Isabel McNeill Carley

Recorder Improvisation and Technique Book TwoReviewers Rave"Book Two builds directly on skills introduced in Book One, also introducing the alto recorder and F fingerings. On both soprano and alto recorder, 13 lessons review pentatonic keys, then explore the diatonic modes, and finally briefly introduce improvisation over chord changes." Leslie Timmons in American Recorder, the magazine of the American Recorder Society "Clear, well developed teaching activities beautifully set out in a way that makes them accessible to both experienced and inexperienced teachers....It is very clear that Carley] is a master teacher." Kim Kendrick in Ostinato, the National Journal of Orff Canada "Your recorder books are excellent ... completely in the spirit of the Schulwerk." Gunild Keetman, co-creator with Carl Orff of the Orff Schulwerk What's Inside?"Book Two continues masterfully], introducing the alto recorder. This is an excellent resource for experienced teachers of the upper grades, 6, 7 and 8. The repertoire continues with folk music, largely English language, and also brings in a fine selection of composed music written for recorders. Part l of Book Two begins by reviewing the familiar pentatonic scales, but introducing the F fingerings of the alto recorder. Parts ll, lll, and lV deal with hexatonic, and diatonic scales, then we move on to shifting chords and paraphony. There are plenty of lovely ideas for student improvisation, and the emphasis on doing first, then applying literacy, is still evident. Students are encouraged to move back and forth between soprano and alto fingerings, at their own pace, of course. They are also challenged to build a repertoire of songs, in both fingerings, that they can play by memory. Integration of two or more other Orff media is included in every lesson. Kim Kendrick in Ostinato the National Journal of Orff Canada

The first collection of essays by Isabel McNeill Carley, this book gathers some of her best written work, both previously published and unpublished, in a work full of inspiration, commentary, personal memoir and incisive, helpful insights into teaching and the Orff Approach. Isabel McNeill Carley is one of the co-founders of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, and a longtime teacher, composer and author. These essays are for the new Orff teacher, the classroom teacher, and the experienced Orff instructor. For parents and others who care about the importance of music education, these essays give a new window into the underlying thought, care, and love of creativity that imbue this approach to childhood music, improvisation, and community.

Recorder Improvisation and Technique Book Three is for the advanced student who already plays both C and F recorders. Picking up where RIT Two leaves off, RIT Three embarks on a grand exploration and appreciation of a wonderful musical mix. Take songs of Medieval Europe, blend Indonesian and African layered subtleties of melody and rhythm, then add in North America's musical traditions, and individual improvisation. The third volume, although specific to recorder, is equally applicable to the musical development of any vocalist or instrumentalist...Carley deftly guides the player through scales, melodic ornamentation, decoration of the third, canons, chord changes, descant creation and free improvisation. She includes many fine musical examples, but the focus is the emphasis on improvisation leading to composition in the forms that parallel the history of Western music. Leslie Timmons, American RecorderRecorder Improvisation and Technique Book Three shifts the emphasis away from basic recorder instruction. These lessons focus in detail on how the Orff-Schulwerk Volumes basic sequence can be applied successfully to recorder teaching and playing. The improvisational and compositional techniques in RIT Three are then readily transferable to other instruments and the voice.Compositional forms are explored with improvised materials using major, modal, and minor scales, as well as dominant and subdominant bass lines and improvised melodies. Historical, traditional, and contemporary approaches to harmony are considered, combined with improvisations using Organum, Faux Bourdon, heterophony, shifting chords, descants, and more. A final chapter explores improvisation for movement, free solo improvisation, and group improvisation.

Recorder Improvisation and Technique Book OneReviewers Rave"These volumes contain a wealth of practical pedagogy for learning and teaching recorder-a reflection of Carley's] incomparable musicianship and extensive work with children and adults in ensemble settings." Leslie Timmons in American Recorder, the magazine of the American Recorder Society"Clear, well developed teaching activities beautifully set out in a way that makes them accessible to both experienced and inexperienced teachers....It is very clear that Carley] is a master teacher." Kim Kendrick in Ostinato, the National Journal of Orff Canada"Your recorder books are excellent ... completely in the spirit of the Schulwerk." Gunild Keetman, co-creator with Carl Orff of the Orff SchulwerkWhat's Inside?"Book One, now in its fourth edition, comprises 11 short lessons from the original publication.It systematically introduces fingerings from the C pentatonic scale, continually reinforcing new skills as it expands to F and G pentatonics. A step-by-step process introduces basic recorder skills in a highly interactive context of singing, moving, responding to Kodaly hand signs, echo play, and accompanying on pitched and non-pitched percussion.Improvisation is a key component of the instruction;Carley's suggested exercises-presented in clear, incremental steps-make this model accessible for teachers regardless of previous experience. Repertoire is either newly composed or drawn from folk sources." Leslie Timmons in American Recorder