Karate Masters of the Recorder

“I’ve been using the karate levels for my music testing for years now,” Ms. Truesdale shared, “and the kids love it.” From second to fourth grade, her music students learn the simple mechanics of the recorder, how to read music, and a variety of international songs. Many students practice at home too, so they can get the coveted strings and beads tied to the end of their recorders.
 

Once a student has earned each of the strings and their corresponding beads from the advanced level recorder book, they are eligible to become teaching assistants. As a TA, they help “pretest” or practice with their classmates to prepare them for when they sit to take the test with Ms. Truesdale. “Whenever someone earns the next string or bead, we all clap and cheer,” shared fourth-grade student Jolie C. ’29. “I just got my TA badge today! My class was so excited because I’m only the second person in Mrs. Hall’s class to get one.”  We are #cburyproud of these eager young musicians!