Cultivating a Habit of Effortlessness
“Jolene is a consummate professional as a teacher and a player. She is an excellent communicator and one of the most dependable musicians I’ve worked with in the Austin area. Jolene has been an amazing teacher for the flautists in my high school bands over the years, giving them tried and true tonal, technical, and artistic concepts and skills. The facet of Jolene’s teaching that makes her stand out is that she is able to connect with and motivate even the most reluctant learner, which develops intrinsic motivation in her students.
As a player in my ensemble, Jolene has a commanding presence on all styles of literature and in all ranges. She plays with stunning lyricism and blazing technique. Jolene’s abilities always extend beyond her playing as she elevates players around her. She has my highest possible recommendation.”
— Jesus Torres, Conductor of the Cinematic Symphony and Austin Area Band Director
About Jolene Madewell
Jolene (Harju) Madewell is a flutist and flute teacher residing in Austin, Texas.
Jolene’s private instruction integrates principles of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique to address performance anxiety and unlock natural, artistic expression. She remains in demand as a private teacher in the Austin area and through her online studio.
Jolene has presented numerous master classes and workshops at such institutions as the University of Texas at Arlington and Florida State University. She was a featured guest artist for the Texas Flute Society in 2018, presenting a master class and workshop at Brookhaven College entitled Effortless Playing Through Self Awareness. She has taught classes for Floot Fire Austin and is on the faculty for SYMS (Summer Youth Music School) and Chamber Intensive at the University of New Hampshire.
She was published in The Flute View’s April 2019 issue, and has been featured in interviews with The Flute Examiner, Flute360 Podcast, Music Studio Startup Podcast, Passion Behind the Art Podcast, Breakthrough Music Podcast, and The Flute View. She was a member of a social media and entrepreneurship panel at the 2019 National Flute Association Convention in Salt Lake City, and at the 2019 Flutistry Boston Flute Festival.
Jolene has enjoyed performing with the Cinematic Symphony of Austin, the Tallahassee Composer's Orchestra, the Central Texas Medical Orchestra, and the St. Edward's Symphony Orchestra. She has also studied baroque flute with Professor Eva Amsler and has performed with the Florida State Baroque Ensemble.
She was the recipient of an Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research at the University of New Hampshire to complete a project entitled: The Balanced Flutist: A Study of the Benefits of Body Mapping on Flute Performance. Jolene has studied Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique extensively and has attended ABME Conferences and numerous workshops related to performance health and awareness techniques.
Jolene received a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Florida State University, where she held a graduate teaching assistantship as a student of flute performance and pedagogy with Professor Eva Amsler. She performed as principal flutist of the FSU Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Winds, and Wind Orchestra, and performed as piccoloist on the orchestra's recording of Dohnanyi's Symphony No. 2 for the Naxos Recording Label. Jolene received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of New Hampshire as a student of Peggy Vagts. Prior, she was a student of Donald Zook at the South Shore Conservatory in Massachusetts.
In her spare time, she can be found decorating, organizing, and enjoying Austin with her husband, Josh.
“I have a background in clarinet and admired Jolene’s content for a while. She posted she was accepting new students and despite being nervous, I jumped at the opportunity. After a lesson or two, I felt incredibly safe to explore flute fundamentals and find what works best for me. Now, after a few months of lessons, I get excited for lessons because of the progress I’ve made and the different approaches Jolene uses which help push me to continue growing. I would strongly recommend Jolene to students who are looking for a kind and patient teacher.”
— Damien, Online Student
Enter your effortless flute era.
Learn more about how supportive, personalized online or in-person (Austin/Leander, TX) flute lessons can unleash freedom so you can enjoy playing more than ever.
