One of the most challenging aspects of working as a freelance musician and teacher is that you'll often be on your own - whether it's practicing for a gig you're coming in for, creating resources or lesson plans for your students, running recitals or keeping the business moving forward, it's a lot of time feeling like you're creating the wheel alone. But it doesn't have to be that way!
From the day I started teaching, I've been "collecting" community-minded flutists. Amazing, inspired teachers who truly believe that we're stronger together - that every idea a person has can spark another in a colleague, that we can build on each others' strengths to create something amazing together. Musicians who act on the belief that holding each other up gets us further than holding each other back. And that a healthy flute ecosystem is good for us all. The lovely Stéphanie Superle has to be at the top of that list for me - her FlutePlay network has taken off in the past year to grow from being a little idea percolating in the background to a full-scale collaboration of little flute teachers including teachers from Vancouver to Australia - the most amazing illustration of a living, thriving, supportive flute community I've ever been a part of.
Whatever your specialty is, seek out others who want to build you up. Who inspire you to reach further, to create, to push yourself to be the best version of you. And whom you inspire - oh, the dreams we can dream when we dream together!