Gina Seraichyk, flutist

 Hi!  I'm Gina.  

I am a RI based flute player and flute teacher.  Also, worth mentioning, I am someone who likes to rescue and care for animals.  The latter, while completely delightful and fulfilling, has made it challenging to be completely available for a conventional career path!  In fact, it sometimes feels as though the adult (and I use this term loosely!)  I have become, is someone whose "hobbies" have taken over, to a preposterous degree.  I currently care for 6 cockatiels, one Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,  two bunnies, and a dog.  At one point I had more!   Lucky for me, and the feathery and furry friends in my charge, I am able to give them the love and attention they need, while scheduling flute teaching, and flute playing in between!  Im not gonna' lie.  It can be challenging.... to do it all well.

My flute story:

It was 1977.  I was 10.  Despite outward appearances, I was a very motivated and mentally intense kid.  I got excellent grades, but I wasn't really exceptional at any one thing.  I was awful at sports, and not particularly popular.  I wanted to be great at something.

My (8 years older than me) brother had a girlfriend, Carol, who played the flute.  She was uncommonly charming.  Sometimes she would come over after school, and  bring her flute.   I recall seeing the plush cornflower blue velvet lining the flute case, and the contrasting shiny silver of the flute.  It looked like an accessory for someone royal and beautiful.  Sadly, I do not recall hearing her play for the first time.  I was too busy being mesmerized by how she looked.  She was a magnificent flutist.  Truly.  Only much later did I realize how special she was as a flutist and a teacher. 

In 5th grade I started playing the flute, and Carol (my secret weapon for flute mastery!) agreed to be my private teacher.  In 5h or 6th grade we had auditions for seating.  There were maybe 8 of us, flute players (I still remember who they were!!). I wanted so badly to be good.  No doubt, it was far more important to me than the other 7.  I got word that I was first chair..and for the first time ever, I had a feeling of elation in believing I could be great at something.

 My parents were divorced.  My father, was a rather stoic person... not all that generous with praise or emotion.  He sent me a card that said "Congratulations" for making first chair..and he cut out pictures of chairs from a magazine...writing "one" "two" "three" underneath.  The first chair photo was much bigger than the other two.  It was really funny and sweet.  I practiced hours every day, so had I not excelled at that audition, that would've been pretty sad! haha