Some Actual Answers!

I often joke with my students that my answer to every single question they ask will be "it depends.”

(In point of fact, I joke about it so much that a group of them bought me this terrific T-shirt. I’m not sorry!)

It’s really not far from the truth. As in many complex disciplines, answers to almost every musical question are heavily context dependent. And because musical contexts are so extremely rich and varied, it’s vanishingly rare to be able to answer a question with a single, unequivocal answer.

So when I can, it’s an event!

Since I’ve already said “it depends” at least fifty times in this particular workshop cycle, I will hereby offer, as an antidote, a few simple and definitive answers to recorder-related questions.

Just don’t get used to it!

Should I inhale through my nose when playing recorder?

No.

Can I play the high F on an alto/ high C on the soprano very softly?

No.

Can I play the low F an an alto/ low C on a soprano very loudly?

No.

Is it OK that individual notes on my recorder have different tone colors?

Yes.

Should I aim for speed or quality first?

Quality.

Should I refer to my metronome’s tempo ranges for music composed before 1800?

No.

Which contributes more to how sound: Your instrument, or your skill?

Your skill.

Should my body hurt after playing recorder?

No.

Phew! That felt great.

And if you have any more questions, then, well….it depends.

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