Recorder31 Day 16 | Side-By-Side Interview: Barbara Law & Daniel Swani

It's time for another fascinating listen, in the form of our latest Side-By-Side Interview. Once again we've paired together two recorder players for a wide-spanning conversation recorded exclusively for Recorder31. The perfect weekend listen!

This week's interview follows on from Recorder31's education-themed content by pairing together Barbara Law and Daniel Swani. Barbara and Daniel teach together at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London, but Daniel is in fact a former student of Barbara's, from her days teaching at The Purcell School. Their conversation covers many aspects of music education from the perspective of both student and teacher, revealing fascinating insights into their pedagogical outlook.

About the artists

Barbara Law is a London-based recorder player and educator, who currently leads the recorder department at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, and formerly taught at The Purcell School. Alongside her teaching, Barbara is one of the foremost promoters of the recorder in the UK, notably as editor of The Recorder Magazine. Barbara is particularly known for her support of young players; she curates the Fringe programme at the Saltaire Recorder Weekend, and her students have achieved remarkable unprecedented success in international competitions – with two students reaching the final of the BBC Young Musician award in 2012 and 2014. Find out more about Barbara's work with The Recorder Magazine here: www.recordermagazine.co.uk

Daniel Swani is a London-based flautist, recorder player and teacher. He performs regularly with many of the UK's leading orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Royal Ballet and Opera, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Scottish Ballet Orchestra, Hallé, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Sinfonia of London. Recent highlights include appearing as a recorder soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra. He has also performed extensively in the West End and on UK tours, including Miss Saigon, The Lion King, Wicked and Mary Poppins, and can be heard on numerous film, television and game soundtracks. Alongside his performing career, Daniel is a member of the woodwind faculty at the Junior Royal Academy of Music. www.danielswani.com

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REMINDER! Our Entry-Level Recorders promotion continues all weekend at The Early Music Shop, both online and in-store. Explore our curated selection of high-quality, accessible instruments designed specifically for beginners and developing players by clicking here or on the image above. Special prices only until Sunday 16 August 23:59PT!

ANOTHER REMINDER! Our Beginners' Competition closes for entries tonight! If you're a new recorder player, send us your rendition of one of the two set pieces from 'Recorder for Beginners: The Tudor Way' by Paul Harris. The winner will receive a J. Wood alto recorder in maple! Find out how to enter by clicking here.

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Today we're exploring the Mollenhauer Fipple Soprano, a brilliant option for players who want the easy maintenance of plastic combined with the authentic voice of real wood.

Bringing together a durable synthetic head joint and a natural wooden body, the Fipple delivers a sound that is both bright and grounded. As you listen to the clip, pay attention to the crisp, clean articulation at the start of each note—the engineered head joint provides an effortless, immediate speech in the upper register. Meanwhile, the wooden body gives the lower notes a rich, earthy warmth, resulting in a lively, expressive soprano voice that’s a joy to play right out of the box.