Hot Cross Buns

Walking by a music classroom full of third grade students in Anytown, USA, honking sounds might cause one to imagine an excess of Canadian geese dropping out of formation to land squarely on one’s head. 

But no, these insistent sounds are not an assemblage of fair-weather fowl.  These, my friends, are the tootling strains of tradition!

The introduction of a simple instrument called a recorder during elementary music class has been a well-established national ritual since the 1960s.

In the mid-20^th century, a German composer founded the introduction of recorders in German schools.  More than fifty years ago, recorders were already being mass produced for use in classrooms across the United States.

Using a nearly indestructible yet cheap plastic was the perfect way to introduce wind instruments to the masses.

My entourage (including Mrs. Gordon on camera and Mrs. Weikel on video) joined one of the third grade music classes to take a look.  



We immediately discovered several things.  

1) The students were very enthusiastic about their recorders.  
2) Most families have invested in a personal recorder for the children and the instruments come in various surprisingly lovely colors.  
3) And finally, elementary music teacher, Katie Litzenberger has the absolute patience of Job!

Retrieving their instruments and music folders from a specially organized wooden box, the students settled into three distinct rows.  

Yoga moves ensued, loosening up the shoulders and arms for optimal play.  

“Be my echo.”  Mrs. Litzenberger played a series of notes, and her eager musicians attempted to play back the same sounds.  Sounds sometimes resembling actual notes are achieved through the combination of air blown into the mouthpiece and the positioning of small fingers over recorder holes.  Sometimes the sound needed a little tweaking and with pained expression the teacher would remind her students, “that sound is getting squeaky…I think we’re putting too much air in there….”

If your childhood was anything like mine, I probably don’t have to tell you how nostalgic it was to hear that the music for Hot Cross Buns would be accompanying each student home that evening. But before that could happen, there was the song, Twist and Shout.  The Beatles would have been proud….. Several of the students had difficulty sitting still for their rendition of the classic tune. They began lifting and lowering their small bodies to accompany the note structure.  And over by the teacher’s desk, it was evident small Joshua had the moves (the twist...if not the shout). 

Note identification and recognition was happening while the students also learned to sing and clap correct rhythms.  As with most things, some of our students displayed obvious natural musical talent.  Other students…let’s just say they have different kinds of flowers planted in their gardens.  (I learned that wonderful phrasing from one of our very appreciated school moms last year and it makes me smile every time it comes to mind).  

The video below will give you an idea about some of the happenings in class.  Thank you to the Weikel family for shooting and editing this video!

As the class honked a nice little tune, one student decided to dismantle his recorder instead. Our effective multitasker, Job (I mean Mrs. Litzenberger) calmly and kindly asked the student if he would like to play a solo for the class.  The industrious dismantler (probably a budding engineer) wordlessly declined, choosing instead to rejoin the segments of his recorder and play along.

There was a game of magic hearts.  Third grader, Evie (with insider information) whispered her knowledgeable opinion in my general direction.  “This is fun, you’re going to like it!” Indeed I did…the class standing on colorful dots and galloping with gusto around the room to the jaunty music Mrs. Litzenberger played.  




“Recorders out of your mouths for galloping!”, she reminded.  







The children needed to identify small sections of song and play them back.  They clearly loved the game.

Mary Had a Little Lamb is the song that most often comes to mind as one recalls that pathetic coaxing of a tune from one's own personal school recorder.  My own fondest memories include practice time after school on my family’s large front porch.  

Spring breezes swirled around me as I magically produced a forceful rendition of “Hot Cross Buns.”  Feeling accomplished while belting out those impressive three notes, I had no clue I was playing an English nursery rhyme about a Good Friday yeast roll.  I was probably attracting feral cats from all over the neighborhood too, but that is a story for another day.