syllabus  etc

 Oberlin Conservatory Flute Studio Syllabus for 2026

Course Materials (see below for further detail): working flute, tuner/ tuner app., metronome/metronome app, recording device (phone?), notebook (hard copy or digital), music.

 Course Requirements

Studio class:  Every Monday 4-5:15pm in Stull. 

Stull is booked from 3:30pm because we have to put out the chairs, so please arrive early to warm up and/or help put out the chairs, especially when we have a guest artist 🙂

Studio Class provides invaluable opportunities to get nervous and perform for your peers, to get constructive criticism and feedback, to learn about pedagogy, and gain valuable experience in developing your own effective and supportive criticism. Consistent with institutional policy, one unexcused absence is permitted from the official hour of studio class. Other absences should be approved in advance or be the result of emergency or illness. 

lessons:  Attendance is required at every scheduled lesson*.

For in-person lessons with Alexa, please send Alexa a recording of your etude the day before your lesson, preferably via a link sent through email. 

Promptness: in the music business, being “on time” literally means having your instrument out and being ready to play at that appointed time. People who can't do this won't get hired back. SO.... in keeping with the conservatory's goal of professional training, being on time also applies to lessons. PLEASE knock very loudly on the office door at the appropriate time (this is because Alexa tunes out the external door slams and general bustle in the hallway, and will tune out a gentle knock thinking it is another of those noises) and it is best to unpack in Alexa's office to avoid the risk of damage to your flute in the crowded hallway.

Lateness: If you are going to be late unexpectedly, please make every effort possible to make contact as soon as possible (f it is for a guest teacher, ask someone else to deliver an urgent message). Emergencies do happen and it is courteous to communicate. If you are 10 minutes late without communicating, that will be considered non-attendance.  If Alexa is late to your lesson by more than ten minutes without communicating, she owes you lunch or something comparable.

 *Scheduling: 

Lessons are scheduled to fit around your and other students’ schedules according to the schedule information you supply to Alexa at the beginning of the semester. Add/drop period often requires further changes. 

If/when your schedule changes, for lesson within the next few days, please endeavor to swap with another student, and advise Alexa as soon as possible so she can make alterations. 

A regular weekly lesson time, established by the end of add/drop period, is the goal but because Alexa is on faculty council which requires some administrative work that has to be scheduled around other people, and sometimes she touring, lesson times are sometimes not consistent.  

PLEASE double check, every week,  that you have the correct time for your lesson for that week. 

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Course Materials

Flute: You will have your flute maintained by a trained flute tech every 6 months OR you will do your own COA following the flute maintenance winter term class and get Alexa to check it.

This regular attention will help you avoid breakdowns!

The flute studio has an abundance of shipping boxes designed for flutes to loan, and spare flutes are available to you at any time in case yours needs repair. Alexa will only undertake emergency repairs depending on the proximity of your problem to your important performance dates. This is because there are only 24 hours in a day and do all of the repair on everyone's flutes would be a full-time job! If Alexa's repair is unavailable, Kirsten Kulma of the Cleveland Woodwind Repair workshop is the nearest skilled technician for emergencies.

 Tuner, metronome, recording device: Using app.s on your smart phone may be perfectly adequate for these essential practice tools. I'd like to note that dedicated gadgets help making it much easier to ignore your phone generally and get more done.....

 Notebooks: A notebook is required (either electronic or hardcopy), due on or before the last day of classes. The idea is that you listen to the lesson soon after the lesson which is really helpful for developing awareness and guiding your practice before the next lesson... 

Required content: At the conclusion of each lesson, we will verbally review what will be prepared for the following lesson. You will review your recording of your lesson and make a note of important points covered in the lesson and that note of what is expected for the next lesson. The idea is that you listen to the recording of your lesson as soon as possible, which is really helpful for developing awareness and guiding your practice over the next week. 

Alexa *may* review notebooks at any point during the semester.

The following is not a requirement, but your flute notebook will be invaluable to you in the long term (and will earn you a higher grade for the semester- see grading contract) if it also contains: 

-Practice diary

-Notes from guest/external/summer masterclasses 

-Goals/aims (projects, competitions, auditions, festivals, ?)

-Notes from listening to recordings

 -Repertoire list

-"Wish list" of repertoire

-Notes from concerts attended

Recordings: Please note that you can access the conservatory’s electronic data bases (a truly massive collection of recordings) anywhere. If you are off-campus, you will need to enter the numbers on your library card to gain access.  

Music: The conservatory's library has a very impressive collection but still may not have exactly what you want and when you want it. Please advise Alexa via email of what you cannot access (Maybe you can copy Alexa's music and we can also ask the library to order music). 

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Performances

 Recitals: Everyone is encouraged to perform, live or otherwise, as much as humanly possible. For instance, this might include establishing your own Youtube channel, playing on ALL divisional recitals, the studio recital, and signing up for summer school auditions that are held at Oberlin even when if you don't think you are competitive or you'd be able to attend that summer school.

 Grades: Please see flute studio grading contract (scroll down below).

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“Extras” 

Excerpt class is on Thursdays at 6 in Bibbins 238 for the month of September only (please see the relevant page on the flute studio website for the schedule of excerpts and links to resources). You can register for this class (2 credits), or not.  If you attend, you have to play at least some of the excerpt of the week (see excerpt class page)

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Other important stuff

- Alexa expects a sincerely friendly and supportive attitude in this studio! 

This is extremely important for your career development (see syllabus addendum on "professional" conduct) and your professional reputation (see syllabus addendum on "professional" conduct).

- communicate with Alexa about ANY concerns you have about anything, including your working relationships with other students.

- All flute students are expected to attend every soloist flute performance given on campus (i.e. all student recitals, all guest flutist recitals, Alexa's appearances), and are strongly encouraged to observe every Oberlin ensemble performance that includes flutists.  If you are unable to attend a soloist performance, you should communicate that with an apology to the performer in advance AND advise Alexa in advance of the performance so that she is aware of your efforts to be a good colleague.

-Please check the flute studio's website for announcements, and read Alexa's bulk emails for advertising of competitions, jobs etc and please advise Alexa of anything you think should be included (Alexa REALLY appreciates your assistance in contributing information about events).

Contact information for Alexa:    Email: alexa.still@oberlin.edu    Text: 440 935 5471

If it is something important, emails are appreciated because it is easier for Alexa to search for an email to review details. If it is an urgent matter, please do both. Alexa does not to check her phone during lessons....

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Flute studio syllabus addendum - Professional conduct

Common sense advice about treating others the way you would like to be treated! 

Music is a collaborative art for everyone except perhaps rare soloist pianists. Being a successful musician usually requires much, much more beyond talent. For many situations including freelance work, it will be assumed that your performance level is perfectly adequate, and your personality and reputation then become the deciding factor in being selected for employment. The music world is, like any specialized field, very small. Your fellow students will be your future colleagues…. NOW is the time to begin practicing the successful “person-skills”, time management and presentation skills that you would like to be known for.

Be courteous/respectful    THINK before you speak or act. Rude people don’t get asked back.

Musicians will never hire someone they perceive as disrespectful. Playing someone else’s solos and/or making any uncomplimentary comments upon performance or equipment will create a bad impression that cannot be repaired. The best policy, especially in a freelance situation, is to keep your critical opinions to yourself. The exception is a principal flutist making thoughtful, supportive and constructive suggestions to the player on flute 2 or piccolo, where the conductor clearly expects the principal to be responsible for the section, and where rehearsal consistently demonstrates that a constructive comment may lead to improvements and is therefore appropriate. Please carefully note this description: thoughtful, supportive and constructive suggestions. If you are unsure what to do about a situation, discuss with Alexa.

Be on time   Latecomers are labelled "unreliable" upon arriving late more than once and the reason for being late becomes irrelevant, as in the fact you are late overshadows whatever excuse you may have. Being late conveys disrespect for others. A latecomer will never be hired for professional orchestral sessions or chamber music.

Absence is worse. 

If you are unfortunate enough to be late/absent with good reason, make contact with the party concerned as soon as possible to apologize first and explain second. NEVER wait for the other party to “find” or contact you.

Be well prepared     Poor performance might be forgiven, because we can all have a bad day. But laziness (i.e., somehow giving the impression that you are not doing your best work) conveys disrespect for others, and is resented and remembered. If your performance is below your perceived ability, you will not get asked back.

Be supportive     Love Music.... Love Musicians!  We all appreciate companionship and compliments. A kind word costs nothing. However...

Be sincere  A person obviously “sucking up" is not to be trusted. If you can’t genuinely mean what you say, just don’t say it. Find an alternative comment that you can be sincere about (there is always something positive that can be said).

Be circumspect about your presence in social media. Anything posted is there forever....

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 FLUTE STUDIO GRADING CONTRACT

Flute Studio contract for a “B” grade:

1   Attend all lessons and make a sustained and dedicated effort to improvement.

2   Attend studio class regularly (i.e. not missing more than one studio class per semester). 

3   Perform in studio class at least twice per semester (see roster on flute website).

4   Submit a flute notebook, due on the last day of classes. Alexa will be assessing these as part of your grade. Extensions may be granted if requested in advance of the due date.

5   Make EVERY effort to attend fellow flute students’ performances. Apologies in advance of conflicts with fellow student recitals should go to the student who is performing and c.c. Alexa.

6   Look after school instruments impeccably; cleaning and wiping off ALL fingerprints after every use, with immediate notification to Alexa of any accidents or problems. Any instrument returned in less than impeccably clean condition will lead to you being entrusted with our lesser instruments.

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Flute studio contract for an “A” grade:  

ALL of the above “B” grade components plus:

A summary of each flute-related performance that you have attended during the semester and or the recordings you have listened to that include prominent flute parts. Each performance can be discussed in just a few sentences, about the music and the performers, noting aspects that can confirm keen observation. This should be included in your flute notebook.

and at least three of the following:

1   Participate in every studio class (except guest artists' classes) by offering “constructive criticism” comprising at least one supportive and substantive verbal comment at each class. 

2   Post a recording that is accessible to the general public (send Alexa the internet location).

3   Enhance your flute notebook with 3 or more substantive additional sections of your choice (see seven possible additions under “flute notebooks” in syllabus). 

4   Participate in orchestral excerpts class (not for credit) or make some sustained effort on an individual project throughout the semester, to be assessed at the end of the semester (discussed and agreed upon with Alexa near the beginning of the semester).

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Flute studio contract grading- “A+”

All of the “B” and “A” grade components plus:

Practice diary, with multiple entries per week, detailing agenda and reflective review of practice sessions.

Or

Some other additional and substantial project, to be discussed and agreed upon with Alexa.