Recorder Time in Kindermusik!

Sorry about all this snow cancellations! I know those Kindermusik Young Child 4 children are so anxious to know thier first notes on the recorder! Here's something to keep you going till we meet again: It's a video of a grown up group of musicians that play the Recorder. The recorder ensemble is really a beautiful sound. I mentioned in class that the recorder was one of the main instruments of the day in the Baroque era. Harpsichords, alto recorders, violins, lutes (like a guitar) were what everyone played after dinner (or any time that we today would fill with television!). Alto was preferred because it's not quite so shrill and high sounding as the soprano. The soprano is the one taught in schools since it is smaller and better suited for student's small hands.

The drawback of the recorder was that there was only one dynamic level, only medium loud (mf). If you blow harder to play louder (f) you get a sharper pitch. Or softer for quiet (p), your pitch would be flat. So newer instruments like flutes and clarinets soon ranked higher in popularity and eventually more music was written for them than the recorder. But as the video interview mentioned that the recorder is STILL the most widely played instrument....since it is used in music classes worldwide. I bet there's a recorder in your closet that you could unearth and play with your Young Child student! What a great idea. Let me know if you need a fingering or two to get you going.

(I actually played the alto recorder for a selection on my senior recital. I played a Handel Sonata and it was accompanied by a harpsichord. How authentic! It was great fun. )

Tootles for now,
Yvette

Tips to Molly and the Kindermusik Educators of Canada Yahoo group.