Professor, flautist Robertello appreciates his students' motivation

Of all Thomas Robertello's professional titles -- orchestra soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral player, teacher -- he views his job as professor most rewarding. \nAs an associate professor in the Jacobs School of Music, Robertello instructs 18 students a week, leads a master class and teaches an orchestral repertoire course. In his spare time he performs as a flutist internationally and owns an art gallery in Chicago.\n"My career has taken a lot of different turns," Robertello said. "At this particular stage, I'm really focusing a lot on my teaching."\nBefore coming to IU 10 years ago, Robertello taught at Carnegie Mellon University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Before teaching, Robertello played for several orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony and the National Symphony.\nWorking with these orchestras was both a positive and negative experience for Robertello. He learned about the "craft" of playing an instrument, but as a solo artist Robertello admits that orchestral music is not the best venue for his style.\n"It's the most conservative style for music, and my playing tends to be on the unique side and somewhat unorthodox at times," Robertello said.\nRobertello, who grew up in New Jersey, was initially drawn to the flute because of its unique sound and shape.\n"When I first saw the flute, I remember it being very elegant and shiny and beautiful. It seemed to have this magical aura," Robertello said.\nHe began playing in fourth grade and eventually continued at the Juilliard School, where he received his Bachelor of Music in 1967. \nSince then, Robertello has traveled the globe with various orchestras, visiting Europe, South America and the Middle and Far East. While on tour, Robertello uses his free time to visit local art galleries. Over the years, Robertello has accumulated so many pieces of art, his collection -- "an obsession," he said -- no longer fits in his Bloomington apartment.\nTo conjure up more space in his home, Robertello has donated pieces to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Kinsey Institute. But with 15 years of collecting behind him, Robertello decided to go one step further with his hobby by transforming his collection into a business venture. He contacted several young up-and-coming artists and offered to display their work.\nIn April 2006, the flute soloist added yet another title to his professional repetoire and opened his own gallery, the Thomas Robertello Gallery, in Chicago. The gallery displays the work of 15 artists, all of whom have been hand-selected by Robertello.\n"I really want to help these artists and see them achieve their goals," Robertello said.\nRobertello has a similar focus when dealing with his students. After instructing at other schools, Robertello appreciates the level of intensity his IU students show. And despite the erratic schedule he has had in the past, Robertello has no plans to leave IU anytime soon -- a decision many of his students, who call their professor "TR," respect.\nFreshman Alan Tomasetti first heard Robertello on the radio several years ago and made it a goal to study under "one of the best flute pedagogues known."\nAfter taking a course with Robertello at the Jacobs School of Music, Tomasetti began developing important basics like tone quality and stability in his technique. \n"Whenever TR wants to illustrate a point, he will either play or sing certain phrases of what he wants me to accomplish," Tomasetti said. "This makes everything he explains very clear, and I know exactly what he wants me to do and how he wants me to achieve it."\nTomasetti also appreciates Robertello's nonmusical advice. He recalls various evenings when Robertello and his students would enjoy a bite to eat.\n"After master class and orchestral repertoire class, TR and some of his students would have dinner at Mother Bear's Pizza or Dragon Express," Tomasetti said. "... Although he has very high standards for his students, TR is a very approachable teacher that is willing to give his advice on anything his students need help with."\nWhile he might hold high standards, Robertello appreciates his students' self-motivation and the amount of time they spend practicing. He encourages them to master the technique of playing an instrument during their undergraduate years. If the groundwork is not set by age 25, Robertello said, the task of playing an instrument becomes increasingly challenging.\n"It can be a sacrifice that people make based on separating from social groups or social activity," Robertello said. "Like an appendage, you have to become one with the instrument"