Instructor: Shannon Schumann

Individual lessons for 10 week term

25 Min. Lessons: Members $20 per lesson, Non-Members $22 per lesson.
50 Min. Lessons: Members $40 per lesson, Non-Members $44 per lesson.

Irish Wooden Flute

One of the loveliest Celtic instruments is the Irish Wooden Flute. It’s mellow and dark tone is well-suited to the modes of Celtic music. While there are similarities to the iconic Irish Tin Whistle, the Irish Flute is capable of evoking a more melancholy and emotional response from listeners.  Shannon Schumann, a member of De Mairt Ceol as well as a harpist with The Therapeutic Harp Foundation in Phoenix, teaches Irish Flute Lessons.  Shannon is an exceptional musician and an enthusiastic teacher.

Flute Lessons: NOTE there is a good deal of overlap in topics between these two categories, depending on the background and needs of the student.

Beginning Flute: No previous music experience necessary, although students may prefer to begin on whistle and transfer to flute later.

  • How to choose and hold an instrument.
  • Breath control and how to produce good tone.
  • Basics of music notation.
  • The two most common scales for Irish music
  • Types of traditional tunes
  • Slow tunes by ear and by sight

Intermediate Flute: Basic facility with simple tunes required

  • Tuning and Tone – harmonics and third octave exercises
  • Dance tunes by ear and by sight at session tempo
  • Advanced theory  – modes
  • Ornamentation, phrasing, and style
  • Playing with others: session etiquette and putting together sets

Class Day/Time:

Please check out the Academy’s Term schedule for more details.

About the Instructor:

Shannon Schumann began her musical studies at the age of 10 and majored in oboe performance in college. Her initiation to Celtic music was in 1994, in the tiny mountain town of LaGrande, Oregon.

“It was really trial by fire,” she says. “The town was so small back then and we were really isolated, but there was a great little band playing traditional music. They invited me to perform with them while I was still learning the style, all the while playing on a classical flute, so I was lucky to learn from some very good players early on. Now there is a thriving Celtic music scene there.”

Since then, she has performed in Celtic groups in Oregon, Kentucky, Colorado, and now, Arizona. Here in the Valley, she can be heard performing solo at festivals, weddings, coffee houses, and restaurants; in her duo, Begged and Borrowed; and with the local band De Mairt Ceol (which translates as Tuesday Music).

She teaches both Celtic flute and harp at the Academy. Musicianship and Celtic style are paramount, and she teaches traditional tunes with both written music and ear training.

As a Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner, she provides individual and group therapeutic sessions both privately and through the Therapeutic Harp Foundation. She is a Reiki practitioner and will complete her Reiki Master Teacher certification in September, 2018.