That is the funniest and most performance horrifying story
I have ever heard! I commend you on the way you handled
the situation.

Last year the grades 1-3 class was still straining and complaining
over playing Hot Cross Buns. some were even still doing that
fake noodling with their fingers and making the most horrible
sounds. I was amazed that such a simple song could seem
that hard to them. I finally told them if they were doing the fake
fingerings to at least not blow into the recorder while doing so.

It was a combined program where grades 1-3 and grades 4-6
were all supposed to have a recorder song together. It was
never going to happen and be anything I felt great about. Then
I came up with an idea which worked.

Lower el played Hot Cross Buns which gave us the perfect
key to sing I Saw Three Ships with combined lower el and upper el.
Then upper el followed up after the song by playing it on
recorder. Both groups sounded fabulous and the parents were
especially impressed with upper el playing I Saw Three Ships.
It really was a hard song but upper el was so great with only
17 students they could have learned almost anything I wanted
them to. I now use that song as one of my black belt songs.

Your story where not one person played and then finally only
one single brave soul played tops every story I've ever heard
so far. :)

Juanita


On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 8:37 AM, Sue Roessel Dura wrote:
> Thanks, Helen, for you story. I bet many of us have been there. I took up
> teaching kids with no teacher training but lots of recorder playing. I got lots
> of help from my friends at ARTA, but the first semester I assumed they'd get
> through the whole book "Recorder Time". And the first lesson I "taught" them
> BAG on the recorder, the music staff, BAG on it, blowing, breathing and
> articulation. Needless to say, we had to go over it all again! Fortunately, I
> never felt like I could take up brain surgery ;-)
>
> I still bring more work to each lesson than they can do, but that's just in case
> they get on a roll.
>
> Best, Sue
>
> On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 20:04:54 +0100, you wrote:
>
>>This reminded me of a something that happened to me many moons ago.
>>
>>It must have been about 25 years ago; when I was young, naive,
>>inexperienced and incredibly stubborn.
>>
>>They had been learning a piece that was way too hard for them. I had
>>totally misjudged what they could do! They were playing a few pieces
>>in our Summer concert, but this one piece, despite many lessons, just
>>hadn't come together at all.
>>
>>In desperation, I said "those who feel confident, play it....the
>>others, don't blow, just finger the notes"
>>
>>So up on stage they go. Play first and second piece. Then comes the
>>dreaded piece 3.
>>
>>I play the intro...then the chord to start....nothing....nothing at
>>all. About 60 children, all poised with recorders in their mouths,
>>fingering the notes and not a sound coming from it.
>>
>>I tried again. Played the intro...nothing.
>>
>>In the end, in front of all the parents I said "for goodness
>>sake....SOMEBODY must be able to play this piece!" I sat down again.
>>Played the intro and one lonely player played. There they were all 60
>>fingering away, and only the sound of one player.
>>
>>At the end, I explained to the audience how they had worked at getting
>>the tone so perfect that it sounded just like one player LOL.
>>Okay...I then explained what I had told them, and we gave a round of
>>applause for the soloist.
>>
>>Very funny. Everyone had a good laugh, including the recorder players
>>
>>It wouldn't happen these days, as I can usually tell whether they are
>>going to get an ambitious piece within the first couple of weeks, and
>>we'll abandon it if I know they'll not get it within time for the
>>concert, but in those days, I found it hard to judge and with all the
>>work we had put in, I didn't want to drop it.
>>
>>Anyway....it just reminded me. Oh what it is to be old and have so
>>many things to reminisce over LOL
>>
>>Helen
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>Hosted by Plank Road Publishing: http://www.recorderclassroom.com
>>List Administrator: list_admin@recorderclassroom.com
>>To send a message to the list: send it to list@recorderclassroom.com
>>To subscribe/unsubscribe, visit:
>>https://www.recorderclassroom.com/recl/list.php
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Hosted by Plank Road Publishing: http://www.recorderclassroom.com
> List Administrator: list_admin@recorderclassroom.com
> To send a message to the list: send it to list@recorderclassroom.com
> To subscribe/unsubscribe, visit:
> https://www.recorderclassroom.com/recl/list.php
>
>