In our music room, something magical happens every day. Mrs. Ashcraft, our Apollo music teacher and former band director, proudly says she “wears many hats” but one of her favorites is introducing young learners to their very first instruments. And this year, she’s dreaming big for her students.
For our 3rd and 4th graders, learning the recorder is an important milestone. It’s where students begin exploring early music reading: following notes and rhythms, understanding pitch and dynamics, and discovering the joy of making music that actually sounds like music. But as Mrs. A has seen year after year, traditional recorders can be tough. Small hands struggle to fully cover the tiny finger holes, and students who need extra support can feel frustrated before they ever get the chance to shine.
That’s why she set out to find something better, and she did!!!
Mrs. A applied, and was awared a grant from the Goddard Education Foundation to bring Nuvo plastic recorders into her classroom. These aren’t the recorders you might remember. They’re lightweight, washable, durable, and designed with special finger flaps that help students seal each note with ease. That means immediate success, more confidence, and way more fun.
And the best part?
Everyone uses them. No student stands out for needing support, every beginner gets the same cool instrument, in colors that even match our Apollo Panthers and Eisenhower Tigers!
With these recorders, our students will be able to:
Hold and play their instruments comfortably
Learn simple songs in the QuaverEd music curriculum
Build early music-reading skills
Perform with pride as they grow in confidence
Begin imagining themselves as future band students
Mrs. A is thrilled to bring a first-of-its-kind recorder experience to our school: “I’m so excited to finally have an instrument students want to play, and to see how quickly they find success!”
We can’t wait to watch our young musicians toot, tap, and shine. Thank you Mrs. A!