Learning to produce a good tone on the flute is easy for some people and incredibly difficult for others. Not every flute student will be successful, but the suggestions offered in this article may make the difference between a positive musical experience and one that turns the student off to playing an instrument forever. Claire-Anne Williams, band director at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton, Massachusetts, points out that having a natural embouchure is of prime importance for aspiring flautists. She feels that it is often useful during the tryout process to simply hand students the flute's head joint and ask them to blow without any additional instruction. Observing the natural tendencies of their lips makes it far easier to fix problems and is less intimidating than immediately asking them to match a standard embouchure.