For this blog post, I wanted to discuss a few things before submitting my final blog post and video! I have had a few major breakthroughs this week by following my positive mindset goals as discussed in my last blog. After things fizzled out a bit in terms of figuring out my finances due to the COV-ID madness, I was able to up my practicing to a few minutes each day. From here, I started to figure out which notes I felt most comfortable with, and those that I struggled with. I realized that I was able to play notes that required my thumb, first, second, third, and fourth fingers(A, B, C, C#/Db, D, G, etc) but struggled with the notes that required my fifth, sixth, 7th, and 8th fingers (C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb,  E, F, F# /Gb, G#/Ab, etc). Additionally, notes that required half of a finger on the hole seemed to be a challenge.

I started to think of ways to help myself remember the fingering for each note I struggled with, so I wrote out each note on 8 little circles and one thumb circle to represent my fingers for the song of “O Canada”. This helped me immensely, as I have no musical background and was honestly quite lost when trying to learn to read music. This was a great way to push me forward and start to bring the song together. It took a few hours and a lot of patience, but I was determined to get this project done (hopefully successfully!).

I hope that I can incorporate the recorder in ways that can enhance many different lessons and subjects. I believe that integrating music into other subjects, as discussed this semester, is a great way for students to gain more motivation in class and ultimately learn more in the process. I really enjoyed the unit listed in our textbook on whales that incorporates music and science. I would love to use this lesson in my future classroom with the help of the recorder to play easy songs that educate students about whales and oceans. This would also be a fantastic gateway to teach students about eco-friendly practices to save our oceans which is something I am extremely passionate about. Through this breakthrough of teaching myself the recorder in my own way, I am confident that I could pick up other simple songs that my students would enjoy!