Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Interview with Erika Rohrberg
F E A T U R E
Interview with Erika Rohrberg
When did you start playing the flute, and how did you choose it?
I started playing flute when I was nine (in fourth grade). I remember being at an assembly for students interested in joining the school band and listening to some guest musicians demonstrate all the wind instruments. They told us to choose the one we loved the sound of the most. For me, that was the flute! In hindsight, I think that was really great advice, because over a decade and a half later I’m still in love with the sound of my instrument.
How did you get started playing the piccolo?
I got off to a bit of a rocky start with the piccolo, actually. I remember trying to play a few notes on one in the high school band but with very little success. Then in my senior year, I joined a youth orchestra at the New England Conservatory and was assigned to play the piccolo part in The Firebird Suite (If you don’t know this phenomenal piece by Stravinsky, I highly recommend listening to it!). Learning the piccolo in this way was a bit of a trial by fire (pun intended) but it helped me see the instrument in a new light.
I didn’t start practicing piccolo regularly again until I started my undergraduate degree at The Hartt School. Since then, I’ve been lucky to study with two phenomenal piccolo players and have a deep appreciation for the instrument in both ensemble and solo settings. It may be tricky, to begin with, but the piccolo is a beautiful instrument!
What do you like most about teaching young musicians?
I love inspiring the same joy in my students that I felt when I was first learning the instrument (and still do!). Beginners and young musicians are very much at a stage where they are discovering and exploring their own sounds, abilities, and relationship to music. I think that makes early music-making really special because a lot of students are experiencing that kind of creativity for the first time. As a teacher, I love creating a space that allows those things to happen, where students can start building a meaningful long-term connection to their instrument.
What is your best advice to students who want to learn a new instrument or improve their playing?
Speaking from my own experience, the best way to improve your playing is to take private lessons, play with other people, and listen.
I wouldn’t be the flute player I am today without the years (and years) that I’ve spent studying with private teachers. When I was a younger student I needed much more than what weekly band rehearsals could give me, and lessons were a safe space where I could push myself and grow. Always find a teacher who speaks to your own values, inside and outside of lessons.
I also wouldn’t be where I am without the incredible peers I’ve met along the way and the musicians who I’ve been lucky to collaborate and perform with over the years. Playing with other musicians in chamber groups, solo settings, and even in large ensembles has been one of my greatest sources of inspiration and motivation. Music is a social art, and I think it’s so important to recognize that and connect with other people in the process.
Finally, listen. Even if you’re listening to a totally different genre than what you’d normally play on your instrument, keep finding new and exciting things to listen to. Hearing what other musicians do, whether live or on a recording, is a huge source of inspiration and opens our minds to different ways of playing and performing.
When you’re not performing or teaching, what other hobbies or interests do you have?
I have a passion for houseplants (or really any kind of plant) and my collection is always growing. At least, until I run out of space on my windowsill. During the first year of the pandemic I worked at a garden center, so I genuinely enjoy spending time in greenhouses as well. I enjoy baking desserts, cooking new dishes, and trying food from all over the world. I also love animals and regularly take care of my family’s pets. Right now we have a one-year-old cocker spaniel puppy and a two-year-old rabbit named Oreo.
Learn more about our Flute teacher Erika Rohrberg in her Teacher Page.
I started playing flute when I was nine (in fourth grade). I remember being at an assembly for students interested in joining the school band and listening to some guest musicians demonstrate all the wind instruments. They told us to choose the one we loved the sound of the most. For me, that was the flute! In hindsight, I think that was really great advice, because over a decade and a half later I’m still in love with the sound of my instrument.
How did you get started playing the piccolo?
I got off to a bit of a rocky start with the piccolo, actually. I remember trying to play a few notes on one in the high school band but with very little success. Then in my senior year, I joined a youth orchestra at the New England Conservatory and was assigned to play the piccolo part in The Firebird Suite (If you don’t know this phenomenal piece by Stravinsky, I highly recommend listening to it!). Learning the piccolo in this way was a bit of a trial by fire (pun intended) but it helped me see the instrument in a new light.
I didn’t start practicing piccolo regularly again until I started my undergraduate degree at The Hartt School. Since then, I’ve been lucky to study with two phenomenal piccolo players and have a deep appreciation for the instrument in both ensemble and solo settings. It may be tricky, to begin with, but the piccolo is a beautiful instrument!
What do you like most about teaching young musicians?
I love inspiring the same joy in my students that I felt when I was first learning the instrument (and still do!). Beginners and young musicians are very much at a stage where they are discovering and exploring their own sounds, abilities, and relationship to music. I think that makes early music-making really special because a lot of students are experiencing that kind of creativity for the first time. As a teacher, I love creating a space that allows those things to happen, where students can start building a meaningful long-term connection to their instrument.
What is your best advice to students who want to learn a new instrument or improve their playing?
Speaking from my own experience, the best way to improve your playing is to take private lessons, play with other people, and listen.
I wouldn’t be the flute player I am today without the years (and years) that I’ve spent studying with private teachers. When I was a younger student I needed much more than what weekly band rehearsals could give me, and lessons were a safe space where I could push myself and grow. Always find a teacher who speaks to your own values, inside and outside of lessons.
I also wouldn’t be where I am without the incredible peers I’ve met along the way and the musicians who I’ve been lucky to collaborate and perform with over the years. Playing with other musicians in chamber groups, solo settings, and even in large ensembles has been one of my greatest sources of inspiration and motivation. Music is a social art, and I think it’s so important to recognize that and connect with other people in the process.
Finally, listen. Even if you’re listening to a totally different genre than what you’d normally play on your instrument, keep finding new and exciting things to listen to. Hearing what other musicians do, whether live or on a recording, is a huge source of inspiration and opens our minds to different ways of playing and performing.
When you’re not performing or teaching, what other hobbies or interests do you have?
I have a passion for houseplants (or really any kind of plant) and my collection is always growing. At least, until I run out of space on my windowsill. During the first year of the pandemic I worked at a garden center, so I genuinely enjoy spending time in greenhouses as well. I enjoy baking desserts, cooking new dishes, and trying food from all over the world. I also love animals and regularly take care of my family’s pets. Right now we have a one-year-old cocker spaniel puppy and a two-year-old rabbit named Oreo.
Learn more about our Flute teacher Erika Rohrberg in her Teacher Page.