I bet it was for a lot of people. Wasn't it a standard thing around 3rd or 4th grade to introduce young students to music by teaching them to play the recorder?
I always figured that had become established because the recorder is a relatively easy instrument to learn to play (although it does take time and effort to learn to play well, without sounding like a screeching cat; recorders are kind of like clarinets in that way). Once they were available in plastic, they were also pretty affordable.
Whatever the original impetus for schools was, I think I learned to play in the 4th grade, while I lived in Australia. I don't remember the recorder from when I was in the 3rd grade in California.
And why am I writing about recorders today? I guess you didn't know that today is Play the Recorder Day, did you?
Play the Recorder Day (PtRD), celebrated on the third Saturday of March, grew out of a one-day event held in 1989 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the American Recorder Society (ARS). ARS started PtRD in 1992, to be an annual event. Play the Recorder Month came after that, just to promote the recorder even more.
I have to admit, after originally learning to play recorder, I didn't do too much with it, even though I kept my instrument through several moves (kind of like keeping my Barbie dolls). That was until I started participating in the Renaissance Pleasure Faire (the vestiges of which are currently called the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire and owned by a for-profit corporation, but not the for-profit corporation that bought it when the original in which I participated ran into financial problems and was sold).
And hey, I suddenly had a place where I could play my recorder! So I did! And I had a lot of fun!
We didn't use plastic recorders at the Faire, of course, because they wouldn't have that "period" look. I found a very nice wood recorder and played in the opening and closing parades.
I continued to play for several years. I became interested in expanding my range from the standard alto recorder and picked up a soprano recorder. I experimented a bit with tenor and bass recorders also. I could produce decent notes on a tenor, but I had problems with the bass. I never invested in purchasing either one, though, sticking to my alto and soprano recorders.
I haven't played either of my reorders in many years, but when I found out about Play the Recorder Day, it encouraged me to reminisce and document a little bit more of my personal history.
I wished I'd known. I would have pulled out my recorder and alto recorder. In 4th grade in California, we had black song flutes. Band started in 5th grade, so I think it was an introduction to band music and the teachers could see who to recommend.
ReplyDeleteWe could have had a recorder duet! Recorder wouldn't have been an intro to band music in Australia, I don't think, because I don't remember a regular band curriculum. And they didn't have marching bands until 15 years after I moved back to the States.
DeleteWish I had known too, though finding my recorder right now could be a challenge. I'm seeing a potential pattern amongst British influenced countries. My first instrument was a recorder in Wales, in second grade (which for me matched US third grade). Those of us interested in learning more got extra lessons from the principal of all people. And it was introduced to me again in 4th grade in California. I still have my Welsh recorder book and purchased a nice plastic recorder later in life. Would still like to learn to play it properly.
ReplyDeleteWow, a Welsh recorder book! How cool! I still have wood soprano and alto recorders and one plastic alto. I need to start playing again.
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