Sadly the End of Our Project

I learned a lot from this project this past semester. I learned how hard it actually is to teach someone how to play an interment. I know now that you really have to know about everything when teaching someone how to play. You need to know all the little tricks that you used when you were learning, which is hard to remember all the time. It taught me all the things that I had forgotten how to do when I had to read threw the book that I used to teach her the basics. I forgot the little things that have just become motor memory for me but for Paige she hadn't ever learned that so it was much harder for her. I also learned a bit about patience and that you can't just become a fabulous player from one lesson (If you can that is just amazing). I hope that we can do this again next semester because I either want to continue teaching Paige or learn more about music in general, because from watching all the presentations I learned quite a bit about music and how it is made or how it is played in different ways. I have found that it really interests me, more then I thought it really did. I really enjoyed teaching Paige the basics of how to play the flute. I hope that I can teach her more after this project is done, because she seemed to really enjoy it just as I enjoyed teaching her.

Succesfull Day Once Again

Ok so Paige has now fully memorized how to play not only hot cross buns and Mary had a little lamb but she has played several other songs. I have had her play some songs by ear since she has the fingers down after practicing the B flat scale every band day before we get started with the rest of band. I am very proud of Paige and I know that if she can get set on learning how to play the flute she could do it easily. She has the right ombusher for it, though I must say her posture could use a bit of work but she is a trumpet player...

Perfect Paige!

Plays it just right!

Almost Mary Had A Little Lamb

Paige is learning to play Mary Had A Little Lamb but she makes a few mistakes. "Sam" decides to pull out the "Fail Button" app on her iTouch and serenades Paige's fail.

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!

Paige finally played the B flat scale completely right in front of a camera!

Funny Video

I guess I am not the only one who like my strategy. Because I didn't have any candy that day I was bribing her with pieces of bagel. It worked quite well and I managed to video tape her begging at one point.

SOOO CLOSE PAIGE!

SOOO CLOSE PAIGE!!!!!! You were sooooo close but then you failed!!!! Then again you are going fast and I told you to practice going slow so...it is really your fault.

One Scale ALMOST Mastered!

Ok so during class yesterday I tested Paige and how much she remembered and if she still had the B flat scale memorized or if she had forgotten. She remembered all of the fingerings and how to properly hold the flute. The only thing was her problem with getting the high notes and tone. She had ok tone on Monday but when she played for me yesterday it was really airy and she lost more air quicker. This is apparently normal because when another trumpet came in who had played the flute a little bit, he had the same problem as Paige. After about forty-five minutes she played it almost perfectly and I called that good for the day because Mr. Matthys told us to come in and join the rest of the band. She did earn the candy but since I have yet to buy the candy I now owe her candy and or another one of my homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Which I will make sure she doesn't eat then blow all the crumbs into my flute!

A will be posting some videos of yesterdays playing test soon.

First Day

Ok so today was a GREAT success in my opinion. I have managed, with quite a bit of encouragement on my part, to get Paige, my student, to play notes on the flute. Not only has she played notes on the flute I have also almost been able to completely teach her the B flat scale on the flute. How I did it was first bringing out the fingering chart that was complete with how the note looked on a score and show her what it looked like on music. Then I showed her where she had to put her fingers on the flute in order for her to be actually able to play the flute. This took not a lot of time at all due to the numerous times she had stolen my flute from me to "play" my flute. Then we perfected how she blew into the flute to make a clear sound. Then I had her slowly go threw the fingerings in the order of the B flat scale. As the class period went on she began to get used to the flute and how to play the notes. She still is having some difficulty with the notes that have the same fingering for the higher and lower register. She can play both notes it is just that she has troubles not having it drop to the lower register or having it not have the higher note over tone when she is playing. Eventually she got the scale down, this with the promise for every scale she memorized I would get her a mini bag of m&m's. After she played the scale perfectly with out the fingering chart she demanded the candy. I told her that if she still had it memorized the next time we have class in which I will test her on if she really memorized it that I would give her the candy. She agreed and that is where we ended for the due to the fact that the class period ended.

First Things First

Ok. So, first thing first. Hi! I am Courtney and I am a Junior in the Lake Oswego Symphonic Band. I have been playing flute for some time now and one of my friends who is also in band asked me if I would let her use my flute so she could learn how to play flute. I said sure. Then after some time after contemplating what I was going to do for my 20% project I came up with an idea that I had come to me on a whim and I found that I am actually quite good at. Teaching others to play an instrument, specifically the flute. So that is what I will be doing for the next semester. Though I might also be looking to see if I might also do another thing also for my 20% project. I will have to ask Mr. Matthys if I can do it too as something that I can do outside of class that could also be part of the 20% project. I will give you more information on that after I have talked with him about it.