Dear 4th & 5th Grade Students and Parents,
Hello from the Liberty Elementary music room! You are receiving this email because your child is getting ready to begin learning about and performing on the recorder instrument in music class. The study of the recorder instrument is an extremely beneficial part of the Loudoun County music curriculum. Playing an instrument such as the recorder will not only prepare your child for future experiences with musical instruments in middle school, but will also allow improvement in fine motor, listening skills, and individual responsibility. It is a wonderful and creative aspect of the music program here at Liberty that we are excited to bring back.
Each student will need to have their own Soprano Recorder with Baroque-English fingering (which is the most commonly used, easy to find, and inexpensive) and a pocket folder for recorder music. If your child does not yet have a recorder, they can be purchased from online retailers such as Amazon, or from your local music store.
Amazon Links: Recorder in Green, Recorder in Blue, Recorder in Pink
Comes in other colors under similar items
Any Soprano, Key of C recorder with Baroque fingering will work
DO NOT GET GERMAN FINGERING!
If you need help or guidance in purchasing a recorder please let us know. Please have your child bring their recorder and music folder to their music class beginning March 2. Please be sure to label the recorder, recorder case, and music folder with your child’s name to reduce the risk of losing materials (sharpie works well on the recorder). For 4th grade, this will be their first year playing recorder. For 5th graders who were at Liberty last year, this will be their second year playing and they should locate the recorder used last year (or purchase a new one if needed).
Since much of our instructional time in March and April will be dedicated to the recorder, it is imperative that students come to music class with their materials each week (i.e. recorder and folder with music provided). A portion of the 3rd quarter music grades will be dedicated to preparedness for class. If we notice that a student needs some extra help in remembering their materials, we will send home a letter for the parent to sign as an avenue of communication and support. Some families, if they are able, choose to purchase two recorders: one for home practice and the other for school.
After we have begun our instructional unit on recorders, please encourage your child to practice at home. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s music teacher by email. Thank you for your continued support of the music education program at Liberty Elementary School!
Yours in Music,
Mrs. Nyla Louh, nyla.louh@lcps.org
Mrs. Grace Will, grace.will@lcps.org
Music Teachers