* Andrew, Alberta, Canada "Thank you for a great site."

* Fernando, "Thank you so much for your free lessons and the listening room. I admire and am grateful for your generosity. Your listening room is wonderful. I look forward to using your services in the future. I am a complete beginner, with only distant memories of recorder private lessons when I was 12 (I am now almost 38). I look forward to self-teaching and perhaps in the future take more formal lessons again. Best regards, Fernando A, from Medellín, Colombia ."

*Kath, California U.S. "Wanted to say my thanks for the recorder lessons, I am using them daily."

*Rikva, California U.S. "I am just starting a recorder band at my middle school in Watts. there is no music program. there are no electives. we are practicing during a 30 min. lunch. I think I can make it something really spectacular."

*Sue, Australia, "I am a beginner. My passion for playing music was temporarily lost becuase of family tragidies. I use to play the piano and did not start until will into my adulthood and after a year with no previous musical education I well advanced in reading and playing music which amazed my music teacher. I have totally lost interest in playing the paino becuase of the family tragidy and would like to pursue the interest in the Native American Flute. I didn't know where to start until I found your interesting information on the web. I look forward in my new adventure and the new found passion in the Flute. "

*Mary, Lebanon "Dear Mr. Casti, Thank you very much for the Online Recorder Course. As I live in Beirut [Hazmiyeh], Lebanon, certainly I can find no recorder teacher here! Your course truly is a gift. I just started it last week and am now into the intermediate level of the Snappy Tunes. I have a background, long ago, in clarinet, sax, and oboe -- all long gone -- so it has been wonderful to take up the recorder at midlife and be making some music again. I love the recorder and its simplicity, and am very grateful for the Yamaha Alto 3142B my husband found in a smoky little shop in Beirut. The only alto in all the country, I think, and he found it and gave it to me for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you very much once again. You put a lot of work and humour into your course! "

*Sonya, Nevada U.S. "Thank you for this free course! I'm on lesson 2 and enjoying it very much! "

*Torcay, Turkey, "Thank you so much for the wonderful lessons... I am really enjoying playing the recorder... by the way I am 35 and I hadn't played it ever since I was in the first grade (20 years ago)! Thank you for helping me to get back to my childhood."

*Masha, Ukraine "A most wonderful site. Thank you for giving to us the world. Pardon bad English"

*Gerhardt, Germany "Here in Europe we have quite a large musical history, as you are aware. Your course is very accurate to our heritage and I am enjoying it immensely."

(Note: This one is the old professor's favorite posts!)

*Laura, Florida U.S. "Dear Professor: Will you marry me? You are very generous and I love to have great music in the house. "

(My response, Laura, call me, we'll talk!")

*Sergio, New Jersey, U.S. "I just received your complete CD set. What can I say? It is GREAT. So many great pieces would be a deal at 5 times the price. Thank you! I know it took a lot of work."

*Carol, Kentucky U.S. "Kudos to you, sir. Your course is wonderful and I just ordered the Easy CD. Can't wait until it gets here."

*Monica, Ohio U.S. "Are you going to do more CD's? I am mostly a beginner but because of your work, I can already play many of the easy pieces."

(My response, Yes, watch the site news, there is more to come.)

*Diana, Oregon U.S. "After receiving your easy and intermediate CD's I was concerned that I would not be able to play the more difficult music. I am very pleased with my progress and can play many but not all of the intermediate songs. I am very challenged but have a goal and you are a big help to me. Thank you so much and I will be ordering the advanced songs soon, I hope."

(My response, Diana, you have the right attitude. Stay with it. Check out my new "Heart of America" CD. Everything on it should be within your playing ability. Thanks for your kind words. I hope they are an inspiration to others.

*Dennis, Colorado, U.S. "Hi Gene - So you may wonder how can I be a beginner recorder player and a teacher at the same time. I have studied, played and taught classical flute for over 30 years. I grew up from a ten year old learning clarinet and played into college where I then began studying both flute and string bass. In my middle age years, (soon to be 50), I now also study piano. I was recently hired at the community college in my city, to teach private flute. A lady who owned a soprano and alto recorder called to register for flute lessons but asked if she could do it on recorder instead. After assuring her I had no recorder experience I have purchased the Yamaha 300 series soprano, alto and tenor, with plans to get the sopranino and bass as well, and have researched the internet for all the recorder information I could find. I was already aware of the Recorder Home page by Nicholas Lander. I had gone to one of my local music stores and found THE RECORDER GUIDE by Kulbach, Johanna / Nitka, Arthur to use for myself, having not meet her or knowing much of her background. Turns out she's pretty much a beginner herself having not done anything with the recorders since childhood. Then the magic happened when I found your web site with the free online recorder lessons. Thank you for so much information on one site! What a joy to learn and play along with the printed examples and sound files. It really makes the practice fun! So different than silver flute but with that background I feel I will progress rapidly on recorder. Thanks again! Dennis"

(My response. Dennis: Yes, a number of experienced musicians have found the course very useful. Thanks for the kind words. I especially like your comment about making practice fun. That is what I have attempted to do.)

*Mariette, New Jersey, U. S. "Sir, I received the Christian/Gospel CD yesterday and was up most of the night playing. I do not consider myself a very good player but your arrangements are very faithful and fun. It reminds me of a line from a movie (The Jazz Singer, I think) that music is the voice of God. I can only say, thank you and God Bless You for what you have done."