Greetings and welcome to a new Flute Friday/Sunday!

I had a different topic originally selected for today’s post, but the energy of Friday’s Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse/Mercury Retrograde reminded me that everybody’s lives might be a hot mess this weekend. Perhaps an explanation from your favorite flute astrologer about how the eclipse will make its way into your flute playing for the next 6 months might be a bit more appropriate today. (Remember: The energy of a full moon can last up to 6 weeks, but the energy of an eclipse can last up to 6 months!) If you are interested in learning more about your flute horoscope, please check out my monthly column, “Dr. G’s Flute Horoscopes,” published in The Flute View http://thefluteview.com/ . August Flute Horoscopes will be coming out next week. Check them out to discover what August 2018 has in store for your flute playing!

BLOOD MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE/MERCURY RETROGRADE

Cancer (June 21-July 22) – July 27th is a big day as Mercury goes retrograde in your 2nd house of income in conjunction with an eclipse in your 8th house of finances, banking, and loans. Be extra careful with your money at the end of the month. Mercury retrograde can stir up some trouble if you are not careful, requiring you to spend a lot of time ironing out financial difficulties. If you have applied for a loan or are currently paying off a loan (educational or otherwise), take a few minutes to make sure your documents have been filled out correctly and payments are coming or going properly from your accounts. Look out for unexpected changes in your income or savings and try to remain calm if things go a bit haywire.

Leo (July 23-August 22) – On July 27th Mercury will be going retrograde in your 1st house and, on the same day, an eclipse occurs in your 7th house of relationships. Take a step back and reflect on how you treat yourself and others and what you value both personally and interpersonally. Do you enjoy playing the flute? Do you believe that the music you make is a reflection of who you are? If not, how can you bring more of yourself into your flute playing? Do you enjoy the groups that you play with? Do you have a good relationship with the musicians in your ensemble? Do you communicate well with your colleagues? How can you improve these relationships? Think about these question at the end of the month and envision new approaches to old problems.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) – On July 27th, our friend Mercury goes retrograde in your 12th house while, on the very same day, an eclipse occurs in your 6th house of the daily health and work routines. These two energies will stir things up both in your daily schedule as well as in the practice room. Virgos are natural perfectionists and like to plan everything out. Unfortunately, Mercury and the Moon do not care about your plans. There are greater concerns that will come up during this time. You might find that your auditions mid-month have landed you a spot in a new group where the repertoire is a bit challenging. This will require you to reprioritize your practice time to devote more of your attention to cleaning up your runs and sharpening your intonation for group rehearsals. If you plan ahead and narrow down the repertoire you would like to perform before Mercury goes retrograde, you will have enough time to practice everything. You might have to reschedule your life to make sure you have enough time for everything. Make sure you have a good idea of your most important goals and create as much flexibility in your daily life as possible for surprise snafus.

Libra (September 23-October 22) – Mercury goes retrograde on July 27th in your 11th house of groups and communities while, on the very same day, an eclipse occurs in your 5th house of children, joy, games, and fun. As you audition for a new group, you may start reconsidering your commitments to the other performing groups you currently perform with. Do they challenge you? Do they interest you? Are they valuable to you? If you are accepted into a new group, you may need to leave a current group. Be prepared. At the same time, you will be presented with new opportunities to teach beginning flute students and host flute sectionals at local schools. This will not only bring you a sense of joy, but you will be a wonderful leader for these younger flutists.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) – Mercury goes retrograde in your 10th house of careers on July 27th while, at the same time, an eclipse occurs in your 4th house of home and family. This is quite interesting. While you are reviewing your career direction and considering new shifts to your current track (possibly as an outcome of that audition you accepted earlier in the month), you may be offered a job that requires you to relocate to another part of the city, state, or country. You will have some soul searching to do if that is the case. Consider carefully how important this new opportunity is for you and the impact that it will have on your family if you decide to move. Book a trip with your family to this new place to get a sense of the surroundings. The Universe is encouraging you to take this opportunity but remember not to sign anything on the dotted line until Mercury is direct next month.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) – The dreaded Mercury retrograde begins on July 27th in your 9th house of travel, accompanied by a lunar eclipse in your 3rd house of communications. This suggests that there will be major travel delays and miscommunications surrounding travel plans. You may become frustrated by these hiccups and say something to your travel companions that you do not mean. Remember to take it easy and expect the unexpected. Leave extra early for the airport and always bring a portable cell phone charger.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) – Mercury will be going retrograde on July 27th in your 8th house of banking and finance while a lunar eclipse occurs on the same day in your 2nd house of income. Meet with your accountant during this time. These two energies are very dangerous for your financial situation. Make sure all of your expenses are hitting your accounts correctly. Monitor your bank statements. Put your money safely in the bank with automatic transfers. Check your credit score. Make sure your loans are being paid back properly. Be extra careful when it comes to the money coming in from your job and the money going out for expenses. You may be enjoying a number of wonderful new financial opportunities, but make sure that your credits and debits are reflected accurately.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18) – That pesky Mercury retrograde will begin on July 27th in your 7th house of relationships and will be followed by a Full Moon lunar eclipse in your sign on the same day. There comes a number of times in your life when you must revaluate your relationships with others and ask yourself if the friends and colleagues you surround yourself with are truly in line with who you are, what you value, and where you want to be in the world. It is during times like this that you uncover who your true friends are and where the toxic influences in your life exists. You may need to cut ties with toxic people in order to lift yourself up to a higher vibration. This Universe will help give you the courage to do just that.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) – Mercury goes retrograde on July 27th in your 6th house of the daily health and work routine while, on the very same day, a Full Moon lunar eclipse occurs in your 12th house of behind the scenes projects. You will need to shift a few things around in your daily work schedule to squeeze in more quality time in the practice room. Reprioritize your schedule. Is there anything you currently do that does not really serve you? Can you limit your Netflix and Chill nights to the weekends? Revise your schedule so that you are most productive on projects that need your attention at the moment.

Aries (March 21-April 19) – Mercury goes retrograde in your 5^th house of creativity on July 27th, and you may find yourself making a number of revisions to a creative project. Review your work with some of your flute students and ask for honest feedback. What is easy? What is difficult? What is fun and what is boring? Sometimes simple reactions can yield significant changes. The Full Moon lunar eclipse on July 27th in your 11th house of groups and communities may have you reconsidering some of the ensembles that you currently perform with. This is a great time to start your own flute choir or chamber ensemble. If the groups you are connected with do not inspire you, create some inspiration of your own.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) – Mercury goes retrograde in your 4^th house of home and family on July 27th, accompanied by a lunar eclipse in your 10th house of careers. Your space and environment are directly tied to your career. During this retrograde, you will be experimenting with updates to your workspace, teaching space, and rehearsal space that will bring you better focus. These changes will refresh work projects that may have been a bit stagnant recently (You might be surprised how a simple change of furniture can spark a newfound sense of productivity). Perhaps you need a separate space for your teaching and your rehearsing. Maybe you are interested in moving your studio practice to an offsite location or at a local music store. Mercury retrograde will help you make these changes which will also help you attract new opportunities in your career.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) – The Mercury retrograde begins on July 27th in your 3rd house of communications, accompanied by a lunar eclipse in your 9th house of travel. The planet of communication is literally moving backwards in the realm of communication. This means that you will likely have a number of miscommunications with, well, everyone. Be very careful with your word choices in any emails or blog posts. Try to avoid commenting on YouTube videos or online forums as your words may be twisted in the wrong direction. Avoid arguments with other members of your flute section. Mercury is messing with the way that others are hearing you. While this is going on, you will also be exploring new adventures in travel (or you may be so frustrated with Mercury retrograde that you are searching for a vacation escape). Put your focus on travel during this time. Do you have any exciting destinations that you have always wanted to visit? Are there summer music festivals that you would really like to attend? Go ahead and book these tickets now and enjoy the show!

Have Friday’s eclipse and mercury retrograde already made their way into your flute playing? How have you addressed some of the issues that may have popped up over the weekend? Please comment below.

 

Happy Fluting!

Greetings and welcome to a new Flute Friday!

 

I am a big fan of the Flute Forum group on Facebook and really like the way that the entire flute community, from beginners to professionals, can come together on this platform to ask all of their flute and performing related questions. I have scrolled through some of the most recently posted questions and have come up with my own answers. Today’s post is a spin on FAQs, featuring some of the questions posted on the Flute Forum group page. I hope they give all of my readers some insight into questions that might have also crossed their minds at one time or another. If you have any of your own questions about the flute that you would like me to answer, please comment below!

 

Does your flute have a name? If so what do U call him/her?

Unfortunately, no, but it seems like a Kelly.

 

I have been very interested in performing violin transcriptions recently and am looking for some suggestions that you might program for a recital. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

The two pieces that immediately jump into my mind are the Prokofiev Sonata and the Franck Sonata. I also encourage you to write your own transcription of your favorite violin sonata (such as the Saint-Saens Sonata). The violin and the flute are both C-pitched instruments and are generally scored in similar octave ranges. This makes it super easy to create your own version.

 

I know “How much should I practice?” Has been asked a million times in this forum. However, I would like to ask from some wisdom from all you great musicians I admire on this forum….

Practice time varies depending on your age, skill level, and lifestyle. For example, for my younger beginners, I often set the bar at 30 minutes a day to sustain focus and energy while they learn the ropes. As they advance to an intermediate level, I typically increase suggested practice times by 15-minute increments. For adult beginning students with full time jobs and families, I suggest 45 minutes per day but know full well that this is quite difficult. Instead, I focus more on setting very specific weekly goals so they can prioritize their practice time effectively. I must state here that the ultimate goal is not clocking the correct amount of minutes but rather making each one of those minutes valuable and building towards very specific objectives. 60 minutes of mindlessly playing Mozart concerti is not nearly as valuable as 60 minutes spent with Taffanel and Gaubert working out every articulation under the sun. Make the most out of all your practice sessions. If you are bored or uninspired, put your flute away and come back with fresh energy later. There are no gold stars for the person who logs in the most minutes. Success is obtained by consistently pushing yourself towards tangible and obtainable goals.

 

Do you find pre-performance nerves or performance-related anxiety in the lead up to a concert can aggravate other sources of stress, leading to non-performance-related anxiety? Specific, I know…

Yes, yes, and yes. I tend to believe that performance anxiety is not as simple as being afraid to perform in front of a crowd. There is nearly always a self-doubt dialog running in the mind of one suffering from performance anxiety and, as one who has suffered for several years myself, I know that those insecurities actually originate somewhere other than the stage. You may want acceptance from somebody in the audience. You may feel that you owe someone a flawless performance and anything less is a failure. You may have grown up perceiving everything around you as good or bad and just cannot accept a bad performance. The next time you begin to feel anxious about taking the stage, ask yourself why. What are you afraid of and why? Chance are good that you may be connecting your performing ability on stage to something else off stage. If you feel the same stress in non-performance scenarios around the same time, the underlying reasons for your anxiety might be indirectly related to those you feel on stage. Perfectionism is often the culprit as is self-acceptance. Let these fears go. Can you accept your worst-case scenario? What does that look like? Let yourself play to the best of your ability on that specific time and place. No matter what happens, tomorrow is always another day.

 

COA vs Overhaul

I know a lot about playing the flute but know very little about repair. Is there ever a point where a flute (or piccolo) that receives regular COAs should go in for an overhaul?

I’ve only taken one flute in for a true overhaul but it was a 1950s Haynes in rough shape that I knew needed it. I’m curious about my personal flute that I take in regularly.

Thanks!

COAs should really be scheduled once a year and I encourage students to take their instruments in for an overhaul every 5-7 years at least (depending on how heavily they play their flutes). An overhaul is a bit pricey but a great alternative to purchasing a new instrument if a student is not in the financial position to take the leap.

 

What’s your routine on your performance day? What about the day before?

If you had asked me this question when I was in graduate school (and I had answered honestly), I might have painted a bleak picture of stressed out cram practicing fed by a whole lot of self-doubt. As an adult, I find much more value in taking it easy in the last moments before a performance. Take out your nerves at the dress rehearsal, but after that, if you do practice, practice in slower chunks with long rests between passages. Focus less on drilling complicated runs and more on foundational aspects of your playing such as sound studies, harmonics, and articulation. Drink water. Eat bananas for extra beta blockers. Meditate. Polish your flute. Above all, trust in the work that you have put into your performance and accept the outcome no matter what happens.

 

Does anyone know of a short handout on care of your flute, aimed at 8-12 year olds? Ideally with illustrations/graphics to emphasize the point. Last year I made a word doc but it was too wordy! A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.

I really like this simple how-to from Wiki How-To: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-and-Maintain-Your-Flute Wonderful graphics and very straightforward info. Just do not get too hung up in the comments section.

 

Hello fellow flutists! I have been working on tuning up my flute & piccolo. I have been using the free App. insTuner. Is this a reliable tuning source? I am noticing that the upper register on my flute is much sharper than the lower 2 registers. I have to pull out my head joint considerably to get the notes in range. My piccolo has been even more difficult to tune as the pitch wavers back & forth. Do I need a better tuner or should I have my instruments checked or both? Any recommendations? Thanks!!

The high range is notoriously sharp on the flute no matter if you are tuning with a free tuning app or a mega expenses Boss Tuner. Try controlling the pitch more from your embouchure rather than constantly adjusting the head joint. This will train your lips and your ears to recognize the tendencies of all pitches. A great exercise to practice intonation is by placing a crescendo-decrescendo on each pitch while watching the needle on the tuner. Can you sustain the pitch through the dynamic changes? If not, what changes can you make in your embouchure to keep the needle from dipping?  I find most tuner apps to be quite accurate and prefer them to the bulky tuners of yesteryear. I do not bother with the not-so-free tuner apps because all they really offer is fun graphics when you are in tune.

 

Just wondering……. when at home…… Do you all put your flute away in the case or put it on a flute stand after practicing? Of course I do mean AFTER cleaning it.

I always put my flute away in the case. I do not trust my cat, my husband, or mostly my klutzy self to not accidentally knock it over while doing something else. I also live in California and have seen way too many disaster movies. A small earthquake would cost me a pretty penny in repairs if I leave my instrument out unnecessarily.

 

Do you use oil, vaseline, something else or nothing when you put your flute together?

Nope, nope, and nope. Some of those oils in various lip products can cause a reaction with the metal on a lip plate and result in that notorious black mark on the chin. I’ve had too many people gesturing me to rub my chin after rehearsals over the years to know that no lipstick or chapstick is worth it. You also do not want to transfer products from your hands to the keys. I’m guessing Vaseline and expensive Straubinger pads do not mix well…

 

Looking for opinions on what the best alto flute is…? I have an Armstrong Heritage alto flute (only one I have ever played) but am looking to upgrade.

I really like Trevor James model altos. Very smooth sound and good quality mechanism. Armstrong is okay and Gemienhardt is standard, but Trevor James really sets the bar. I have really enjoyed all of the Trevor James altos I have ever played.

 

I’d really like the Gemeinhardt 3SHB (I test played it and I loved it) for my birthday. But it is rather expensive and my mom doesn’t have that kind of money. Does anyone have any suggestions to a flute that has the same features but maybe a bit cheaper? TIA!!!

Do not be afraid to shop for slightly used flutes. Maybe avoid going through Craigslist or Ebay (bad return policies if something goes terribly wrong), but instead try setting up trials through companies such as J.L. Smith and Flute World. I really like the try before you buy method, particularly with used instruments. There is a good chance that you can find a slightly used Gemeinhardt with the same features for far less than a new instrument. This is a really good intermediate model and has been quite standard throughout the decades.

 

Flutists… I need some recital repertoire recommendations. One of my students who is a senior is giving a recital in May and we want to round out her program with a fun, light closer. Nothing too hard.. She is performing the Overture from the Telemann Suite, Poulenc mvt. 1, and an arrangement of the hymn in the Garden. I was thinking some sort of show tune/polka/jazzy thing
…. What are your recommendations?

The Kuhlau Divertessement No. 5 would be a fun closer as the faster second section of the work sounds a bit carnival-esque, keeping the vibe quite light and fun. You may also consider Flight of the Bumblebee, which is always a crowd pleaser. I also recommend Gossec’s Tambourin and, my personal favorite, the Habanera from Carmen.

 

What is the recommended tempo for the Mendelssohn Scherzo excerpt?

I have always practiced this excerpt at quarter note = 84 but all conductors will take different tempos. Practice the excerpt both slower and faster and play along with recordings on YouTube. There are several videos of famous orchestras playing this popular piece. This will help you get an idea of how widely the tempo will vary from group to group.

 

Hiya! Does anyone know of any pieces where the classical flute imitates pan pipes at all? 😀 Thanks!

I just wrote about this very thing in my Practice Blueprints 101 series on Debussy’s Syrinx, which imitates the pitches of a pan flute using whole tone scales.

 

 

Do you have a burning question about the flute that you would like me to answer on an upcoming Flute FAQ’s post? Do you have your own answers to the above questions? What type of FAQ’s would you like me to cover in the future? Please comment below!

 

 

Happy fluting!

 

Greetings and welcome to a new Flute Friday/Sunday! I hope summer is treating you well so far.

 

I spent my summers in college working retail at a local theme park to save up for books during the upcoming school years. I never felt that I had enough money or extra time to travel to the annual National Flute Association Convention, yet every August I would long to participate in this event. When I returned to campus in the Fall, I listened with envy to the all of the stories about fabulous recitals, wonderful panel discussions, and awesome flute swag that my fellow flutist picked up during The Convention. As I am no longer a poor college student, getting to the annual NFA Convention is not the dauting task it was when I was younger. One of my regrets, however, is that I did not try harder to find a way to attend when I was smack dab in the midst of my flute development. If you are on the fence about whether to attend the NFA Convention this summer (aka. wondering if it is worth the money and time it will take to get there), today’s blog will give you 10 reasons to consider purchasing a ticket. If you are a poor college student like I was, look into conference funding in your college departments. Some schools set aside research funding for students to attend conferences like the NFA. And remember that as a student, you do qualify for discounted membership and convention registration rates! Attending the NFA Convention will likely give you fresh new inspiration to kick off the new academic year with renewed ambition, determination, and of course style.

(Please note: This post is not sponsored.)

Top 10 Reason to Attend the National Flute Association (NFA) Convention

1. The NFA Convention is an opportunity to immerse yourself in everything to do with the flute. Lock out the rest of your worries, cares, and responsibilities and experience all of the new ideas, performances, and innovative techniques that the flute community has to offer.
2. Networking. It may be scary but try to make some new flute friends! Attend lectures and daily warm-ups. Chat with masterclass performers and ask them about their own flute journeys. You may have more in common with them than you know. Connect with old flute friends. I often run into many of my old colleagues at NFA conventions.
3. Trying out new flutes. Whether or not you are in the market for a new instrument, it is always good to know the difference between brands, materials, and the usefulness of the bells and whistles. This is a great way to stay hip to current trends in the instrument market.
4. Learning from the experts. The best of the best often attend the NFA convention and many host convention masterclasses. Attend as many of these as you can and pick up all of the great advice they offer to other flutists. Chances are, these tips will also be useful in your own flute playing. Go to any free open forums and find ways chat with the experts. At a recent convention, I noticed that Jim Walker was on my plane back to California. Despite how nervous I was to speak with him, I eventually introduced myself and asked him for tips on learning to play jazz flute. His advice was wonderful and helped give me the confidence to take the leap into a new genre.
5. So.Many.Recitals. When do you get the opportunity to see professional artists perform one right after the other in person? The NFA convention makes it possible to listen to the masters of their craft at their best. Enjoy these moments and pick up as much inspiration as you can.
6. Exploring new repertoire. Are you searching for a new piece to perform at your next recital? Is there a new piece that you are familiar with but are on the fence about adding to your repertoire list? The NFA convention offers a number of opportunities to listen to new repertoire in recitals and masterclass performances. If you find yourself particularly drawn to a piece, it is likely to be available for purchase from Flute World in the exhibition hall.
7. Picking up some great new flute swag. I once attended a flute convention promising myself that I would not purchase any unnecessary gear only to walk away with a brand-new flute bag, cleaning clothes and swabs, flute gels, and various new etude collections. The flute swag at the NFA convention is abundant and quite fun to explore.
8. Carefully crafting an individual NFA event schedule that speaks to you and your specific flute interests. There are several lectures, performances, and masterclasses happening during the same time slots. Find the complete schedule here: http://www.nfaonline.org/Annual-Convention/2018/Schedule.aspx Set up your schedule in advance!
9. Participating in open group playing opportunities. These include flute choir reading sessions, open masterclass forums, and of course playing with all convention attendees during the final gala closing number (Bach’s Air in G).
10. Location. Location. Location. Uhm, this year’s convention is in Orlando, which houses Disney World, Epcot, and Universal Studios. The NFA usually selects great destination cities that combine opportunities for flute and fun. Take your new flute friends on an outing during your downtime. Remember: “All work and no play makes Jonny a dull boy.” Go hang out at Disney World during the evening hours and catch some fireworks.

What is your favorite part about attending the NFA Convention. What are you most looking forward to this year? Please comment below. Hope to see you there!

 

Happy Fluting!

Greetings and welcome to a very belated Flute Friday! Sorry folks – I was taking my own horoscope advice and enjoying life in Southern California this weekend. Back to the grind today.

Recruiting new students is hard work. You typically need to set up a website, connect with other local teachers, host free masterclasses and/or sectionals at local schools, create and distribute business cards, and get the word out about your studio to anyone and everyone. This usually involves multiple incoming and outgoing emails. In today’s volatile online world, hackers, scammers, and identity thieves are searching for sneaky ways to prey on the vulnerabilities of typical internet users. In the past few years this has also included private music teachers. Scammers on the internet have been known to pose as parents searching for a private music instructor for their hypothetical children, requesting lesson rates, contact information, and lesson locations. Some of these scam emails are more convincing than others and it may be easy to fall into their trap if you are desperately seeking students.

What do these scam emails look like?

Here are a few examples of lesson scam emails that I have found in my own junk mail folder. If you come across similar emails from these senders, do not respond. Simply move these email to your trash folder and move on to genuine lesson inquiry emails.

Example #1

Hello good this is Mike williams i would to know if you offer private music lesson and do you accept credit card as form of payments and are you the owner or manage

Hope to hear from you soon

Thanks

________________________________________________________________________

Example #2

douglas miller <dougman1960@gmail.com>

to bcc: me

Hi, How are you doing today? I want a private lessons for my son

(Matt) at your location.  Matt is 16 year old and is ready to learn.

Please I want to know your policy with regard to fees, cancellations,

and make-up lessons. Also, get back to me with the total fees for 2

months lessons (4-hour lessons in a week) starting this month.

 

In addition, I want to know your area of specialization(s), the

lessons location and your phone number. Looking forward to hearing

from you.

 

Thank you,

____________________________________________________________________

Example #3

Benny Williams <bennieluvsu@yahoo.com>                          

to bennieluvsu  

Hello.

     I’m in need of a tutor for my child base on your advert. Julie is 15 year old and easily watch .Although,i understand you are in states i’ve arranged with my cousin living in the states concerning my Daughter staying with him during the whole period of lessons from Russia and he had agreed with me. Below are the following details requested from you for the lesson:

1) Location and Phone Numbers

2) 2 Month Charges of tutoring (1 hour per day /3 days in a week)

3) Teaching Experience.

Mr. Ben Williams

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #4

Senna Jones <senna231@yahoo.com>

to lenaghan

    Am senna Ballock  by my name,my Daughter will be coming to your area  to spend her holiday with her grandmother, she is 16 years old,i don’t want her to be less busy in the  time of the day that is why am looking to hire a Private Teacher for her she will be attending 2 hours in a day for 2weeks  so i want to know if you can be helping me to  teach  her, i will like you to get back to me with the total charges for 2hours per day for 2weeks  and the address of the tutor, hope to read from you now.

Senna

__________________________________________________________________________

Example #5

leone darwin <leonedarwin@gmail.com>               

to bcc: me

Hello tutor,

  Are you available to tutor my Daughter she is 15yrs,Her name is

Patricia?Get back to me with the details requested so that we can

proceed from there asap.

I’ve arranged with a caregiver in USA that my child is coming to stay

with him for his period of tutoring and he had agreed with me. I want

you to get back to me with following details

1)your present residence address and tel #

2)total cost of tutoring for 1 months (1 hour per day 3 days /week)

3)your years of teaching experience

Payment via cashier’s check,looking forward to hearing from you soonest.

Regards to you and your family

 

God Bless

___________________________________________________________________________

 

What should you do if you encounter one of these emails?

The above emails are obviously scammers, but sometimes an email can appear as a genuine lesson inquiry. If you recognize the email as a scam, simply trash it, but if you are not sure, direct them back to your website for more information. You could also reply to their email by asking additional questions including how they were referred to you, roughly where they are located, and what level the student is currently playing at. If they do not respond, you will know it is a scammer. Never give out any information that is not already readily available on your website. You may also want to consider having an inquiry form on your website that includes some type CAPTCHA verification. Direct all other email inquiries to this form. This will control the validity of your lesson inquiries.

I would like to put a challenge out to all of my readers today. Check your junk mail folders. Have you received any lesson scam emails? Post them below! Knowledge is power. Let’s create a forum listing the names and wording in all scam emails to take the power away from scammers and empower newbie teachers. Goodbye forever, scammers!

Happy fluting!