I've been dreading this for a while. I've known it was coming. It is finally here. Bear has come home with a letter saying that his year and the next are learning a musical instrument and it is the recorder.
The recorder - an instrument designed for torturing parents. I've heard all the medieval stuff and baritone recorders and stuff. That can be magical. Bear is not getting a baritone recorder nor will he be playing Restoration tunes. He will be having the standard issue job lot as issued by the school and no doubt massacring Greensleeves. The basic plastic recorder is still a foul and dreadful thing. I am going to be paying £2.70 for the privilege as well.
Bear is happy, though, as he now has a case for his 'new' phone. He has been pacing around flashing the Doctor Who case and trying all the angles and details. He will almost certainly need a replacement by Christmas, but I may delegate that gift to uncle.
Targets for last week were failed abysmally. I am not sure what the best line of attack is now - whether to continue or to change tactic. This week I will continue to aim to finish the blanket, and I will see how that goes.
You can help ease your recorder torture if you can get Bear to "tongue" the instrument when making each note rather than just blowing. Check with the teacher who is designated as the recorder teacher and see if she is cognisant of tongeing. If she isn't then it means she isn't a wind specialist but some poor soul who has been given the task of teaching recorder this year but basically has little clue about the instrument. The basics of tongueing is that he must make a "tut sound at the beginning and end of every note so it has a start and a finish. As Bear already plays the piano, this will give him an advantage and hopefully allow him to take pride in the instrument. He will be starting with his first note as G above middle C and go from there. Recorders are only instruments of torture if the teaching is inadequate. Bear might also enjoy learning a plastic ocarina which have fewer holes and (again if adequately taught) sometimes a much better tone. I like them as small stocking fillers.
ReplyDeleteThank you I shall so be using this! WS xxx
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