A Family of Sailors

Level 1, Lesson Book, Pg. 33, Russian Sailor Dance

Playing in different ranges sounds different and feels different. “Old,” “Young Adult,” and “Child” sailors have separate moods, dynamics, and speeds. The accompaniment varies, too, in keeping with the “age” and tempo. At slower tempos there is time and need for a full-arm staccato, but at the quickest speed impulse playing replaces the full-arm technique. Because each sailor dance is a different experience, repetition is fun and musically instructive. Phillip’s sailors know they can trust their “sea-legs.”