Thanks to Dr. Rachel Woolf’s enthusiasm and creative approach to teaching, the flute students at The University of Texas at San Antonio are described as being “on fire.” Woolf fosters student success by building a supportive community rooted in excellence and artistic growth. “I balance lessons with a focus on tone, technique, etudes and repertoire, while cultivating body awareness,” she explains.
In her Flute Sudio classes, Woolf and her students sit in a circle to create an equal, collaborative environment. “To cover a wider range of concepts most efficiently, I developed a tone/technique warm-up packet over the last few years, which includes all major and minor scales, raga-inspired melodies and a variety of interval exercises — all designed to be played with a drone,” she explains. “Drawing from my interest and background in North Indian classical music, I introduce students to the tanpura drone, which can easily be found on YouTube. I have observed significant progress in students who practice a different key area each week using the drone, as it helps them focus on tone, pitch, intervals, finger work and theory skills, while encouraging improvisation, deep listening and thinking beyond the measure lines. I am working towards publishing this soon!”
Each year in late summer/early fall, Woolf holds the UTSA Flute Day, a time when Texas Flutists can jump start their all-state etude learning with a day focused on tone, technique and a flute choir reading session to build community.
In the summer of 2024, The National Flute Association’s Convention (NFA) was held in San Antonio, so Woolf founded the San Antonio Youth Flute Choir to perform at the convention. The choir participated in the final performance of the NFA Youth Flute Day. “We welcomed talented middle school and high school flutists from all over the San Antonio metro area and showcased the rich musical heritage of our city,” Woolf says proudly. “I commissioned a piece by UTSA composition alum Dominic Valadez, who also arranged three works by Chicana artists — Selena, Azul Barrientos and Eydie Gormé — and co-directed the ensemble with me. It was truly an unforgettable experience.”
Woolf traveled to South America to perform and teach at the World Flutes Festival in Mendoza, Argentina, as well as at Universidad de Talca and Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Chile. “During this life-changing experience, I had the opportunity to meet, teach and perform alongside many beautiful flutists and musicians from around the world,” she says.
She taught multiple five-hour masterclasses to flutists in Argentina and Chile, both with and without translator. “This experience gave me a profound appreciation for the true universality of music and the flute, as well as the immense positive impact music educators have within their communities worldwide. Music is a universal language,” she exclaims.
