Recorder Review Plans

Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois

Idea posted November 7, 2003

Just wanting to get your take on the pacing of my 6-8th grade recorder review plans for the next three Monday sessions. The students are scattered between Orange, Blue, Brown, and Black belts, but I doubt there was any summer practice (save a few). I'm approaching it as if they're all rusty.

Warm-ups with BAG echoes (both teacher & student led)

BAG exercises from book

New BAG songs ("BAGs in Space," "HyperBAG," "StarBAG's Cafe," (all available in The Adventures of BAG Rogers in the 35th Century) and "Frodo's BAG" (from Music K-8, Vol. 3, No. 1; also available in M.C. Handel's Tales Of The Recorder). I'm planning two for each group with the easiest ones for 6ths and progressing up and will basically be running through these two times max.

BAG note-speller test (correct in class)

More BAG practice with Denise Gagne's Complete Recorder Resource Kit, Vol. 2 (6ths only)

E & D echoes

E & D exercises from book

E & D piece from book (inviting soloist/ensemble for part).

"March Of The Dwarfs" (played before)

(I'll also be presenting our last two Tutti WOW words Staff & Treble clef, and explaining my Recorder Teams incentive program.)

Awarding of "Recorder Option" coupons to those who led warm-ups or played solo/ensemble parts last week. They can use a coupon if desired in today's session.

BAG echoes (student led)

Review one of the new BAG pieces (invite soloists)

BAG dictation with staff boards ("Show Me" game)

"March of the Dwarfs" (adding Boomtubes)

E & C echoes (teacher and student led)

E & C exercises from book

"M.C.'s Boogie" - new piece, so this will take more time (from Music K-8, Vol. 8, No. 3; also available in Recorder Soup)

Note detective activity using measures from "M.C.'s Boogie" to be corrected in class

Close with the other new BAG pieces from last week.

Flash card reading warm-up (student led)

Review one new BAG piece (invite soloists)

"M.C.'s Boogie" (first playing through the note detective measures from last week's test. Student led.)

D' echoes (teacher/student led)

D' exercise from book

"A Little Jig" - pt. 1 for 6-7ths, pt. 2 for 8ths (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 4; also available in M.C. Handel's Tales Of The Recorder)

Note-spelling test on all review notes thus far to turn in for a grade.

"M.C.'s Boogie"

Scale rhythms warm-up: using a rhythm chart with four exercises and playing one note of the scale on each exercise in succession two times from C to C (Even the 6ths haven't had low C yet, they'll still do this by rote.)

Review: New BAG piece and "M.C.'s Boogie"

Finger board "show me" dictation of all notes being review plus a few from last year.

Review: "A Little Jig" (include a sparring match after a few play-throughs)

SQUILT: Vivaldi's Recorder concerto (excerpt). They'll listen while cleaning recorders, organizing and returning materials, etc.)