Recorder Courses

EYM has enabled many young recorder players to develop their playing and their enthusiasm for the instrument during 3-day recorder courses held in April 2005, April 2007 and April 2009.  Recorder tutors have included Colin Touchin, Helen Hooker, Gail Macleod and Susan Fuchs.  Musicianship tutors have included Pam Turley, Alex Goskirk and Andrew Jenkins.  Some of the younger participants wrote about their experiences afterwards:-

"The Recorder Course for Young Musicians was delightful as the teachers were kind to you and so were all of the other children. I made friends with lots of new people, and I am hoping to go next year as well, and maybe even the year after if I’m lucky! You learn plenty of things there like how to breathe properly, how to count five beats over four and how to write the rhythm to songs down on choreographic paper! I loved it there and even though I play the descant recorder, I can play tenor as well, so I got to do some pieces on that too."

"I have been going to Edinburgh Young Musicians classes for four years, and have been playing the recorder for two years. At the start of April I attended an Easter recorder course at St. George’s School in Edinburgh.  When I first started I felt a little bit shy but I soon made loads and loads of friends. We did lots of things during the course. We went to different classes called group rehearsals, technique, musicianship, & whole campus rehearsals. We also did some quizzes and games. I mostly liked musicianship - our teacher was really funny and she taught us about time signatures and beats. The thing I liked best was learning new music for the concert we gave at the end of the course. I liked the way we all played together.  On the second day a recorder group called Consortium5 came to play for us. They had 30 different kinds of recorders and played some great music. Our technique teacher was called Gail and she is a member of Consortium5.  I have never been in a more exciting course than this one. I had lots of fun and made lots of friends. If you want to improve your recorder playing I would recommend this course!"

And 2 years later:-

"I thought this recorder course was better than the previous one; everyone was friendly and had a great personality.  For beginners, intermediate or advanced, I recommend it.  Before classes start every day there is a variety of fun puzzles to do.  There are also brilliant and fun classes; technique, rhythm, massed playing, and then beginner only, intermediate only and senior only orchestras.  The teachers were really nice.  Pam, our rhythm instructor, was really nice as she made rhythm by clapping and singing and we even made our own song.  Our technique teacher, Helen, was fun in our classes as she made jokes and we enjoyed playing with her.  Colin was the brains behind the music we played all together.  He is a friendly man with a musical mind.  My deepest thanks to Jean Murray for organising this course.  There's a break 3 times a day with lunch in the middle.  Overall I would say this is a really good course to have been part of, and anyone who goes on the course, you have made a good decision!!"

Scott, aged 11, from Edinburgh, 2009

"The recorder course was really great. We were in three groups depending on how good we were – junior, intermediate and senior. I was in intermediate. We practised technique, studied musicianship and learnt pieces for the concert at the end of the three days, in our groups and all together. I had someone to stay from Dumfriesshire. I was a bit worried before she came in case she wasn’t very nice, but everyone who went was, so I needn’t have worried. I especially enjoyed meeting new people and improving my recorder playing. I wished the course had gone on for longer and if there was another one I would definitely go." [And she did, and brought her younger sister, but didn't write about it!]

Lucy, aged 12, from Edinburgh, 2005

"This year's course certainly didn't fail compared to the quality of previous courses - what with excellent tutors, great tunes and a superb concert (and not forgetting the wonderful baking!!).  The musicianship classes were my personal favourite, fun and entertaining as they were, but then the technique classes were good too, and the bass recorders.......!  It was all really top-notch quality and everyone - tutors and participants alike - was very, very friendly."

Elisabeth, aged 13, from Tayport, 2009  

" I went to a three-day recorder course in the Easter holidays. It was fabulous. In our band we had descants, trebles, tenors, basses, great bass, contra bass and a hooter! We played many pieces. The ones I remember best are "Prelude" and "Edinburgh Girls And Boys Do". "Prelude" was quite sad but stirred your emotions. "Edinburgh Girls And Boys Do" was rhythmic, lively and was based on five notes. It was a piece that Colin had composed for us before. Altogether, I thought it was a brilliant course and I would recommend it to other children if it was organised again." 

Jim, aged 11, from Edinburgh, 2005

"I loved the course, because I learnt new notes and I had fun.  I did not know that there were such big recorders in the world.  I would love to play one when I'm older."

Mack, aged 8 from Peebles, 2009

"The Edinburgh Young Musicians Easter recorder course kicked off with a get-together quiz, which, with questions such as "name 3 people aged 10" and "name 3 people who don’t live in Edinburgh", helped people make new friends.  The teachers on the course couldn’t have been better.  The attendants were split into three groups - Juniors, Intermediates (my group) and Seniors. These groups would then go round having classes with all the teachers starting with Colin for massed playing and finishing with Colin again.  We never got hungry as we were given tea/squash and biscuits twice a day and of course had our packed lunches to tuck into when the time came. On the second day of the course Consortium5 gave us an enchanting concert, after the day before showing us some of their amazing instruments (including one of the largest and deepest sounding recorders in the world). And to finish off what is now a memorable experience we gave the parents a concert showing just how hard we had worked! I really enjoyed the recorder course as it has made me realise what recorders can do, such as dynamics and other ornaments."

Jack, aged 11, from Midlothian, 2007

"I and my friends from Wigtownshire, South-West Scotland, thoroughly enjoyed the recorder course. It was great to see so many recorders playing together and a wide range of recorders ranging from sopranino to contra-bass. Altogether, I found that the course improved my recorder playing, technique and theory as well, and I have definitely benefited from it. I have also made lots of new friends at the course and I completely enjoyed it from beginning to end. The teachers were very helpful to me and I hope that I can go back next Easter!" 

Rosie, aged 13, from Wigtownshire, 2005

"Over the three days of the course, we had five different sessions and three breaks per day. On the third day we had the concert, when everyone played their recorders together and in their separate groups (junior, intermediate or senior). A quartet made up of three of the pupils and Gail Macleod also played.  Musicianship (with Alex Goskirk) was learning the basic things about music, for example, the different types of beat, crotchet, minim, semibreve, quaver, etc. Technique (with Gail Macleod) was just about technique of playing the recorder, e.g. breathing, as in being able to play a note for a long time. Group playing (with Colin Touchin) was playing different pieces with your group of which some would be played in the concert. I liked all the different classes and wouldn’t be able to choose which one I liked best as they were all so much fun.  Overall the whole course was great fun and I think that anyone who plays the recorder and would like to do a course should go there for future courses. Many thanks to Jean Murray, who organised the whole thing."

"I enjoyed the course as it was fun and we had a concert at the end. It was not like school because the teachers were nice."