Meet Leslie Etzel

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leslie Etzel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Leslie, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
When I became President of the Arizona Flute Society (AFS) in 1996, part of my responsibility involved facing one of my greatest fears: public speaking. I did it, but I didn’t like it. I shared my concern with my friend and mentor, piccolo player Lois Schaeffer from the Boston Symphony. She said that she used to be that way, too, and then somebody told her, “If they can do it better, why don’t they come up and do it? You are just as capable as anyone sitting in front of you, so go for it.” That just stuck. Now I have no problem being the main spokesperson during CAFE concerts.

I practiced delegating as AFS President. Feeling that “no one else can do a task as well as me” is a dangerous path to follow. It’s a sure path to burnout. If a delegate needs help, it is appropriate to help them, but not babysit. While it can be daunting to ask others for help, it is important.
One of my strengths is organization. Setting up a viable system, using it, then revising as I go along is as natural to me as breathing. For example, the music library in my home houses over 200 pieces that are clearly cataloged so I can find, copy, and distribute music as needed. I am simply more relaxed and confident when know exactly what resources are around me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I love playing my 10-foot-long contrabass flute and managing CAFE, a 7-member flute choir. The Central Arizona Flute Ensemble enriches, enlightens, and inspires central Arizona residents by presenting interactive concerts and educational programs that showcase the diverse instruments in the flute family. Our Community Outreach activities focus on bringing CAFE music to seniors.

Playing instruments that range from the rare 10-foot-long contrabass flute to the piccolo, we perform diverse genres: oldies, classical, jazz, folk, patriotic, pop, and show tunes. CAFE formed in 2014 and became a 501c3 charitable organization in 2021.

Our story embodies growth, joy, and tremendous success. Our early years involved performing at senior communities and learning by doing: how to make contacts, what music to program, and how to emerge from behind music stands to engage with the audiences. Becoming a nonprofit was a risk that paid off because now we are also supported by grants that let us share our music in art galleries, libraries, churches, and concert halls. Recently, we expanded our concert formats to include a lecture/demonstration about flutes around the world, singalongs, themed programs (patriotic and holiday), and an educational concert series.

I invite you to hear what we look and sound like by selecting the VIDEOS at www.cafeflutes.com.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Work Ethic, Flexibility, and Determination
My parents and grandparents helped me overcome life challenges by modeling and instilling three basic values: a strong work ethic, flexibility, and determination. Even though they are no longer with me, their voices remain strong in my mind.
I grew up on a farm in Connecticut, where all family members worked together to improve life for everyone. When I first decided to play the flute, changing instruments out of frustration was simply not an option. Once I committed, I was expected to see any project through. This became a habit and now at age 75, it keeps me vibrant, heathy and engaged.

My mother in particular would sometimes tell me that I was not capable of doing something. Even today I take that kind of comment as a challenge and say “Watch me!” Because of that, the willingness to try things and explore the unknown is part of my DNA. For example, the transition of the Central Arizona Flute Ensemble from a music group to a non-profit organization was a huge hurdle. It took a lot of research and creative problem-solving, but it was a turning point in our success because now we receive grant funding to bring our music to our community.

There is a balance between a strong work ethic and being flexible, though. In the process of being committed, sometimes you need to change either what you are doing, the way you are doing it, or your own expectations. I find the hardest thing is expecting too much of myself because disappointing myself is worse than disappointing someone else. Accountability is important, too. If you make a mistake, own it.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
There have been many times in my life when I have been overwhelmed with work, loss, or health issues, especially. It helped simply being aware that I was feeling overwhelmed. The strategy that worked the best for me in that situation was prioritizing the ONE thing (or maybe two things) that were the most important. Period. You can almost always narrow a path forward by choosing no more than 2 things to do.

It’s hard sometimes to realize that not everyone cares whether something gets done or not. Not everyone recognizes time-sensitive constraints or has the same work ethic as me. That became clear last week when I attended the first rehearsal of the summer 2023 Paradise Valley Community College Flute Choir. As we were introducing ourselves, conductor Nancy Sowers had to remind me that I’d been a member for thirty consecutive years and in that time missed a total of four rehearsals. She had to remind me – I’m committed in the best way!