My Mentors
My College Teacher at NEC
Mr. Pappoutsakis was second flute in the Boston Symphony for 40 years. He was my flute professor at the New England Conservatory, where I earned a Bachelor of Music under him. He was my example of a geniune professional flutist and a thorough teacher. His concept of a fluid and shimmering tone still lives in my inner ear even after more than 40 years! His concept of sorority has been the goal that I have sought to weld into every flute I've made since then.
My High School Teacher
Philip Kaplan played 3rd flute in the Boston Symphony Orchestra next to Mr. P. for - ?how many? - years. He was my private teacher in high school and prepared me for life as a professional flutist with his strict style that demanded perfect performances every week. I left each lesson determined to practice harder! His work with me formed a solid foundation for my own discipline in performance and in practice.
Edward Almieda
Ed was my mentor for flute making during my apprenticeship. His work was the model of excellence and his craftsmanship was dedicated to perfection. Building flutes under his own name served as a model for my own future, because he worked entirely alone in his home. Sincere friendship was his personal style in relationships.
Fredrich Von Huene
Though I haven't worked directly with Friedrich, I was a frequent visitor to his workshop, and I learned a lot from watching him at work. His love for early music was a model for many musicians of that time, and his dedication to making recorders supported all of us in that venue. He recommended that I work as an apprentice at the Powell Company, and he helped me apply for a job by teaching me how to make a wooden head joint for my old cracked Meyers System flute. That was the beginning of a long friendship.
Charles Roberts
I met Charlie at NEC when he entered the flute studio of Mr. Pappoutsakis. Later we shared an apartment together, and we spent many happy evenings playing duets and just talking about the flute. His interest in the technical side led him to full time employment at Haynes, and a year later he was padding new flutes for Powell Flutes.
When Charlie moved to Vermont, I brought each of my new flutes to him for finishing. He was the best flute padding technician I've ever known, and I learned so much from him just by watching him work and talking with him about flutes! His incredible patience and persistance have been a model for me as I have refined the art of padding every time I finish a new flute.
Rampal was the foremost soloist during the years after my time at NEC. His recordings set my mind spinning toward playing solo concerts. What a great experience I had one summer in his master class in Nice, France! Double tonguing was never like this before! His supple and fluid expression has been a life-long model to me for phrasing and expression.