Recorders in Music Ed: A Rant on a Meme

So, the other day, I was on a 90's nostalgia facebook page, and I saw this image.

Okay, look. I love a good joke, and this one is funny. I get the joke, and I get how it is light-hearted... but this kind of joke, while well-meaning can really devalue music educators, who we already know are constantly fighting to prove that what they teach has value. And it DOES. Music Education is so important, and sometimes I worry that posts like this will be a slippery slope in to arts programs getting cut.

So welcome to my rant. Here is why you need to be Team Recorder!

I get that this is supposed to be funny, but I’m gonna rant about it. Music teacher here, and I can’t help myself:

1. Recorder teaches impulse control, which is so important for kids. Do you know how hard it is for them NOT to blow?

2. Recorder is an affordable way to get ALL students learning a legitimate instrument, which is what leads a lot of professional instrumentalists into band and orchestra.

3. They are learning to put notes and rhythms into practice which is great for concentration and improving their attention span.

4. It is proven to reduce stress (not for the teacher, but for the kids).

5. It boosts confidence and creates a safe space for performance early on, which can contribute to better overall public speaking and performing skills.

6. It fosters imagination and artistic development.

7. It helps develop coordination and fine motor skills. Breath control, hand eye coordination, concentration, memory.

8. It exposes kids to Creating within multiple genres and music periods.

So yeah, you did benefit from recorder. Now go buy your kid’s elementary music teacher a bottle of wine, because that sh*t is annoying af, but it’s good for kids, so they do it.

While I am not a recorder, teacher, I AM a music educator and I work hard to provide standards based music education for secondary classrooms. If you are interested in using my lessons, please consider visiting my TpT shop and supporting my store!

Miss Fred