Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois

Idea posted April 8, 2005

The information below is what is to be included on the students' grid sheet:

Name, Grade, and Date
Directions: Fill in the grid below by selecting and writing in 9 items from the following list (1 item per square). One item may be repeated if desired.
SOLO, MEMORY, SPELL, COMPOSE, IMPROVISE, TECHNIQUE, RHYTHM, DUO, CHANCE, DIVIDE, SIGHTREAD, CHALLENGE
Here is what each item means:
Solo: Perform a solo piece for your teacher or the class with no more than two errors. The piece should reflect your current level of proficiency. (This can be a test piece.)
Improvise: Improvise play a series of four meaningful musical responses in a call/response warm-up with the teacher or student(s).
Chance: Give your grid to someone else who will choose an item of their choice to write in.
Memory: Perform a piece by memory at a performance level standard. (Concert pieces count here.)
Technique: Perform a five or eight note ascending/descending scale pattern three times in a row without pause in half-, quarter-, and eighth-note rhythms at mm 60 with no more than three errors.
Divide: Play selected solo sections of a piece with the class with no more than two errors.
Spell: Score 100% on any current written note speller drill/test.
Rhythm: Realize, on a given pitch, four randomly selected rhythm patterns with no more than one error.
Sight-read: Play at sight a short piece selected by the teacher with no more than three errors.
Compose: Compose and perform an original piece no less than eight measures long.
Duo: Perform, at performance level standard, a duet piece with the teacher or student.
Challenge: Perform one of the challenge exercises in your book at mm 80 with no more than one error.

For each square earned, your teacher will give you a sticker to place on the corresponding square. Wins include: three in a row (any direction), four corners, plus sign, X, and blackout. Students and teacher will determine reasonable rewards/prizes for wins. Your teacher will determine a set playing period. You may have more than one win within a given playing period. Most squares can be earned during regular recorder classes. You may need to come in occasionally during recess/homeroom time to complete a win (this time will be limited).

(End of directions. I created a nine square grid at the bottom of the page).

Here's my plan: At the start of the quarter (I do recorders all year long), everyone will get a grid to fill out. They will keep their grid with them for each recorder session (every Monday). During class, there may be opportunities for earning squares. I'll announce, "Today's note-speller drill can count as a square," or "We're testing for our new belt today, would anyone want to use today's test piece to earn their solo square?," or "Let's divide this piece up into solo and ensemble phrases. Anyone want to try the solo phrases for their Divide square?," etc.

If a student gets three in a row and wants to get their prize, they'll turn in their grid, get their prize, and receive a new grid to fill out.

I'll probably set the playing period for an entire quarter. There is some flexibility with determining a win. For example: If a student is trying for blackout, but they are two squares shy by the end of the playing period, they can claim a different win such as a plus, X, four corners, or three in a row.

Depending on my day (and how tired I am by recess), I'll randomly announce recess time to earn squares.

Game Update - New Version

For this version of the game, when they earn any three in a row, they can put their name on a coupon and drop it into a container for a drawing at the end of the quarter. They don't even have to start over with a new grid; they can just work toward another three in a row. One grid will allow a maximum of eight coupons.

I draw up to five winners for my larger class and two winners for my smaller class. I use translucent recorders as the prize.