Cassie OHanlon 10/31/24 Cassie OHanlon 10/31/24

“My Trauma Makes Me A Better Musician” and Other Truths from a Flute Teacher with PTSD

From childhood PTSD, being groomed, car accidents, and various types of abuse in my life all the way up to my college years where I experienced what I’ve dubbed “teacher trauma,” burnout, anger, and general distrust of the system that I fell in love with, I have stories galore that shaped me. There were many moments where I believed these stories would make me a less desirable teacher - someone who couldn’t relate or properly traumatize students the way that the classical music world taught me I needed to. I believed I “wasn’t cut out for it” and I “wasn’t mentally tough enough” for the job of being a professional musician and teacher, when the reality is that my trauma and my experiences were (in the background) helping to mold me into an empathetic musician and teacher - one that can spot emotional distress from a mile away and one that can make you feel something in a piece that may come across as static if performed by someone with less understanding of the emotions the composer was trying to convey.

Cassie OHanlon 10/19/24 Cassie OHanlon 10/19/24

How to Play Flute With Less Tension and More Ease

Physical tension in flute playing can accumulate in various areas of the body, often without awareness. This tension arises for many reasons, but fundamentally, it's the body’s response to challenging situations. When faced with difficulty, the subconscious may brace for failure or push the muscles to strive for success. It's crucial to recognize that tension is the body's attempt to assist. However, this can lead to tight grips in the fingers, hindering quick movement, or rigidity that affects proper breathing

Cassie OHanlon 8/26/24 Cassie OHanlon 8/26/24

How to Guarantee You’ll Make Progress in Your Flute Playing

Guaranteeing you'll make progress at your flute is hard, but if you follow these steps, you can make moves and continue to make gains in your playing.