What’s Your Sign? Flute Playing According to Zodiac Sign
by Rachel Taylor Geier
The beginning of a new calendar year is a great time to reflect on wins from last year and goals for the upcoming 12 months. Many of us set new year’s resolutions to address weaknesses in our flute playing and ways we can positively addresses these areas through collaborations with others. A refreshing way to design your goals in 2022 is by looking at them through the lens of your Zodiac sign. According to your sun sign, what are you naturally good at? What is your flute super-power? Can you share this super-power with others? What are your stereotypical weaknesses? And, most importantly, how can you better address those weakness by working together with other signs? Keep in mind that we all have weaknesses. I, myself, am a Scorpio and know all too well how my intense nature can sometimes get the best of me. Thankfully, I am surrounded by Cancers, who urge me to practice self-care, and Capricorns, who help me take the emotional charge out of a situation to view it from a practical, problem-solving angle. In this article, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of all 12 Zodiac signs, identifying the flute super-power each possesses and potential opportunities to collaborate with other signs to address weaknesses. We are better when we work together. Astrology is a good way to open the door to other flutists who can help us be a better version of ourselves while building a better community for all of us.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Strengths – Independent Thinkers, Courageous, Determined, Honest
Flute Super-Power – An Aries flutist loves to compete and is unstoppable as a competitor (other signs beware!)! Regional competitions, national auditions, online masterclasses – An Aries loves to go for the gold.
Weaknesses – Impatient, Moody, Impulsive, Aggressive, Reactionary
Opportunities to Collaborate – An Aries would do well to befriend a Libra, who can encourage a better balance in their flute playing life. Competing is only one facet of being a flutist, like a side dish to performing in an orchestra and/or chamber group, hosting recitals, teaching, writing, and working on other creative projects. Partnering with a Virgo will also help an Aries refine their playing down to the smallest details. Sometimes an Aries may jump into a competition before truly mastering a piece just to enter the competition. A perfectionist Virgo will refine their performance down to the most minute detail before entering the race. The two signs may learn a lot from each other!
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Strengths – Dependable, Steady, Driven, Patient, Persistent, Trustworthy
Flute Super-Power – A Taurus flute player is very good at scale studies and etude routines. They like to work on repetitive patterns and chip away at difficult repertoire. A Taurus also serves as a great career counselor for other flutists. They are able to carefully listen to others and suggest practical paths forward. They do not get frustrated when the path to greatness takes longer than expected and have wonderful tips for other signs who may become impatient with the process.
Weaknesses – Materialistic, Stubborn, Resistant to Change, Indulgent, Possessive
Opportunities to Collaborate – Leos and Sagittarius flutists can teach the Taurus how to add a bit of sparkle to their performances. They are the divas of the Zodiac and are masters at adding drama to the mundane. Partnering with an Aquarius will help the Taurus flutist learn more about improvisation, flexibility, and going more with the flow (especially when it comes to sight reading).
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Strengths – Intelligent, Adaptable, Agile, Communicative, Informative, Connected
Flute Super-Power – Gemini flutists are social media masters! They love to advertise new projects, performances, and other interesting work by other flutists. They likely have quite an active YouTube page, an interesting flute blog, and tend to post new flute videos on a daily basis. They are not afraid of haters or drama in the comments section. Follow all of their content to stay connected to the greater global flute community.
Weaknesses – Talkative, Exaggerating, Superficial, Inconsistent
Opportunities to Collaborate – If you are a Gemini flutist, seek out a Capricorn who can help add a bit of structure and focus to your flute playing routine (particularly when it comes to practice). Also collaborate with a Scorpio, who can help you dive deeper into researching your most brilliant budding ideas.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Strengths – Nurturing, Supportive, Healing, Compassionate, Unconditionally Loving
Flute Super-Power – Cancer flutists support their colleagues no matter what! This makes them particularly great ensemble members in both chamber and larger group settings. They know exactly when to support as the accompaniment, when to play out as the soloist, and when to collaborate in smaller duet forms. They are the best collaborators in the Zodiac.
Weaknesses – Dependent, Indirect, Moody, Passive-Aggressive, Unable to Let Go
Opportunities to Collaborate – Cancer flutists will get a lot out of teaming up with a Sagittarius. A Sagittarius will encourage a Cancer to shine more, even within a group context. They will also help the Cancer see the brighter, more optimistic side of flute playing. It’s not all about work – Sometimes playing music is all about communicating and having fun!
LEO (July 23-August 22)
Strengths – Brave, Playful, Leader, Fun, Generous, Charismatic
Flute Super-Power – Leos are no doubt the recital divas of the Zodiac! They are great at putting on a show and gravitate towards virtuosic repertoire. They also make the ideal section leaders due to their natural leadership skills and their fearlessness to play out.
Weaknesses – Egotistical, Dominating, Stubborn, Controlling, Vain
Opportunities to Collaborate – Leo flutists should seek out Capricorns. Capricorns are honest to a fault, making them great sounding boards. Because they are not afraid of the Leo’s pride and/or ego, Capricorns will not hesitate to help identify areas for improvement and practical ways to get there. Sometimes a Leo may become a bit blinded by the spotlight to see full picture.
VIRGO (August 23-September 22)
Strengths – Humble, Altruistic, Logical, Responsible, Organized, Orderly, Modest, Devoted
Flute Super-Power – Virgo flutists are extremely good at orchestral excerpts. Virgos can organize all of the minute details in each excerpt and understand perfectly how the flute part fits within the surrounding score. They are prepared for anything. They are so connected to the details that they can play each excerpt slower than marked, faster than marked, backwards, forwards, in chunks, and sometimes even in different keys. They are tough to beat on the audition circuit!
Weaknesses – Perfectionists, Obsessive, Critical, Pays Excessive Attention to Smaller Details
Opportunities to Collaborate – Virgo flutists may benefit by working closely with an Aquarius. An Aquarius can show the Virgo the importance of the bigger picture hidden among the minute details. They can also help the perfectionist Virgo accept that sometimes done is better than perfect. This may make the Virgo flutist far more productive than ever before.
LIBRA (September 23-October 22)
Strengths – Charming, Harmonious, Diplomatic, Easy-Going, Polished
Flute Super-Power – Libras are very good at finding and developing tone color variations. They are sensitive to the changing beauty of a melody and how small shifts in sound can add an extra layer of sparkle to a performance. Libras help us find the beauty buried in technical phrases.
Weaknesses – Indecisive, Superficial, Hypocritical, Gullible
Opportunities to Collaborate – Libras can partner up with an Aries to learn how to make quicker decisions (both musical and non-musical). Capricorns can also help by offering honest, yet very valuable, advice. Sometimes Libras may be so focused on surface beauty that they forget about the deeper structures in the music.
SCORPIO (October 23-November 21)
Strengths – Passionate, Driven, Perceptive, Emotional, Sacrificing, Determined
Flute Super-Power – Scorpios are the masters of French Flute School works! Scorps understand the drama of the melody, the intensity of the vibrato needed in each register, and the persistence of the runs that drive the music forward. These works speak to their very passionate and intense nature.
Weaknesses – Vindictive, Paranoid, Destructive, Possessive, Jealous
Opportunities to Collaborate – Capricorns are good sounding boards who appreciate a Scorpio’s unique brand of perfectionism but can remove the emotional charge that sometimes clouds a Scorpio’s judgement. Cancers can also soften a Scorpio’s intense determination, reminding them to take care of themselves and the others around them (no matter what).
SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21)
Strengths – Ambitious, Lucky, Moral, Optimistic, Enthusiastic, Open-Minded, Versatile
Flute Super-Power – Sagittarians make fantastic Jazz flutists! Why? Because the big band sound is often optimistic and bright, encourages soloists to be versatile and open-minded to different approaches to solo lines, and demands an enthusiastic audience.
Weaknesses – Gluttonous, Lazy, Restless, Irresponsible, Tactless
Opportunities to Collaborate – A Sag that tends to procrastinate would do well to seek out a Virgo to help them organize their daily responsibilities and performance schedule. A Scorpio can also help show the overly optimistic Sagittarius the darker side to anything that feels too good to be true (Scorps can find the truth in the fine print). Finally, a Capricorn can help a Sagittarius better define their musical responsibilities.
CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19)
Strengths – Driven, Patient, Strategic, Determined, Disciplined, Reliable, Responsible, Persistent
Flute Super-Power – Capricorns are the masters of the practice room! They follow effective routines and organize their time for max productivity. They may try out a new routine from time to time, but usually stick with one that works well for them. If you need practice advice, seek out your local Cap.
Weaknesses – Pessimistic, Cynical, Fearful, Rigid, Ruthless in Achieving a Goal
Opportunities to Collaborate – If you are Capricorn flutist, schedule a few jam sessions with a Sagittarius. A Sagittarius can help a Capricorn find the fun in their music (It isn’t only about following the rules, after all). A joint recital with a Leo will also help a Capricorn find their courage and connect to their inner flute diva.
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18)
Strengths – Intelligent, Inventive, Humanistic, Friendly, Altruistic, Sociable
Flute Super-Power – Aquarians are incredibly talented masterclass instructors. Their friendly and flexible nature helps students feel comfortable trying out new techniques. They are also good at coming up with several different ways to explain the same concept to different types of learners.
Weaknesses – Rebellious, Scatterbrained, Irresponsible, Eccentric
Opportunities to Collaborate – Aquarian flutists should pursue opportunities to teach in conjunction with a Scorpio. Scorpios are very good at focusing on one thing at a time and can show the Aquarian interesting ways to reorganize their time to accomplish very specific priorities. Teaming up with a Capricorn can also help the Aquarian organize their schedule so they spend less time jumping haphazardly from one rehearsal to the next.
PISCES (February 19-March 20)
Strengths – Mystical, Intuitive, Imaginative, Compassionate, Sensitive
Flute Super-Power – Pisces are very good at performing improvisations. Because they literally “go with the flow” as the fish of the Zodiac, improvisation utilizes their gifts of imagination and intuition to create something new and beautiful out of thin air (even if only for a fleeting moment).
Weaknesses – Unrealistic, Lethargic, Self-Pitying, Lacking Boundaries, Dependent/Co-Dependent
Opportunities to Collaborate – A Pisces flutist should follow the lead of an Aries. Teaming up on a creative project or entering a competition together (as part of a chamber music group, for example) is a great way to pool their collective strengths and work on their areas of improvement together. The energy and gusto of the Aries will help counteract the sensitivity of a Pisces (and vice versa). A Leo can also help a Pisces learn to set boundaries and value themselves and their unique musical talents. Leos are great sounding boards for Pisces to discuss their most important goals.
There is so much that we can learn from each other and even more that we can give to others in support. Astrology is a unique way to identify some of these collaborative opportunities. We all have strengths and weaknesses. It is what we chose to do with these strengths and weaknesses that determines how strong we can build our flute community. What is your super-power? How can you best address your weaknesses? What can you share with the flute world? Use astrology to plan out your positive collaborations in the year ahead.
Rachel Taylor Geier holds a DMA in Flute Performance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, an MM in Flute Performance from San Francisco State University, and a BM in Music Performance from DePauw University. Former applied instructors include Immanuel Davis, Linda Lukas, Anne Reynolds, and Rhonda Bradetich. Dr. Geier currently teaches and freelances in Davis, California.