Broken

My promise not to teach music is now broken. I don’t think they can do anything about it either. Initial results are excellent. Okay, today I have but one pupil and we are both only slightly separated in ability. I had the advantage of having practiced the five bars of music which I’d assigned as homework. My generally diligent pupil had not practiced because she is accustomed to using the letter of the note (a, b…) rather than looking at the note and knowing the recorder fingering. I do still need to check and recheck my fingering but once sure of notes I can play what I read, limited only by slow fingers. Speed can be improved with practice. We had a wonderful lesson more or less devoted to getting those five bars practiced. This should not have been the entire focus of the lesson, but it was so much fun that I felt no temptation to move on. We have time for that. The benefit was that having used the recorders she was able to sing the song which had been unfamiliar to her. I also think that now that we’ve started she will continue to practice. So as a teaching method in a one-on-one situation, for the introduction of an unfamiliar song that is to be learned in one key, this initial test by a fumble-fingered-teacher who cannot otherwise stay in key seems to hold some potential for use, in spite of the basic long held premise that the teacher needs to have a command of the skill. Frankly I don’t expect to turn out a music virtuoso – certainly not in one lesson! But if enjoyment of music and of making music is the goal then I’d say this was first rate.

Pirkko and I got to a presentation about the Karelia area of Finland. She was born there. The various communities there are actively marketing the area. It was good to see so much handiwork. Now I want to try the Karelian punapoimi (red lifted weave), but it will be a while before I get around to that. It was also good to see so many feresi: a Karelian folk dress. Now I want to make several and am forcing myself NOT to rush off and buy fabric. I think the temptation to make feresi now is partly my frustration with this Lapväärti national dress.