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Charleston has offered many opportunities since our move here in 2009. I am fortunate to play
regularly with two established local organization: Charleston Pro Musica, the professional early
music ensemble at the College of Charleston and the Taylor Music Group's Na Fidleiri and
Festival Choir. I had the honor of recording with the Taylor Festival Choir on their CD, Sing We
Now of Christmas, for which I arranged the title cut and got to record with acclaimed fiddler, Liz
Taylor and guitarist, John Doyle. For the past two Decembers, the choir has invited me to
collaborate with them on their Celtic Christmas shows. My role included writing the scripts,
helping with stage direction and playing as many different flutes as possible (not all at once of
course, but totally fun). I look forward to working with this excellent group more in the future.
Charleston has offered up a bunch of opportunities to play my own music as well. Lin Raymond,
pianist extraordinaire, joined in on my Fresh Leaves, program for four performances including an
appearance at Piccolo Spoleto 2009. The local Unitarian Chancel Choir performed Celebration
of a Day, one of my themed storytelling/music/poetry programs, at Piccolo Spoleto 2010. Finally,
the Hungry Monks, a local folk band, included me on one cut of their new CD, Superior Crust. I
hope to work with these talented folks more in the coming months.
Prior to moving to Charleston, I held a bunch of titles; flutist, music director, mom, landscape
architect (I threw in a picture of RiverPark, one of my public park projects for those who are
curious) .I've been performing classical and traditional music on the flute, recorder and whistle for
over 35 years. I have also been lucky to be a member of three wonderful and long-lived
ensembles, Musaica, a Latin folk group; James Street Players, a classical chamber group and
O'er the Border, a Scottish Country Dance Band. We performed in numerous Chicago area
concert series and venues. In recent years, my focus on instrumental performance has
expanded to include directing instrumental and vocal ensembles for church services and
theatrical productions and telling musical stories to mixed-age groups. But perhaps the most
unexpected development is my fore' into composing.
regularly with two established local organization: Charleston Pro Musica, the professional early
music ensemble at the College of Charleston and the Taylor Music Group's Na Fidleiri and
Festival Choir. I had the honor of recording with the Taylor Festival Choir on their CD, Sing We
Now of Christmas, for which I arranged the title cut and got to record with acclaimed fiddler, Liz
Taylor and guitarist, John Doyle. For the past two Decembers, the choir has invited me to
collaborate with them on their Celtic Christmas shows. My role included writing the scripts,
helping with stage direction and playing as many different flutes as possible (not all at once of
course, but totally fun). I look forward to working with this excellent group more in the future.
Charleston has offered up a bunch of opportunities to play my own music as well. Lin Raymond,
pianist extraordinaire, joined in on my Fresh Leaves, program for four performances including an
appearance at Piccolo Spoleto 2009. The local Unitarian Chancel Choir performed Celebration
of a Day, one of my themed storytelling/music/poetry programs, at Piccolo Spoleto 2010. Finally,
the Hungry Monks, a local folk band, included me on one cut of their new CD, Superior Crust. I
hope to work with these talented folks more in the coming months.
Prior to moving to Charleston, I held a bunch of titles; flutist, music director, mom, landscape
architect (I threw in a picture of RiverPark, one of my public park projects for those who are
curious) .I've been performing classical and traditional music on the flute, recorder and whistle for
over 35 years. I have also been lucky to be a member of three wonderful and long-lived
ensembles, Musaica, a Latin folk group; James Street Players, a classical chamber group and
O'er the Border, a Scottish Country Dance Band. We performed in numerous Chicago area
concert series and venues. In recent years, my focus on instrumental performance has
expanded to include directing instrumental and vocal ensembles for church services and
theatrical productions and telling musical stories to mixed-age groups. But perhaps the most
unexpected development is my fore' into composing.
Just as there are many flutes, there are many stories about them. Did you know that the oldest known musical instrument is a
35,000 year old flute found in a cave in Germany? People have been playing flutes and talking about those crazy flute players for
a long time.
My first encounter with English and Celtic folk music was as a young child. My grandmother (Lily Conant) was a long-time steward of
Pinewoods, an adult folk dance and folk music camp on Long Pond in Plymouth, MA. Every summer I was lucky to be able to
alternate recorder and flute playing with dancing, swimming, singing and exploring the woods. Pinewoods carries on a special
tradition of English Country Dance music that involves improvisations based on Baroque tunes. The playing requires a
spontaneous creativity that I still find especially fun and challenging.
I have had the privilege of studying with some great teachers. Claude Monteux was my flute instructor while I was a performance
major at the New England Conservatory. Trix Kout at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA helped me mature and prepare
for auditions with a year of intense, but rewarding work. Susan Zimmerman at the Hartford Conservatory was an amazing mentor,
teaching me both flute and recorder including how to read funky early notation and alternate clefs -- skills that continue to come in
handy as I explore world music and ethnic flutes. Constance Sattler at Hartt School of Music lead a Saturday morning chamber
music program for teens that became the foundation for a life-long passion. Perhaps the best tribute one can make to a great
teacher is to pass the knowledge and passion learned from them on to others. I hope to do that in Charleston.
35,000 year old flute found in a cave in Germany? People have been playing flutes and talking about those crazy flute players for
a long time.
My first encounter with English and Celtic folk music was as a young child. My grandmother (Lily Conant) was a long-time steward of
Pinewoods, an adult folk dance and folk music camp on Long Pond in Plymouth, MA. Every summer I was lucky to be able to
alternate recorder and flute playing with dancing, swimming, singing and exploring the woods. Pinewoods carries on a special
tradition of English Country Dance music that involves improvisations based on Baroque tunes. The playing requires a
spontaneous creativity that I still find especially fun and challenging.
I have had the privilege of studying with some great teachers. Claude Monteux was my flute instructor while I was a performance
major at the New England Conservatory. Trix Kout at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA helped me mature and prepare
for auditions with a year of intense, but rewarding work. Susan Zimmerman at the Hartford Conservatory was an amazing mentor,
teaching me both flute and recorder including how to read funky early notation and alternate clefs -- skills that continue to come in
handy as I explore world music and ethnic flutes. Constance Sattler at Hartt School of Music lead a Saturday morning chamber
music program for teens that became the foundation for a life-long passion. Perhaps the best tribute one can make to a great
teacher is to pass the knowledge and passion learned from them on to others. I hope to do that in Charleston.
Composing snuck up on me. My work as one of the Music Directors and Youth Choir Director at
the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, IL (UUSG) necessitated working with diverse
professional and amateur musicians to provide music for the services. Every new combo required
altering arrangements to fit the instrumentation and ability levels of my players. Arranging and
finding suitable copyright free material took so much effort that I started writing my own material
instead. And now, composing has taken over. I like to think that my music can convey a variety of
emotions. But my musical background shows through pretty clearly as a blend of Celtic and
ethnic inspired melody with classical and jazz harmony.
Another thread that leads me on is a exploration of ethnic flutes from around the world. In recent
years I have inherited an eclectic assortment of them. Mostly they were given to me by friends
who has no use for them. Not wanting waste a perfectly good instrument I started playing them.
Each one has a wonderfully unique tone and special technical qualities that help to define its
distinctive ethnic sound. But amazingly and despite their differences, flutes found at opposite
ends of the world are played with roughly the same technique.
the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, IL (UUSG) necessitated working with diverse
professional and amateur musicians to provide music for the services. Every new combo required
altering arrangements to fit the instrumentation and ability levels of my players. Arranging and
finding suitable copyright free material took so much effort that I started writing my own material
instead. And now, composing has taken over. I like to think that my music can convey a variety of
emotions. But my musical background shows through pretty clearly as a blend of Celtic and
ethnic inspired melody with classical and jazz harmony.
Another thread that leads me on is a exploration of ethnic flutes from around the world. In recent
years I have inherited an eclectic assortment of them. Mostly they were given to me by friends
who has no use for them. Not wanting waste a perfectly good instrument I started playing them.
Each one has a wonderfully unique tone and special technical qualities that help to define its
distinctive ethnic sound. But amazingly and despite their differences, flutes found at opposite
ends of the world are played with roughly the same technique.
RiverPark, Geneva, IL
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| Contact Susan: 843-388-7211 or send email here |
| Musician, Composer, Flutist Storyteller, Music Director |
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