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K-5 General Music, Chorus, Recorders & Strings |
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FAQFrequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
How do I know if my child has any musical talent? "Talent is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration." If your child has an interest and is willing to practice regularly, and you are willing to encourage and support, he or she can become good at just about anything s/he tries to do. How do I get my child to practice? Rewards work better than punishments. Help your child set a goal for how many minutes s/he wants to practice each day. Keep track all week long, and provide something special if the goal is reached. It doesn't have to be expensive. Alone time with a parent or a visit to the beach is something s/he will probably be happy to work toward. What kind of opportunities are available if my child stays in music? Music provides a belonging place for your child regardless of the size of the school s/he attends. Chorus, orchestra, and band include thoughtful, constructive, supervised activities which can keep your child busy throughout the teen years. If s/he sings in choruses at our local high schools, opportunities abound - performances in exciting places such as Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Festival of the States in Washington, D.C., and a European Tour of seven countries (England, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Italy, and Germany). Scholarships to summer camps and to colleges/universities are available for music students too. Why are the arts important for my child to study? The arts are important in and of themselves. Music, especially, nourishes the body and the soul. But there are other reasons for studying the arts. Consider this quote from Gary Miller, FVA News, Florida Music Director, April 2001. "The brain is similar to a muscle. It needs exercise in order to stay sharp and function at peak performance. The more regular exercise the mind gets, the stronger it is. Consider that in a single measure of 4/4 time, at least fifteen different decisions must be made. For example, in choral music: 1) proper use of the diaphragm, 2) relaxed throat muscles, 3) lifted soft pallet, 4) jaw placement, 5) vowel formation, 6) unified entrance, 7) rhythm, 8) dynamics, 9) accented syllables, 10) use of tongue, teeth, etc. for consonant production, 11) style, 12) phrasing, 13) word emphasis, 14) tempo, 15) stance. "What makes this even more demanding is that all of these decisions must be made in a predetermined and limited amount of time. Multiply 15 times the number of measures in a piece of music, and you will see that the brain gets an extremely rigorous intellectual workout." Please see the Links section of this web site for more information on this subject. How does what my child studies in music class relate to the real world? Here are some REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS made by some of my students. * Jeffrey plays "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on his recorder to help his baby brother fall asleep at night. * Tony entertains his cousins by playing "Snake Charmer" on his recorder. * Kathryn plays "Hot Cross Buns" on her recorder to cheer up her brother when he is sad. * Breckonridge uses sign language that he learned in music class to talk to a deaf friend. * Savannah plays the recorder while her friend sings at a local pizza parlor. * McKenzie sings solos at her church on Sundays. * Summer, Chris, Craig, Marissa, Matthew, Jade, Brandon, and Maggie all played "Happy Birthday" on their recorders at their relatives' birthday parties. * Nassim played "Frere Jacques" on his recorder for his mom on Mother's Day. * Emmanuel sang "America" at his grandmother's church. * Joey played "Ode to Joy" and "In the Jungle" on his recorder for his cub scout buddies. * Ann sang "America the Beautiful" with her brothers and sisters to her cousin who was in the hospital with appendicitis. * Anthony played his recorder at his grandmother's wedding. * Tyler used sign language to talk to people when he visited a foreign country. * Evan sang "America the Beautiful" at his nephew's party. * Alex played "Amazing Grace" at his brother's wedding rehearsal. * Collin played "Taps" on his recorder at his grandfather's funeral, and Brian played at his greatgrandmother's funeral. * Michael and Ashley both sang for their whole families on Thanksgiving. * Nick played in concert at North Port Performing Arts Center in front of hundreds of people. * Samantha played "My Heart Will Go On" and "Amazing Grace" on her recorder at her grandfather's memorial service. ISN'T IT WONDERFUL THAT THE CHILDREN CAN AND DO APPLY WHAT THEY LEARN AT SCHOOL! ENCOURAGEMENT FROM PARENTS MAKES THIS POSSIBLE! WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! Why is homework necessary in music class? Homework is not assigned in every lesson but is sometimes necessary. Music, like any other school subject, has content to be learned. The Arts are considered core subjects by the National School Board and by the No Child Left Behind Act, made into law by the United States legislature. The music curriculum, approved by the Sarasota County School Board and based on Florida's Sunshine State Standards of Education and the National Standards for Arts Education, tells us exactly what students are supposed to know and be able to do at each grade level. Since elementary music teachers are only able to meet with students 45 minutes or less per week, students need homework to help them remember what was studied in class. Music, like math, is a spiral curriculum, which means each skill builds on the previous one. If a student doesn't understand addition or subtraction, s/he will never be able to do multiplication or division. And, similarly, if s/he doesn't know what notes, rests, and clefs are or how to use them, s/he will never be able to read or write music. To be completely literate, a person needs to know how to read and write in more than one symbolic system. Please see the Homework and the Links sections for more details. When can my child start playing a string instrument? Fortunately, string instruments (violins, violas, cellos, string basses, guitars) come in many sizes. So you can start your child as early as toddler age. However, as with anything else in which you want your child to excel, the younger you start him/her, the more involved you will have to be in the lessons and the practicing. We offer a free violin class for interested students. See below for more information about violin class. When can my child start playing a band instrument? Wind instruments are usually available in full sizes only. So you'll want to wait until s/he is at least 10 before beginning to play woodwinds or brass. However, drums and keyboards come in many sizes and can be begun just about any time. If drums are too noisy for you, maybe you'd like to purchase an electronic drum pad for your older child or a xylophone or metallophone for your pre-schooler to bang on. These come in various sizes and pitches. So they teach melodic skills as well as rhythmic. Students may study band instruments in summer music camps and also when they go to middle or high school. What is a recorder, and why do you teach children to play it? A recorder is an instrument that has been around since long before electronics were invented. It is a vertical flute with just enough holes for two hands to cover. It comes in five sizes. Soprano is the size that the children in third grade study in music class at Lakeview. This is the least expensive type of recorder and plays notes in the range that children's voices can sing. All other sizes play notes that are higher(sopranino) or lower (alto, tenor, and bass recorders). When children reach 3rd grade, their eye-hand coordination has usually matured to the point that they will be successful in this activity. Some children who are younger than 3rd grade will be successful also, but not enough to make this a good use of the limited time they are able to spend in the music classroom. There are many reasons children should study recorder. Their ears become better trained to listen for subtle differences. Their eyes learn to observe longer and better. Their sense of responsibility grows as they remember to practice regularly and bring their recorders to class each week. Their memories expand as they learn more complicated music with each stripe. Their music reading abilities improve. Their self-confidence increases as they become stronger in their skills. Friendships with their peers develop as they help each other learn new pieces and as they cheer each other on to pass more stripes. And their self-worth grows as they enjoy being a part of a group which is working toward a common goal. What are those colorful stripes on the recorders? The study of recorders is not new to elementary general music classes. It has been practiced for decades with very good results. What is unique about the way our students learn is that the recorder program is comprehensive, self-paced, and motivating. The children have opportunities for earning stripes while they learn. There are several very easy stripes and many more difficult ones. Since I teach up to 30 children in each class, with varying levels of ability and experience, I have them practice many songs during each class period, sequentially. The children are expected to watch my fingers and try to place their fingers where mine are going. They read the music and answer questions about the specifics of musical notation and expression. We also do breathing exercises and games which are beneficial in many ways. Students practice at home and test with me individually when they feel that they are ready. Students who need help are encouraged to buddy up with other students who are achieving well and visa versa. When the children who are being helped earn stripes, the mentors receive one also. Practicing at home with a friend is very beneficial. What stripes can the children earn, and when are they ready to test for them?
What is the PAY IT FORWARD! stripe my child is talking about? The Pay It Forward! stripe is earned by helping a brand new student learn what s/he needs to know to pass the first three stripes (white, yellow, orange). This will help him/her catch up with classmates who have been at the school longer. What is the Advanced Recorder Ensemble? Lakeview students who excel on their recorders during the first semester of the school year can join the Advanced Recorder Ensemble, which meets during the second semester. provides a free after-school lesson, once per week, on Fridays. This group gets larger every year as more and more children discover the rewards of learning to perform well together. The group plays at Lakeview's spring concerts and for the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Where can I buy or rent a string instrument for my child?
What happens if I can't get to the school in time to pick up my child? I'm sorry that we are unable to provide free child-care service after the rehearsals. However, if you are unable to get to school by the time an after-school activity is over, you can have your child stay in the After-School Care Program so that s/he can be actively supervised until you are able to be there. Robin Alvarez is the director of that program and will be happy to register your child for one or more afternoons per week. If you do not register your child because you plan to be there on time each week to pick him/her up (4:15), your child will be waiting at the east car pick-up area for you. Due to other obligations, I will be unable to stay with your child to wait after the rehearsal is finished. Therefore, if your child is still waiting when the other children have been picked up, your child will go to the After-School Care Program in the cafeteria. There is a slight charge for this because they have to pay their staff members to keep your child safely busy until you arrive. The fee should be paid at the time that you pick up your child. Failure to pay the fee or repeated late pick-ups will result in being dropped from the program. We want all children who love music to be able to participate, and we communicate as often as possible with parents to try to keep them in the programs. Please read carefully all emails and letters that we send home so you won't miss any important information. Please see the calendar section of this web site. Chorus and violin students perform in December and May, and the Advanced Recorder Ensemble performs in May. Occasionally, other performing opportunities occur during the school year. What clothes should my child wear for performances?
How can I find out about private lessons for my child? If you will let me know you are interested in this, I can provide you with a list of private music teachers in the area and their contact information. The list has been compiled over the years as parents have told me about teachers' services that they feel are outstanding. Studying one-to-one is always best for children who are serious about developing their musical skills. There are grants and scholarships available for families who need financial help to provide instruments and/or lessons for their children. Of course, the parents would have to commit to making sure the child practices regularly. Please let me know if you want more information about this. I am happy to help. What kind of summer camp opportunities are available locally? The Sarasota Orchestra (formerly called the Florida West Coast Symphony) offers a three-week day camp for children who want to learn to play an instruments. They have groups for beginners, intermediate, and advanced students. They will accept registrations until June 10th. They offer scholarships for students with critical financial needs. Please see their web site for specific information. www.sarasotaorchestra.org Venice Symphony also offers a summer camp. Please see their web site for more information. |
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