Professional Endorsement

My personal Flute Teacher, Joanna Soh, has written this very complimetary endorsement of myself as a Teacher.

6 May 2026
To whom it may concern,

As Shawn Dow's private flute teacher of three years, I am writing to you in support of Shawn and his capabilities as a flutist and private flute teacher.

In the time that Shawn has been my student, he has shown a wonderful sense of tenacity, curiosity, and hard work that makes him stand out in my studio. Not only is he hard-working, his hard work pays off. In the time that I have been teaching him, Shawn has shown impressive progress in his tone, technique, articulation, and understanding of stylistic nuances.

For each lesson, Shawn comes prepared with recordings of his practice sessions and accompanying questions, demonstrating his ability to think critically about his own playing. I believe this to be an extremely beneficial asset for an aspiring teacher. Rather than simply seeking to play correctly, he seeks to understand the why and how. He is always respectful with his questions, while also posing thought-provoking challenges for me to answer. I believe his future students will enjoy continuing these discussions with him, with Shawn in the teacher’s role.

As such, I wholeheartedly recommend Shawn as a flutist and private flute teacher. I am confident that he will help his students flourish, and I believe his students will feel his genuine desire to help them achieve the same joy he feels in flute playing. Please do not hesitate to contact me to provide you with any further information regarding Shawn Dow.

Sincerely,
Joanna Soh | JustAnotherFlutist
https://www.justanotherflutist.com/
Flutist / Instructor / Content Creator

Blog: My Flute Story

I was only about 10 or 12 when I first encoutered the sound of a flute on a Moody Blues album. I really was struck by that sound and when I entered High School I started playing and taking lessons. I had 2 teachers during my high school years.

Music was a big part of my family and we had so many albums coming into the house all the time. My mother liked Country Music, ABBA and Neil Diamond and had the radio on in the morning before school. My father liked Johnny Cash and old-time fiddle music.

As for my siblings, there are 8 counting myself and we all had musical interests of varying kinds. Jazz, Rock, Blues and Classical Music were the kinds of music in that household. My brother closest in age plays clarinet, while the other plays guitar. My youngest brother is a drummer. With all of that music in one house, it's no wonder that I also became a music lover. And I have been ever since.

I even went to a music camp when I was about 16 and that was when I developed an anxiety disorder. This would eventually mean I would put down the flute. Years later, about 2009 I did seek out help from my family doctor. She was so understanding and helpful and recommended a top-rate clinical psychologist. This would be a turning point and one of the greatest achievement of my life. A real life-changing event. I am so glad I made this decision finally.

About 5 or 6 years ago I would even think about playing again as the job I was in was not making me very happy. I needed something more in life.

I did buy a very inexpensive used flute, but it wasn't in very good shape and it didn't really inspire me to play. About a year later, I walked into my local Long and McQuade Music Store and found a Powell Flute for half-price! I was so glad to see this price on the instrument that I purchased it on the spot. I thought that if I was ever gonna be a player again, I had better do it now.

I brought it home and my wife thought I was having a mid-life crisis! In a way I was I guess, but she soon figured out that there was more to this than that. I then got lessons with my teacher, Joanna Soh and really started making progress. Her encouragement and positive feedback really helped me move forward and to trust myself more.

In 2025, I really knew that although the Powell Flute was a good stepping stone, it was not the flute I really wanted. I spent about 6 months trying out various instruments, Miyazawa, Yamaha, Haynes, Di Zhiao and many others. Finally, I tried the solid silver Muramtsu GXIII. This was it! I hadn't tried any other flute that fit me so well and had a sound I was looking for. That flute fits like a glove!

As my teacher, Joanna would say, "Just as the wand chooses the wizard (as in Harry Potter), so the flute chooses the flutist".

She encouraged me also to become a flute teacher and that is exactly where I wanna be. Making music and teaching music. Music brings so much joy, it's good for our mental health and makes this world a better place.

I would be very happy to pass along what I have learned to you. Whether you have only been playing for about a year or you have been away from the instrument for decades, you too can grow as a player, performer and music maker.