This evening marks a milestone in our two year old’s growing mastery of the penny whistle. (This is Natasha, adopted from Russia, and home with us now about two months.)
Natasha likes my office because it’s full of interesting things, mostly things I can’t let her play with. She showed immediate interest in all the whistles around, but I couldn’t let her play with the new whistles I’m tweaking. I solved the problem by offering her a Waltons black head, unknown brass tube, handmedown whistle Ava send in a care package recently.
After some coaching as to a few of the finer points (don’t put the whistle so far in your mouth that you cover up the window; don’t suck, blow), she got the hang of it. In a chiffy chat conversation with Ava soon after, I mentioned that my daughter had taken over the whistle she sent. Ava asked if it is in tune, and I replied, “She only plays one note.”
Today, Natasha discovered the box where I put cast off whistles and whistle parts. She zeroed in on a Susato low D that’s intact, but not to my liking. She picked it up and was playing her favorite tune (note, actually) in no time at all. This impresses me greatly, as she has no difficulty whatsoever with the finger spacing. She plays low whistle every bit as well as she plays high whistle. Amazing.
That is my 18 month olds favorite note as well except he’s latched onto the Dixon low D. I hope you limit playing to sitting down, large poited object in the mouth and unstable 2 year old generally don’t mix.
My son, the 18 month old, figured out last week that if he slides his hand up and down the whistle he gets other wierd sounds. Ocasionally a B or A but mostly jsut strange noises.
I keep the whistles locked in my office, and she only plays (with) them under close supervision. Yesterday, she found a harmonica, which seems quite a bit safer for her to carry around. And she LOVES Lalitha’s practice xylophone from school band. For a two year old, there’s nothing better than something you can bang on that makes music.
My 2 year old latched onto my whistles too recently. He loves to play my Susato Low D as well!
Everytime I pick it up to play, he comes running to me and asks, “Can I blow a song now, Daddy?” Just like a little jazz musician.
Some day I’m sure he will have to work through with a shrink the fact that I’ve conned him out of playing some of my whistles by giving him a Yamaha rec****r. The con works because his favorite color right now is brown!
My daughter just turned 2 yesterday and she does the same thing. Sometimes, though, she can get a second note - c# in the first octave instead of the second
Just like a little jazz musician.