Flute

I started private flute lessons in Grade four at a local community centre, which was offering music lessons for children of parents who couldn't afford music lessons. I took them for three years, and have been grateful ever since. After moving in Grade 7, I joined the elementary school band; and in Grade 9, went to the high school band, holding first chair there for a year and a half.

Much of my recent repertoire is self-taught, having had no personal teacher for the last 8 years (though my first band teacher was a flute player). Pieces I have done in the past include:
--Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (J.S. Bach)
--Sonata in E minor (J.B. Loeillet)
--Reverie and Petite Valse (L. Caplet)
At present, I am "working" on Andante et Scherzo by Ganne, and a transcription of Paganini's Caprice No. 5. I add this because if anyone out there has any tips for these two pieces, I would seriously appreciate them, especially considering I am presently teacherless. (How on earth are you supposed to play those 32nds anyways?)

Other notes on the flute:

I still consider the flute one of the easiest instruments to solo on, because any nervousness that you have translates into a better tone. When your hands and knees shake, as is inevitable for certain people, the instrument shakes, causing vibrato in the pitch, adding richness to the tone, and...

Ever wonder how to get your tone to sound more like a singer, with their rich vibratos? One way to mimic that is to stutter your sound. (I use the word stutter for the lack of a better one, but stutter really isn't all that descriptive.) Begin by practicing a laugh, except without any sound, and increasing the air flow from your lungs. Then, try it while playing. This can add a richness and passion to your tone, but understand that there are directors out there who don't like this (which means you shouldn't try this during your first audition for a director, who may demote you to last chair as a result...)

Good flute links:

The Wonderful World of Flute
Easily the most useful flute site I have ever seen.

Fluteinfo.com
Yes, you can predict what's on this site based on its name.

Double-tonguing tips
Not a flute site, but a very useful resource for those who have trouble with double-tonguing.

Flute.com
Someone probably could have predicted that flute.com would be a useful flute site.

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