Recorders

It’s Almost Time for 5th Graders to Bring Their Recorders and Books for Music Class! Does your Lansdowne Student Have What They Need?(4th Graders will be purchasing the same recorders and books later in February, and will start to play the week of March 10th!! A Parent Square message to 4th Grade parents went out on 2/16.)

January 26, 2025

Dear 5th Grade Parents and Guardians,

It's time for 5th Graders to practice reading music while exercising their fine motor skills again! Recorders are real instruments and have been played for centuries. The really nice ones are wood, but quality plastic ones can sound pretty good, too! Your child may discover a real musical talent to be developed in their middle school band or orchestra and beyond, but even if they don’t have musical aspirations, playing a musical instrument is one of the very best exercises for the brain. Just watch the video on our Music at Lansdowne site!  https://bit.ly/lansdownemusic (It's on the Home Page.)

Every 5th Grade student should own their own recorder and music book so that they can practice at home and write the notes in their own music. However, I will have carefully sanitized recorders to use here in the Music Room when students forget theirs so that class time isn't wasted.

If you are already cringing at the thought of your child playing at home, just be like me! If they are making loud squeaky sounds, tell them to blow “warm, gentle air”. If they don’t fix it quickly, they have to play silently for a while. Moving their fingers to the beat while saying the note names is actually a valuable practice technique.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: 

If your child still has their recorder and book from last year, they are set to go! We will start to use them on Music Class days starting February 18th, the day after Presidents' Day.

If not, Music & Arts has the recorders and books needed at their Arboretum Shopping Center location. Their address is 8046 Providence Rd., Charlotte. If you are coming from Lansdowne, turn right off of Providence right past the Taco Bell, and make the first left. Their store faces Pineville-Matthews Rd. (Rt. 51). Stop by and pick up a book and recorder for your child in the next few weeks! Hours: M-F 11-8, S 10-5, S 12-5

NOTE: Please tell them that you are from Lansdowne Elementary to receive 20% off!  The discounted price for both the RECORDER EXPRESS Book (48 pages!), and a YAMAHA translucent recorder is $13.58 + .98 tax = $14.56. The recorders come in 3 colors – blue, green or pink.

Need Financial Assistance right now? No worries!  If your child does not have their recorder by Feb. 18th (McCartney), Feb. 19th (Long), or Feb. 20th (Gist), Ms. Eustice's class is dispersed, they can borrow one until I can get them a donated recorder. If you let me know that they will need one ahead of time, I should be able have it ready for them!

Able to Donate? Please have your child bring donated recorders and books to me in the morning before the late bell so I can have them to pass out at class time. Thanks in advance! This will be much appreciated!

Musically yours,

Mrs. Lana J. Withrow

Music Teacher at Lansdowne IB World School

lanaj.withrow@cms.k12.nc.us