Welcome to My Music Studio
I am a professional musician and worship leader who has been teaching private flute, piano, and voice lessons for over 25 years. Besides teaching students at my home studio (in Florissant, MO) and at the St. Louis-based nonprofit Pianos for People, I maintain an online studio with students from Michigan, Maryland, and Lusaka, Zambia.
Back when the Dave Matthews Band was still selling out stadiums and you could catch a fresh episode of Friends on Thursday nights, I earned a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance (with a French minor) from James Madison University and two Master of Music degrees (Flute & Conducting) from Western Michigan University. I have taught flute, music theory, aural comprehension, and music appreciation as part-time faculty at multiple universities and colleges. In addition, I have enjoyed the honor
of playing Principal Flute with the Battle Creek Symphony for six seasons and as the Associate Principal/2nd Flute for one season with the Symphony of Southeast Texas. I currently play Principal Flute with the Alton Symphony Orchestra. (For more details, check out my C.V. here.
Lessons offered for:
Flute
Piano / Worship Keys
Voice
Worship Leading
Music Theory
What to Expect
Lessons are designed to foster musical growth, inspire confidence, and be enjoyable for the student. Learning is incentivized for younger students with stickers and prizes, but still fun and creative for older youth and adults.
Musical growth is a two-way street: students must commit to practicing in between lessons in order to experience consistent growth in their musicianship. I tell my students that I am kind, but also honest. If students are consistently coming unprepared for lessons, that creates a lack-luster, stale learning environment that is no fun for either student or teacher.
Tami was our son Isaac’s first (and still his all-time favorite) piano teacher. Eleven years later Isaac continues to play the piano daily and loves music passionately, thanks in large part to Tami, her encouragement, and her ability to teach with joy.
Sara D., Michigan
What You Learn
Here are some of the foundational concepts that are taught during lessons:
Flute:
Breath Support
Tone Production (including developing tonal colors and vibrato mastery)
Technique (scales, arpeggios, etudes/studies, double & triple tonguing, harmonics, whistle tones, flutter tonguing, etc.)
Phrasing
Solo Repertoire
Orchestral Excerpts
Sight Reading
Improvisation*
​
*only if requested
Piano:
Scales & Arpeggios
Technique (hands position, fingering, etc.)
Method Books
Phrasing
Solo Repertoire
Sight Reading
Music Theory
Modes*
Reading Chord Charts*
Improvisation*
​​​​
*only if requested
Worship Keys:
Reading Chord Charts
Rhythm (right hand vs. left hand)
Improvisation
Building Worship Sets
Music Theory (Building Triads, Circles of 5ths, Complex Chords, Numbers System, Transposition, Modulation)
Leading Worship at the Keyboard*
​
*only if requested
Voice:
Breath Support
Warm-ups
Tone Production (chest, head, mixing, vibrato)
Diction
Phrasing
Solo Repertoire
Sight Reading*
​​​*only if requested
How do In-Person Lessons work?
I teach out of my living room in Florissant, MO. Every student is given a journal/notebook in which I write comments, instructions, and assignments that they can review as they practice throughout the week.
I also maintain a "master" notebook on my end that tracks their assignments and progress.
Can Parents Watch Lessons?
Parents and/or guardians are welcome to watch any music lessons. Our home has another open sitting area close to our music room, in case you’d like to be close to hear the lesson but not in the same room as your student.
How do Online Lessons work?
For most students, we use Zoom for the visual component and then a phone for the audio component (unless you have Facetime, which can do both well.) Make sure to position the camera so that it is is capturing the piano keys for piano lessons, the flute keys/face for flute lessons, and the face for voice lessons.
On my end, I normally keep the camera on my face during lessons, until I need to show something on the piano/flute, at which point I turn the camera to whatever needs to be shown.
I will provide the Zoom link for lessons.
I always take notes during each lesson. I will email a copy of the lesson notes to the students and/or parent after each lesson so your student can review whatever we’ve discussed as well as see the upcoming practice assignments.
"The aim and final end of all music is none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."
J.S. Bach
Misc. Notes & Pricing
Special Note for Worship Keys & Voice Students
For Worship Keys and Voice students, I also recommend you bring a three ring binder for the solos and chord charts you will receive from me. You will need to bring your binder and notebook every week for lessons. Older students will make their own notes in the notebooks.
Ordering Music
Students / Parents will need to purchase any recommended method books or solos for lessons. Most method books can be found at your local music store. Or, if you’d prefer to order them online, you can do so at Amazon, Flute World, Music Notes, Sheet Music, etc.
Music Lesson Prices:
$25 / Half Hour
$50 / Hour
Payment should be made at the time of the lesson via any of the following options:
Cash
Check (made out to Tamara Flick)
CashApp: $TJFlick74
Venmo: @Tamara-Flick
PayPal: @tamijoyflick
​