Wheelock students treated to music enrichment

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Third grade students at Wheelock School were recently treated to a delightful, educational and entertaining music enrichment program by the recorder quartet, Eine Kleine Konsort. The interactive program, entitled “The Recorder Goes to School,” was sponsored by the Medfield Music Association and served to enhance the recorder and general music curriculum at Wheelock School.

“The recorder is an essential part of our third grade music curriculum at Wheelock” explains Mrs. Eithne Stover, music teacher at Wheelock. “It is a wonderful instrument in its own right and is a perfect beginning instrument for the young musician. It gives us another timbre with which to create music in the music room and complements the xylophones and other instruments that we work with. Our third grade students take immense pride in their ability to master a melody on their recorder. It helps to build the joy and discipline of regular practice that leads to skill development. We also use the recorder to continue the development of music understanding and ear training in young students, skills that will support them them throughout their lives as music-makers and consumers. I feel so fortunate to work in a community that understands the benefits and importance of creating and participating in the arts. We need the arts now more than ever.”

Eine Kleine Konsort showcases the talents of the professional recorder players Dotty Moffett, Jean Burke, Susan Duffy and Pam Yanco. The group has been performing together since 1992. Within a 50 minute participatory performance, students are invited to play their recorders along with the quartet, improvise on recorder in a blues style and join in on the wildly popular Recorder Rap finale. Opportunities also exist for students to accompany the quartet on drums and xylophones. The professional musicians introduce their family of recorders from the tiniest “garklein” recorder to the bass recorder, and demonstrate the unique tone of each one.