ugh, azumi or trevor james: which sounds better?

[kiddomagic]

okay, so I'm int the 8th grade, got a azumi flute 6 months ago.
somehow I sound really airy.. or certain times. & people say the azumi brand is REALLY good.
is it just me, or what?
anyways, our old last year 1st flute, had a trevor james flute.
she was AMAZING. oh, I'm 1st chair too btw

[Zevang]

No, it's not you alone.

It's always a combination of a flutist and its flute. So, you might consider experimenting other brands, or even other headjoint cuts to see what is the best for you in particular.

There are lots, lots of excelent flute brands, top quality really. Also there are lots of types of flutists waiting to find the perfect instrument for them. It's just a matter of trying as many brands as you can put your hands on.

I see some people here saying "my teacher said this brand or that brand is the best for me" just because it's the brand the teacher plays with or even represents as a dealer. How bad could that be since the student didn't play one single note on those flutes before having an actual opinion?

[JButky]

Excellent reply Zevang...

[kiddomagic]

BUT what can I do to remove the airyness?

[pied_piper]

Practice playing long tones on every note that you can play. Play them soft, play them loud. Crescendo, decrescendo. As you do this, really listen to yourself and try making very small adjustments in your embouchure. Aim the air lower or higher and see if it improves your sound. Place the flute a little higher or lower on your lip and see if that improves your sound. Keep notes as you experiment. Record yourself (at a slight distance of 5-10 ft) then play it back and and listen. You may find that what sounds airy to you while playing, may not sound airy when the sound is 5 or 10 feet from you.