The recorder, traditionally a staple for children's music education, is experiencing declining popularity in the UK and the US, attributed to COVID-era restrictions and the rise of options like the ukulele. However, at Parkside Elementary in Atlanta, excitement remains high. Band teacher Phillip Edwards engages second-graders with songs they can learn quickly, highlighting the instrument's effectiveness for teaching fundamentals of music. The recorder allows beginners to easily produce sound, proving beneficial when compared to more complex woodwinds.
"It's like a pep rally," says Edwards. He's only taught them five notes so far, but those five notes add up to a lot of songs: "Three Blind Mice," "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and that old earworm "Hot Cross Buns."
Daisy Lee, 8, says, in fact, it's her favorite song she's learned. "It's an easy song, and I like the rhythm and beat," says Daisy.
There's really no other instrument, other than maybe the keyboard, where it is so easy for a beginner to actually make a sound," says Michael Lynn.
It's especially easier to play than its fellow woodwinds like the saxophone and the flute, he says, because both require you to form your lips a certain way.
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