2024-09-26: cork

for years my flute has been persistently flat. i've had to play with the headjoint all the way in, and even then I'd be a good 10-15 cents flat. a few days ago my partner fixed the positioning of the cork while i restrung her guitar. my flute now finally plays in tune, and i'm finding it much more enjoyable to play.

our house has a high ceiling, and when no one's home, i'll practice in the living room. the ground floor has no carpet, being hardwood and linoleum and ceramic tile. and with the high ceiling, the sound just carries. i'd forgotten how good it sounds to play in here. i've been playing through my old standards - fauré, taffanel, the bach flute sonatas. but earlier in the summer, i picked up a book of the bach cello suites transcribed for flute, and i started playing those, too. man. i'm out of practice and rusty and my high notes could be much better controlled, but —

i feel like i'm finally starting to play well again, and this makes me really, really happy. i switched away from flute in grade nine, never playing it in an ensemble setting after that. it's always been an instrument that's sort of quietly for myself. i don't feel as good as i did in grade twelve, after which i stopped taking lessons, but i'm close. maybe one day i'll try the chaminade.

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