With the semester coming to an end, I have spent the last week trying to get as much practice time in as possible before my final video recordings. After finishing the recording of my second song, Ode to Joy, I moved on to learning my third and final song, Frère Jacques.

Once again I did not fill in the notes so that I can further my skill of music sheet reading. I feel as though my music sheet reading skills have improved since the beginning of my musical journey. In the beginning, I would not have been able to play a song without first writing down the notes but now I can look at the sheet music and recognize the notes and what they represent.

Similar to my two previous songs, I began by listening to a video of someone else playing the song to get an idea of what it should sound like. This method has helped me throughout my musical journey as I have been able to compare my playing to theirs and change any mistakes I might be making in order to improve.

Something that I previously struggled with was having smooth finger placement transitions between notes. I think I have improved quite a bit. I try my best to keep my fingers closer to the recorder when not playing a note to reduce tension in the hands. I have found that this a skill that can be improved with repetitive practice.

Although this semester is ending I hope that this is not the end of my musical journey. I aim to incorporate what I have learned about music into my future teaching practices. One thing that will continue to stick with me that I have learned while I practiced the recorder is having a growth mindset. Despite the struggles I have endured I have always tried to maintain a positive attitude and not give up.

Header Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash