I really appreciate your guy's input!
As I said earlier, I am going to take my flute into my music store and have the tech take a look.
I hope it won't take too much $ to fix it. I am not in the market to buy a new one right now.

I have been saving my money to buy a new violin. I have been renting one for a while now
and they put most of my rent money towards a new one. Can't wait!
I guess I should start saving for a flute too.

Would you guys suggest renting a flute? Or, will that still be a student flute?
It might make it easier to pay for it in small payments like my violin.:]
Tell me what you think.
LilLaree

PS I am female, so you guys can stop referring to me as he/she LOL

I think You should rent a flute and You should choose an Yamaha 211. It is the most used flute worldwide and at least my flute teacher recommend it to start with. I personally don´t like the Yamahas, for me even my backup flute (a Gemeinhardt bought for 200$) is better. My ordinary flute is a Miyazawa.

Sorry cannot help on renting instruments, it depends on the country you are and I am not in USA.

Your teacher might also have something to say about the present shape of your flute, if she tries it and before sending it to the technician.

Handy Dandy! I have been posting in another thread about getting my daughter a flute and saw your post on embouchures. Another poster in my thread gave me some great links and I see they are specific to many of the questions you are asking as well.

[url=http://jennifercluff.blogspot.com/2009/01/adult-re-starting-flute-on-budget.html]Jennifer Cluff has some info on being an adult re-beginner HERE[/url]

she also has some on looking for flutes after you have gotten going again.

[url=http://www.jennifercluff.com/breathe.htm]Here is the articles on breathing and such[/url]. I thought they were pretty good and have been helping my daughter make some adjustments.

The site is pretty mish-mashy but there is some cool information to be gathered there.


<Added>

Here are those links again.....seems that this site won't let me in bed them with coding. Annoying.

http://jennifercluff.blogspot.com/2009/01/adult-re-starting-flute-on-budget.html

http://www.jennifercluff.com/breathe.htm