British Flute Society ‘Lizzo Effect' survey findings featured on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio and more!
The British Flute Society recently conducted a survey on the influence of popstar - and brilliant flautist - Lizzo on our flute-playing community, and are delighted that our findings have been making waves - featuring on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, Yahoo, The Times and more.
In our survey, 1 in 5 players said that she’d had an impact on their playing or attitude to the flute - whether inspiring them to embrace a range of musical styles, motivating them to keep going with lessons, showing how fun the flute can be to play, or providing representation in important ways.
On July 17, BBC Breakfast ran a piece on Lizzo’s impact, citing our survey and visiting our trustee and former Chair Lisa Nelsen as she led a lesson inspired by Lizzo:
'It’s wonderful just to see [the flute] out there. Flute playing, any kind of instrument, takes time - Lizzo has worked very hard to get to where she is, with joy and experimenting and improvisation […] and hopefully it will create a few more flute players in the future!’
Lisa’s pupils also shared some touching thoughts on how Lizzo had influenced them - and our patron, fluting legend Sir James Galway, sent them a video message! A hero of Lizzo's, it was wonderful to see him interviewed.
The piece also featured Nathan FluteBox Lee, who plays the flute while beatboxing - he started while working on a construction site after leaving school at 15; Amina Hussain, Principal Flute of Manchester Camerata, who debuted some Lizzo live in the studio and shared her journey into flute-playing via Manchester Music Service; and Tony Followell of Music for All who talked about the importance of music in schools and having diverse musical role models. The piece was a brilliant reminder of the power of music and how important it is for music education to be accessible to everyone - an issue close to our hearts.
Lisa Nelsen also spoke to BBC Radio Five Live, discussing all that the flute brings to pop music, from Jethro Tull to Bjork - ‘it's always been bubbling under the surface’ - as well as playing a couple of snippets herself!
'[Playing requires] trial and error, patience, giving yourself time... you cannot get the answer on a phone or on the computer, you have to spend time at it, and thats what Lizzo did - and thank you to her who's empowering everybody to do it.'
Our findings have also hit the headlines, featuring in The Times, Yahoo and MusicRadar. But the power of Lizzo, and the brilliant versatility of the flute, have long deserved greater acknowledgement - as we shared with the Guardian a few years ago as they identified the beginnings of a Lizzo-led ‘woodwind renaissance’:
“Lizzo transcends all kinds of stereotypes,” explains Lisa Nelsen, acting chair of the British Flute Society and steadfast Lizzo stan. “The flute gang are pretty ready to show off what we can do. Pop, classical, beatbox – we’ve got our fingers in lots of pots.”
As a charity whose mission is to celebrate and support flute-playing and players, it’s been thrilling to see Lizzo raising the profile of the flute in pop culture and bring its magic to new audiences - as well as honouring the instrument’s heritage and collaborating with legends of the flute world like Sir James Galway.
Lizzo is starting conversations and sparking inspiration - and by celebrating performers like Lizzo who make music their way, we can show the spectrum of music making and encourage each and every flute player to wholeheartedly be themselves and play what they enjoy.
Are you looking to learn more about the flute, sharpen your skills and meet like-minded players? We’re a membership charity that offers a wide range of resources for flute players and fans. Join us today from just £25 a year!