Recorders

The Recorder Karate Program at Countryside will begin in January. Recorders will be provided but must stay at school. If you are interested in purchasing a recorder for your student, you can purchase one at Groth Music, Schmidt Music or follow this link to Amazon: https://goo.gl/AdYQUc.

Shandra Prowell | Phone: 952-848-4760 | email: shandra.prowell@edinaschools.org

About Recorder Karate

Dear Parents and Guardians,

To help teach responsibility, self-discipline, and independent musicianship, we have adapted a program called “Recorder Karate” that will use the skills we learn in class and allow students to synthesize and apply our learning in a motivating way. With this program, students are able to work at their own pace in learning recorder skills and applying the concepts taught in class. Students can make their own individual goals and go at their own pace to achieve them.

As in karate, students will be working to progress to the next “belt” level (belts are a colored piece of string tied around their recorder). To do this, they are given 3 songs to practice. They will pick the two with which they feel most comfortable and record themselves playing it on Schoology. Students may only test/pass one song per day to ensure that they really practice and master the fingering at each level. In order to get a “belt,” each student will have to pass the assessment of their chosen songs which means that each student must get at least a 3 on the rubric (see below). If students are struggling and need help, they can use the resources in Schoology or they may ask for help in person.

Thank you for your help in making this a successful program for Countryside.

Sincerely,

Shandra Prowell | General Music | 952-848-4760

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Recorder Karate Rubric

Things to Consider:

correct hand position, correct fingering, breath control, tonguing, posture, rhythm, pitch, do-overs

4: Perfect rhythm and notes. Clear sense of steady beat. Tonguing and breath control above grade level skill. Correct hand use.

3: Independently completes song on one or two tries. Clear sense of steady beat. Correct notes and rhythms (no more than 2-3 mistakes). Good breath control. Correct hand use.

2: Needs teacher help to play the song accurately or needs three or more do-overs. Sense of beat is unsteady—student hesitates often before playing notes or speeds up and slows down throughout the song. Partial correct notes and rhythms (more than 3 mistakes). Some squeaking due to incorrect breath control or fingering (especially consistently squeaking the same notes. Incorrect hand use.

1: Takes multiple tries. No sense of steady beat. Few correct notes (the song is unrecognizable). Lots of squeaking due to incorrect breath control or fingering. Incorrect hand use.