VANAMALI MEDINA
educator, flutist
I grew up with a wide range of musical influences. Sunday services spent singing at the top of our lungs, PBS opera broadcasts with my mother, an underfunded but enthusiastic marching band, and playing bluegrass guitar at local fairs. Music was a constant and a safe place where I found a welcoming community, my closest friends, and learned more about both the world and myself. I hope to pass on the same kind of experience to all my studio families.
From the time I was old enough to want a career, flute was always my dream. I received a Bachelor of Music in Performance with Distinction from St. Olaf College, studying with Kay Sahlin, and my Master of Music Performance with Lorna McGhee and Brenda Fedorak at the University of British Columbia, where I taught and designed the curriculum for the flute portion of the Woodwind Methods course. Since moving to the Twin
Cities, I have served on the boards of the Upper Midwest Flute Association as well as the Suzuki Association of Minnesota, where I currently serve as President. I have also taught clinics and lessons in schools throughout the metro area and direct the Lake Sylvia Flute Institute.
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When I'm not in the studio, I love getting outdoors whether it's summer paddleboarding or winter sledding, making fancy cakes, and camping with our two daughters.
My teaching is heavily influenced by Suzuki philosophy, which I first encountered attending a Suzuki Early Childhood music class after our older daughter was born. The emphasis on a healthy mindset, building a musical ear alongside technique, and a worldwide community of both students and teachers intrigued me. I began Suzuki Teacher Training. the following summer and have since completed classes through Book Ten. I also take further pedagogy training throughout the year and, with our daughters both learning an instrument, participate in lessons from the parent side in daily practice.
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Whatever their individual goals, I encourage my students to seek out new musical experiences and approach music as communication and connection. My favorite moments of teaching are when students arrive excited about a new piece they've found or make a musical holiday card for their family and especially when they realize they really have something of value to give to themselves and others through their flute.
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