November 3, 2017 Dear Third Grade Families, The time has FINALLY come for our third graders to start playing the recorder. This week in music, Seipelt’s third graders received their recorders. The cost of the recorder and the book (which will be distributed soon) has been covered by student fees. If your child loses his/her recorder or book, a new one will need to be purchased for $5.00 (each). Please take a moment and read over this letter together so you know what to expect and are prepared for success. Practice: ♫ Students will be expected to bring their recorders home to practice. We only have music for 45 minutes once or twice a week- not nearly enough time to master an instrument! ♫ Students should set aside about 15 minutes, 3 times per week to practice their recorders. ♫ Practice should happen in a quiet place- not in the car or in front of the TV! ♫ Try to encourage your child to perform what we’re working on for you at home! Care: ♫ The recorder and book should “live” in the student’s backpack. After practicing, the recorder should go straight back into its case and then into the backpack with the book. ♫ The recorder comes with a small cleaning rod. DO NOT put tissue in the rod. It will easily rip and get stuck inside the instrument. You may use a small rag or piece of old t-shirt to clean out the recorder. Cut a strip about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long of a thin, soft fabric. That gets threaded into the cleaning rod and can be used to wipe out the instrument after it is played. The cloth and rod can stay in the recorder case with the recorder. ♫ Students should not eat or drink right before or during their practice time. If you have just eaten, rinse your mouth out with water before you play. Playing Tips: ♫ Use the flat part of your finger (where your fingerprint is) to cover the holes. The holes must be completely covered in order for the recorder to work correctly! ♫ Some students have very small fingers and have a hard time covering the holes. If you hear squeaks instead of clear sounding notes, “freeze and squeeze” the holes. You should have perfect circles on your fingertips when you let go of the recorder. If the circles are incomplete, it means you aren’t covering the holes all the way. ♫ Playing the recorder takes soft, gentle air. Blowing too hard will make the recorder squeak. I am so excited to get started on the recorders with these students! Learning to play an instrument takes time, patience and work. Please help your budding musician to be the best s/he can be! If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached most easily by e-mail or voice mail, listed below. Musically Yours,

Mrs. Hutzel [email protected] 513-996-5581 (Direct Voice Mail)