Last month we were having a discussion over an article in the Chicago Tribune titled “Traditional Songs Out Of Tune With Today’s Kids” where the author detailed research on how so many kids are unfamiliar with the songs once taught regularly in public schools. (http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=16586) In my post, I said I was considered proposing the tin whistle to our local grade school, with the idea that the instrument is ideally suited for small hands, especially the lower keys. The available tutorials offer many familar children’s songs, even from Colonial times. Yesterday I met with the school principle of my daughter’s school, and today talked with the music teacher. Here’s my report on how it went.
Both the principle and the music teacher had the same idea – the rcrd*r is taught in third and fourth grade, and the children love it. The whistle obviously has good potential for the younger children in first and second grade and would work well in introducing them to music at an even earlier age. The music teacher had even been looking at whistles sold at one of our local music stores and wondered if they were authentic Irish whistles.
To dispel any notions that the whistle is a children’s toy, I played a CD of Mary Bergin, Feadoga Stain II. Needless to say she was impressed. To really drive the point home, I held up a brass Generation D whistle and said “This is what she’s playing.”
So far, they’re both interested in the possibilities of using the whistle in the music curriculum, especially for the younger children. But then the issue which I’d been dreading came up. “Mr. McFeeley, maybe you could give a demonstration some time.” Yikes. My playing ability isn’t anything up to giving demos, not just yet. She probably assumed, from the sampling of whistles and tutorials I had with me, that I was a fairly decent player. This was not the time or place to explain WhOA or TOAD.
Looks like I need to spend a lot more time practicing, anticipating giving a quick demo some time soon to a group of very young grade school kids.
It sounds like you have opened a fun can of worms there! I’ll really be interested to hear how progress goes with your project.
Where my daughter goes to school, they have after school clubs taught by parents. If your school has something similar, you could create your own little army of whistlers!
I’m curious to know, what are they currently doing musically with the younger kids? I have some thoughts on your post, but it totally depends on what the younger kids are doing in music class. The fact that they have a great recorder thing running for the grade threes and fours means that the school has a tradition going that is working well for them. Are the younger kids being exposed to rhythm, melody, the joy of music, etc.? If so, it sounds like they’ve got a good thing going.
Good for you. A secure thought is that a demo doesn’t have to be elaborate or amazing. A simple, and familiar tune or tune(s) is a good way to go. I’m sure your skills are up to it and many suggestions for tunes will come if you open up such a topic. You can play the CD(s) to demonstrate what expert players are capable of.
Right now two of the easiest tunes for playing in public for me are a variation of a Bach Contata and my arrangement of the song “In Dreams” from the LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring. I’m sure others have their simple favorites, and you probably have some of your own.
This is an interesting thread for me. I teach elementary music for grades K-5 in a private school. We do soprano recorder in grades 4 and 5. I’m an Orff-trained educator, and recorder is central to that method of active teaching/learning. Kids love recorder because I use a method called “Recorder Karate.” Students learn a series of progressively more difficult tunes and earn a “belt” (piece of colored yarn) that they tie on to the bottom of their recorders. This year I added beads, and they come both before and after school to earn beads.
I have thought about using the whistle in a small afterschool group. I wouldn’t want a class full of 20+ whistle players, though! The recorders can get pretty “shrieky” when students overblow. It gets better as they progress, though. I’m sure the same would be true of whistles. I’ve also thought that a small fife & drum group would be an interesting possibility for older elementary students. I’d be interested to hear any suggestions for whistle or fife in 4th/5th grades.
I’m not sure if whistles would work with younger students (K-2). Most don’t have the small-muscle/motor coordination to do the fingerings on recorder. Whistle fingerings are a bit easier (for F#, for example) than on recorder, though. I have had a few 2nd graders whose older siblings have taught them recorder and they do better than some 5th gradersdo! In younger grades we focus on singing, playing Orff instruments (xylophones, glockenspiels, unpitched percussion, etc.) and movement.
I’ve played my whistle for some of the 4th/5th graders and they really like it. I played the “Lord of the Rings” theme that a previous post mentioned. This really motivated them to learn it on recorder.
It’s hard to get details out of a six year old, but that’s what it sounds like – work with rhythm and melody. They’re taught simple songs starting in kindergarten, and the music teacher has been working with more songs and rhythm as well.
Thanks to everyone who suggested Lord of the Rings. I’ll have to go looking for the sheet music and see about learning the theme from Fellowship of the Rings.
I know some UP players in Ireland who started on tin whistle at age 6. They were brought up in musical families, to be sure, but I doubt their ability to play at this age was purely genetic. More a matter of what the children were used to hearing, and perhaps expected to do. It’s unfortunate and sad that music is often the first thing to go in schools. I’d encourage everyone to take an active role in volunteering at schools. As someone said, it doesn’t need to be an impressive performance at all. Half the kids I played for enjoyed hearing a reed crow as much as the songs. I’m sure they’d love just about anything you can play.
I often play a whistle while doing yard duty at my daughter’s school, and the little kids (k-2) are impressed by even the simplest melodies. One little guy always tosses in a request…his favorite is “I’ve been working on the railroad.” If they want to get dancing, I’ll do a really simple polka…something like “Britches Full of Stitches.” They just get a kick out of hearing music coming out of something that looks like a toy, and I doubt they even notice when I hit a wrong note. Kids are the very best audience! I agree…if you do a demo, pick a couple of things you feel comfortable playing (and maybe a couple of simple children’s songs) and have along some good recordings so you can show what the experts can do.
I used to teach my sixth grade beginner flute class tin whistle back when I was teaching middle school band in Texas. We’d do whistle the last two months of the school year in addition to playing flute. They loved it! I also took them to the Houston feis one year…
Mr. McFeeley, maybe you could give a demonstration some time." Yikes.
Well… if you look anything like that avatar, one might assume that you are the Whistle Master. (Kind of like the Kung-fu Master, in the old timey kung-fu movies)
Certainly, the kids would more fully appreciate a Bad A## pursuit like whistle. What would really be neat is to work something out with a local Irish band, session group etc. Bring the Band in the first day to demonstrate, the Tunes you are going to teach. Then towards the end of the year, the school could have a recital where the kids play as a group for the parents. To make it a wee bit more interesting, the session group joins them onstage and finishes off the show with a few sets. It would be a decent fund raiser, and the kids would be part of something that kicked A##.
Someone posted the following ABC for “In Dreams.” (If you are not familiar with ABC notation, it is straightforward on a whistle. BAGFED being the acronym from highest note to lowest). This ABC lacks the rhythm, but the basic rhythm and timing is straightforward if you have a access to a DVD of any of the movies. This music is heard when the Shire or the hobbits are on screen. I play a simplified arrangement that sounds close to true while being easier for me (a big plus when playing in public).
DEFAFED
FABdCAFE
DEFAFED
FAB B-B-A-F E
DEF
FBCde-dCAFE
DEF
FBCded-eff-d-B-ddA
(Key change)
GABdBAG
Bdee-g-f-dBA
GABdBAG
GBdee-e-d-B
AA-A-G-FG
Lyrics:
“In Dreams” by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore
When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there I will go
there and back again."
by the number of people who continue to play it.
That said they should be using the whistle in grade school. It is cheaper and better suited a prep for other instruments.
Just get the establishment to the whistle would be a big plus for our whistle community.
To really drive the point home, I held up a brass Generation D whistle and said “This is what she’s playing.”