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Why Did We Learn to Play the Recorder in School? | WQXR | New York's Classical Music Radio Station

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Of all the instruments to choose, why do we hand kids the shrill-voiced recorder?

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Back to School:  Why so many of us remember playing that same plastic recorder.

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Back to School:  Why so many of us remember playing that same plastic recorder.

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This week, read true stories, romanticized histories and only slightly embarrassing memories of the objects that made school what it was.

Twenty-five plastic soprano recorders playing in harmony - more or (probably) less - is the sound of Grade 4.

At the beginning of each music class, Evelyn Rigby would bring out the ivory-coloured instruments from a big bin and let a group of skeptical nine-year-olds choose which they wanted. (Eventually, my parents bought me a red plastic recorder so I could practice at home.) To further inspire us, Mrs. Rigby invited her recorder consort to play Baroque- and Renaissance-era tunes for the class. Her plan worked. This performance remains one of my most vivid elementary school memories.

Carol Beynon, Associate Professor and Acting Associate Dean, Graduate Education at Western University says this is common. She explains that research supports the evocative nature of active music education. These are the moments that elementary and high school students remember most.

"It's not the day that they learned to do single division. It's when they were in the auditorium and played their recorders at the Remembrance Day assembly and so on," Beynon says.

"(It's) the music and the artistic aspects, and sometimes the athletic aspects that they remember because of the activity of doing them. Those are the memories that you value in later life. And that you want for your own families and for other kids, too."

Economy and accessibility have helped make the plastic soprano recorder ubiquitous in Canadian schools. Once elementary students are comfortable with singing, learning to play an instrument helps cultivate music literacy, including reading music. Mass-produced plastic recorders provide an inexpensive option to make this happen.

While wooden recorders can crack if they're not handled with care, the plastic version is durable and lightweight. The soprano recorder is the third smallest instrument in the family; it's comfortable for children to hold and the finger-hole spacing is ideal for little fingers. "I just watch the delight on these kids' faces when they get an instrument that they can hold in their hands. They feel like real musicians at that point. When they're singers, they're real musicians but holding an instrument in your hand somehow validates that whole aspect," Beynon says.

The recorder is also easy to play - you can just blow into it - although it takes technique to play it well. Beynon says that unlike other woodwinds, such as the clarinet, the recorder doesn't require a developed embouchure -the use of lips, tongue and teeth - to produce sound.

Lori-Anne Dolloff, Associate Professor and Divisional Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Toronto, estimates that the recorder became a commonplace introductory instrument in Canadian schools in the 1960s. "The recorder made a renaissance in education in general in the early 1900s, largely out of England. The plastic recorder, first made by the Dolmetsch company (in 1946), was designed for schools," Dolloff says.

"The recorder as a historical instrument has a long history, heading way back into the Renaissance period. But those were all different sizes. And in fact, the size that the children play, the soprano recorder, was not the primary instrument. The primary recorder for composers... was the alto recorder."

In the 1970s, there was a significant resurgence of ukulele in the school system, spearheaded by Nova Scotian educator J. Chalmers Doane. Depending on where you went to school, you will have likely played one and not the other. "There are two competing instruments in schools at the elementary level: there's the recorder and the ukulele. The recorder is being replaced in many schools. Not all but I would say 40 to 50 per cent of schools now are going to ukulele instead of recorder," Dolloff says.

Many children are attracted to the ukulele as an entryway to learning the guitar, she adds. Unlike the recorder, you can play the ukulele and sing at the same time, which gives it "some charm of its own." However, ukuleles are more expensive than plastic recorders. And because you're primarily strumming chords, Dolloff says it's not as effective for teaching note reading.

Given the choice, she would base her decision on the availability of instruments and interest of the students. "One of the main challenges (in music education today) is being able to recognize and teach for the diverse population of children that we have so that we're recognizing children's musical cultures," Dolloff says. "And not simply sticking to recorder because that's the way we were taught, but embracing the beautiful diversity of music that's available to us now."

Despite a wealth of international research on the advantages of music education, funding for programs in Canadian schools is lagging. According to a 2011 report published by non-profit group Coalition for Music Education in Canada, while student interest in music classes has increased over the past decade, financial support has decreased. "Subjects like music, that are often seen as frills, actually support learning in critical ways for all students who will be more productive citizens if they learn to use all aspects of their intelligence to learn and communicate," Beynon says.

"There's a fair amount of research about schools where they've developed vibrant arts programs: music, art, dance and drama. Their standardized test scores actually came up overall because it gives the kids different vehicles and different parts of their brain through which to think. And learning is all about making connections."

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Back to School: Why so many of us can remember playing that same plastic recorder (and all the same notes)

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This week, read true stories, romanticized histories and only slightly embarrassing memories of the objects that made school what it was. Twenty-five plastic soprano recorders playing in harmony - more or (probably) less - is the sound of Grade 4.

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Learning to play an instrument can help your child fine-tune her ear and enhance skills needed for education and social interaction.

Between soccer and scouts, your school-age kid's schedule is loaded with fun activities. If you're on the fence about adding music classes to the list, take note of the benefits that come with signing your little one up for violin or piano lessons. Maybe she won't be the next Beethoven, but she may have an easier time learning math, practicing good manners (including patience!), and becoming a team player. Read on to learn more about the benefits of music education.

Music and math are highly intertwined. By understanding beat, rhythm, and scales, children are learning how to divide, create fractions, and recognize patterns. It seems that music wires a child's brain to help him better understand other areas of math, says Lynn Kleiner, founder of Music Rhapsody in Redondo Beach, CA. As kids get older, they'll start reciting songs, calling on their short-term memory and eventually their long-term memory. Using a mnemonic device to do this is a method that can later be applied to other memory skills, says Mary Larew, Suzuki violin teacher at the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, Connecticut. Musical instrument classes also introduce young children to basic physics. For instance, plucking the strings on a guitar or violin teaches children about harmonic and sympathetic vibrations. Even non-string instruments, such as drums and the vibraphone, give big kids the opportunity to explore these scientific principles.

Certain instruments, such as percussion, help children develop coordination and motor skills; they require movement of the hands, arms, and feet. This type of instrument is great for high-energy kids, says Kristen Regester, Early Childhood Program Manager at Sherwood Community Music School at Columbia College Chicago. String and keyboard instruments, like the violin and piano, demand different actions from your right and left hands simultaneously. "It's like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time," Regester says. Instruments not only help develop ambidexterity, but they can also encourage children to become comfortable in naturally uncomfortable positions. Enhancing coordination and perfecting timing can prepare children for other hobbies, like dance and sports.

Group classes require peer interaction and communication, which encourage teamwork, as children must collaborate to create a crescendo or an accelerando. If a child is playing his instrument too loudly or speeding up too quickly, he'll need to adjust. It's important for children to know and understand their individual part in a larger ensemble, Regester says. Music Rhapsody offers general music education classes, in which teachers split students into groups and assign each child a task. Whether a team is responsible for choosing instruments or creating a melody, students work toward a common goal. "These are the kinds of experiences we have in society," Kleiner says. "We need more group interaction and problem solving."

Learning an instrument teaches children about delayed gratification. The violin, for example, has a steep learning curve. Before you can make a single sound, you must first learn how to hold the violin, how to hold the bow, and where to place your feet, Larew says. Playing an instrument teaches kids to persevere through hours, months, and sometimes years of practice before they reach specific goals, such as performing with a band or memorizing a solo piece. "Private lessons and practicing at home require a very focused kind of attention for even 10 minutes at a time," Larew says. Group lessons, in which students learn to play the same instruments in an ensemble, also improve patience, as children must wait their turn to play individually. And in waiting for their turns and listening to their classmates play, kids learn to show their peers respect, to sit still and be quiet for designated periods of time, and to be attentive.

Lessons offer a forum where children can learn to accept and give constructive criticism. Turning negative feedback into positive change helps build self-confidence, Regester says. Group lessons, in particular, may help children understand that nobody, including themselves or their peers, is perfect, and that everyone has room for improvement. "Presenting yourself in public is an important skill whether you become a professional musician or not," Larew says. This skill is easily transferrable to public speaking, she adds. And, of course, once a child is advanced enough, she'll possess musical skills that will help her stand out.

By learning about and playing a variety of instruments, kids can discover how music plays a critical role in other cultures. For instance, bongos and timbales may introduce children to African and Cuban styles of music. Although the modern-day violin has roots in Italy, learning to play it exposes children to classical music popularized by German and Austrian musicians. Versatile instruments, such as the violin and piano, can accompany a wide repertoire of styles, including classical and jazz (which originated in the American South). It's important to familiarize children with other cultures at a young age because this fosters open-mindedness about worlds and traditions beyond the ones they know.

Ultimately, the instrument you and your child choose should depend on a number of factors. Here's a list of questions to consider before bringing home a new music maker:

Is your child excited about the instrument? Does she like the way it sounds and feels? Some music schools offer a "petting zoo" that introduces kids to multiple instruments.

Is the instrument too challenging or is it not challenging enough (for both you and your child)?

Does your child's temperament match the instrument?

Can you afford the instrument and the maintenance that comes with it?

As a parent, do you like the sound enough to listen to your child practice it for hours at home?

Is your child specifically interested in a particular music style? If so, factor that into your instrument choice, as some specifically cater to certain styles. For instance, a violin player will have a hard time fitting in a jazz ensemble.

Experts don't always agree on which instruments are best for big kids to learn, but many music teachers do agree that it's hard to go wrong with the piano, percussion (like the drum or xylophone), recorder, guitar, or violin.

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Learning to play an instrument can help your child fine-tune her ear and enhance skills needed for education and social interaction. Between soccer and scouts, your school-age kid's schedule is loaded with fun activities. If you're on the fence about adding music classes to the list, take note of the benefits that come with signing your little one up for violin or piano lessons.

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How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain

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How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins