Now we're going to meet our flutist on our symphonic safari adventure.

Come this way.

Hello.

I'm Roger, Roger Rhythm and you are Karen.

I am, I'm Karen Large.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

So first of all, just to get to know a little bit about you as a flutist, which is one of my favorite instruments, I must say.

How old were you when you first started playing the flute?

I started playing the flute when I was twelve years old.

Oh, wonderful age.

And of course, sometimes the instrument choose us or we choose the instrument you and your case.

How did you choose the flute?

I love that question.

I always say it's like when the wizard, or when the wand chooses the wizard.

my best friend, played the flute when I was in middle school.

I started on saxophone and my best friend played the flute, and I loved the way it sounded and it was so much easier and I never stopped.

Oh, fascinating.

Was it at Hogwarts?

It was!

It was.

And where did you grow up and how did music play a role in your childhood, Karen?

I grew up in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, and in middle school, Middle school is a tough time sometimes for kids.

And being in band felt like home, and I always had a group of friends and we always had fun.

And so it was a really important part of just growing up as a human.

Oh those middle years.

Yes.

Fond memories.

So tell me of all the eras of music.

What is your favorite, Karen?

I would say the 20th century, 20th and 21st century.

You know, in the times prior to that, everything kind of fit into a box.

You know, baroque music sounds like this, and classical music sounds like this.

In the 20th and 21st century, it was like an explosion, and you can't say that there's one style.

There are many, many, many styles.

And I love that about the 20th century.

So the 20th century became more creative.

Absolutely, individualistic.

Oh, wonderful.

And of course, in your musical career, everyone has a favorite song, of course.

But there's that first song.

Could you tell us about the first song you played, Karen?

I can.

There's a competition for young instrumentalists called Soul and Ensemble Festival in Florida.

And my band director gave me, Camille Saint-Saens The Swan from the Carnival of the Animals.

And so that was my first solo.

Could you would you play some of that for us?

I'd be honored.

Yes.

Fascinating.

It seems to take you to a faraway place.

Yeah.

Oh, lovely.

If your flute was an animal.

Then what animal would it be?

I think it would be a bird.

Hmm.

Why do you say that?

Well, we always play scales and fast rhythms and trills, and it sounds just like birds.

Hmm, I could see that.

And what is the most unique thing about your instrument, Karen, among all the others out there?

I think everyone thinks they have a great lung capacity.

They can hold their breath the longest.

Then they can play the flute.

The flute player likes to claim that our instrument takes the most air.

And so the reason for that is you blow half the air across and it gets wasted and the other half of the air goes into the instrument.

So that's, I think, what makes it unique.

Fascinating, fascinating, Roger that.

And what do you find for inspiration?

Hmm.

What inspires you?

You know, I'm inspired by love and humanity and relationships and fun and friendship and all of those things that are happy things in life.

I like to put that into my music.

Great energy.

Now, on the other side of this, all of us need motivation and what motivates you to play every day to practice?

Just like riding a bike, you can do it even if you haven't practiced in a while.

But it doesn't feel exactly right, whereas if you ride your bike every day, you know exactly how it feels and how the gears shift and the flute is the same way.

If you play it every single day, it's kind of like coming home and you know where you're starting from, and you can always build on it.

See your passion.

Tell me, what do you like playing most about the flute?

What do I like playing most?

Actually what do you like most about the flute as you play?

I have always enjoyed blowing and pressing the keys.

I've always enjoyed pressing the buttons on the elevator and cash registers, and I like all of the keys on the flute and blowing so many keys on the flute.

And tell me now I want you to play something for us.

Play something that you feel passionate about, would you share?

I will.

I have to give a little preface.

This is something that has all sorts of sounds that you wouldn't expect coming from the flute.

And, You'll hear it.

Wow, that was amazing.

I know that your flute has probably given you an opportunity to travel.

Where have you traveled playing the flute, Karen?

I've traveled all over the United States playing the flute and I've been to Canada and I was supposed to go to Tokyo in 2020 and Argentina.

But instead, I got to go there virtually and play.

So it's made, I've gotten to travel a lot of places and make a lot of friends.

Amazing.

Amazing.

Now, of course, the flute is part of the orchestra, and In an orchestra, everyone is playing, but could you play something from an orchestra so we can hear only the flute?

You got it.

Oh, that sounds a bit familiar.

I like it.

Now, Karen, if you could give advice to anyone, any young, let's say, fourth grader who is thinking about playing the flute.

What advice would you give that youngster?

I would give them the advice to go for it.

The flute is such a fun instrument.

You get to sit in the front row and the band, and you sit in the front row of the winds in the orchestra and you're a leader and you get to play the high notes and the melody and you get to play fast.

And if that's something that sounds fun.

Go for it.

It's a really great instrument.

Amazing.

Now this is a rapid fire.

OK, I will ask you to choose between two things I give you.

You have to be quick about it.

Like a flute.

Quick.

OK. All right.

Gators or Seminoles?

Seminoles.

Disney, or Disney Plus or Netflix?

Disney Plus.

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Trek Oh, I like it.

Hot wings or hot dogs?

Hot dogs.

Last one is Baby Yoda or E.T.?

Baby Yoda.

So cute.

Oh.

Oh, that's OK. Oh, I failed.

That's OK. A couple of things about the flutes that we want to tell you is that is one of the oldest instruments.

Sometimes it's estimated over 35,000 years ago, and this is interesting.

The flute requires more air than any other instrument, including the tuba.

Fascinating.

Thank you all.

Cheerio.