So if the link below worked...

You heard a bit of Katherine's playing.

Now that she has a real instrument:

Do you know how expensive intermediate flutes are? I didn't. Once you start looking at things like open-holes, solid silver head joints, and other bits, the intermediates were averaging $1000-$1500. Um, ouch. I was learning a new language of brands beyond Yamaha (Jupiter, Pearl, Gemeinhartd, Selmer, Armstrong). If you couldn't guess, I don't play the flute or any brass/wind instrument. She's in foreign territory for me, but not for my dad. So on Sunday we took her to another music store (we'd already been to Dale City Music where they had a whopping 3 flutes to try), Foxes Music Company which was an absolute zoo with rentals but they know their stuff inside and out and have a huge selection of instruments and music.
She tried somewhere around 8-10 different flutes, some closed, some open, some silver-plated, some dinged, some new, some used, you get the idea. Finally we were down to three and eventually the Eastman won out. The salesman was quite baffled by the choice. Eastman is known for violins and only recently developed its own flutes. For us it didn't matter as we all liked the sound, Katherine liked the feel and it was exactly what I had been searching for on-line: silver head-joint, offset G, B foot, new and half the MSRP. Score.
She really enjoys playing the pieces from the Movie Instrumental Solos which comes with a CD of orchestration. Nothing makes you feel accomplished like playing with a full orchestra at your back, and with her new flute, she actually made parts sound really good. Today she "entertained" the neighborhood from our back deck.

What I did ask her to do today was show her new flute to her band teacher (she was very excited, so was he), but ask to keep that one at home and use the old flute for class. Not ideal, to be sure, but this way I worry less about it getting dinged, being left on the bus, left in the locker, or whatever might befall a flute. Understandably, the band director wasn't thrilled but agreed anyway. She'll use the Eastman for her concerts, obviously. Not perfect, but still a win-win. This instrument should easily get her through the next 5 years and beyond.