(Little Wizard Enterprises will likely have more offerings to come sometimes soon, as well - but this one sure is ready to go, and again at a super-great offering price. For more info about this, feel free to email me - jansp@flutenet.com, and for more details you sure take a look at Little Wizard's Inventory. - Thanks!)

AND --- TOOT-tootle-LOO! *** UPDATE Nov. 18, 2022.... we are honored and delighted to get to share a new article by Howard Fosdick - The Ultimate Guide to the Song Flute - !!! It's full of valuable information and certainly about something pretty unique in the "flute world" ... Please check it out - here's the link: The Ultimate Guide to the Song Flute

WOOHOO! -- AND HERE'S ANOTHER TOOT-tootle-LOO! *** UPDATED -- December 14, 2022 --- Here's a wonderful note (and request!) regarding the tonettes and songflutes that Howard has written about - and we're honored to get to share it here at his request too (please if you can help, absolutely feel free to contact Jim directly, as directed below):

"Jan and Howard and Bandworld Folks -- Just wished to let you know that I enjoyed your recent articles about the tonettes and songflutes and similar instruments on The Flute Network and in Bandworld. That really brought back the old memories!

I don’t know if you realize it, but you can actually produce a few extra low tones on the tonette, simply by covering all the holes, and then covering a portion of the top mouthpiece opening with your upper lip, and by using good breath control. I find that I am able to produce tones as low as A (or sometimes even G!) below the tonette’s low C simply by manipulating how much of the top mouthpiece opening is covered by my upper lip, and also by using good breath control.

This is especially valuable when playing songs in the keys of F or Bb, where that Bb note below the tonette’s low C is an invaluable note to produce. Songs like the Star Spangled Banner, played in the key of Bb (which is probably the best key to play it on the tonette), need that low Bb note to complete the song (assuming you can reach that high F note on the tonette). And many other songs now become playable by the addition of two or three notes below the tonette’s low C!

Anyway, just thought I’d pass along that tidbit of information to you - and if you wish to share it with your readers, that is OK with me!

So thanks once again for the fine articles about the tonettes and songflutes and similar instruments, and I hope to be seeing more of the same in the future!

And P. S. - Do you happen to know anyone with an older yellow tonette for sale? I would like to acquire one for “old times sake”, so if you happen to know anybody who has one for sale, please have him or her contact me. Thanks for your help!"

                          

September 1, 2022. No matter where each of us is, or where we are, there’s no way to get around this “new reality” any more.....Nope!... there's no getting around the increasingly clear and obviousness that the world as we "knew it" is unquestionably changing/altering/evolving in so many more ways and on so many more levels than most all of us can comfortably handle.... People "in power" are making decisions and taking actions that (for many of us) don't feel right (... again, on SO many levels and in so many parts of our lives), to say the least.... And all of this coming on top of going on 3 years, now, of enforced isolation and home-confinement, which actually has played a big part in the evolution of current issues now-days as well (...even when that was originally actually good advice, re-COVID, etc), ... No question about it - we're in a collective experience of "evolving into a whole new world" - LOL! AND here at The Flute Network, we're thinking ahead as a result of all this too.

JUST A BIT OF HISTORY - to be frank, 38 years ago, the world was obviously also totally different than it is now.....  there was no such thing as the internet, and the sharing access we all had back then was far more only local, to say the least! It was so obvious to us that if folks had a way to get word out about things nationally, things could be better all around --- SO --- We began The Flute Network (and Little Wizard Enterprises) - and still continue it - as an established non-profit and entirely volunteer entity, entirely focused on being of service for flutists, flute teachers, and all the people who love those kinds of folks - literally nation-wide!

On September 7, 1984, the first printed issue was constructed, printed, and mailed out nationwide - the purpose and focus being helping folks get word out about things they needed to, as efficiently and effectively as we possibly could. No membership or dues required, just interest and requests to join the list, and agreement to “go by the rules” we’d collectively established, all valued and stood for - and all of that has been consistent ever since the beginning! We began it while living in East Lansing, MI - then moved to North Carolina - then I moved to San Bernardino, CA - and kept the print/mailing happening consistently all the way -- and the mailing list continued to grow and expand as well.

As the online world evolved, though, we later elected to also honor the folks that could be served that way too, by beginning a website on October 12, 1996.... we then began sharing on there all of the contents of each printed issue there, online, too, as each one happened.

Things changed again in 2009. Because of complicated family issues and our moving from San Bernardino to West Linn, Oregon - the February 2009 issue was our last print/mailed one.... it went out to 7,853 different individuals and companies all across the country ---- AND EVER SINCE THEN we've only been keeping the website going, with updates and additions each and every month since then, still all free of charge, of course.  We've also been totally honored and thrilled to get to share some wonderful articles by HOWARD FOSDICK and KAREN WEEKS -- such terrific offerings! 

Even as it's true that access to wonderful sites and info is now-days possible and available online, sadly, for sure - it's also becoming increasingly obvious that the "world of the internet" is evolving and changing too, ... in that there’s increasinly frequent and sneaky (and sad!) impacts of hacking happening, almost exploding numbers of scams, way too frequent happenings of phishing, fraud, and all kinds of abuse happening through that avenue now-days as well..... ! (The stories we’ve been informed of, about experiences so many folks have these days, via that medium, sure indicate that issues are almost increasingly serious....) The parallels of this condition (via internet) are so totally similar to those we had become so aware of that folks were experiencing locally, back when we began, is beyond astounding..... so for sure, we’re all collectively at a new point of having to make decisions and choices of what we can do in this context - again!

SO -- GIVEN THESE CHANGES IN OUR WORLD - WE’RE RE-CONSIDERING WHAT WE CAN DO THESE DAYS TO CONTINUE TO BE OF HELP!

WE WILL MAINTAIN OUR PRESENCE AND SERVICE AND GOALS - our intentions, and purpose - for being a solid base for sharing worthwhile and helpful information here online - hopefully too, offering inspiration, encouragement and support for keeping-on-keeping-on good for us all! While some of our long-time pages here will be deleted since they likely aren’t quite as useful as they used to be, we'll absolutely keep those wonderful articles available that we’re so honored to get to share (be sure you’ve seen them - by HOWARD FOSDICK and KAREN WEEKS - links are below) - and we'll ABSOLUTELY KEEP THE STOLEN INSTRUMENTS listings up to date, too, at the very least -- as that does indeed continue to be a proven useful service (so glad about that!) -- and will see what (if any) other inspirations come ---- am ready and willing to take actions when it's clear, of course.  

Currently, we're going to continue to be open to ideas and suggestions of how we might be of help and use as our collective future rolls on! Since the world really is indeed changing, I'm going to do my best to evolve along with whatever needs can be addressed or assisted as we all move forward. We'll keep this site going - and be open to all that comes next. 

If you're still reading all this, thanks so much for doing that, and for your interest! Know that I'd genuinely love to hear any ideas or suggestions (email me at jansp@flutenet.com) - and here's to all that comes next for us all - whatever that turns out to be! 

UPDATE May 12, 2022. Knew this was coming, but so very sad it did.... this man has been probably the single most influential teacher in my whole life - even though I don't play flute, being a teacher myself I always loved getting to watch him teach each and every time I could! Plus the fact that he truly was a spectacular flutist of course. Here's a link to an official obituary - there's probably going to be more notices too as he's certainly worthy of celebration! Will add more here too, soon. https://topinfoguide.com/scholarship/william-bennett-death-prominent-british-flute-player-william-bennett-dies-aged-86-cause-of-death-obituary-news/

UPDATE May 21, 2022 --- As expected, more complete, wonderful and detailed story of WIBB has been shared here - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/17/william-bennett-obituary?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

                          

                          

So yup - the adventure sure continues! (And if anybody cares to share any thoughts or ideas - please absolutely know we'd love to hear from you about them! Email me at jan@flutenet.com!)

Again - most sincerely - thanks for your interest and support! Here's to all that comes next for us all - and yup, it's totally still true: we're all in this together!
And absolutely - wishing you, and all of us, all the best! Many thanks - more later -- Jan