About

Maybe you’re a dedicated musician with big dreams that wants expert musical guidance in an encouraging and positive environment.

Maybe you’re an overachiever lacking confidence because you struggle to give yourself credit and feel discouraged by mistakes.

Maybe you’re sitting down to learn that awesome new piece you’re totally inspired by but now that the music is on your stand, you have no idea where to start and it all looks insanely difficult.

Maybe you’re a perfectionist who needs help staying healthy and sunny as you tackle the tough stuff: crazy-hard repertoire, weaknesses holding you back, and pesky self-doubt!

My name is Stephanie Hoeckley! I’m a professional flutist and educator and above all, I teach, perform, and live with empathy and joy as my North Star. ✨

To me, music is one of the greatest things in the world. I love helping other musicians hone their skills so they can play music that inspires them to share their own unique brand of artistry!

Keep scrolling to learn about me!

Or you can skip to my formal bio, but I think the next part is more fun. 🙂

As a performer, my kind of artistry is

“traditionally adventurous”

because I love both performing traditional works and offbeat, modern works with extended techniques.

I’m in my element when taking creative risks! To illustrate what I mean, some examples of my performances include combining Debussy’s Syrinx with storytelling and movement, performing Ian Clarke’s wild and groovy Zoom Tube by memory while interacting with the audience, and performing gorgeous new works by living female composer Yuko Uebayashi at conferences like the National Flute Convention.

Chamber music, solos, and orchestral works are my jam! I love to collaborate with other like-minded musicians and create unique experiences for audiences. If I’m picking the music, I generally perform some traditional pieces and include a piece or two that I hope will expand what you think the flute can do! The flute is incredibly versatile, and one of my favorite comments I often hear after performances is,

“I had no idea the flute could do that!!”

My teaching is also a bit offbeat, in entertaining and engaging ways!

Creativity and laughter are infused into each nook and cranny of my teaching, weaving joy into every moment of lessons.

Music is (and should be) fun, but it also includes hard and precise work. A lot of flutists who start lessons experience perfectionism and self-doubt, and only know how to recognize what they feel is “wrong” about their playing. We leave these joy-killers at the door.

Instead, I teach my students healthier ways to approach challenges and mistakes. There really isn’t a point to being a musician if it’s not enjoyable, so addressing mindset issues is crucial.

I teach students how to cultivate a growth mindset, and that’s why so many of my students have become lifelong learners who never stop playing!

Another fun fact: My hair was purple for the entirety of COVID in 2020, and now it’s back!

Here’s a unique facet of my teaching!

Many years ago, I discovered an engagement technique called gamification and it’s become one of the core pillars of my teaching!

Gamification is when you add game elements to real-life activities, and it’s my favorite way to make my students of all ages smile.

(That’s right, expect to have fun together because my specialty is creating engaging lessons and memorable experiences for older students! Why should kids have all of the fun??)

Not every moment in lessons will be a game because you’ll be playing more than anything! But I help make learning new concepts and practicing at home fun and entertaining with imaginative challenges, monthly themes, and music games!

Psst! Check out my shop for printable resources you can download instantly. 🙂

I’ve been told my enthusiasm and smile are contagious, which I consider one of the highest compliments I can receive. It’s my mission is to bring more sunshine into the world, so if music lights you up, I’d love to collaborate with you!

It’s time to augment your musical reality.

I empower musicians and give them the tools to:

Navigate any barrier or challenge creatively
Become their own teachers and cheerleaders
Tap new reserves of motivation
Boost their progress
And do all of this while staying healthy and happy!

You can always find me teaching!

I’m the Assistant Professor of Flute at Arkansas State University!
I’m the flute instructor and founder of the Colorful Clef Flute Studio. I’ve designed my studio to include community events like workshops, recitals, chamber music, and studio parties because there is a place for EVERYONE in the music community.
I’ve presented flute workshops across the country, including the Florida Flute Association, Texas Flute Society, Arizona Flute Society, and Southeast Michigan Flute Association
I was the Flute Instructor at Phoenix College and founded the Phoenix College Community Flute Choir.
I teach masterclasses and perform at all kinds of workshops, conferences, and events, honor band clinics, and at schools that need a little flutey guidance!

Here’s where I learned to level up my skills:

University of Central Florida – Bachelor of Music in Music Performance w/Nora Lee Garcia – 2012
Private lessons w/Carol Wincenc, Flute Professor at The Juilliard School of Music – 2012-13
Arizona State University – Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Performance w/Elizabeth Buck – 2015 and 2020 (Graduate Flute Teaching Assistant)

Some of my favorite performances:

I was the first flutist to play bass flute live with International Indie Artist José González! (Check out his mesmerizing song called The Forest. It’s practically the soundtrack music to my life.)

I was invited to perform at the National Flute Convention in Salt Lake City in 2019 (the gorgeous Au-dela du Temps by Yuko Uebayashi for two flutes and piano with Dr. Nayoung Ham and Dr. Juhyun Lee)
I was thrilled to perform two more of Uebayashi’s works at the Flute Society of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention in 2020! Her Suite for Flute and Cello with Dr. Yeil Park and Le Moment du Cristal for Flute and Piano with Dr. Juhyun Lee!
Carol Wincenc, Elizabeth Buck, and I performed a trio at her formal recital at ASU *swoon*

I earned some gold and fancy paper with these competitions:

First Place in the Arizona Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition
Selected to perform in the Florida Flute Association’s Advanced Masterclass Competition
Prizewinner in the Maverick Flute Soloist Competition
First Place in the Arizona Flute Society’s Adult Division Competition
Finalist in the Florida Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition

I’ve played notes with these professional orchestras + chamber groups:

Space Coast Symphony – FL
Jackson Symphony – TN
West Valley Symphony – AZ
Symphony of the Southwest – AZ
Chandler Symphony – AZ
Mill Ave Chamber Players (wind quintet)
Musicfest Woodwind Quartet

Some of my very favorite flutists helped me learn and grow in masterclasses!

Learn to level up your flute playing and artistry with flute tips, tricks, and practice hacks!

Check out some of my favorite music resources like quizzes and printables that you can download for FREE!

Listen and watch some of my favorite recorded performances on my media page!

Teaching Artist Bio

Dr. Hoeckley is a passionate and engaging flutist and teaching artist located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She is the Assistant Professor of Flute at Arkansas State University where her innovative studio uses mindset, motivational psychology, and music gamification to help enthusiastic musicians stay happy and healthy. Her students are regularly accepted into university music programs and honor bands, prizewinners in regional competitions, and have held principal positions in youth orchestras. Dr. Hoeckley encourages community, creative curiosity, and musical expression to inspire a lifelong love of music in her students.

Dr. Hoeckley is a sought-after clinician at music camps & clinics due to her unique and engaging workshops, expertise as a teaching artist, and contagious enthusiasm. Her workshops have been featured by the Florida Flute Association, Southeast Michigan Flute Association, Arizona Flute Society, Musician Enrichment Foundation, Phoenix College, and Mesa Community College. She was the Adjunct Flute Professor at Phoenix College where she directed the Phoenix College Community Flute Choir, an ensemble she founded to serve the flute community in Central Phoenix. She is also a board member of the Arizona Flute Society, and a member of the National Flute Association, the National Association for Music Education, and a Commissioning Member of the Flute New Music Consortium. She is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the Arkansas Flute Society!

Recognized as a skilled performer and a versatile collaborator, Dr. Hoeckley has been invited to perform the chamber music of Yuko Uebayashi at the National Flute Association’s Annual Convention and the Flute Society of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Convention. As an orchestral musician, she has performed with the West Valley Symphony, Symphony of the Southwest, and the Chandler Symphony. She is a founding member of the Ocotillo Trio, a flute duo with piano that performs works of living female composers. Previously, she has also been a member of the Mill Ave Chamber Players wind quintet and the Arizona Musicfest Wind Quartet, an educational outreach ensemble that performs around the Phoenix Metropolitan area. As a soloist, she won First Place in the Arizona Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition, was selected to perform in the Florida Flute Association’s Advanced Masterclass for Carol Wincenc, and was a Prizewinner in the Maverick Flute Soloist Competition.

Dr. Hoeckley earned her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees at Arizona State University as Elizabeth Buck’s Teaching Assistant. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from the University of Central Florida where she studied with Nora Lee Garcia. She has also studied privately with Carol Wincenc, internationally acclaimed flutist and Flute Professor at Juilliard. As a lifelong learner, Dr. Hoeckley has had the pleasure of learning from many masterful artists and teachers, having performed in masterclasses for flutists such as Ian Clarke, Robert Dick, Marianne Gedigian, Leone Buyse, Linda Chesis, Nina Assimakopoulos, Nicola Mazzanti, and Conor Nelson.

Her eclectic interests include music gamification for intermediate & advanced musicians, Alexander Technique and physiology, music acoustics, performance psychology, and celebrating neurodiversity. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys science fiction and fantasy movies, making polymer clay art, learning, reading, and enjoying the fresh air with her husband and rescue dogs, Joey and Ember.

Updated December 2024

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