As flute players and western classical musicians, it can be quite easy to get stuck in a rut of just playing and learning ‘standard’ repertoire, such as Bach sonatas and French Conservatoire pieces. However, there is a whole world of really great ‘world music’ to explore and enjoy AND that can develop your flute playing skills!

One of my students from Brazil introduced me to the wonderful world of Brazilian Choro. This type of folk music from Brazil often incorporates the flute with other accompanimental instruments such as guitars and percussion. The solo part can also be played on mandolin, saxophone, electric guitar, mini-electric guitar, recorder – the list is nearly endless!

We first started by exploring YouTube, so I could have a better understanding of a genre I had never heard nor seen before. If you type in the keyword “Choro,” or titles of some of the more famous songs like “Tico-Tico no Fuba” or “Brasileirinho” you will find a myriad of performances of this music, combining European polka and dance forms with Latin and African rhythms.

It is pretty safe to say that non-Classical musicians learn and transmit the knowledge of how to play aurally, that is without any written notation. So, if you are an adventurous person, get some recordings of some world music that interests you and start listening intensively! After a few weeks, you may have a pretty good feel for things like phrase length and chord changes, at which point you could try to start imitating the melodies you are hearing. If that seems too daunting, you might want to try jumping in by sampling some different types of music. I find that even very beginning students can get a lot out of books like Mike Mower’s Junior Musical Postcards (a sort of buffet of world musics with the flute part in written notation accompanied by a backing track of a band of players from different countries and styles of music.)

There are also some really great “How-To” books with notation, if you know what style of music you’re looking for. For Choro, for example, the publisher www.ChoroMusic.com, has notated pieces with a CD backing track and really helpful historical information. You can find similar books for Irish Whistle, Jazz Flute, etc., and of course there are nearly universal references for musicians on any instrument, such as the Latin Real Book.

It also can be helpful to find a teacher in addition to your private flute tutor who specializes in a specific genre or instrument. I have had violinist friends supplement their studies and musical repertoire with lesssons on the Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle, for example. You may also want to check with your teacher to see if they have any musical talents of which you are not aware – one of my teachers was really great at Jazz improvisation, but I wouldn’t have known unless I had asked. You might be able to get even more out of your lessons than you imagined – it is like getting two teachers for the price of one!

The main thing to remember is to not be afraid: get your feet wet, take some risks and have fun. As watching all of those YouTube videos illustrated for my student and myself, you don’t have to be perfect, just do your best and enjoy yourself – it is likely that your audience will too!

Dr. Sasha Garver has just returned to the U.S. from two years as second flute/solo piccolo of the Macau Orchestra, SAR China. Dr. Garver holds her Doctorate in Flute Performance, has a degree in voice performance and is active as an opera and choral singer, and is on the music faculty at Northern New Mexico College and teaches Suzuki flute at Santa Fe Talent Education.