I started playing the flute when I was 4 years old. My favorite film at the time was The Little Mermaid. I asked my mom what the instrument was that Prince Eric was playing and she said the flute. I love that the reason I started flute was film and now I get to record for soundtracks.

I played a little bit of piano growing up and then for our required class during my undergrad. I also played saxophone in High School to be part of the Jazz Band. Other than that - no, unless you count all of my world flutes!

I want to be completely honest with you since I didn't quite understand how everything worked before moving to Los Angeles when I was 18. Studio work is a very competitive industry to break into. There are only select cities in the USA that actually have this kind of work. IN LA, there are probably only about 15 actively working flutists in the studios (of course, there are many other actively working flutists in LA that work in many other areas including in orchestras, as teachers, and much more). Many times scores don't even include flute. When they do have flute, there typically are 1-3 players (sometimes 4). Now, you might be wondering how you actually get called for studio work. The most common misconception is that you either audition for one person or that you are employed by a studio. Session musicians are called from all different sources all the time and are freelancers. A call can come months out or an hour out. Networking is key in order to get work. Of course, you must then have the playing to buck you up to be called again. This is in no way to discourage you, but as a young musician moving to LA, I wish someone would have told me all of this so that I had more reasonable expectations. At one point, someone said that it would take about 10 years of working/living in LA to start getting more steady work. I thought there was no way that it would take that long, but it almost was 100% accurate to the year for me. This doesn't mean that you won't get ANY work before 10 years, but it probably won't be able to be your main source of income and you will need to do something else along with studio work. This also doesn't mean at 10 years that you will be getting calls everyday and be super busy. Every season and every year is different. All studio musicians have times they are crazy busy, and other times that they don't have any gigs in their calendar for awhile... Some of the skills you'll need as a studio musician are: 1) Be an incredible sight-reader! Most of the time you won't get the music until 5 or 10 minutes before you start to record 2) Have great intonation 3) Be a team player and work well with others 4) Have great rhythm and be able to play with click.

Unfortunately, I don't have a clear-cut answer for you. Everyone is a unique player which in turn means that not one flute is best for everyone. What I sound best on might not work for you and vice versa. First, figure out your budget that you would like to stay under. Then, I would suggest trying a bunch of flutes either at the National Flute Association Convention, a flute festival, or from the Flute Center of New York (they do free trials and send them directly to you in the mail - make sure to use my code "Gina" when you go to them to receive an extended trial and warranty and free shipping!). You will then be able to narrow down which brands you like the most. I would choose your top 3-5 and then do a blind test with your teacher and/or other trusted musicians. That way you can get an unbiased opinion on what you sound best on. For more information on how to choose a flute, click here to watch my video. *Disclaimer: DO NOT buy your flute from Target/Amazon etc. Typically, these prices are too good to be true and then you'll end up having a flute that either doesn't work or will fall apart very quickly. Instead, check out this video for flutes under $1,000.

I attended the Colburn Conservatory of Music for my undergraduate degree and then the University of Southern California for my masters degree. Both were in Flute Performance under the guidance of Jim Walker.

Yes! I absolutely love working with students at every level. I can give lectures on many topics including Music Technology, Marketing and Branding, Social Media, Entrepreneurship, and Networking. Please message me through my contact box at the bottom of my page for us to book a day.

I do! If you're interested in studying with me you can reach me through the contact box at the bottom of this page. I teach all levels and ages of flutists. I also am available for career coaching.

The short answer is YES! My biggest piece of advice is to be innovative and keep an open mind. It's true that many orchestras are going under which obviously means there are fewer opportunities in that area. However, there are a lot of new ways of "making it" as a musician. You can create a unique ensemble, create a chamber music series, develop a new concert format and so much more. Find what you love and look for something that is lacking in your music community. Then go for it! You never know until you try. The best way to do something is to just do it. I hear great ideas all the time from different people. When I ask them when they're going to follow through they typically say they either don't know how or feel it would be too hard. We are in the digital age with so many answers at our fingertips. It might not be easy, but it will be worth it! Another thing i like to remind young musicians is that you don't have to be a performer to be involved with music. Here is a list to get you started: arts administration, recording engineer, music publisher, orchestra contractor, music therapy, and composition.

I don't have a short answer for this one. I don't like to practice a certain amount of hours. Instead, I like to set goals for myself each practice day. That completely depends on what I have coming up work wise. Sometimes I can get everything done in an hour and decide at that point if I want to practice longer. Other times it might be closer to 4-5 hours. What is most important when practicing is quality practice where you remain focused. I found that if you are constantly looking at the clock, you tend to start playing on auto-pilot and are at risk of practicing mistakes. That's why it's important to also take breaks to keep a clear mind when practicing.