Mindful Flute Etudes: Transform Your Playing with Body Mapping and Melody Mining by Amy Likar and Rena Urso is appropriate for college through professional flute players.

The etudes by Danish flutist/composer Joachim Andersen are an integral part of every serious flute player’s training. Mindful Flute Etudes introduces a fresh perspective on practicing these etudes—a perspective that integrates mind, body, and spirit into your work. Following the advice in these pages will help you create more embodied performances. The premise is to understand and cultivate an accurate and adequate body map and apply your resulting fluid movement to the exploration of musical intentions. Throughout the book, there are QR codes which link to videos designed to illustrate the content. Concepts of musicianship are paired with concepts of whole-body movement and melody mining to enhance how you are playing your technical studies. You can use the strategies in this book as a creative template to help you find greater ease and fluidity in your playing and become more mindful.

“As someone who has embraced the Alexander Technique as my home base for easily fifty-plus years, this book is my new, superb companion to remind me to question how and why I do what I do, not only in daily life but as a concertizing flutist, flute professor, and arts mentor. In my essence, I am a seeker; therefore, I relish an invitation to go deeper. Voilà! ‘Mindful Flute Etudes’ has arrived! What a privilege to be able to choose to observe myself expansively through the vast, exploratory dimensions that this book offers. Please join me and remember: the choice is all yours.” - Carol Wincenc, Grammy-nominated International Solo Flutist; Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, National Flute Association; Faculty, Juilliard School and Stony Brook University; www.carolwincencflute.com

"Amy and Rena, I admire your book. You will make waves among flutists by combining the pedagogy of Body Mapping with the pedagogy of practicing etudes. I have always treasured Andersen’s etudes, and I still play them. Your approach will help many people through that awkward phase of technical development. Hopefully, it will eliminate a lot of frustration among students. You explain the 'why' behind some traditions that have been passed down through generations of flute players." - Isabelle Chapuis, Senior Lecturer in Flute (retired), San José State University; Principal Flute, Opera San José; Premier Prix de flûte, 1969, Conservatoire de Paris; Premier Prix de musique de chambre, 1970, Conservatoire de Paris

"This is an outstanding reference for flutists! The format is ingenious, featuring the consilience between music and physiology, increasing the understanding of both." - T. Richard Nichols, PhD, Flutist; Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology School of Biological Sciences

75 pages, spiral bound to lay flat on the music stand

Click here to order the PDF download version.

Click here to learn more about each contributing author: Amy Likar, Rena Urso.