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Leah Stevens

@stevensflute

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I know your anger, I know your dreams.
second flute @owensborosymphony
flute instructor @harpercollege

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My relationship with music has been tenuous at best, but making this recording has healed something in me and reminded me of why I loved doing this.

@alessandrotb93, @stephenuhlpiano, and I really enjoyed making this. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. I am so proud of it!

YouTube link in bio 🩵 by @stevensflute

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5 months ago

The Idylle from the Godard Suite is like walking through a garden…with some drama thrown in there. Please enjoy 🩵 more thanks to @stephenuhlpiano for his artistry!

Is there anything you’d like to see me record? Maybe we can get some projects going 😉 by @stevensflute

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a year ago

I haven’t made a proper recording of my new flute, but better late than never. Here is the first movement of the Godard Suite, such a charming piece. Thank you to @stephenuhlpiano for being one with my musical mind! by @stevensflute

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a year ago

I haven’t been able to play this excerpt without tongue pain for 4 years. It can only go up from here! I feel encouraged today, even if it doesn’t sound 100% like I want it to. taken in Harper College by @stevensflute

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2 days ago

Tonight in South Bend! Come hear the quintessential sounds of America with some John Williams, Michael Daugherty, and maybe some Dolly Parton! taken in South Bend Symphony Orchestra by @stevensflute

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7 days ago

Regional orchestras are just as important as big metropolitan orchestras, and to complain about elitism in classical music without recognizing this is short-sighted.

It starts in school. We are all trying to guide our students toward the most secure employment, while forgetting that careers can be shaped all sorts of ways. Freelancing is still a valid career path, and it’s time we acknowledge that. It is a-ok to love freelancing. I do! I love the orchestras I play with, and they’re all very solid and musical regional groups. It’s about what’s fulfilling to you individually. You are the master of your own career, at the end of the day, and whatever gives you the most fulfillment is the right call for you.

But back to elitism: we can keep saying that classical music is elitist, but how are we changing it? Are we changing the language we use surrounding it? Are we actively changing our attitude? You can say “don’t be elitist” all you want, but you have to follow through. We all have internalized beliefs as musicians, handed down to us by our professors. When do we start questioning that and comparing it to reality? The formula (practice, get good, win job, profit) for security hasn’t changed, but the formula for success has, and it’s time we start recognizing that success looks different for everyone and it’s all VALID.

Happy Wednesday! by @stevensflute

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24 days ago

Young people, take note: you don’t stop maturing musically. Interpretations change, tastes differ, and as long as you’re making people stop and listen, you’re doing it right. No one teacher or audition committee can take that away from you.

This is just me saying to trust the process, even when you feel like you can’t. Everything you do gets you one step closer to your goal. If you take the instrument out of the case, that’s half the battle. If you only play your scales and arpeggios, those are still the building blocks of music and will still transfer over to your solos and excerpts.

Trust the process. by @stevensflute

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24 days ago

Hot take: you need therapy.

This doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. Hell, talking to someone may even sound uncomfortable and I recognize that. But, the culture surrounding classical music is not an inherently uplifting one and for every story of support, there is one of struggle. Getting help not only improves your quality of life, but it helps us make the change we need in the classical music industry because a good therapist teaches you how to treat yourself, and in turn, other people. This includes positive self-talk, but also setting boundaries.

How do we set boundaries in classical music? Usually, in my experience, they’re set between colleagues, often of the same instrument. It’s “unacceptable” to set the same boundaries with people in power, but what if we did? What if we said “it is not ok to talk to me that way” if you’re being yelled at at work, or school? What if we could normalize it?

These talks start in a therapist’s office, or maybe with a friend. We need to talk louder. We need to establish within the hierarchy that people generally respond well when they’re treated like adults.

(Side note: I am supported and respected at my current places of employment, however I do speak about this from experience) by @stevensflute

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a month ago

No matter how many times I try, the counting is always off somehow 🙃 but Debussy knew how to write for the flute! 🪈 by @stevensflute

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a month ago

One of my best friends @celestialflute said to me, “everything costs”.

Being yourself will cost friends, and maybe opportunities. Trying to be everyone’s friend may cost you that, as well, because many people are looking for their next opportunity and don’t care who they step on to get it.

Everything costs. Life is short. There is no rhyme or reason to living, so you may as well live large and live how you want. by @stevensflute

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a month ago

In a Beethoven kind of mood 🎶 I think Eroica is my favorite Beethoven symphony. It was the first symphony I really studied in depth when I was in school and I really enjoy playing the excerpt from the fourth movement. Happy Monday! by @stevensflute

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a month ago

What’s your view like lately?

I don’t just mean the view from your stand (of which I have posted many, including this one) but what’s your view on practicing lately? Are you practicing with healthy mental (and physical) habits? Are you aware of the work you need to put in, while also acknowledging everything you’re doing beautifully? Are you taking breaks, and drinking water, and eating when you need to? All of these are important questions to ask yourself. Try to avoid “do I even love this if I’m not doing xyz or making progress every session?” Because you won’t be filled with gratitude and joy every time you practice…sometimes when you’re working in the industry, the work can very much feel like work instead of an opportunity to make art. That doesn’t mean you love music any less; it makes you human. And say it with me: only humans can make art.

Once again, only humans can make art. Stop with the ChatGPT bullshit. by @stevensflute

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a month ago