The 41st annual Florida Flute Association Convention was hosted at the Orlando airport Marriott Lakeside from January 27 to 29, 2017. The Convention was filled with both in-state and out-of-state flute choirs and soloists that provided different exhibits for people to participate in. The whole three days were packed with exhibits that performed concerts, rehearsals, sight readings, masterclasses, and showcases. Some of the annual members came all the way from California, Tennessee, Washington DC, and Hungary to join this large group of flute people.

My Experience

I am a member of the Atlanta Metro Youth Flute Choir and was luckily offered this wonderful opportunity to go to Florida during a weekend to participate in a wonderful event. Our group left Georgia on Friday and made it to the Orlando airport Marriott Lakeside hotel at night. The road trip was very enjoyable—the seven to eight-hour drive allowed further bonding in our choir.

It wasn't until morning when we realized the outside view of the hotel. My roommates and I were the lucky ones who got the swimming pool view from our window. The pool and its scenery reminded me of "The Bachelor," thanks to all of the couches and palm trees around the pool.

Our group performed on a Saturday morning, and (in my opinion) did so well. We played a variety of music, from peppy, cheery tunes to mystic, eerie pieces—we played our best and sounded our best.

Once the concert was over, we started to have fun around the hotel. My roommates and I enjoyed a few hours at the hot tub and rolled around in our hotel rooms watching Netflix. After a few hours of freedom, we enjoyed reading sessions and finished the day off with a concert with flute soloist Leone Buyse performing.

I remember being so exhausted at the end of the days because, being a bit younger than the other participants, we tended to get tired of the constant flute melodies after listening to it about a hundred times.

Overall, the trip was very exciting and I surprisingly learned a lot. There was one professional flute choir of elderly women that inspired me to concentrate more on the flute.

How cool would it be to excel at an instrument at the age of 85 (I mean if I live that long)?