about & contact
ABOUT
Maarten Visser (he/him, Amsterdam, 1959) graduated in 1983 from Newark Technical College in Woodwind making and repairing. Since 1984, he pioneerded in making adaptive wind instruments for physically challenged musicians. From there on he expanded his activities in research into improving the ergonomy of the Boehm flute. This led to the development of the swan-neck headjoint and the vertical flute. In 2014 he won the OHMI award for the Onehand flute.
Maarten lives in Amsterdam with his wife and has one son.
WHERE TO FIND FLUTELAB
Your are welcome in my flute workshop which is located in the North of Amsterdam in the former NDSM shipyard. There is a free ferry from Central Station right to NDSM.
Please make an appointment first, and we can work together on your instrument. Please email or call to make an appointment.
You can find my contact details below. You can download an itinerary here
Philosophy
Let’s say you have pain playing the flute. Because of arthritis, a pinched nerve, a strained muscle.
The first person you see is your flute teacher, and she may teach you a different posture or suggest a thumb rest. Then you see your physical therapist, who will show you the right exercises and stretches to beat the discomfort. Your MD however, will suggest a medical intervention, usually in the form of medicines.
Of course, to a hammer everything looks like a nail, and we all work with the tools we have. So, naturally an flute maker will think of a adaptation to the instrument itself. We always say, we play the flute, and my flute sounds like this, etc. But acoustically speaking, what sounds is not the flute but the body of air contained within it. The instrument is an interface between that air and the player. If it does not make the air resonate well it is not a good flute. If it hurts the player it is neither a good flute.
It is my philosophy that the instrument should adapt to the player, not the other way around. We are accustomed to the flute having this particular shape, without considering the alternatives. Flutelab has been thinking out of the box for decades, making adaptive woodwinds for hundreds of people.
Environmental responsibility
Each year the total carbon emission is calculated. That amount is compensated for 150% at the Fair Climate Fund. As Flutelab also produces plastic parts, the weight of the yearly production is for 400% compensated in cleanup costs at The Ocean Cleanup.
3-D printed hand supports for vertical flute. Invented, designed and mady by Flutelab
Articles, by and about Maarten Visser and Flutelab
Visser OHMI 2014, an explanation of the Edit Onehand flute
FlutistQuarterly , about the flute I made for Edit
Reshaping the Flute, on the past and present of ergonomic flutes
PAN, an article by me about the flute for Edit
Terpenning 2016 Flutist Querterly about the one-handed flute I built for Rae Terpenning
To ask a question, order a flute headjoint or plan a visit, contact us here
FLUTELAB
Business address
NDSM-plein 55
1033WC Amsterdam
the Netherlands
+31 6 50 84 35 19
Chamber of commerce no: 33189016
USA
Flute Specialists
606 S.Rochester Road
Clawson MI 48017 USA
info@flutespecialists.com
website
phone 1-248-589-9346
Flute Center
307 7th Avenue, Suite 401
New York, NY 10001
info@flutecenter.com
website link
phone 1- 212 - 307-9737
Deutschland
Flutissimo
Meindorfer Straße 174
53757 Sankt Augustin
website
mail@flutissimo.de
Telefon 022418466085
Danmark
i.K.Gottfried
Kronprinsessegade 44c
DK-1306 København K
netshop@gottfried.dk
website
+45 3311 1047
United Kingdom
Suomi
HUILUPISTE
website
Lapinlahdenkatu 29
00180 HELSINKI
+358 41 459 6789
email email Huilupiste
Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera
France
Bertet Musique
1 bis avenue Esclangon
38610 GIERES
Tél. : 04 76 89 40 40
contact@bertet-musique.com