Category Archives: Recorders

Issue 107: Left Hand on Top! First few weeks of recorders

Posted on October 12, 2013 by

Here we go again! Another new school year, another intake of beginner recorders! The classes seem to be getting larger and larger. I used to worry about going too slowly, and the children getting bored. Now, I take my time. Plenty … Continue reading →

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Issue 105: Rabbit run on the frozen ground

Posted on September 29, 2013 by

This is a great little children’s song from Kentucky. I first came across is in Jo McNally’s “Young Voiceworks” anthology – a resource I go back to time and time again (Warm up and Stomp Cannon, Star light, star bright, … Continue reading →

Posted in Clarinets, Djembe, Early Years, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Recorders, Resources, Samba | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Issue 103: Chatty Class Techniques – the Sleeping Teacher

Posted on September 15, 2013 by

I teach two year 3 recorder classes  (children aged 7) on a Friday afternoon just before home time. So, in come twenty children at a time, armed with various recorders in brown, blue and sparkly pink. They are all dead … Continue reading →

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Issue 87: Kumala Vista – singing, samba, djembe, recorders, percussion

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

Since I’ve found this song all over the place, and have been taught it by ear on various occasions, by various teachers, I hope I’m okay in giving the words and melody here. It’s also in this book Kumala Vista where … Continue reading →

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Issue 84: Left handed Ukuleles (or recorders, for that matter)

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

The short answer is NO! I’ve just started teaching a short course of a wider opportunities year 4 class ukulele programme. Once again, the old “my daughter is left-handed, so can she play her ukulele the other way round?” question … Continue reading →

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Issue 82: Hot Cross Buns

Posted on March 24, 2013 by

This was the perfect seasonal vehicle for my year 3 ukulele and recorder class. So far we have concentrated on the notes C B A G on the recorder and our current project on ukuleles is getting to grips with … Continue reading →

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Issue 80: Recording Recorder Lessons

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

OK, so I probably shouldn’t have done it. But I did, and it’s done. Friday afternoons are probably my least favourite times for trying to teach music in primary schools. The children are a toxic mixture of over-tired from the … Continue reading →

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Issue 66: Beginner Recorders: reading the dots

Posted on November 24, 2012 by

I do go on and on about this, but I strongly believe that if you don’t teach children how to read music when you teach an instrument, you are not doing them any favours. So, my year 3 recorder players … Continue reading →

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