to nothing? How fast can you single or double tongue with clarity? Does the flute respond to your change of tone colors? The right flute for you will give you room to grow and expand your expressive style, without feeling exhausting, stiff, or awkward.
Your job in the trial is to pick your 3 favorite flutes to take home for a free 7 day at home trial. We have our Olympic Podium with 3 pegs to separate out “the winners”, a fun way to organize your thoughts as you go.
Securing the Trial
In order to take flutes home, we have paperwork for you to fill out. We require a copy of a driver’s license and valid credit card to secure the trial. We require this to be done by a parent or guardian if the flutist is under 18.
We Are Not In A Rush
Our ultimate goal is for you to find the best flute for you. During your trial, you will choose 3 flutes to take home for a 7 day at-home trial. Spending time “getting to know” the new instruments is important in finding the best fit. So take advantage of the full trial. If you choose to purchase one of those, we will invoice you for the flute, and you can pay when you drop off the other flutes.
If you decide that the 3 you chose aren’t your best fit, then you can come back for another trial and take 3 more home to try.
Not Local? No Problem
If you are too far away to try flutes in person, we offer a 1-hour Zoom conversation and demo on the instruments in your price range that you are interested in. We will send up to 3 instruments to you for a 7-day at home trial. I will write more about this in an up-coming article.
We look forward to seeing you and helping you find your perfect flute!
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