Ashley Addington

My private flute studio has openings this fall for students interested in taking lessons at my home studio or virtually. All levels and ages are welcome. Let me help you get started on making progress to your musical goals.

My studio is located in the Waverly Square neighborhood of Belmont and is not far for flutists in Cambridge, Watertown, Waltham, Arlington, and other surrounding towns.

Read more about my teaching philosophy and contact me to set up a free trial lesson.

I’m excited to announce that I received a 2020 grant from the Somerville Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council for my music project, Somerville Youth Flute Project. The grant will support my work with flutists in the Somerville Public Schools. In a series of classes, we will talk about posture, tone, tonguing, and fingerings, and introduce concepts of intonation, phrasing, and ensemble playing.  My project will support their growth as young musicians and inspire the students to keep playing the flute.

The Somerville Youth Flute Project is supported in part by a grant from the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Although this blog is not often updated, I am sharing my intentions for 2017 in hopes to keep myself accountable in inspired.  Happy New Year!

• Read more books this year.
• Listen more. Find some new CDs and get to more concerts to hear live music.
• Perform a recital in 2017.
• Organize my pedagogical ideas to submit them to a music educators presentation session.
• Explore how to bring my teaching ideas to a more public setting.
• Run a few 5Ks, a 10K, and ambitiously aim for a half-marathon.
• Be a more patient and spontaneous parent and partner.
• Play my flute more!

I’m excited to be teaching the 2016-2017 Central District Masterclass this year at the Pappoutsakis Memorial Competition’s Free Flute Masterclasses.  It will be an exciting afternoon before last year’s winner, Annie Wu, performs a recital in Jordan Hall.  Free and open to the public.  I hope to see you there!

Update:  I’m so happy to say that Dolce has a new home and is being well taken care of.  We miss her!

The girl called her “kitty” at first.  A few months later, “kitty” became “meow.”  The cat was very hesitant at first and did not know what to make of the little girl when she came to live at the house. She was curious about the girl and wondered why she cried sometimes. Then, the girl could finally pronounce “Dolce”, although some days it still sounds more like “Doll-see”.

Over the months, the girl and the cat bonded. The girl loved to help feed and brush the cat. The cat taught the girl to love animals. The cat was patient with the girl as she learned what it meant to be gentle. The cat became friends with the girl and played along with her toys.

A month or so after turning two, the girl’s eyes got puffy and her skin became dotted with hives. Allergies are rough. And, this week, we learned that the girl is allergic to all kinds of tree…..and also to cats.  Her mom had tears in her eyes when she saw the allergy results. Sadly, the girl reacts too strongly to the cat to keep the cat in the house. The girl and her parents are trying to find a new home for their cat.

Dolce is a seven-year old female indoor calico that we adopted as a kitten from the MSPCA in Jamaica Plain in November 2008.  She has a clean bill of health and is up to date on all her shots.  Hence the name, she is actually a very sweet and cuddly cat who will curl up in warm laps. She can be a little shy when meeting new people and would do best in a home with older kids (or really patient young ones) and without other pets. She enjoys bird-watching from the window, napping in boxes, playing with toys on strings, and chowing down on her favorite Grilled Salmon Dinner by Fancy Feast.  As an added bonus, she is an expert mouse catcher (in our old apartment). Dolce – 3  Mouse – 0   If you know someone looking to adopt a cat, please let us know.

I’m excited to announce that a piece I recorded in 2013 has been recently released on Ravello Records. Written by composer Pamela Marshall, Examinate Variations was written for cellist Rachel Barringer and myself.

The CD is for sale on Amazon, ArkivMusic, CD Universe, HB Direct, and Bull Moose.
It’s also available digitally on Amazon and iTunes and you can find it streaming on Spotify, Rhapsody, and Naxos Music Library.

Snow storm #3 in six days.  Is is summer yet?  I am already thinking about my summer teaching plans.  In addition to the student camp and adult festival that I regularly do at Indian Hill, I am also in the process of creating my own summer flute workshops and will post more information soon.

Here are details on the festivals below!

SummerDayMusic at Indian Hill Music
July 21 – August 1 – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Two-week program for ages 8 -18

An innovative two-week program for ages 8-18 that balances traditional instrument and music theory study with opportunities to discover the diverse world of music. Core curriculum provides essential instruction in technique and musicianship, and elective classes foster creativity and exploration of new instruments and musical styles. Performances are focused on learning and sharing music together, so students are encouraged to play and sing in a variety of ensembles. Students’ experiences are broadened as they learn to work together, and to inspire and support each other in the educational process.

SummerNightMusic at Indian Hill Music

JULY 2 – AUGUST 13, 2013
7:00-9:30 pm, Wednesday evenings
Seven-week program for adult instrumentalists

Chamber music is a wonderful opportunity to make music with friends. Designed for the adult amateur musician, our SummerNightMusic Festival is an opportunity for string, wind, piano, voice, harp, and guitar players to make music together. Led by coaches from Indian Hill’s talented faculty, groups will work on ensemble and individual musicality, listening, and balance.

The chamber groups are arranged into trios, quartets, and quintets based on instrumentation, level, and repertoire, performing music from Bach to Beethoven to Debussy. All participants will have the opportunity to play in two ensembles as well as receive a private lesson with a teacher of their instrument (scheduled outside festival hours). SummerNightMusic culminates in a festival concert on Wednesday, August 13 at 7:30 pm.

The program is geared towards the intermediate-advanced adult musician. While chamber music experience is not required, participants should have strong technical, rhythmic, and reading skills. If it is determined that a student is not playing at a level matching that of other musicians, the faculty may recommend other educational or performance options instead of this festival.

I’m a little slow in getting this posted, but Rachel and I completed the Spindrift Commissioning Guild Project last spring and the recording of Examinate Variations by composer Pamela Marshall was released in May on BandCamp.

You can find the full recording for purchase here.

It was my 3rd year to teach at SummerDayMusic at Indian Hill and I had a great time working with the six flute students in the during our “flute core” classes and coaching them in orchestra.  They were a terrific group of kids to work with and did a fantastic job performing at the final concert.

Here is a link to more pictures from the festival.

My performance and teaching schedule has been quiet since March when Greg and I welcomed a beautiful girl into our lives! Abigail was born on March 20, 2013 and we couldn’t have asked for a sweeter baby girl. The fall is around the corner and I am looking forward to seeing my students and colleagues soon!