by Kim Lewis, Resident Flutist and Sales Manager

One of Flute Center’s “Three Uniques” is that all employees are flute players! We all have degrees in music, whether it be flute performance, music education, or music business and marketing. Music and flutes are our passion, and we believe it is important to remain active members of the flute community to bring the best knowledge and experience to our work to help our clients find the instrument that best suits their sound and performance needs. In many ways, our work inside and outside of Flute Center is cyclical. Our practice and performance outside of Flute Center inform our expertise in helping clients navigate their instrument search. Concurrently, as we work with clients across the city, country, and world, our community grows larger and offers us more opportunities to share our talents outside of the workplace.

As a full-time employee at Flute Center, it can be difficult and draining to continue a performance schedule outside of work. After an eight-hour day, five days a week, it is hard to fight the urge to just go home and relax! When I’m finding it difficult to get the flute out to practice, I try to remember that playing and performing is what truly lights up my soul and inspires me in the work that I do every day. Keeping connected to this purpose makes the long days worth the effort (and exhaustion).

One of the ways that I continue performing is with my woodwind quintet. Nu Quintet formed in early 2021 to get back into playing together with other musicians after the pandemic had made it nearly impossible. As we rehearsed together, we recognized our musical synergy and camaraderie and decided to continue on as a professional woodwind quintet. Our mission is to perform works by only living composers and promote new and diverse voices in the woodwind quintet repertoire, expanding the genre with the ever-evolving classical music landscape. I have been so grateful that my work at Flute Center and as a member of Nu Quintet have combined in a meaningful way. The Flute Center is our rehearsal space, hosted our debut concert, and has supported us through subsequent performances. In return, we are delighted to bring our music to the Flute Center audience and showcase the importance of continuing musical exploration that enhances our work during the day.

Sometimes, I find that having a full-time job can actually be beneficial to my practice. I have limited windows of practice time, so I have learned to make my practice very efficient so I can get the most out of the time that I have (while still trying to get enough sleep). Additionally, because my full-time job happens to be at a flute store, I am able to continue using what I like to call my “flute brain” by testing flutes, listening to others play, and engaging in meaningful conversation with clients and colleagues about their experiences that inform my practice.

Maintaining a regular practice and performance schedule with a full-time job is undoubtedly challenging, but it can create a wonderful cycle of inspiration. My practicing and performing feed into my job at Flute Center, and engaging with clients and colleagues at Flute Center feeds into my practicing and performing. I continue to strive towards a meaningful, fulfilling, and well-rounded career that brings music to many people, whether it be listening to a concert or purchasing an instrument that allows them to create their own music!