Indy Flute Shop

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 8

Episode 8 of our “Paige’s of History Spotlights” is ready to go. Several state, national, and international performing arts organizations were formed during this time, as well as big changes in our company. Watch the video to learn what else was happening in our country and with our company between 1975-1990! TRANSCRIPT:Welcome back to our journey through the history of Paige’s Music. Today, we’ll traverse through the 1970s and 1980s an explosive time for the performing arts.1976 also marked a major milestone for Paige’s Music. We opened our first Indianapolis location and have called Indianapolis home ever since.We expanded our business to first in Terre Haute to the mall. And then that grew and grew and then decided to put a store in Indianapolis. That would be our central location for our salesmen calling on schools. And it got it got to be real good.That same year, Paige’s Music partnered with Bands Of America and hosted the very first Grand National Championships at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.Seven years after landing on the moon NASA accomplished another feat by landing on Mars for the first time, a journey we were likely to repeat with astronauts in the coming decade.America’s achievements

Apr 20, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 7

Episode 7 of our “Paige’s of History Spotlights” is ready to go. A significant drum stick and mallet company started during this time as well as Drum Corps International. Watch the video to learn what else was happening in our country and with our company between 1960-1975! TRANSCRIPT:Hi there, Erin and Jeremy here. We’re back with more “Paige’s of History,” looking today at the years 1960-1975.This time period was a very eventful one, both in our country and for our company.Several important events shaped our modern history, such as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and the Beatles’ first American appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.The Vietnam War lasted for this entire time period, finally ending in April of 1975.In 1963, music educator Clifford Cook began the first U.S. based Suzuki string education program at Oberlin Conservatory, with 30 young students and 2 teachers. Suzuki methods are still widely used to this day to teach young children.That same year, percussionist Vic Firth founded his percussion company in Boston, Massachusetts.In 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts was created.This important agency provides grants and seeks to fund, promote, and strengthen the

Apr 13, 2021 No Comments

150th Anniversary Sale

We’re celebrating the 150th anniversary of Paige’s Music all 2021, but April is extra special–we’re giving you $150 off any Premier rental or purchase (no foolin’)! Any instrument from the Indy Flute Shop will qualify for this discount–just complete your purchase or rental anytime during this month! Outright purchases will receive a $150 instant rebate for in-stock instruments. If you choose to rent instead, no problem! Current renters of a Paige’s Music student flute will receive an extra $150 added to their rent credit. New renter? No problem! We’ll take $150 off of your rental package price for qualified new rentals. The fine print: offer applies to in-stock instruments only. Available to qualified customers. Not valid for accessory purchases.

Apr 1, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 6

We’re chugging right along in our Paige’s of History series, looking today at 1945-1960! A famous comedian from Indianapolis, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, as well as one of the most famous clarinets of all time were born during this time period. Watch the video to find out the answers, and to learn what else was happening in our country and with our company between these years! TRANSCRIPT:Hello everyone! And welcome back to another episode of our “Paige’s of History” Spotlight.This week we’ll be looking at the years 1945 through 1960…On April 12, 1947, comedian and talk show host extraordinaire David Letterman was born right here, in Indianapolis.That same year, in a YMCA on the West side of Chicago, approximately 120 directors assembled for a six-hour clinic and new music reading session. Today, what is now known as the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, hosts 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 40 countries.in 1950, Robert Carree developed the Buffett R13, which is still one of the most popular clarinets in the world.On June 25th, 1951, RCA Broadcasted its first color television program on CBS.On October 4th, 1957- The Cold War began to heat up when Russia

Mar 26, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 5

Episode 5 of our “Paige’s of History Spotlights” is here! Watch the video to learn what was happening in our country and with our company between 1930-1945! TRANSCRIPT:Welcome back to Paige’s of History…Jeremy and Erin here. This week we’re taking a look at the years 1930-1945.Following the collapse of the global economy in late 1929, the country entered the Great Depression. Fortunately, Paige’s Music endured this difficult time.Frederick Paige passed away in 1932, leaving Paige’s Music solely in the hands of Warner Paige.In 1936, American gangster John Dillinger escaped from the supposedly “escape proof” county jail in Crown Point, Indiana.That same year, French manufacturer Henri Selmer Paris launched the “Balanced Action” saxophone—A revolution in modern saxophone design. Two years later, C.G. Conn released the Conn 8D French horn, the classic American horn prominently featured in the Original Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack.Legendary jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard was born in Indianapolis in 1937.In otherworldly news, Krypton’s favorite son Superman appeared in Action Comics #1. Forewarning the history to come, Marvel Comics sold one million copies of Captain America punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler nearly a year before the United States entered World War II.After 14 years of back-breaking construction, Mount Rushmore was

Mar 18, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 4

Episode 4 of our “Paige’s of History Spotlights” is ready to view. Concert and marching bands were on the rise and Indiana University School of Music opened its doors. Watch the video to find out when that was and what else was happening in our country and with our company between 1915-1930! Transcript:Hi there, Erin and John back with more “Paige’s of History,” looking at 1915-1930.The entrance of the United States into World War I in 1917 prompted the Wilson administration to promote a “patriotic mind-set.” Concert bands and marching bands were also used to promote patriotism for maintenance of civilian morale.College and university marching bands were also culturally influential during and after World War I, especially in the Midwest of the United States.In 1920, station KDKA in Pittsburgh became the first radio station to offer regular broadcasts, and in 1921, Indiana University School of Music opened its doors.In 1924, Vincent Bach began producing his line of trumpets, with musicians referring to a Bach trumpet as a real “Stradivarius.”The last half of the 1920s was a flurry of historical activity: the first motion picture with sound, The Jazz Singer, was released in 1927, Charles Lindbergh lands The Spirit of St.

Mar 11, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 3

Episode 3 of our “Paige’s of History Spotlights” is ready to view. It was a booming time in our country and our industry. One of the first school music programs started right here in Indiana. Watch the video above to find out where that was and what else was happening in our country and with our company between 1900-1915!Transcript:Hi there, Erin and John here againWe’re back with “Paige’s of History,” looking at the first 15 years of the 20th century.Sadly, William Harlan Paige passed away in 1901. His sons, Warner H. Paige and Frederick Paige, took over the business at that time. The turn of the century was a booming time, both for our country and the music business in general. Events such as the first silent film, the first successful flight of the Wright Brothers, and the rising popularity of ragtime music happened in the first 5 years of the 1900s.Things were hopping in the school music world, too: The Music Educators National Conference was formed in 1907, and in 1909 one of the first school band programs was formed by W. Otto Meissner in Connersville, Indiana.Companies like Paige’s would soon see a boom of demand for school musical

Mar 4, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 2

Episode 2 of our “Paige’s of History Spotlights” is ready to view. Some of the most famous instrument brands were born during this time period, including a flute name you might recognize. Enjoy this video to find out what else was happening in our country and with our company between 1885-1900! Transcript: Today on “Paige’s of History,” we’re looking at the years 1885-1900.This time period saw the development of several notable instrument manufacturers on the heels of the second Industrial Revolution.Henri Selmer founded his namesake company in 1885 and eventually began producing world famous clarinets and saxophones, and William S. Haynes founded his flute company in Boston in 1888.Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd, now known as Yamaha Corporation, was founded by Torakasu Yamaha in 1887. Japanese woodwind maker Yanagisawa began importing their instruments for US military bands around this time as well.Just before New York’s Ellis Island began processing immigrants from other countries in the United States, Peter Ilioych Tchaikovsky conducted the first performance at Carnegie Hall.At the height of the military band movement, instrument maker J.W. Pepper patented the Sousaphone in 1893, and the world famous “Stars and Stripes Forever” was published in 1896.During this time period, military and extracurricular

Feb 25, 2021 No Comments

Paige’s Music History Spotlight-Episode 1

We’re here with the first “Paige’s of History Spotlight”, celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Paige’s Music. Join us as we look back at the events that shaped our country, our state, and our company. For this video series, we’ll be looking at snippets of local and national history as they relate to music education, music industry and our company. So…it’s 1871…The great Chicago Fire rages through the city for two days straight.A breathtaking 3,500 square foot Mile parcel of land was on its way to becoming Yellowstone National Park, and in the industrial city of Terre Haute, Indiana, William Harlan Paige, founded W.H. Paige and Company on the corner of Main and 6th Street with his business partner, W.B. Wharton. The downtown Terre Haute store was a full-line shop for everything related to music. W.H. Paige was known for his fine tenor voice and sold his own choral arrangements at the store as well. Some might argue that W.H. Paige’s success is due to William’s experience of being THE first music teacher in the Terre Haute Public Schools, giving him first hand knowledge of what schools would need for years to come. Just nine years after the opening of the

Feb 11, 2021 No Comments

Re-introducing myself

It’s been a while since I’ve said “hey” around here, and I know I have a lot of new followers since this video came out, so I wanted to take a moment to re-“introduce” myself. Hi! My name is Erin Nichols, and I’m the manager of the Indy Flute Shop at Paige’s Music. I work with everyone from new players to students looking to upgrade their beginner flute from Paige’s Music to local and area professionals to help them find their next perfect forever instrument! I genuinely love what I do, even though I never saw myself in this kind of position. Other random things about me: I’m an I/ENFJ (who else loves Meyers-Briggs??), I have 3 senior pets (a 13-year old beagle, a 9-year old miniature pinscher mix, and a 12-year old red tabby cat), and I LOVE to read. I live in a historic neighborhood in Indianapolis with my husband of 13 years, Colin, and my almost-2 year old daughter, Ailey. If you want to know a little bit about me and my background, feel free to watch this video from about 3 years ago. Enjoy!

Jan 19, 2021 No Comments

Flute history crash course

As I mentioned in last week’s post, this year Paige’s Music is celebrating 150 years in business! I am part of a research team that is diving into the history of the past 150 years–I haven’t done any research since I was in grad school, and I’m loving it! I figured this was a great time to do a series delving into the history of the flute, so this week is a crash course over the history and evolution of the instrument itself. Many thanks to Gemeinhardt for this awesome timeline. While the term “flute” refers to a broad number of instruments which are found in many different cultures, we will be exploring the history of our modern flute. There are many names for this special kind of flute. These names include: cross flute, German flute, transverse flute and flauto traverso. What is important about all of these names is that they define an instrument that is held horizontally while being played. A flute dating back to approximately 900 B.C. was found in China and called a ch’ie. To date, the oldest flutes have been found in the Swabian Alps region of Germany, and are said to have been from

Jan 12, 2021 1 Comment

Looking ahead

Happy New Year! I truly hope each of you had a safe, relaxing, and joy-filled end to a year unlike any other. I definitely found some joy in saying goodbye to 2020, as I’m sure many of you did. Though we still have more difficulties to trudge through before we can put these trying times behind us, I like to take the beginning of a new year to look forward to what is coming–and I have a lot of hope and optimism for 2021! First and foremost, our company, W.H. Paige and Co., is celebrating 150 years of business this year! This is a HUGE accomplishment, and we are so excited to share in the successes and history of the company with you. While we originally had some big plans that COVID has unfortunately done away with, we still have some exciting things that we will be sharing with you throughout the year. Be sure to follow here, sign up for our email list, or follow our Facebook page. I also have a goal for my side of the business: I want to be more focused on bringing you informative and fun content that YOU want to see. At times

Jan 5, 2021 No Comments

Year end thoughts

In the spirit of closing out 2020 on a good note, I just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the support of my customers and colleagues this year. If you have purchased an instrument, attended a virtual clinic, or even liked and shared a post–thank you, from the bottom of my heart. We are a small business, and although we are lucky to be able to keep our doors open, we have certainly felt the effects that 2020 has dealt us just like any other small business. Being able to help guide flute players into their next amazing instrument is what I truly love to do, and I truly appreciate the trust you put in me to help with such a big decision. I know that this year has caused many of us to need to tighten our pockets a bit more, and I do not take it lightly that you choose to support us during this time. I will be out of the office this week, but the shop and Paige’s Music will be open for business through 2pm on New Year’s Eve. We are closed on New Year’s Day and will resume normal business

Dec 28, 2020 No Comments

Volante Winds

If you’re looking for some wonderful music performed by top-notch musicians to usher in Christmas and close this year out, look no further than Volante Winds. Now in their 5th Season, Volante Winds has reached high acclaim in the field of chamber music for their “beautiful sound”, “perfect ensemble”, and “excellent, mature poise.” All former doctoral candidates of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, they have continued to collaborate this year with virtual recordings of the highest caliber. Suyeon Ko is the Instructor of Flute at Western Illinois University. Dr. Ko is also the founder and the Artistic Director of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Flute Academy, and is a founding member of Volante Winds. Originally from Jeju, South Korea, Dr. Ko received Doctoral of Music degree in flute performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Performer’s Diploma at Indiana University, Master of Music degree in flute performance from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Music in flute performance from Jeju National University in South Korea. With the Volante Winds, Dr. Ko has toured across the U.S. and East Asia. Formed in 2016, the quintet has been a featured ensemble at premiere

Dec 22, 2020 No Comments

Free shipping

That’s right–we’re offering FREE UPS shipping for all orders placed between now and Christmas Eve! From accessories to stocking stuffers to a brand new flute under the tree for you or the flute player in your life, be sure to take advantage of this offer. Orders must be placed by Monday, 12/21 to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve. Delivery times not guaranteed. The Indy Flute Shop has tons of awesome holiday gift ideas if you’re still doing your Christmas shopping. Best of all, you can shop from the comfort of your home, or stop in for an intimate, socially-distanced shopping experience at the store! We are working on an easy-to-use online store (come on 2021), but for now you’ll need to call Erin, who will be happy to go over your options and make suggestions based on your budget. Here are just a few suggestions: Fluterscooter bagsIt wouldn’t be the holiday season if I didn’t mention the fabulous Fluterscooter bags available in the store! We have colors and options for every fashion sense, from a sensible black matte with messenger shoulder strap, to the super fun and bright ocean blue or a festive silver! These bags have a cult following

Dec 15, 2020 No Comments

Open-holed flutes

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately from parents coming in to upgrade their student’s flute about the purpose of open-holed keys on the flute. Truth be told, there are a lot of differing philosophies about this subject, and the trends are different depending on where you are in the world, believe it or not! Here are some of the most basic reasons for why most flutes you’ll encounter, besides student flutes, will have open holes. As flutes evolved from an instrument with no keys but simply holes which were covered by the fingers, to ring keys (similar to a clarinet), to the traditional keys we see on French-style flutes today, open holes have generally been the standard of how keys were constructed, particularly in the United States. Plateau-style, or closed-hole keys, came a bit later and are almost universally used on student flutes, as the player gets used to the proper hand position. Once a flutist upgrades to an intermediate step-up flute or higher, open holes becomes the new standard. This feature requires more accurate finger placement on the keys, which can improve technique. As a flutist transitions from closed to open holes, plugs made of plastic, silicone,

Dec 8, 2020 No Comments

December piccolo special

For the month of December, we are offering BIG savings on our most popular piccolo, the Storm series by Roy Seaman! While supplies last, get $10/month off a new Storm piccolo (normally $60/month), OR rent or purchase a flute from the Indy Flute Shop and receive $20/month off! You don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to get this affordable, versatile instrument in your hands for a special price. For more than 30 years, Roy Seaman piccolos have been the choice for both new and discerning piccolo players worldwide, and the Storm series is a great option for players who need the stability and durability of a composite instrument with the superior tone quality of wood. Since it is a plastic-based material, performers can use it on the marching field, but without sacrificing the sound quality of a wood instrument. The Storm is available with a traditional headjoint or the revolutionary Wave headjoint—a great option for beginning and experienced players alike. Storm piccolos are 100% made and assembled right here in Indiana, so you can feel good about shopping local for the holidays for the piccolo player in your life. This is a limited-time offer, so make your

Dec 3, 2020 No Comments

Thanksgiving 2020

I know, it’s cliche. But in this time of uncertainty, stress, and sometimes turmoil, I wanted to spread some positivity and share how grateful I am for you. If you’re reading this because you’ve purchased a flute from me in the past, referred your students to me, or if you’re just interested in the content I provide–thank you, so very much. This year has truly made me even more aware at how lucky I am to do what I do. For those of you who have trusted me and my associates at Paige’s Music to assist with upgrading you or your student’s instrument during this time–so especially grateful for you! I know so many people have had to tighten their wallets and be more mindful of spending, and I truly appreciate that you have chosen to support a local small business with your hard-earned money. And even though I know we are all missing live music and interacting with people freely, how lucky are we that we have access to the technology that makes it easy to enjoy so many amazing performers from the comfort of our homes! I wanted to especially give a shout-out to Karen Moratz–who is doing

Nov 24, 2020 No Comments

At Home Exercises with Paul Edmund-Davies

The days are getting colder and shorter, and we’re still slogging through this the best we can, so why not take the opportunity to learn some tips from a master? The Indy Flute Shop had the pleasure of hosting Paul Edmund-Davies several years ago (before my time, actually!), who established his international reputation as flautist and soloist in the 20 years that he was Principal Flute of the London Symphony Orchestra and then the five years in the same position at the Philharmonia Orchestra. He put together a set of free videos and sheet music designed to keep your flute playing fresh and fun during your time at home. You can find the videos and music here, and download PDFs of the information here. Many thanks for flutist and blogger Jennifer Cluff for this wonderful information. Happy practicing!

Nov 17, 2020 No Comments

Super Sale 2020

We go ALL OUT for our annual Super Sale. Here’s how this worksVisit our store Thursday, November 19 through Saturday, November 21. Draw a ticket for 5-50% off your purchase. There really are tickets for 50% off. And we do not limit savings to bargain items. Customers have literally saved THOUSANDS on everything from Altus flutes to Yamaha piccolos and everything else under the flute-related sun. Prefer to rent? We’ve got you covered.All tickets will give you two to four months off ANY premier instrument on our rent-to-own program. This includes intermediate and professional flutes, piccolos, and auxiliary instruments, as well as accessories like LeFreques and Fluterscooter bags. You still get all the same great rent-to-own benefits through Paige’s Music–it’s kind of a big deal. Free repair and replacement? Check. Easy exchange? Check. Easy return? Check. Early purchase discount options? Check. Do you offer traditional financing? YES.We offer special financing on Yamaha instruments. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full within 18 months. Minimum monthly payments required. Financing offered through Synchrony.Want to finance something else? Email Erin at erin@indyfluteshop or call her at 317.813.2044 and we’ll chat

Nov 10, 2020 No Comments