We’re always excited to learn how teachers are modernizing their music curriculum and providing lessons that promote a lifetime of music. These are certainly in the mission development of pInstruments and our goal of providing starter instruments that take children from the classroom to concerts stage.
Our friends at NUVO have also embraced this challenge and teachers are exploring their program as well. NUVO instruments are more affordable to purchase and repair than standard band instruments and they are designed to be ergonomically suitable for students.
But no learning system is perfect. Thoughtful educators use their own musical knowledge to overcome imperfections in curriculum and tools as they lead their students toward a lifetime of music.
Are NUVO products interesting and innovative? Certainly yes. Are there imperfections and limitations? Of course. For teachers looking to give students a substitute learning experience that mimics some of the band experience, NUVO is certainly an option.
Teachers introducing NUVO to their classrooms should prepare for the following limitations:
- NUVO instruments are in the key of C making transition to traditional band instruments awkward.
- NUVO starts children in heterogenous instrument groups demanding more time in teaching and the learning individual instrument pedagogies.
- NUVO instrument have many small plastic parts including keys, caps, pads, grease pots, lip plates, screws and other parts. However, they do provide replacement parts for broken and missing pieces for teachers to order and spend time in repair.
- The NUVO brass instrument entry is not as authentic as other beginner plastic brass instruments, potentially making the transition to authentic instruments more difficult.
- NUVO instruments do not include antimicrobial protection and are not carbon-neutral. Washing each in warm soapy water and thorough rinsing between each use, though time-consuming, provides the best degree of safety.
How pInstruments can help:
Here are some tips that can help make your teaching on NUVO instruments more successful:
- NUVO works best after pBuzz. Giving young students an authentic instrument experience in using air, creating a sound, producing notes and melodies in a homogenous classroom experience provides a solid foundation for future music ensemble experiences, including NUVO. Starting students on pBuzz is a great first step to learning about to use air and other important music skills. The free teachers guide for the pBuzz Journey method shows you how. Mouthpieces are anti-microbial and one for every student is an affordable option.
- pBone Mini is a great authentic option for the Nuvo jHorn and is a natural transition from pBuzz. Moving to pBone and pTrumpet and their brass counterparts is a much more fluid and sensible transition. Learn more about pBoneMini here. The same antimicrobial safety is built into the pBoneMini mouthpiece and slide.
- An ensemble with NUVO woodwinds, pTrumpet and pBone creates a complementary ensemble for teachers wanting to emulate the full wind band experience. Each has its own mouthpiece and each contains antimicrobial protection.
Of course, there is nothing like authentic brass and woodwind instruments for the optimum band sound and performance. While any music pathways are certainly welcome, curriculum with simple pedagogical steps are best to maximize student achievement and excitement for learning.
Giving students the proper preparation should start in early elementary and avoid the any complexity that takes time away from teaching music. For teachers with the time to manage heterogeneous instrument classroom instruction, care and repair, and maintenance, NUVO Instruments can be an excellent choice.
- Find free pBuzz resources for elemetary teachers on our resources page.
- pBuzz is making a big impact in Chicago. Read our case study from West Point School of Music and discover how our beginner brass instrument is kickstarting their band program.
- The pBuzz Journey method book has everything you need to get started with our brass tool.
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