I heard that some of you have purchased your recorders and are ready for lessons! Way to go! I know you may be tempted to play it, but remember this- it is so much easier to establish good habits than break bad ones. Lesson one, airing September 5th, will cover all the basics to get you started. We will go over proper hand position, how to blow correctly, and you will learn your first note! So get ready!
If it seems like I have not posted in a while, it is because I was on an epic road trip with my family the past two weeks. We covered NINE STATES! Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Here’s a quick summary of our adventure:
- Vicksburg, Mississippi for lunch. Fun fact- I had never been to Mississippi, and I’m so glad we stopped. If you are ever there, check out the Catfish Row Children’s Art Park, which is right along the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, the splash pad was under construction, but my family enjoyed looking at the different murals painted on the levees that line the river. We were on a time crunch, but we were able to drive by a few interesting monuments from the Civil War. The city is nicknamed “The Key to the South” because of the turning point in the Civil War after the Confederate Army’s surrender of Vicksburg.
- Birmingham, Alabama for the night. I was shocked by the amount of mountains surrounding the city. It was my first time in Alabama, and I was pleasantly surprised by its natural beauty.
- Hilton Head, South Carolina for lots of time with family playing in the ocean.
- Savannah, Georgia for a historical tour. As a hobby I love learning about architecture and the way culture and historical events impact the design of buildings. Sorrel-Weed House, the home of a high ranking Confederate officer, was incredible! I think my favorite part was the courtyard, where the slaves that built the house imprinted their index and middle fingers into each batch of bricks they made. I feel like the slaves were so brilliant in leaving a little mark for us to remember them.
- Blowing Rock, North Carolina. One of my favorite places in Blowing Rock is the Moses Cone Manor. The 13,000 square foot manor sits among thousands of acres of beautiful mountains and trees overlooking Bass Lake. The house was built in 1901 by Moses Cone, a textile entrepreneur, and its extensive trails are now taken care of through the National Park Service.
- Nashville, Tennessee to explore different museums and stay the night. I stumbled upon Lane Motor Museum while reading a blog about kid-friendly places in Nashville. There was a wonderful kids area with lots of toy cars for my little one, and my husband and I loved looking at the different collections of vehicles. Did you know that there is a vehicle that was designed to fit through a doorway? It was so tiny! My favorite section of the museum had cars made in Eastern Europe at the height of the Cold War and the rise of Communism. It was interesting to see how the economic struggles and limited resources of the Communist countries affected the design and materials used for the cars.
- Memphis, Tennessee for pork ribs. If you’re there, you must get the dry ribs at The Bar-B-Q Shop! They were delicious!
What a fun vacation! Episode one will be here soon, so don’t forget to grab a soprano recorder with baroque fingering for our first lesson! Take a look at my previous post for a comprehensive guide to purchasing a recorder.
Miss Mari's Music 