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Flora Musica

Flora MusicaMusic lessons in Oss and the surrounding area

“Ach, wenn wir nur auch Clarinetti hätten”

— Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in a letter to his father (1778)

Muziekpraktijk Flora Musica is the teaching practice of Christa ten Berg, clarinet teacher. Here she teaches clarinet, bass clarinet & piano to young and old, from beginner to (very) advanced. She also gives talks on classical music, and conducts and coaches ensembles. And if you want to dive deeper into music theory and/or brush up your knowledge, she is the right person to go to.

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Christa ten Berg with her clarinet

About the practice

The clarinet is the heart of her music practice, and everything has grown from there: from bass clarinet to piano. Lessons made to measure, at the level & pace that suit you, whether you are picking up an instrument for the first time or starting again after years.

Besides passing on her passion for playing the clarinet, she has always been very interested in the person behind the instrument. The trust her students give her and the bond she builds with them over the years make teaching so interesting, appealing & challenging. By watching and listening to her students, she wants to find the key to everyone’s musical talent. That way every student, whatever their aptitude or level, can learn to play with a lot of enjoyment and let their musical talent flourish to the full.

Christa with her clarinet at the piano in the teaching practice

About Christa ten Berg

From a very young age the clarinet has had a magical pull on Christa. At ten years old she was finally allowed to start learning this beautiful instrument.

Having grown up in the world of the wind band, she went on to study at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen, graduating successfully in 1995. She then studied at the ArtEZ University of the Arts and specialised in chamber music with the Belgian clarinettist Eddy Vanoosthuyse in Ghent (Belgium).

Ever since her studies, Christa has taught people young and old with a great deal of passion and enthusiasm. She also works as a clarinet teacher for various arts institutions and music societies. In 2015 she started her own music practice under the name Flora Musica, where besides teaching she also conducts and gives talks on listening to classical music.

Alongside teaching she plays in various ensembles, including Trio En-Semble, with whom she performs French chansons.

The practice in pictures

Lessons

These are the instruments you can take lessons in.

Clarinet

The clarinet is a wooden wind instrument with a deep, warm sound in the low register and a sparkling, playful sound in the high register. There is a whole clarinet family, ranging from the E-flat clarinet, which sounds very high, to the contrabass clarinet, which sounds very low. You can play every kind of music on the clarinet: from folk to classical to pop.

You usually start on a B-flat clarinet. You learn the elements of good clarinet playing: posture, tone production, breathing, technique/finger dexterity and musical expression. Enjoying music always comes first!

Request a trial lesson via the contact form.

Bass clarinet

When her children were little, they often said: “Mum, I want…” And she would answer: “You know what Mum wants?” And then they would say: “Yes, yes, a BASS clarinet!” (They were sick of hearing it ;) )

You have to turn 50 for that and think: now or never… For a few years now she has been the proud player of her Tosca bass clarinet, and with it one of her greatest wishes came true. In love with the wonderfully full, deep sound in the low register that you can feel. The fragile, vulnerable, melancholy sound up high. And the looks, too — irresistible.

Would you like to experience what it is like to play the bass clarinet? Then sign up for a trial lesson (you do need your own instrument).

Piano

“A love that got out of hand…”

She started it as a second subject at the conservatoire, and this instrument won her over. Later in life she picked it up again. With its 88 keys, the piano is a whole orchestra you can play on your own. You can play all kinds of music on it: from classical to jazz, from pop to folk.

Can you never walk past this beautiful instrument without touching it for a moment either? Then sign up for a trial piano lesson.

Classical music: talks

For as long as Christa can remember, her heart has been with classical music. In her talks she takes you, through musical excerpts, on a journey through time, through the lives and styles of the composers and their music. That leaves room to go deeper, to learn to listen with different ears, and of course simply to enjoy listening to classical music. After 13 years of experience in this field, no subject is too much for her.

Perhaps this is your first introduction to classical music, or a way to add to what you already know. Hopefully it makes you very curious to find your own way through classical music and discover your own favourites.

Conducting and coaching

For 25 years Christa conducted her own clarinet ensemble with great enthusiasm, until corona threw a spanner in the works. (Plans for a new ensemble are in the making; keep an eye on this site.)

She also has a lot of experience coaching sectional rehearsals for wind bands, and you can always approach her for this. With the clarinet section of your band she rehearses the pieces you are going to play, and works with you on clarinet-specific technical challenges: posture, breathing, tone production, technique, musical expression, articulation, ensemble playing and intonation. This brings every aspect of clarinet playing back into focus, so that you can improve both your own playing and the section as a whole, and keep growing. All based on positive feedback, with the joy of making music first!

Who it is for

Lessons are for young and old, from beginner to (very) advanced.

children teenagers adults

Where to find her

The teaching practice

Most lessons take place at her home practice on Floraliastraat in Oss — a street name that could hardly suit this practice better. This is where she takes on students herself; feel free to get in touch.

Floraliastraat 68, OssView on the map(opens in a new tab)

She also works for

Alongside her own practice she teaches and runs courses for organisations and music societies in the region.

Practical

For rates and lesson times, it is best to get in touch personally. You can do so via the contact form.

Useful links

Contact

Want to book a trial lesson or have another question? Leave a message below and you will get a personal reply.

Who is the lesson for?

Prefer to email directly? That works too: christa.muziek@gmail.com