Audiation-Based Recorder Instruction in the General Music Classroom

Abstract

The United States is one of many countries in which recorder instruction is an integral and popular part of the general music curricula. Although instructional approach may differ (e.g., rote or note), recorder provides opportunities to teach many musical skills, including composition, improvisation, music elements, and aural skills. Teachers claim that playing with recorded accompaniments will increase students’ listening skills, and thereby, improve intonation and dynamic balance. Recorder ensembles provide a venue for students to sing, accompany, and develop an awareness of harmony, while also being exposed to an array of ensemble literature. Of the myriad reasons for recorder instruction in the general music classroom, perhaps the most common and/or important, is to teach students to read notation