Hey, I Can Transpose That!

Let me say this: I love my students. They bring thoughts  and opinions to the table that really make me think. Granted, sometimes I'm thinking, "Are you serious what's wrong with you" but at least they're doing something that helps me delve into the mind of a budding adolescent

Of course, though, there are those students who are your reason for getting out of bed in the morning.

In my beginning orchestra I have a couple of students who have been playing for some time now. Rather than have them sit in room with me while I try and shout out counts in common time or explain how to play a basic finger pattern, I put them in a practice room with duets and ask them to work together to make it successful. I've started going in there whenever the beginners are driving me crazy. It's a very soothing thing. Every time I walk in to the room I am greeted by Smoke On The Water in pizzicato form. Who wouldn't be soothed by two eleven year olds bopping to Deep Puple's 1970s hit?

So the other day I walked in, did a groove to their song, and then asked to hear a duet.

"Well....the tempo is something we don't quite play right," the cellist said.
"Yeah, we just can't seem to count off the same way."
This is not surprising. They're eleven. "Okay, well I can help you do that."

They look at each other.

"Well...actually we were wondering if we could play a different duet. Maybe a Christmas one?"

"Yeah, since the concert is close to Christmas and everything...."

Okay, no big. Except, "Well, I don't really have any Christmas duets..."

My violinist scrunched hi s face and then a lightbulb comes on. "Oh! I have Carol of the Bells! Granted, it's all in treble clef....so (cellist) wouldn't really be able to read it..."

Cellist shrugs and adjusts his glasses. "It's cool. I can just transpose it."

The violinist nods in agreement. "Oh, yeah, I could do that too. It wouldn't take me long."

At this point a jumped in to the air and flew around the room. There is nothing more glorious than an eleven year old correctly using the word 'transpose' in a sentence.



Miss B