NEW MUSIC - EXTENDED TECHNIQUES - IMPROVISATION - ELECTRIC FLUTE
Wildacres Retreat, Little Switzerland, NC June
13-19, 2026
Unleash
your creativity at this “beyond the ordinary” flute class in the
gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains near Asheville, North Carolina.
Classically trained flutists who are wondering “isn’t there more?”
are welcome to join with improvisers and flutist-composers. Everyone
is encouraged to find their own voice in the ever-expanding
flute world. Robert Dick and Melissa Keeling will share with you
how to make new sounds on the flute as well as new ways to think
about music. You don’t need to be an advanced player to benefit
from this exciting course: you just need the desire to expand your
horizons. And everyone who does so finds that their traditional
flute playing takes an enormous leap forward during the week.
More beautiful and better projecting tone and clarity of articulation
and expression are just the beginning!
Robert Dick will teach his famous Flying Lessons to explore
the extended techniques that now appear so often in contemporary
flute music. The mysteries of multiphonics, glissandi, harmonics,
air sounds, key clicks, etc. will be unveiled in the context of
these highly performable pieces. He will demonstrate the flute that
will carry music forward for the next generations; the special Kingma-System
flute that he developed with Bickford Brannen plus his amazing
Glissando Headjoint®. Robert will demonstrate how to integrate
bass flute, alto flute and piccolo into your practice and performance.
In his evening masterclasses, Robert will coach flutists
playing contemporary flute literature (and selected classical pieces).
He’s particularly excited to work with those wishing to play their
own compositions or improvisations and he brings his experience
of improvising and co-creating with many of the greats of creative
music.
Melissa Keeling will carry on the creativity theme, geared
toward topics that participants are interested in exploring. Improvisations
utilizing extended techniques and employing the Electric Flute
make her afternoon sessions a stimulating experience. You have heard
nothing until you have heard her rendition of a Jerry Garcia guitar
solo! Melissa’s pedagogical side will be on display in her
brief morning sessions where she walks though the necessary exercises
to learn circular breathing.
Wildacres Retreat is a conference center offering its facilities
to non-profit groups conducting educational or cultural programs.
At an elevation of 3,300 feet, Wildacres is situated on 1,600 acres
atop Pompey’s Knob, a mountain near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Little
Switzerland, North Carolina. It offers double occupancy rooms with
private bath, a dining hall, a concert hall, an amphitheater, and
many teaching spaces.
Unleash
your creativity at this “beyond the ordinary” flute class in the
gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains near Asheville, North Carolina.
Classically trained flutists who are wondering “isn’t there more?”
are welcome to join with improvisers and flutist-composers. Everyone
is encouraged to find their own voice in the ever-expanding
flute world. Robert Dick and Melissa Keeling will share with you
how to make new sounds on the flute as well as new ways to think
about music. You don’t need to be an advanced player to benefit
from this exciting course: you just need the desire to expand your
horizons. And everyone who does so finds that their traditional
flute playing takes an enormous leap forward during the week.
More beautiful and better projecting tone and clarity of articulation
and expression are just the beginning!