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WHAT IS A RECORDER?
The recorder is a whistle-type woodwind that comes from an ancient family of instruments called internal duct flutes. Although recorders come in a variety of sizes, most beginner students play the second smallest of these, the soprano recorder. Soprano recorder is used in many elementary schools including Gardner Dickinson, as an introductory band instrument. A variety of skills, including embouchure development (how to properly use your teeth, tongue and lips to play), fingering, breath support, articulation, and development of the inner ear are learned when playing the recorder.
RECORDER KARATE
Students at Gardner-Dickinson are being introduced to playing recorder through a program called "Recorder Karate . Like real karate which awards different colored belts based on an individual’s progression in the martial art, G-D music students earn one of nine different-colored belts ranging from white (easy) to black (difficult).The program requires students to master a series of 9 songs that get progressively more difficult. The students practice the given song and then play it for the teacher. They are then awarded a different colored belt (yarn tied to the recorder) after they pass the "test" for each song.
The program helps our students learn to play the recorder and read music, as well as introduce them to playing skills needed to begin a band instrument in 5th grade.
Students seems to be excited about earning belts, and about musicclass. You can often see students practicing during their free time. Recorder Karate is a highly motivational program the children seem to love.
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