The students in the "Recorder Psychos" club have mastered the soprano recorder and are ready to move on to the next step: The Alto Recorder. Our school is a very green school - students are surrounded by a progressive, stimulating environment.
My students are very skillful and obsessed with their soprano recorders! We started an after school club to create an ensemble with the goal of performing outside of our school building.
While observing them one day I thought they are already mastering the soprano recorders at a very high level and I wanted to enrich their experience with the alto recorder addition. Needless to say, kids loved the idea!
The long-term impact in these kids' lives can go from multiple concerts and performances during their middle school years and stretch to college scholarships and fulfilling careers as professional musicians and music educators.
The commitment to the study of an instrument is improving their overall performance in all classes in their school day. The collaboration and interaction among them are also creating a respectful and cordial environment. Kids are happy to come to club even if it's on a Friday afternoon. I cannot wait to take them in front of an audience!
In the spring of 2014, our class went on one of the most defining periods of our lives: a field trip to perform in Carnegie Hall. Out of that we not only took our talents in soprano recorders, but inspiration; inspiration to continue to practice and enjoy recorders, but also to practice and enjoy music. But music is not just soprano recorders. Music is our chance to weave and manipulate emotions; our chance to creatively express ourselves. One can't express him/her self with just one set of pitch, but he/she just might try two!
In Their Own Words
Our goal is to become professional recorder players in our after school club called the "Recorder Psychos”, which includes alto and soprano recorders. We already know the tricks and trades of the soprano recorder, so all we need to master is the alto. I am requesting 6 alto recorders for my students. This project will help us in the future because it opens a whole new world of possibilities for our career.
With alto recorders, we can use more pitch, and more diversity to the sound of our music. But we can also learn, enjoy, and explore a whole new set of notes, and have the chance to learn, enjoy, and appreciate so many new and oh, so beautiful songs from so many new cultures. We will learn new music, but don't forget that we will also learn about new cultures, and most importantly new opportunities: opportunities in anything we desire to put our hearts into.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Montanari and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
