Absolutely. Michael started lessons again as an adult, so knows how well this can work! Beautiful flute music is for everyone.

Lessons will be held face to face at your home as I am very happy for you to learn in the comfort of your own space. This also saves parents/carers that little bit of driving each week (which I know from experience can often be very welcome!). All we will need is clear space in a room such as the lounge room, living room or even a spare room - whatever suits you. You will need a music stand, but if you are just beginning your flute journey I can bring mine to the first few lessons while you settle in. We won't need chairs unless we are doing theory or general knowledge work together, and then somewhere like the dining room table can be a great spot to learn. It is a requirement that a responsible adult is in the house during all Gentle Flute lessons. And of course, parents/carers are very welcome to sit with us during lessons.

Online lessons are a great way to make up for missed lessons when schedules are tight or when last minute changes in routine unexpectedly occur (life happens!). The Gentle Flute therefore does offer this teaching mode as a temporary option, especially if lessons focus on theory or general knowledge, rather than flute playing. Having said this, permanent online lessons is not the preferred teaching model. This is especially the case for students beginning their flute journey where so much learning happens by demonstrating technique. This is not possible to do well online, and so attempting to do so isn't fair for student or teacher. Given this, it is the expectation that lessons will be predominantly face to face, with the option to make up missed lessons (or similar) online.

Of course! You can start any time you like with The Gentle Flute.

Michael is based in the inner southeast of Brisbane, so is able to hold lessons in suburbs in the general area of Camp Hill, Coorparoo, Holland Park, Greenslopes, Stones Corner and Seven Hills. If you are unsure then drop me a line using the form on the Contact page of this website and let's chat.

Not at all. Amongst other things, we will use the first lesson or two to decide the most suitable material and music for you. You will then be able to buy these materials as lessons progress. If you do have some books or music that you would like to talk about, then I'd love to see them so please feel free to bring them along - but there is no need to make any purchases before your first lesson.

You will not need anything for your first lesson, but over time you will need: - A flute, with case and cleaning cloth - A music stand - A small number of music books that we will work through together - Other minor items that we will work out as we go along

No. The Gentle Flute will teach you how to read music as we progress through our lessons.

You do not need your own flute to start lessons at The Gentle Flute. For new flute players, we will likely spend the first few lessons learning the basics of a flute, like how to put it together and how it works, and I will use my flute to demonstrate this. We will also learn a little bit about written music, like the treble clef, the staff and the names of some of the notes on the staff, and you won't need a flute for this. During these introductory lessons we will also chat about first steps towards setting you up with your own flute, and help you make that - very exciting - first flute purchase. Don't let not having a flute put you off starting your flute journey!

You can do either, depending on your needs. If you are unsure about your flute journey, then there are very reasonable options for hiring a flute in the short term. Very approximately, hiring a flute for two school terms will be a similar cost to purchasing an entry level flute (although this is obviously subject to change beyond The Gentle Flute's control).

The amount of practice you need to do depends on your level and goals. In general, just coming to a lesson each week will not be enough for you to progress at a reasonable pace - you will need to practice in your own time at home or school. We will discuss practice expectations over your first few lessons, and make sure they are reasonable and able to be worked in with other commitments. The most important thing to remember with practice is that more hours is not necessarily better than less hours: what matters is the quality of your practice and the focus you give it. Three focused and intentioned 20 minute practice sessions each week are likely to be much more beneficial to your flute development than three hour long sessions that lack focus or concentration. These are all the sorts of things we will discuss in your lessons.

You do not have to do exams. Although exams can provide structure and indications of progress on your journey, they are not for everyone. Students at The Gentle Flute can choose to do exams or not, and lessons are tailored accordingly. You can also change your mind and take up exams as your flute journey progresses if you like - it is totally up to you. Either way, The Gentle Flute will support you on your flute journey.

The Gentle Flute understands that life happens - sometimes it just doesn't work out to have a lesson, and this is fine. When this happens, lessons can be swapped to different mutually agreeable times, or retained as credits on a case by case basis. If lesson time swapping becomes too frequent then moving to different arrangements may need to be discussed.

Students will be invoiced once each school term. Invoicing will occur approximately half way through each term, and be due before the conclusion of the term. Payment is by bank transfer only.

Fees will be discussed prior to the first lesson. Fees are charged on a time basis, and at the same time rate regardless of the lesson length. For example, the fee for a one hour lesson is double that of a half hour lesson. A prospective student's first lesson is free of charge.