Recorder

On this page you will find all you need to know to practice your recorder at home including care for your recorder, practice lessons, and Recorder Karate Information.

Recorder Basics

How to Care for Your Recorder:

Put your name and class on your recorder and on your case with a permanent marker. This way if you forget your recorder in the music room (or elsewhere), we will know it is yours!
Be careful not to bang the recorder against anything as it could chip or crack.
Keep the mouthpiece clean. You can use a small brush or a pipe cleaner (or the cleaning stick that came with your recorder) and water to wash out your mouthpiece.
Plastic recorders can be washed once in a while in warm, soapy water and can often be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher. Never blow someone else’s recorder or let someone blow yours unless it has been sterilized.
If your recorder is hard to put together, you can put a little vaseline or cork grease (that comes with most recorders) on the joints. If the joints are clean, they shouldn’t need anything at all.
Keep your recorder in its case when you are not using it.
After playing, clean out the inside of your recorder with a narrow piece of cloth wound around the cleaning rod.

Recorder guidelines to follow:

1) The recorders are only to be played in two places: the music classroom and at home. If students play them anywhere else in the school, (the halls, outside, etc.) they will lose the privilege of playing them in class and will be taken away for the day.

2) Students are reminded to be sensitive to their families and practice at a convenient time and an agreed upon place in your home. Please discuss where and when this will be for your family.

3) Students are expected to have their instrument and materials every day they have music class. Please help your child set up a routine in the next few weeks so that he/she becomes responsible for coming to class prepared. The best strategy is to place the materials in their backpack the night before music class.

Recorder Karate!

Recorder Karate

To make learning the recorder a lot of fun, students will participate in Recorder Karate.

Recorder Karate allows students to receive different coloured “belts” to attach to their recorders as they advance to the next level of playing ability. It will be a motivational and enjoyable way to encourage some real musical growth for the students. We will track each class’ progress to help motivate students and to learn to help and encourage each other.

To get tested for a “belt” is strictly VOLUNTARY (only those who wish to do so, don’t feel like you HAVE to). Students are to practice the required pieces at home as it each belt song will only be introduced during school time. Students will have the opportunity to get tested for their coloured belt once a week during a music class. This club focuses on individual progress (where each member will advance when they are ready and at different times). The club’s intention is to motivate students to practice and progress and it is not intended to be competitive in any way.

In order to progress more rapidly through the program, students are encouraged to practice at home. Those students who have expressed an interest in participating have taken a copy of the Recorder Karate Club package for them to keep and rehearse with. Students can join at any time throughout our Recorder Unit of Study. The Recorder Karate Songs will also be posted here.