LU’s flute ensemble performs at Texas Music Educators Association convention, continues to grow and excel

Faculty and students from the Lamar University Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music traveled to San Antonio for the annual Texas Music Educators Association convention from Feb. 8-11. Over the course of the weekend, faculty members took part in recruitment activities, clinics, presentations and performances. Among those performances included the LU flute ensemble led by Dr. Brielle Frost.

TMEA is the world’s largest music educators convention with more than 26,000 attendees including 11,000 active music educators. Over the course of the convention, more than 280 clinics were taught, more than 100 performances took place, more than 1,300 exhibit booths from all aspects of the music industry were set up and All-State ensembles from all over performed.

Frost, assistant professor of flute in the department of music, said that it was a “huge honor” to have been accepted and to be invited to direct the LU flute ensemble at TMEA.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to have.”

Frost had a busy, yet exciting, time during the convention. Aside from preparing and directing her students, she presented a clinic over flute fundamentals and coached the TMEA 6A symphonic band flutists. Not only was she active at the TMEA convention, but she was the selector of the 2022–2023 All-State flute and piccolo etudes which led to an invitation to present a clinic at the Texas Bandmasters Association convention in San Antonio this past summer.

For Frost, it was being able to share the experience of TMEA alongside her students that was her favorite part of the entire weekend.

“For many of (my students), it was their first time ever at TMEA,” she said. “So, for them to just experience it is wonderful and amazing. For them to have the honor to perform and to share the hard work that they’ve done from last semester into this semester was really great. (It is) a really rewarding experience as a teacher to see your students really flourish, thrive and to be able to offer them opportunities and experiences like that.”

Over the course of Frost’s time at LU, the flute studio has nearly doubled in its size. During her first semester, there were five students in the studio. Today, the studio is made up of nine students consisting of music majors, minors and even one non-music major.

When asked why she believes the studio has grown exponentially, Frost talked about the hard work the department does to recruit students, but she emphasized the importance of the culture she is aiming to create.

“One of the best vehicles within the flute studio is the camaraderie,” she said. “They love playing together, they love rehearsing and their leadership aspects come out of it through their performance and direction of the ensemble.”

As the studio continues to grow, Frost’s number one goal is to keep building the culture of the studio and the trust of those within.

“Building trust and loyalty is extremely important,” she said. “I try really hard to build a positive, supportive, respectful and encouraging culture within the flute studio. That is one of the thing I am really proud about. I want to make the process fun and enjoyable while challenging them. I want to make sure that they’re all reaching their potential and pushing them beyond that as well.”

For more information regarding the flute studio, the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music or Woodwind Weekend, visit lamar.edu/music