Wendy Rolfe

"As musicians, we need to learn to step back and realize that it takes a lot of patience and a lot of quiet observation to achieve what we want to achieve. And we probably never really achieve it [laughing]. The quest is the important part."

"A lot of what I do marries traditional training with innovative pedagogy and diverse styles. I teach quite a lot through Brazilian choros, which are a kind of semiclassical musical tradition, with many works written for the flute. They’re great music, and my students love them."

"Performers have to wed the physical to the emotional and the creative. Poor posture can lead to injury, so I try to work on helping students get their bodies into a relaxed but aware position. I study the Alexander Technique, which is a way to align the body and work on breathing. But the most important thing for me is that my students keep their love of music, and that they’ll have the tools to impart that to other people. I also hope they develop ways to become their own teachers. That’s what we’re all striving for—to become our own teachers."