Klarinet Archive - Posting 000935.txt from 1997/07

From: Terri Kimiko Oda <as648@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: Childrens concert music
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 23:04:13 -0400

I think the biggest thing about children is that most of them like
(almost solely at times!) things they know. Sure, play some "real" music,
but intersperse it with some things they'll recognize... One I used to love
hearing was the "Friendly giant theme" (although what the piece actually is,
I can't remember).. but I guess the friendly giant isn't on quite as much
anymore -- half of my brownies didn't recognize it when one of the parents,
a flautist, came in to play for them. If you can think of something they'd
be able to sing along to, they might enjoy doing that (although probably
none of them would be able to hear you then!) But definately throw in a few
things so they can all go "Hey, I know that...". I sometimes bring my
clarinet or a recorder in around christmas time and play carols with the
kids. They probably can't hear me very well, but they like the thought that
they can sing along with an instrument other than a piano.
The other thing I've found they like is hearing weird noises. When
I played for the gr 3's at my elementary school (I was only in gr 7
myself...) I was the clarinetist that the teacher selected ("so-and-so plays
the clarinet, show everyone what a clarinet sounds like") and I happily told
the kids "This is what a clarinet sounds like when things go wrong" and
produced this *awful* squeak. They, of course, loved it. :) I'm sure they
were really unipressed when I played properly afterwards. :)
My personal favourite was "ping pong" - a sort of thing I made up to
amuse my little sister. I simply played notes that sounded roughly like the
sounds that she heard from our ping-pong table. low-high, low-high, going
faster and faster until all of a sudden, the ball went off the table and
either crashed into something, or bounced forelornly off the floor a few
times before going into that ddadadadada roll-bounce noise.

. . .. ... ..... ........ ............. ....................._=_v
Terri Kimiko Oda || spot@-----.com
v_@-----.