Orff Schulwerk & pennywhistles

hettingr · Post by **hettingr** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:12 pm

Hello. Beautiful site.

For many years, I taught Elementary School music, and instead of using recorders, I used pennywhistles.

Give the amount of time we had, we got a lot further, experientially, than with recorders. Mostly because of the simple fingerings.

I am just curious if anyone else is doing this. It required some adaptation of material, which I have stored in boxes. I could share.

pax,
maggie

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:21 pm

Three cheers to you. This should be a common practice!

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 7:49 am

Orff... as in Carl?

Just imagine it in a session -- Carmina Bodhrána

rkottke · Post by **rkottke** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:06 am

I send a Clarke SweetTone D along with child's introduction to whistles to my Grand-daughter when see was 10. She was struggleing with a 'flutophone' is school but quickly picked up whistle and was playing music. All was good until her music teacher ridiculed her for playing the tin-whistle saying it was just a toy! (And all this time I thought a 'flutophone' was just something you read about in the comic pages!)

Anyhow, that was two years ago and the music class is long over and she is still playing the whistle.

I am just happy to hear that some music teachers have an open mind on the tin-whistle.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:07 am

Someone said that it is being done in Ireland, seems like.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:09 am

I hate Poot-o-phones. Worse than garbage.

thurlowe · Post by **thurlowe** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:55 am

Yes, Carl Orff. He founded a school, based on art, music, and movement, I believe. He always intended Carmina Burana to be staged with set design and dancers, a sort of multi-media experience.

Cara

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:00 am

thurlowe wrote:Yes, Carl Orff. He founded a school, based on art, music, and movement, I believe. He always intended Carmina Burana to be staged with set design and dancers, a sort of multi-media experience.

Cara

How about that? My just-graduated daughter's senior year marching band show was just that--Carmina Burana with band formations and flag twirling dancers.

Hoovorff · Post by **Hoovorff** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:06 pm

What a great topic! I've been thinking about this for a few months (using whistle as either a supplement to recorder or instead of recorder). As you can tell by my C&F name, I'm an "Orffer." In fact, I'm taking a workshop next week on Orff curriculum, and I'd thought about asking the teacher and the other teachers attending about the whistle idea. So, if you have any adapted materials to share, I'd be glad to see them.

What brand whistles did you use with your students? I don't introduce recorder until 4th and 5th grade, so those were the ages I'd considered for whistle. Or, perhaps whistle could be taught in 3rd grade too?!

Please share your ideas!

Thanks, Jeanie

hettingr · Post by **hettingr** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 7:12 am

Hi, Jeanie! Good to talk to another teacher.

It was about 10 years ago that did the pennywhistle thing,for about 3 years (and then that school closed and I went in other directions).

I was in a school with a mixed-grade 3&4 classroom. That was the group that used pennywhistle. At 5th grade they could join beginning band. So, in my experience, 3rd-grade is possible.

The biggest problem of my program was the pennywhistles. At the time, I got whistles that were "authentically made," with real tin and a wooden fipple. Not good for school. They just didn't hold up.

I wish I had gotten my hands on the plastic-head pennywhistles. Whatever metal they use is stronger and durable enough.

I used a D whistle. I thought about C, but isn't D more authentic? D seemed to work just fine.

As for sharing materials, can we post scanned images here on this forum? It looks as if we can.

pax,
maggie

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:40 am

hettingr wrote: As for sharing materials, can we post scanned images here on this forum? It looks as if we can.

pax,
maggie

Maggie,

It is possible to share images that way. You need a place to host the pictures that will allow direct linking. You then establish a link to the picture via this site.

It might be better though, to share the information directly with those that are interested in the material. Either through email of a link to a folder where the material is stored. A Yahoo folder or York.com or Snapfish.com would work. There are several out there.

Whistlepeg · Post by **Whistlepeg** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 6:45 pm

Hi Maggie & folks
I am a music teacher with a degree in recorder and Orff certification. However, I have been playing/performing and teaching Irish Traditional Music on the whistle for the last many years, and have the TTCT Traditional Irish Music Teacher certification from Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann in Ireland. (I don't mean to blow my own horn, but just want to share my background with you so you know where I am coming from!!)
I have spent many years as a "recorder specialist" giving pd workshops to teachers and also going into schools to enhance the existing recorder program. Orff is a wonderful way to introduce music to children - however, I agree with you that the whistle is much easier and more suited to youngsters than the recorder, and fits nicely with much of the Orff pentatonic material. However, some schools like the fact that recorders come in SATB and can play in 2-4 part ensembles. Generally though, given the small amount of time allocated to music in the curriculum, whistle is quicker to learn and produces good, fast results for kids. In many schools in Ireland the whistle and Traditional Irish Music is taught to children - however, often after schools regular hours and by Comhaltas Teachers rather than classroom teachers.
I would love to see the whistle be an option for music classes in schools. I teach classroom whistle now in various schools, although if kids already have recorders they are reluctant to shell out money for whistles too.
So, Music Teachers Unite! - lets spread the word.
All the best,
Sue

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 11:18 pm

If any of you music teachers have a subscription to Music K-8 magazine, there is a nice song by Teresa Jennings called "Penny Whistle." I used it with my fifth grade choir in our spring concert. We had a ten-student whistle "ensemble" playing the harmony part during the second verse. It turned out very pretty. We don't normally use whistles with the curriculum, so I bought 10 Megs in C (for only $3.25 apiece!) for use with the choir. The Megs weren't the best whistles I've ever used, but they worked for what we wanted.

xoot · Post by **xoot** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 11:39 pm

emmline wrote:
thurlowe wrote:Yes, Carl Orff. He founded a school, based on art, music, and movement, I believe. He always intended Carmina Burana to be staged with set design and dancers, a sort of multi-media experience.

Cara
How about that? My just-graduated daughter's senior year marching band show was just that--Carmina Burana with band formations and flag twirling dancers.

There was a production made, and shown on our local governement sponsored TV station some years ago. Actually there were some rather raunchy bits in it. Not exactly a high school thing

It was all acted and danced, in costume with quite elaborate sets. I don't remember who did it, but I'd love to see it again. Carmina Burana is a favourite of mine.

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Orff Schulwerk & pennywhistles

Orff Schulwerk & pennywhistles

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