If you told me seven years ago that I would play Byrd’s Fantasia 2 in a Renaissance recorder consort, I wouldn’t believe you. But that’s what I did last Monday night! I recently got a Renaissance alto recorder in F, and as it was with my other recorders, it was a group effort to make … Continue reading Renaissance Recorder
Author: ValerieThomforde
Dean Zimmer at the Drum Set
Dean Zimmer is a rock drummer who lives in California. He was born with arthrogryposis, which means that he has a limited range of movement in his limbs. I spoke with Dean last week to learn more about his story and adaptive technique. Dean grew up in a small town in South Dakota. He attended … Continue reading Dean Zimmer at the Drum Set
The Spatula Bow Adaptation: An Inside Look
Adrian Anantawan is an accomplished violinist, an educator, and an advocate for musicians with disabilities. I talked with him to learn more about his bow adaptation, which he calls a spatula. At first glance, the adaptation does not look complicated, and that is intentional. Adrian encourages beginning violinists to start with something simple. The … Continue reading The Spatula Bow Adaptation: An Inside Look
Recorder Survey
Two months ago I created a survey to study music teachers’ awareness and use of adaptations for the recorder. I received responses from 193 teachers, the majority of whom live in the United States, and 94.8% of whom teach recorder in their classes. As expected, the recorder is primarily taught at the elementary level. … Continue reading Recorder Survey
Guitar Technique with George Dennehy
George Dennehy is a multi-instrumentalist and singer. He was born without arms and uses his feet to play guitar, bass guitar, piano, and cello. I recently had the opportunity to chat with George about his guitar technique. George started playing the cello when he was seven years old. He studied with Jennifer Petry, a Suzuki string … Continue reading Guitar Technique with George Dennehy
Another Way to Play 