Klarinet Archive - Posting 000245.txt from 2004/10

From: Elgenubi@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Flutophones
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 10:47:31 -0400

One more thought.
I suggested Flutophones as a good instrument for very young children when
they may live in a musical and thus may not get much teaching. Because they will
get a nice, more or less in tune, sound if they put their fingers down in
order. Period. If they read the little book, say at 8 or 9 years old, they can
teach themselves everything.

Ken mentioned pennywhistles. In the small town I'm in, where Country,
Celtic, and Old Time music are much appreciated and played, pennywhistles are real
instruments, and families buying them for their kids may well go home and have
the kids play that night in the family jam. This is a wonderful situation and
such families know where the whistles are in the music store.

Same goes for recorders. I betcha that if Lelia gives a kid a recorder, that
kid will learn to play it just by being near to her. I had a friend at
Humboldt State University who was born in Holland and lived there until she was 12
or so. She learned recorder as a child in school, and as a Biology Grad
Student was a wonderful recorder performer. In Europe, with better young music
education I assume, recorders are the perfect instrument. Flutophones would be
silly.

But in the United States, with the music education as it is, music stores
should toss their $10 recorders, and put piles of $4 flutophones down at
children's eye level for impulse and Christmas stocking purchases. (Tonettes can be
given to cocker spanials to bury; that's ok.)

Maybe I WILL buy some Flutophone stock.

Wayne Thompson

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