All tuned up

Suzie Harrison

At one point most everyone was tightly covering their ears as squeaks

and sounds of nails on the chalkboard filled the room. It was all

part of the lesson for fourth-graders in band class at El Morro

Elementary School.

The class started step by step with instructor Ann Readshaw

helping the students ascertain the world of bands as easy as possible

without getting intimidated.

Readshaw is the instrumental music teacher for both El Morro and

Top of the World Elementary School where she shares her time.

For the students’ first week, Readshaw instructed the class and

demonstrated instruments, and gave the students an opportunity to

listen to, hold and try out the most common band instruments. For

lesson two, they had their chosen instruments in hand and it was time

to put the pieces together.

As the students enjoyed conversation with each other, they

assembled their instruments.

“I’ve got to tell you all the things you’re doing right so far,”

Readshaw said. “So far you’re doing really well, most of you remember

the different instrument family sections. It’s important to sit

properly in your chair.”

They assembled their instruments in groups the flutes first

followed by the clarinets and saxophones. She explained that it was

important that they gave each other enough room.

“With the sax and clarinet there are a lot of similarities between

mouth pieces,” Readshaw said. “The next thing we are going to do is

buzz the mouth piece. Put your teeth on the top and teeth on the

bottom.”

They worked on making sounds. This incited cheers and laughter as

the blowing of notes through the mouthpieces alone made deafening

squeals.

“I think students are some of the best teachers,” Readshaw said.

She instructed that the cheeks get out of the mix of the blowing

process, stating that if one puffs their cheeks out the air goes out

and the sound doesn’t work.

The difference between the blowing of the mouthpiece when attached

and not made a huge difference -- it was the difference between

making music and making noise.

Readshaw commented to one of the students that she made a

beautiful open G with her clarinet.

Together the band blew notes taking deep breaths, resulting in

long tones.

“That’s beautiful, beautiful -- now play again,” Readshaw said.

When class was almost over and they were putting their instruments

away, they were discussing how much fun they were having.

“I learned in class to put my lip over the whole thing,” Myriah

Reynolds, 8, said. “At first I wasn’t doing it right.”

Vesta Goshtasbi, 9, was excited about learning that when she blows

in her clarinet that she should not puff out her cheeks.”

While Nick Stephens, 9, was putting his flute away -- he said he

thought it was a good thing that Readshaw taught about how important

it was that they learned to take care of their instruments and how to

do so.

As the class packed up and shuffled out the door, students brought

the music with them to be heard another day, in their next lesson --

and so the band marched on.