From Ms. Huckabone...

Dear 4th Graders and Families,

Next week we will start playing the recorder in music class! Every student has been assigned a school recorder.  They may take their school recorder home with the understanding that it will return undamaged to school for the next music class. If students purchased a recorder or are bringing one from home they may leave it at home and use their school recorder at school or bring the home recorder back and forth to school. Students also have the option is bring their home recorder back and forth to school and home. Students are responsible for having a recorder in music class. I will hand out purchased recorders and school recorder assignments next week. If you are bringing in a recorder from home, please do so next week.

We will use the Recorder Karate ​curriculum, which is a sequential program that introduces new recorder notes and songs to students. After students have practiced and perfected playing the correct notes and rhythms for each “belt song,” they can play the song for me to “test” for that belt. (Students will be allowed to test multiple times for one belt, as long as they take time to practice in-between tests.) When a student has earned a belt they will receive a piece of colored yarn to go on their case. I am requesting that the yarn is attached to the recorder case and not the recorder itself.

The fourth graders will attend the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra concert in March at Hill Auditorium. They are invited to play their recorders and sing with the orchestra from their seats! To prepare for the concert we will also be working on another curriculum alongside Recorder Karate called “Link-Up” from Carnegie Hall. The theme for this year’s concert is “The Orchestra Sings”. We have already started exploring some of the concert repertoire through singing and listening. I am looking forward to exploring it with recorders! Each student has been provided with a book containing all the repertoire for the concert. They will get to take the book home and keep it after the concert.

Students are encouraged to practice at home or outside of music ​in order to earn their belts. All our
recorder repertoire from Recorder Karate and the Link-Up Curriculum will be available on the vocal music website in the “fourth grade” section (a2steamvocalmusic.weebly.com) and hard copy.

Here are the three ways students can “test” for their Recorder Karate Belts:

1. Designated times at lunch recess. (Days to be announced)

2. During testing days during music class (students will know dates prior to testing day)

3. Students may e-mail me a video (with parent permission) of themselves playing the song/belt in
which they would like to test. I will watch the video, and if they earn their belt, I will give them the belt at their next music class. Students can record themselves playing on any video device you have at home.

Please remember that the video must be recorded outside of school and can then be e-mailed to me, Ms. Huckabone, at: huckabone@aaps.k12.mi.us

The fourth graders will be performing (without recorders) in the Thanksgiving Assembly on November 22.

There will be two performances, 1:15pm and 2:00pm. Parents are welcome to attend, but space will be limited.

Thank you! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to a great year in fourth

grade.

Fondly,

Ms. Huckabone

huckabone@aaps.k12.mi.us / a2steamvocalmusic.weebly.com