Carrie Lee students using recorder safety bags Thursday, December 17, 2020 7:14 AM
This school year has been unlike any in the past, and due to the aerosol nature of COVID-19, music teachers have faced many challenges. Both singing and playing instruments produce more aerosols, and the aerosols travel much farther than when talking. Just as many people have pivoted during this pandemic, so did the elementary music classroom.
One of the main curricular activities in fourth-grade music at Carrie Lee Elementary is playing the recorder; some might even call it a rite of passage. However, due to the nature of the instrument, it wasn’t safe to play indoors without a protective element. To help curb aerosol distribution, music companies were creating bell and mouth covers for many band instruments. Yet, there wasn’t a product specifically designed for recorders.