Committee Highlights

The convention offers a great opportunity for NFA committees to showcase their areas of interest and provide learning experiences for attendees. Want to see more from the NFA committees? Check out committee office hours in the exhibit hall. 

Adult Flutist and Amateur Resources Committee

Nuts and Bolts Workshop
Thursday, 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
The Adult Flutist & Amateur Resources Committee presents master teacher Patricia Harper in an interactive class covering everything from tone to vibrato with group exercises. Bring your flutes and your questions.

Flute Lovers’ Lunch with Valerie Coleman
Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Join other flutists over a casual meal, as performer and composer Valerie Coleman delves into the unique ways flutists are changing the world through their innovative ideas. She highlights creative approaches to performance and artistic practice, incorporating insights from some of the most inventive flutists working today. Whether it’s taking on leadership roles in creating new works and organizations or expanding into unexplored niches of performance, learn how flutists are becoming their most creative selves. Ticket purchase required - available at registration until noon Thursday.

Adult Amateur Open Masterclass with Gary Schocker
Saturday, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
Open to all non-professional adult flutists, this class offers the incredible opportunity to work with master teacher and flutist Gary Schocker. Presented by the Adult Flutist & Amateur Resources Committee.

Flute Choir Sunday Lobby Concert
Sunday, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Orquesta de Flautas de Xalapa, with Rubén Flores, Conductor; works by Flores, Lara, Carillo, and Barcelata, featuring new works and traditional forms. Plus, Lori Akins conducts the Adult Amateur Flute Choir, presented by the Adult Flutist & Amateur Resources Committee.

Archives and Oral History

Case Study: Story of the Oral Histories of Robert Aitken and Robert Dick
Friday, 10:15 – 11:15 am
Paul Taub and Lisa Bost-Sandberg discuss the oral histories they recently conducted with two NFA Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, Robert Aitken and Robert Dick. Hosted by Nancy Toff.

Career and Artistic Development

Educational Outreach: How to Create Innovative, Interactive, and Inspirational Performances
Sunday, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Join the NFA’s Career & Artistic Development & the Cultural Outreach committees to learn tips for creating memorable, engaging, & innovative outreach performances. Zara Lawler presents a step by step design guide; an interactive panel includes Marco Granados, Valerie Coleman, & Cristina Ballatori.

Cultural Outreach

The Inclusive Flute Studio
Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Presented by the NFA Cultural Outreach Committee, this panel explores fostering cultural awareness and diversity in your flute studio and organization. Moderators Julee Kim Walker and Kelly Sulick host a panel with Nora Lee Garcia, Jennifer Grim, Tika Douthit, Janel Caine, and Holly Saks.

Dedicated to Diversity
Saturday, 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
The Cultural Outreach Committee presents a concert featuring works by Valerie Coleman, Tania Leon, Gabriela Lena Frank, Adolphus Hailstork, Yusef Lateef, and Samuel Zyman. Performers include Valerie Coleman, James Devoll, Jennifer Grim, Eileen Grycky, Paula Gudmundson, and Caen Thomason-Redus.

Educational Outreach: How to Create Innovative, Interactive, and Inspirational Performances
Sunday, 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Join the NFA’s Career & Artistic Development & the Cultural Outreach committees to learn tips for creating memorable, engaging, & innovative outreach performances. Zara Lawler presents a step by step design guide; an interactive panel includes Marco Granados, Valerie Coleman, & Cristina Ballatori.

Flute Clubs

Building a Stronger Flute Club
Sunday, 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
An interactive panel presenting suggestions for club strengthening as well as solutions for common challenges. With Katherine Borst Jones, Rosene Rohrer, Erica Pirtle, Penny Fischer, Heidi Alvarez, Lindsay Leach-Sparks, Linda Mintener, Jessey Andris, & Ellen Johnson Mosley.

Flute Clubs Mixer
Sunday, 10 – 11 a.m.
The Flute Clubs Committee invites you to an informal mixer for all flute club/flute choir members to gather, network, chat about their experiences with their own local clubs, and form connections with other regional flute groups.

Historical Flutes

Getting Started on Baroque Flute
Friday, 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Enjoy your very first Baroque flute lesson in the company of your colleagues. Historical Flutes Committee members Barbara Hopkins, Leela Breithaupt and Nancy Schneeloch-Bingham will provide the flutes as well as the instruction.

350 Years of Flute: Historical Flutes in Concert
Sunday, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Hear solo and chamber music spanning 350 years, performed on historical flutes - originals and modern replicas - by members of the Historical Flutes Committee and friends. Featuring Elizabeth Walker, Kelly Nivision, Barbara Hopkins, Leela Breithaupt, and Wendell Dobbs.

Jazz

DoublerVision
Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
For doublers and all those juggling multiple instruments (and time demands), with special focus for jazz! Explore how-to exercises & strategies to hone flute skills quickly and effectively. Bring your flute & join Jim Walker, David Weiss, Jamie Baum, Sarpay Ozcagatay, Mark Vinci, & Bryan Kennard.

New Music Advisory

Into the Music: Masterclass with the 2018 Commissioned Composers
Friday, 3 – 4 p.m.
Masterclass performers play works by and for this year’s NFA commissioned competition composers Eve Beglarian (Young Artist), Valerie Coleman (High School Soloist), and Augusta Read Thomas (Piccolo Artist). Presented by the New Music Advisory Committee.

Visionaries: The Twentieth-Century Flute
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
The New Music Advisory Committee presents our twentieth-century “roots,” seminal solo & duo works by leading European & American composers. As these composers boldly pressed forward to follow their visions, performers rose to meet these demanding challenges.

Pedagogy

Food for the Day’s Journey Breakfast with Jeanne Baxtresser
Saturday, 8 – 9 a.m.
Educator and flutist Jeanne Baxtresser presents, What about me? A Teacher's most important responsibility. Drawing on her years of teaching, Baxtresser will discuss how self-fulfillment, mental and physical health, and life/work balance are primary factors in becoming the best teacher you can be. Ticket purchase required - available at registration until noon Friday.Ticket purchase required - available at registration until noon Friday.

Pedagogy Roundtable
Friday, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Hoping to jumpstart your teaching, or seeking fresh ways to help your students? The NFA Pedagogy Committee and guests host this roundtable circle session for flutists to learn and share teaching tips.

Repertoire Gems to Inspire Students: Using the Graded Guides
Sunday, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Beginner through intermediate flutists perform pieces from Selected Flute Repertoire and Studies: A Graded Guide, 2009, demonstrating the guide’s progression through levels A-G. Presented by the Pedagogy Committee.

Performance Health Care

Do you Hear What I Hear?
Friday, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
From listening to music through headphones or from the balcony of a concert hall to the effects of playing an instrument, whether alone in a practice room or in a large ensemble, the choices we make now affect our hearing for the rest of our life. Offered by the Performance Health Care Committee.

Doctors are IN – Performance Health Check Ups in Orlando
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
The Doctors are IN features health performance medicine specialist, Dr. Michael Weinstein, Dr. Michael Treister, Dr. Corina Muller, & others including ENT specialist, Dr. Stephen Mitchell, & retired orthodontist/performing flutist, Dr. Chip Shelton, who serve on the NFA Performance Health Advisory Board.

Research

Writing About Music
Thursday, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Got a terrific research idea but not sure how to get started? Need help with a paper for school? Writing program notes for your upcoming performance? We can help! Join members of the NFA Research Committee Julie Hobbs, Lindsay Hanson, Mihoko Watanabe, and Jennifer Parker-Harley.