Friday
Apr092010
Flashback Friday: And On the Recorder, Liza!
Friday, April 9, 2010 at 8:59AM
Reflecting on lessons, experiences and nerdiness and how it’s shaped me as an adult and parent-to-be.
I was going to be the world's best recorder player. I would be asked to be the sole record-ist in symphonies around the world. For sure this would happen! For no one could play the William Tell Overture like I!
You remember the recorder, right? At least two thirds of the US population has to learn it in third grade. And by "learn" I mean become mediocrely (I know, not really a word) proficient in such songs as "Hot Cross Buns" and "Three Blind Mice," which pretty much have the same melody.
I, however, was going to take it to another level. And this was mainly due to my desire to achieve greatness without too much effort. I mean, I had tried piano lessons for a while. My dad plays the piano and the guitar and I grew up with a medium grand in my house. Perfect. A convenient place to practice AND parental support!
Have you ever taken piano lessons? Did you know that you have to PRACTICE? A LOT? Just doing the SAME THING OVER AND OVER? Ew. Not enough variety for me. Perhaps if I could have practiced with songs of my choosing, I would have stayed with it longer than three months.
Guitar lasted about two days minutes. My dad showed me a chord or two and handed me the guitar. When I couldn't get it immediately, I just passed it back to him saying I didn't want to learn.
But the recorder. Now, THAT was an instrument I could deal with! Eight holes on the front total with that weird little double hole at the bottom and one on the back. No "each hand does something different." No tuning. All you had to remember to do was take it apart and clean your spit out of the inside once in a while.
Recorder books. I had about four. Four was the perfect number to make me a master. And, what master is complete without a beautiful case for her instrument? Nothing was good enough for my precious recorder so I sewed a case. I put quilting on the inside and used the most lovely fabric I could find for the outside: some synthetic thing with thin pastel stripes. And I carried my recorder with PRIDE!
But, eventually, the dream of recorder playing stardom faded. I mean, how many times can you play the William Tell Overture and NOT have an agent come calling before you decide to throw in the towel? About 112. That's how many.
I took drums for a while, too. Didn't get past just playing the snare. In terms of dance classes, I took jazz and modern. For a total of three years. I felt very odd having hair too short to put in a bun when it seemed like buns were directly related to your ability to dance with serious flexibility - and have the other girls talk to you.
So, what am I getting at? Lessons! Any lessons! Musical instruments, dance, martial arts, whatever. And sports! Softball, soccer, lacrosse, you name it.
What do I do with my child and lessons?
I was never forced to do or stick with anything. All the lessons I took I asked to take. When I was done my parents spoke to me about if I truly wanted to quit and, as long as I said yes, they let me. I had friends who were forced to take piano once a week for as long as I knew them. And now they're brilliant players. I can't sit down at a piano and play anything more than Old McDonald Had a Farm.
I love, though, that I was allowed to make my own decisions and that my parents supported them. But, did I learn a lot about sticking with something? Making a choice and committing to it? Or was I just super fast at identifying what didn't work for me? Because if something doesn't work for my child and she could be on the path to finding something that does, far be it for me to keep her from it.
My husband said he'd like to make her try things - dance, music, sports, etc. - and then she can make up her mind if she wants to stick with it. I kind of like that idea at the moment. Perhaps we'll sit with her and create a committed time frame. If, after that time has passed, she wants to move on, she can. I kind of like that.
I think I'll go with that for now.
What are your thoughts on what you'll do? What have you done? What did your parents do? I'm curious.
I was going to be the world's best recorder player. I would be asked to be the sole record-ist in symphonies around the world. For sure this would happen! For no one could play the William Tell Overture like I!
You remember the recorder, right? At least two thirds of the US population has to learn it in third grade. And by "learn" I mean become mediocrely (I know, not really a word) proficient in such songs as "Hot Cross Buns" and "Three Blind Mice," which pretty much have the same melody.
I, however, was going to take it to another level. And this was mainly due to my desire to achieve greatness without too much effort. I mean, I had tried piano lessons for a while. My dad plays the piano and the guitar and I grew up with a medium grand in my house. Perfect. A convenient place to practice AND parental support!
Have you ever taken piano lessons? Did you know that you have to PRACTICE? A LOT? Just doing the SAME THING OVER AND OVER? Ew. Not enough variety for me. Perhaps if I could have practiced with songs of my choosing, I would have stayed with it longer than three months.
Guitar lasted about two days minutes. My dad showed me a chord or two and handed me the guitar. When I couldn't get it immediately, I just passed it back to him saying I didn't want to learn.
But the recorder. Now, THAT was an instrument I could deal with! Eight holes on the front total with that weird little double hole at the bottom and one on the back. No "each hand does something different." No tuning. All you had to remember to do was take it apart and clean your spit out of the inside once in a while.
Recorder books. I had about four. Four was the perfect number to make me a master. And, what master is complete without a beautiful case for her instrument? Nothing was good enough for my precious recorder so I sewed a case. I put quilting on the inside and used the most lovely fabric I could find for the outside: some synthetic thing with thin pastel stripes. And I carried my recorder with PRIDE!
But, eventually, the dream of recorder playing stardom faded. I mean, how many times can you play the William Tell Overture and NOT have an agent come calling before you decide to throw in the towel? About 112. That's how many.
I took drums for a while, too. Didn't get past just playing the snare. In terms of dance classes, I took jazz and modern. For a total of three years. I felt very odd having hair too short to put in a bun when it seemed like buns were directly related to your ability to dance with serious flexibility - and have the other girls talk to you.
So, what am I getting at? Lessons! Any lessons! Musical instruments, dance, martial arts, whatever. And sports! Softball, soccer, lacrosse, you name it.
What do I do with my child and lessons?
I was never forced to do or stick with anything. All the lessons I took I asked to take. When I was done my parents spoke to me about if I truly wanted to quit and, as long as I said yes, they let me. I had friends who were forced to take piano once a week for as long as I knew them. And now they're brilliant players. I can't sit down at a piano and play anything more than Old McDonald Had a Farm.
I love, though, that I was allowed to make my own decisions and that my parents supported them. But, did I learn a lot about sticking with something? Making a choice and committing to it? Or was I just super fast at identifying what didn't work for me? Because if something doesn't work for my child and she could be on the path to finding something that does, far be it for me to keep her from it.
My husband said he'd like to make her try things - dance, music, sports, etc. - and then she can make up her mind if she wants to stick with it. I kind of like that idea at the moment. Perhaps we'll sit with her and create a committed time frame. If, after that time has passed, she wants to move on, she can. I kind of like that.
I think I'll go with that for now.
What are your thoughts on what you'll do? What have you done? What did your parents do? I'm curious.
Copyright; 2011, Blahggy. All rights reserved.
Reader Comments (2)
My son had to learn it in third grade. He was excited for like the first day : ) and then....wow. Did that ever sound like a goose honking? : )
Life with Kaishon - Oh, it was HORRIBLE! I don't know what I was thinking! I don't know what my PARENTS were thinking!