Teaching Schedule
I teach flute out of my home studio in West Cary/Apex on Monday/Wednesday/and Thursday afternoons, and teach flute and saxophone at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh on weekday mornings.
My studio is currently full, but am taking names for the waitlist. I also work with flutists wishing for once a month, or as available lessons and fit these lessons in as I have holes in my schedule.
Link to the 2021-22 Studio Policies Document
Link to the Student Information Sheet
The main books I work from are listed on the following link to make ordering easy. These include method, etude, scale, and technique books. The books are linked to a page to order directly from Sheet Music Plus.
Nivison Studio Music List
Clinics and Masterclasses Offered
Masterclasses in baroque and classical performance practice are available to universities and schools of music. Students can perform on either the modern silver flute or the traverso/one-key flute. Topics covered include the concept of resonance and how to transfer that to the modern silver flute, articulation variety, simple ornamentation and the Quantz/Telemann style of ornamentation, tempo choices, the idea of good and bad beats and how it shapes a phrase, and more. Rates vary depending on the length of the masterclass, and performances/recitals can be added.
Flute Choir
Interested in playing in a flute choir? The Raleigh Area Flute Association has three different flute choirs to choose from. Silver Winds, conducted by Kristin Davis, requires no audition, at least 2 years of playing experience, and meets mostly every other Sunday for a little over an hour. Silver Pipes, conducted by Amy Holt, requires an audition and also meets mostly every other Sunday for an hour and a half. Silver Fantasy, conducted by Amy Holt, requires an audition and is for advanced high school and college level players. They meet every Sunday afternoon from 3 - 5pm.
More information about RAFA and the flute choirs can be found at
http://www.rafaflutes.org/flute-choirs.html
Teaching Philosophy
A large part of the first year of studying with me, whether privately or in a university setting, includes a heavy emphasis on fundamentals. It is through mastering fundamentals that students will have the tools to better express themselves in their music. I believe that teaching fundamentals should be done at all stages of performance study very similarly to Jerome Bruner’s Spiral Curriculum. The fundaments of tone and embouchure nuance, for example, should be tweaked over the student’s time studying with me since new developments in these areas give rise to the capability to achieve even more.
