Grade 3 students at ISB receive two 45-minute music classes every 6-day cycle with specialized elementary music teachers.
The defining difference between Grade 3 and the previous grades is that now the children have learned all of the solfege-note names, and are ready to learn the fixed-note names, and apply this knowledge to playing an instrument. In Grade 3, they begin learning to play the recorder.
Students learn to play recorder for many reasons; it helps to put their note-reading skills into real practice, it improves motor skills and coordination, it teaches students responsibility by making them take care and maintain their own instrument and practice it outside of class, it improves their ensemble skills when they play as a group, and it prepares the way for instrumental learning that may follow in Middle School. (Did you know that the recorder has similar fingering to the flute and saxophone, for example?)
Students’ first exposure to the recorder is through the Recorder Karate program. This program introduces skills in a simple and systematic way, so that each new skill is built upon the one before it. For each new song that the students learn, they will earn a “Karate Belt”, a small piece of braided yarn to tie on their recorders. Students find this a great motivator, and often come in at recess to “play a belt” for us!
Besides playing recorder, students also learn to compose their own simple pieces for recorder as well. They also continue to sing a lot in Grade 3, taking on new challenges such as 2- and 3-part singing, more complex canons and partner songs, and accompanying their songs with the Orff instruments. Their Orff instrument playing is more sophisticated as well, and they are able to play ensembles that involve 3 or 4 different rhythmic and melodic parts played simultaneously.
With Grade 3 music class comes a lot of new musical adventures and opportunities to be independent musicians, capable of practicing their instruments on their own, and composing their own music using the skills they have learned. These skills will carry them on to Grade 4 where they will face new challenges (including group compositions, music technology and handbell playing), all of which have the goal in mind of fostering a love and curiosity for music in its many forms.