Learning to read sheet music (dots on lines) is a form of literacy I never quite managed to acquire and always wanted. As a child, I could learn a tune by ear but was discouraged from learning music from that starting point by a teacher who insisted that I learn to name the dots on the page and then learn to play the dots after I knew their names. It didn’t work for me at all. My brain is hardwired oddly and I struggle with names. For example: I recognize my friends from the way they move and gesture; I … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Mountain Ocarina
I recently gave in to an urge I have had for over a year to purchase an ocarina from Mountain Ocarina. Finding time to practice is important and I’m having success with five minute sessions. HISTORY The Ocarina is a simple instrument most often made in the shape of a potato with seven or eight holes on top and two on the bottom. Instruments resembling the ocarina have cropped up in the cultures of South and Central America, ancient China, and India among others. Generally the native versions are made of clay, which is fragile. Mountain Ocarinas are not fragile. … Continue reading