by Roxana Han-Music Professional, Detroit Country Day School
Have you ever wondered why elementary students in America play the recorder? For decades, recorder studies have been a part of our music education landscape with a clear place in the National Standards of Education. Many of us remember the plastic instruments with fond memories and perhaps memories of squeaks and squawks. Maybe now, you hear your own children practicing at home with those same squeaks, triggering those memories you had almost forgotten.
Students usually play this instrument in 3rd or 4th grade to have the physical size to be able to stretch their fingers for the spacing of the holes. The recorder is a simple wind instrument. It has become a right of passage in childhood just like learning our multiplication tables. You may think that at least multiplication tables serve many life purposes in the studies of mathematics and its application to life skills.
Do recorders play a role in life skills? YES is the answer! The recorder addresses the basics of life skills including proper posture, awareness of breathing, consistency of airflow and the use of tonguing-creating clear separation of notes. The tongue is a muscle that can be trained for agility and strength that also helps with clear diction in speaking and singing. Recorders also serve a cross-curricular purpose to fire up many parts of the brain-all at once! It can catapult focus on reading, decoding, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, listening and responding skills, confidence and independence as well as learning play with an ensemble. These are skills that can be applied to all areas of life.
The early ancestors of the recorder were the end-blown flutes with influence from Asia and South America. Popularity of the early recorder travelled to Europe during the Middle Ages. The recorder as we know it has been a part of Western Music History during the 15 th and 16 th centuries. The golden years of the recorder occurred during the Baroque Era (late 17th – early 18th centuries). These recorders were made of wood and resin and were a variety of lengths; making it possible to have a recorder ensemble or soprano, alto, tenor and bass recorder-much like a singing choir. The Late 18th century saw the development of the transverse flute-the modern flute we know today which caused the recorder to be largely overlooked until the 20th century.
Thanks to Carl Orff, a German composer known for his work, “Carmina Burana,” the recorder became part of Orff Shulwerk or the “Orff Approach” to music education. The Orff method focuses on students learning by doing, participating and experiencing with an emphasis on movement. With the invention of plastic injection molding, recorders could be mass produced at a fairly low cost which makes this instrument accessible to all. The recorder serves as an introduction to intermediated musical studies and provides a strong foundation for more advanced studies like strings, percussion, wind and choral singing.
Usually in the 3rd grade, students make an important transition from learning to read to reading to learn. This is why recorders are introduced during this crucial time of intellectual development. From ages 9-12 the corpus callosum, the highway of nerve fibers between the two hemispheres of the brain, rapidly makes connections between the left and right sides of the brain. The left side is usually known for speech and language processing while the right hemisphere is known for visual and spatial processing. Playing the recorder, along with reading music reinforces the new pathways in the corpus callosum and the developmental usage of both hemispheres to the brain at the same time.
A child must use their eyes for music literacy skills to read the notes on the staff. The brain must decipher the line, space and duration of the note or rest. Simultaneously, the brain must tell the fingers of both hands which combination of fingers to use while adjusting the breath support from the diaphragm to control the airspeed with the tongue to separate the notes or stop the airflow. The individual player must not only be aware of their playing but must also listen to peers to blend with the ensemble. If there are errors in the notes, the musician must hear and feel then, and learn to adjust fingering, tone, tongue etc. to respond to the other playing around them. This process naturally builds team skills and awareness of others.
If a student encounters difficulty developing recorder skills, these difficulties can sometimes be used as a tool to identify challenges in other areas. For instance, students who have issues tracking music, may have trouble tracking in reading. Struggles with tonguing may reveal the need to address speech and diction. The inability to “find” the fingering combinations for specific notes or trouble covering the holes may indicate slower processing. Along with evidence in the regular classroom, challenges with recorder technique can serve as an indicator that may require additional intervention so that students can get the support and help they need.
Recorder establishes and reinforces musical skills including beat competency, dynamic contrasts, music theory, phrasing and contouring and refines musical nuances. Recorder playing also helps students set goals and expectations for themselves. Playing “Hot Cross Buns” for the first time is an exhilarating feeling! This first milestone is achieved by playing the first three notes, BAG, with the left hand. Slowly, students set the bar higher in small increments, reaching each subsequent level with patience and time. Students feel success and have fun playing! By the time your students can play “Ode to Joy,” which uses the full range of left-and right-hand notes, just beyond the entire C Major Scale, it truly brings out their inner joy and a sense of freedom and accomplishment. Now they can experiment in playing by ear, composing their own music and just have fun playing with their friends. Who knew brain development could be so much fun!!!!
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