Teddie Hwang is a flutist and photographer living in Mainz, Germany. Drawing from her experiences in both disciplines, she uses concepts from photography to
educate musicians on how to gain deeper insight into music. Her lectures have taken her to venues such as Indiana University, the National Flute Association, and The Galway Early Music Festival. 
In addition, she incorporates astrophotography and night-sky related themes into multimedia concert programs. 
She feels the baroque flute and historical performance provide a wonderful chance for subtle music-making, which is the driving principle in both her teachings and musical interpretations.
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www.teddiehwang.com
​www.facebook.com/teddiehwangartist
The first thing you do when you pick up your traverso to start the practice day, and why?
I start with scales and arpeggios, sometimes due to time constraint I might be able to do just either one, or work through fewer keys. I play up to 4 sharps and flats and use patterns such as from Reichert or Maquarre.
​It is to get the breath going through the different registers and warm up the lips to recall the embouchure.
Any recurring piece to play every day, and why?​
I don't really have a recurring piece to play every day, but depending on the instrument I'm working on, I might revisit certain pieces which I feel give a good practice for that musical period and language.
For the baroque flute, it is works by J.S. Bach; for the classical flute I like to refer to orchestral excerpts from Mozart or Beethoven.
The pieces may either revisited over the course of numerous practice sessions or just one time as a way to maintain sight-reading skills.
Do you have a daily routine?​
I'd start with scales/arpeggios, then a piece which isn't on my agenda for performance but just to get into the mode of the musical language (see above), then finally the pieces that I need to work up to a performance.
What kind of goals do you set for your practice?​
To feel like I am in touch with the instrument, that it is a part of me and I have flexibility through all registers and expressive possibilities. I imagine that's similar to a singer.
Do you do any systematic warm-up?
The scales/arpeggios and also music mentioned above are all part of my warm-up before I work on actual pieces that I need to deliver for performance. It is a way to get the whole body working together.
Also, I do a warm-down which I think is so important and very often overlooked. These involve stretching and doing movements to help release tension which builds up during practice, such as in the neck, shoulders, back, and legs.
Do you have a specific structure for warm-up and practice sessions?​
As above, plus warm-down at the end of the practice session.
Any distinctive characteristics of baroque flute daily practice vs. modern flute or other instruments?​
I feel on the baroque flute we need to develop very fine muscle work in the embouchure, whereas for the modern flute it's about strong muscles. As an example, this is especially important for repertoire such as the early French ‘air de cour’ as well as later French repertoire. One needs to have a finesse and flexibility both in the sound (breath) and in the fingers for the delicate ornamentation. Also generally for all baroque music, the speaking quality is important, so we have to be conscious about using a variety of articulation methods and adapting them for the music appropriately.
What are the key elements and unmissable points of daily practice?​
To feel like we are always expanding our flexibility in sound production and expressive possibilities. That we're not playing at the limit of our capabilities.
How long and distributed should warm-up and practice be?
I don't have a set rule for that, whatever it takes to make one feel connected to the instrument, and time permitting. If I'm short on time on a day, I'd at least do a scale and/or arpeggio pattern.
Any  specific tip to address difficult technical passages during daily practice?
For technical passages, I practice them with different rhythmic patterns with a metronome, first slowly then working up the tempo. Most of the time our problem is that we rush in complicated finger work, and that we don't really know the coordination by heart. This will get to the root of the problem.
Are there any tools that are particularly useful for practicing?
Yes I treasure very much my metronome and tuner! I also think it's great to record oneself as one can learn a lot, but then it's important to have dedicated equipment which
can genuinely record sound as they are. Otherwise, that can be frustrating. A mirror is also good to check posture and also embouchure.
Any other general advice, suggestion, tip?
Careful listening and striving for subtlety are my aims.
How do you advise your students as far as structuring their daily practice?
The above-mentioned structure and principles are what I find what works for me, but it shouldn't prevent others from discovering their own methods to achieve the same result, if that's what they want. Always be on the look-out for new ideas and never be just satisfied with what is handed down.
Do you suggest or teach a warm-up routine?
I think warm-ups are indeed important, it's a chance to gather ourselves and get focused.
It also adds variety to the practice session so that one is not limited to just the pieces that need to be prepared.
I'd recommend what I suggested above, but am always
interested in hearing what others discover!
Are there any specific pieces particularly beneficial to be played regularly in daily practice?
Obtaining a “singing quality” is essential for really a lot of the music we play, so anything that would help one achieve that is a great thing to do. In addition, I personally use Trevor Wye's ‘Complete Daily Exercises for the Flute – Essential Practice Material’ as a source for a variety of scales and arpeggio patterns to diversify my practice. It's good to practice beyond what was normal for the baroque flute.
Also, no less important is to familiarize oneself with aesthetics, which means looking at and understanding other fields of art of the time period. This will make one's interpretation flow more naturally
with the music.
I think we can always take concepts to various levels and use them in a suitable way for ourselves, even if they may seem “simple” at first glance. For scales and arpeggios, one can always add other elements (varying articulation, dynamics, increasing speed) to increase the challenge.