Chamber Music Coaching

Mrs. Vincent is a performing chamber musician and active coach. She is the founding member of the Vincent/Lasher Duo (flute and guitar), a member of the Rivers Music School Woodwind Quintet and a former member of the Concord Hill Woodwind Quintet.

“During the two years I participated in Mrs. Vincent's advanced flute ensemble at Rivers, I truly enjoyed attending rehearsal each week. Playing in the ensemble gave me a chance to learn how to play in a group. Overall, the group was welcoming, warm, fun, and educational." --Caroline Hile student at Duke University

Mrs. Vincent believes that the small ensemble participation unique to chamber music enhances private lessons and large ensemble experiences and should be an integral part of her students’ musical education from an early age. She established many flute ensemble programs for her private students in order to complement their other music training. She created the chamber music program at the Rivers Music School in Weston, Massachusetts which began with a single mixed instrument trio. Mrs. Vincent developed this program which from one ensemble grew to within a period of 3 years 2 dozen ensembles, 12 faculty coaches and 100 children. She adjudicated all instrumental auditions, solicited the faculty coaches, placed the students in age/level appropriate groups, ran workshops and practice performances for all ensembles and instituted two yearly chamber music recitals. This program was named a department within 2 years of its inception and Mrs. Vincent was its first Chair for several years.

Mrs. Vincent has also coached flute/guitar duos, woodwind quintets and other mixed instrument ensembles.

Adjudication
Mrs. Vincent is an experienced adjudicator of all instruments and levels. From the hundreds of chamber music auditions she has heard as Chair of the Chamber Music Department to the yearly Woodwind Department juries and evaluations as flute faculty at the Rivers Music School, she understands the challenge and stress faced by young musicians in an audition situation. Mrs. Vincent created a series of practice audition classes at Rivers which specifically teach young flutists how to manage the anxiety of auditions and competitions. Drawing on her own extensive audition and competition experiences as well as her students’ experiences, Mrs. Vincent speaks knowledgeably about how young music students can effectively prepare, what to expect in an audition, how to present oneself with poise and confidence and how to mentally focus under stress.

In addition to her adjudication for the Rivers Music School, she has judged the Massachusetts Northeast and Southeast Senior District flute auditions and the Massachusetts Northeast Junior District flute auditions. She has been a juror for local scholarship and concerto competitions including the Rivers Music School Concerto Competition and the Pappoutsakis Flute Competition, the premier flute competition in New England open to students enrolled at New England Conservatory, Boston University, Berklee, Longy and The Boston Conservatory.

Mrs. Vincent has had many private students successfully compete in all levels of auditions and competitions. She believes that students need an arsenal of strategies to deal with the many layers of feelings and emotions which auditions frequently stir up in young musicians.

For more information on how to have Mrs. Vincent present a clinic on audition skills and strategies click here.