'Recorder karate' engages students
Teachers sound-off about incentive programs at Yk1 board meeting
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 19, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Karate-style belt system and fake Twitter feeds are tools music teachers are using to keep kids interested in music in Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1).
Sean Daly, a music teacher at N.J. McPherson school, told members assembled for the scheduled Yk1 board meeting at J.H. Sissons school last Tuesday that new incentive programs – aimed at catching the imagination of music students – have doubled interest and grades for music programs offered at Yk1 schools, including something called "recorder karate." Before the meeting began, board members were treated to recorder music played by students from Range Lake North School. The students played Amazing Grace and Ode to Joy – two of the most difficult songs learned by students taking part in Marilyn Morrison's recorder karate classes.
Morrison said the students – who were less than interested in learning the difficult numbers in previous years – have fallen in love with the idea of earning karate-type belts for learning difficult tunes. The black-belt group, who played for the assembled board, have earned a new belt every time they mastered a song on the curriculum. Morrison said now that they can earn belts, students are asking her every day to find out if they can play for her to qualify for a new belt.
Recorder karate is one of a few ideas teachers have brainstormed to keep kids interested in musical education, said Daly. William McDonald students, studying musical history under Danielle Mallet-Achey, have been creating fake Twitter feeds for long-dead jazz musicians, complete with relevant dates and plenty of jazz-lingo. Mallet-Achey said the project has focused her students on historical material, with a modern social media twist. Board trustee Jay Butler asked Daly if music is motivating students to go to school.
"It's an escape where they can be themselves," said Daly. "Students who may not succeed elsewhere find music class somewhere where they can find success."
Superintendent Metro Huculak said the board will have discussions to ensure that music programs continue in Yk1.
