If I take the plastic recorders and, oh, melt them, or throw them off a cliff...

[Andie]

will my children grow up incapable of creativity? Will it suck the love of music right out of them?

THEY'RE DRIVING ME NUTS with these things. And who bought them acordians?!?!

[Tammy in Germany]

One word for ya...


Earplugs!!! :D

[Staci in MO]

When I was in grade school, band students started on Tonettes. Tonettes are --if you can believe it -- a step or two DOWN from a recorder. They are glorified whistles.

I grew to be a good enough flautist (that seems so pretentious, can I say "flute player"?) in spite of my year with the Tonette, not because of it.

I have nothing to offer you in way of acordian advice.

Here's a Tonette, in case you're curious.

All about the Tonette (http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textt/Tonette.html)

I found this sentence particularly amusing:

It has largely been superceded, through the efforts of Music Educators, by the much more musically accurate recorder family of instruments.

Perhaps you should buy them Tonettes. Then the recorder will sound wonderful!

[nancypants]

Oh, I hate recorders. They are the death knell of music if you ask me! :lol: And harmonicas for that matter...

I really don't like any musical instruments until a child cares enough to learn to make more than noise on them! Then we can talk. :tongue_smilie:

[Carol in Cal.]

They need ALTO recorders.

The normal starter recorders are high pitched, shrill, and annoying.

Alto recorders are mellow sounding and lovely. And they can get all their friends playing the sopranos, and accompany them with their lovely, lovely, mellow altos. Then all the OTHER parents will need earplugs, but not you!

[Jen in NY]

:D

My son always asked to play accordion.... whenever the opportunity arose... every other day. Now, we are a very musical family and have literally dozens of instruments hanging around the house - but no accordion. I am not sure where he ever even saw an accordion!

When we finally did plop one in his lap, he played a few chords and with a huge sigh said, "I was born to play accordion!"

He still loves it - I guess I should learn to trust my kids when they tell me they want to try something :)
~Jen

[Sahamamama]

They need ALTO recorders.

The normal starter recorders are high pitched, shrill, and annoying.

Alto recorders are mellow sounding and lovely. And they can get all their friends playing the sopranos, and accompany them with their lovely, lovely, mellow altos. Then all the OTHER parents will need earplugs, but not you!

Where do I get an alto recorder?

[Annie N]

Where do I get an alto recorder?

Any good music store. I bought mine a few years ago for about $30. (Argh! Here's (http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-20-Series-F-Alto-Recorder-Ivory/dp/B000FJ1NWA/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_3_txt/103-4445747-1087042?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_r=1DTCDG14SHVQEQJJ3H59&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_i=0793550025)my alto recorder at almost half the price at Amazon!) You should be aware tho that they are a different key than soprano recorders.

To learn to read the music for them, check out Penny Gardner's Nine-Note method (http://www.ninenote.com/). This is how I taught myself to play the recorder :) I really like how well it all worked, and in a just a few minutes a day—seriously! (But I did already know something about music, just not very much.)

[PrairieAir]

Why not make them into an assemblage art piece and that will teach them a different type of creativity--one that is hopefully MUCH quieter:D

[Andie]

:D

My son always asked to play accordion.... whenever the opportunity arose... every other day. Now, we are a very musical family and have literally dozens of instruments hanging around the house - but no accordion. I am not sure where he ever even saw an accordion!

When we finally did plop one in his lap, he played a few chords and with a huge sigh said, "I was born to play accordion!"

He still loves it - I guess I should learn to trust my kids when they tell me they want to try something :)
~Jen

That picture is adorable! I'm sure I'd have more love for the instrument if my kids had anything like, um, talent, maybe?! like yours. :)

[Andie]

They need ALTO recorders.

The normal starter recorders are high pitched, shrill, and annoying.

Alto recorders are mellow sounding and lovely. And they can get all their friends playing the sopranos, and accompany them with their lovely, lovely, mellow altos. Then all the OTHER parents will need earplugs, but not you!


Excellent idea! Now, I need an alto three year old. Our normal model is high pitched, shrill, and annoying. ;)

[hillfarm]

When dd's children's choir at church got recorders to play one year, I told her it was against state law to play one inside a moving car!:D She went from that to fiddle--boy, that sure made some sounds unknown to nature. Now she is playing mandolin and on a bad day only has a lot of deadened strings, nothing shrieky.

[Kathy in MD]

:D

My son always asked to play accordion.... whenever the opportunity arose... every other day. Now, we are a very musical family and have literally dozens of instruments hanging around the house - but no accordion. I am not sure where he ever even saw an accordion!

When we finally did plop one in his lap, he played a few chords and with a huge sigh said, "I was born to play accordion!"

He still loves it - I guess I should learn to trust my kids when they tell me they want to try something :)
~Jen

Someday drop your ds with his accordian in the Paris Metro. He'll sound like he's playing a magnificent organ. Really!

[Heather in the Kootenays]

I was stunned to learn that recorders are real musical instruments capable of making beautiful music.

Try to find good recorders for them - the lower tone the better. You'll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes.

In the meantime, you have my sympathy.

[Tammyla]

We, er..me always seemed to misplace those. They turned up in the strangest places like under my socks or mixed in with the Christmas decorations.

You have my pity. Mine have outgrown them, but I've suffered through many a piano practice. My ds wants to begin drum lessons...:001_huh: I think it may be revenge.

[Peek a Boo]

We, er..me always seemed to misplace those. They turned up in the strangest places like under my socks or mixed in with the Christmas decorations.

I was going to suggest the little Mountain Ocarinas, but losing them is the toughest part, lol. i did put a colorful string on mine.....

Even the smaller G ones aren't very annoying when the toddler blows on them. The C's are even mellower.

They don't break even when you whack them against the pavement.
They can survive the Texas heat and the NY frozen winters.
drown them, bury them in the mud, and wash them out. Sit on them, yank them outta the dog's mouth, and they still play nicely :)

recorders always bug me......

[HeatherH]

OH, Andie, I FEEL your pain. . . . . . . .

I taught elementary school music for years. I was required to teach recorder in the spring of third grade.

It has the same effect on me that "It's a Small World" does on Scar -

"No! No! ANYTHING but that!"

[Meliss]

Why not give them a "How-to Play Recorder" type book, set the timer for 30 minutes, and tell them that they must practice in their room until the timer goes off. I bet they will quit playing them all together. :)