by John Feieraband and Rachel Grimsby.
With its commitment to creating independent musical thinkers through the use of folk songs, Conversational Recorder is a visionary approach to recorder that builds music literacy and independence.
This highly anticipated component of John M. Feierabend’s Conversational Solfege is a dynamic and engaging method that seamlessly coordinates with Level 1 (9335) and Level 2 (9336) of the curriculum, an innovative 12-step “ear-before-eye” approach to teaching music literacy.
Central to Conversational Recorder are two hundred online audio tracks with coordinating Guided Practice Activities at the beginning of each unit. The online tracks walk students step by step through decoding patterns and songs and are perfectly suited for at-home assignments and virtual instruction.
Each of the thirteen units in this resource presents a new rhythm or melody challenge that is reinforced using a series of short musical patterns and songs. To ensure aural mastery before instrumental application, students follow a three-step procedure: (1) sing first, (2) sing while fingering on recorder, and (3) play on recorder.
The teacher’s manual includes dozens of recorder activities (techniques) along with an overview of the method, instructions for how to use the online tracks, and tips for teaching fingering, tonguing, and breathing. The appendices also contain sample lesson plans, resources for assessment, fingering charts, and information for teaching recorder to students with disabilities.
Conversational Recorder is an ideal program for incorporating recorder instruction into the elementary music classroom.
Teacher's Manual
