9781422270851

Lizzo is an accomplished flutist, an instrument she started playing in middle school.

Initially intrigued by the flute, she soon became engrossed in the beautiful sounds that she could produce with it in her hands. She was diligent and dedicated with her practicing and driven and determined to scoop up as much knowledge about mastering it as she could. At home, she would listen to CDs of legendary Irish flutist James Galway—known as The Man with the Golden Flute—and attempt to replicate what he was producing. She loved to practice, welcomed the challenges that learning the instrument presented, and it showed in the stunning progress she made with it. She jumped at the chance to take private lessons after school with a respected flutist from the Houston ballet, which further elevated her already impressive skills. When her head hit the pillow at night, dreams swirled of being in a symphony, making magical music with that beloved flute. By age 14, she had formed her first rap group, the Cornrow Clique. It was around this time that she transitioned to being called Lizzo, once telling an interviewer: “Everybody where I grew up in Houston would chop off half the name and put an ‘o’ at the end.” She was also a self-proclaimed band nerd. She loved the practices, the rehearsals, and above all, the performances. Sitting first chair in the flute section, her solos were the talk of the school, and a life in music beckoned .

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A Star is Born