A hearty agreement that it's wonderful that there are people on the list
- and that they're saying such interesting things! :) I'm adding
wonderful things to my BAG of tricks (hardy har har).

I too start recorders in third grade, using karate, then we add alto in
fourth and tenor (and for those big-pawed kids, bass) in fifth. It
manages to keep the kids interested and successful with their recorders.
We play from February to May in grade 3, then monthly in the upper
grades. I've had a recorder ensemble with varying degrees of success in
years past.

Margo - I love the cookie analogy! I always teach my kids to use
"doughnut" air (if you whisper "doughnut" on your palm, it comes out all
soft and warm like you'd expect, and they're practicing a legato du
tongue), but not "birthday cake" air (blowing on your fingers like they
are candles on your cake)!

Linda Z - Do you teach tonguing with "toe"? I have success with
recorder kids and band kids if we practice saying "toe" and tapping our
toe with the steady beat. Eighths become "toe-tuh" (sorta'), which
resembles "toe, up," which is what their foot is doing to show
subdivision. Hope that's helpful.

Here's to more awesome discussion!

Sarah from Idaho