Na’ama Lion, based in the Boston area, is well known as a versatile performer on early flutes. She has explored medieval music, playing with “Sequentia”; Renaissance music with various consorts; 18th and 19th century music with numerous groups, including Boston Camerata, Boston Baroque, Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, Handel and Haydn Society, Grand Harmonie, Upper Valley Baroque, Providence Baroque Orchestra, and more. Ms. Lion is a committed performer of new music, and regularly presents and promotes music by women composers through her teaching and with ensembles such as La Donna Musicale and Eudaimonia. As a recitalist, Na’ama was invited to present a headliner recital for the National Flute Association Convention and to present a recital for the Vivaldi Flute Week in Italy, among other engagements. Na’ama holds a Doctoral degree from Boston University, teaches at the Longy School of Music and the University of North Texas, and directs a chamber music program at Harvard College. Na’ama has recorded for Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Telarc and private labels.

Na'ama's website
The first thing you do when you pick up your traverso to start the practice day, and why?
I start with a few snippets of short melodies that I like to play, followed by long tones. It is a meditation in sound and lets me know where I am today and what do I need to work on.
Any recurring piece to play every day, and why?​
I try to vary what I play. There are certainly pieces that I come back to again and again, but this changes with my mood and what I have to prepare.
For example, if I am preparing for a Bach orchestral concert, I may play the Bach's Partita as a warm-up. If I am not feeling very cheerful, I might play a slow movement in a minor key, by Leclair, Telemann, Anna Bon, Blavet, Locatelli, or any other favorite composer…
Do you have a daily routine?​
Each day is different, and I fit in practice when I can. I am a late night person, my most rewarding practice session run up to midnight or beyond. But this is not always possible.
What kind of goals do you set for your practice?​
General: find a rich and resonant sound, play with ease and expression, say something with your music.
Specific: learn the pieces for next concert.
Do you do any systematic warm-up?
Before I start, if I have the time, I lie on my back for 5-10 minutes with my knees bent and feet on the ground, and a slim book under my head as a pillow, to get my body aligned and relaxed – a classic Alexander Technique start to any practice. I have done Alexander Technique for many years, and use it in everyday life and for practice.
Do you have a specific structure for warm-up and practice sessions?​
Yes. Long tones, tuning exercises, breathing exercises, articulation. Sometimes I play parts of the Frederick the Great’s book of 100 Daily Exercises, or the Braun Solo pieces.
The long tones may take several forms – straight tone, crescendo, diminuendo or both. I usually just pick one variety to work on.
Any distinctive characteristics of baroque flute daily practice vs. modern flute or other instruments?​
I play very little modern flute these days, but I do have a different warmup routine for it. On modern flute, I use the Moyse method for long tones and technique. I play several types of historical flutes (Medieval, Renaissance, and keyed flutes), and have different routines for them. For instance, my tuning exercises for Medieval flutes are fifths based, and on Baroque flute, Major arpeggios based. I may include period etudes in my keyed flute warmups, and reading period music – for instance, van Eyck for Renaissance flute.
What are the key elements and unmissable points of daily practice?​
Long notes and intonation exercises.
My favorite intonation exercise consists of playing Major arpeggios against a drone note on the tonic, provided by a tuner, while tuning by ear.
How long and distributed should warm-up and practice be?
It depends on how much time you have. I believe that warmup should be about 20-30 minutes. If I have more than one practice session a day on the same flute, I do the warmup only once. 
My ideal practice session lasts about 1.5-2 hours these days. I also do practicing away from the flute, and I find it is most effective when it is interspersed with hands-on practicing.
Practicing away from the flute may include score studying, especially for orchestral works and large chamber ensembles, paying attention to the flute entrances in places where the texture is complex, to the structure of chords that are tricky to tune, and to the bass line in all pieces, from solo sonatas to orchestral music. It often reinforces what I hear in rehearsal and practice, but sometimes the bass line offers alternative possibilities for phrasing, which is fun! 
I sometimes play a solo piece on a keyboard instrument, the flute part in the right hand and the bass in the left hand. This provides an additional, deeper way of learning new pieces.
Any  specific tip to address difficult technical passages during daily practice?
1. I believe that many technical difficulties could be resolved through tone work. Play a passage and note when you lose the focus of the tone, that is the part that you need to practice. Go back 3-4 notes and start there.

2. Practice from the end of a difficult passage, adding a measure/a phrase/a note group at a time, repeating each segment a few times, until you build to the beginning and can play the whole passage.

3. Practice in dotted rhythms, which enable you to practice fast shifts with a rest in between.

4. slow practice is key. Never push yourself beyond what you can comfortably handle. Stay there until you are ready to play faster. If you allow any nervousness to creep in, it will stay with you always when you play this music.

5. for tone work – sing the note, then play it. It will increase your resonance in most cases. If you are comfortable singing and playing at the same time, that is another way to improve the sound.

6. Practice slowly and legato, to build resonance and sound.

7. Phrase, even in fast passages. It seems like more work, but it makes things easier. Use all the tools for that – dynamics, articulation, tone color, and time.

​8. Ornamentation is an integral part of the music, and sometimes can make things easier for you (large leaps, sensitive notes, awkward passages). Use it to your advantage.
Are there any tools that are particularly useful for practicing?
Tuner, metronome, mirror and sound recorder. 
I use the tuner to supply me with a drone note and play a major arpeggio on that note, tuning by ear. 
I use a metronome, but just once or twice through a movement, to find out where the metronome slows down or speeds up (metronomes can never keep time 😊). 
There is a mirror in my practice room, which provides great feedback about posture and bad habits, as well as identifying weak points in preparation (fingers tend to fly higher in spots that are less secure). 
Recording always provides great feedback.
Any other general advice, suggestion, tip?
Slow practice is key, for both fast and slow movements. Look for the one finger that does not know where to go in a difficult passage and fix that. It will save a lot of time.
How do you advise your students as far as structuring their daily practice?
Take the time to warm up, it is worth it. Better to practice more often than for longer periods. Beyond that, it depends on the issues of the individual student.​
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Do you suggest or teach a warm-up routine?
Yes, the one I use. For beginner students, a simplified version: long notes as a simple scale (D Major, G Major) rather than chromatically. Tuning arpeggios on the I, IV, V degrees of the scale only, rather than chromatically.
Are there any specific pieces particularly beneficial to be played regularly in daily practice?​
Quantz/Frederick the Great 100 daily exercises. Braun Solo pieces without bass. I used to play them daily when I was a student and early in my career, and now it is fun for me to revisit every so often.