Flute players are a dime a dozen. So why is it so hard to find someone who will deliver what they promise on time and of quality?
In school, flute students are taught how to play the instrument well. If they’re lucky, they’ll get experience on piccolo and low flutes (but that’s not always the case).
That’s great, but many flute majors graduate without learning vital skills to be good professionals.
Skills like:
- Recording
- Audio editing
- Composing and arranging
- Entrepreneurship
High School: The Beginnings.
Unlike many classical flutists, I went into college with a bit of each of those skills.
I spent my high school years at a tiny private school with a professional recording studio. There, I learned how to record and edit audio properly.
I also gained composing and arranging skills by collaborating with other students to write original songs.
It was outside of school where I learned the basics of entrepreneurship.
College Made Me a Good Flute Player.
As a music major, I got to play in wind ensemble, orchestra, and flute choir. I also performed solo recitals and took my first paid gig.
And I learned the basics of other instruments, such as the piccolo and alto flute.
This experience was compounded even more in grad school. A new city, a new chance to play solo, in ensembles, and work professionally.
But the Real World Made Me a Good Freelancer.
Outside of school, I learned and polished complementary skills, from recording to marketing. Those things have allowed me to actually become the professional I am today.
You don’t just need a flute player. You need a flute player who can deliver on time and do the job well.
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Have more questions about me? Keep on reading.
Where did you go to school?
I received my BM in flute performance from Emporia State University (KS) in May 2017. In December 2020, I graduated with my MM in flute performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Where have you performed?
I have performed throughout the Midwest in venues such as Studebaker Theater, Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, and Granada Theater.
Have you done any other cool music projects?
I participated in the inaugural Grassroots Music Festival in 2011, and I got to be on a recording in 2013. In 2019, I performed in a side-by-side concert with the Omaha Symphony. And in 2022, I was chosen to participate in the mass premiere of Oxygen by Julia Wolfe.
Is there anything else I should know?
My last name is Haefele, and it rhymes with “safely.” That’s about it. If you want to know more, feel free to contact me!
What about your professional bio?
Keep on reading!
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Hannah Haefele is a flutist, arranger, and content creator. An alum of Kansas City Academy, she began her flute career in the school’s rock band playing covers and collaborating on original songs.
She graduated from Emporia State University in May 2017. There, she performed with the ESU Wind Ensemble, ESU Flute Choir, and the Emporia Symphony Orchestra.
She was a soloist with the ESU Flute Choir in spring of 2017. Also that academic year, she helped form a student flute quartet.
In spring 2019, Hannah started her masters at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She performed with the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra, and Heartland Flute Choir as well as in a side-by-side concert with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra.
During graduate school, Hannah’s passion for piccolo and alto flute exploded. She played flute and piccolo on her degree recitals and explored the alto flute in flute choir and the practice room.
Hannah has performed in masterclasses with Leone Buyse, Shannon Finney, Nancy Mulholland, Sergio Pallottelli, and members of the Whole Musician team. She also participated in the mass premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Oxygen at the National Flute Association (NFA) Convention in Chicago in August 2022.
Outside of school, Hannah has performed with the Lenexa Community Orchestra and the Kansas City Flute Choir.
Her past teachers include Gina Hart-Kemper, Catherine Bergman, and Christine Erlander Beard. She’s also studied under Kansas City-based musicians such as Brandon Draper, Ben Hutchinson, and Barclay Martin.
Let’s stay in touch.
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Contact me here.