Bridgewater to Use 'Be a Recorder Star' Series

Leonard Herman, supervisor of fine and practical arts at , has been working very hard with the kindergarten through fourth grade music staff to create a more unified curriculum for the district. 

The first task was getting the same recorder curriculum put in place for all elementary schools. 

After evaluating several programs, spearheaded by K-4 grade music teachers and fourth grade choral directors Rina Sklar and Toby Simon, the Ed Sueta "Be A Recorder Star" series was chosen.  

Recorder lessons are currently started in third grade and continue through fourth grade, so the program is being phased in slowly. The 2012 third grade class will be working with the curriculum materials, and that will continue through the 4th grade. 

Next year's third grade class will be the first to have the full program.

Teachers met for a full day in-service training in Bridgewater with Ed Sueta himself to learn special techniques for teaching recorder. Julie Sueta-Kaufman, daughter and VP of Macie Publishing Company, co-led the session, assisting with presentations providing instructions specific to Sueta's series. 

Bridgewater parent and music educator AnnaRene' Jeremiah was also invited to attended the workshop at the Harmon V. Wade Administration Building. Jeremiah is no stranger to the recorder, having been taught both flute and recorder by Sueta himself while he was band and orchestra director at Ridgedale Middle School in Florham Park. 

For more than 35 years, Ed Sueta Music Publications, Inc. has been dedicated to providing band directors with the most effective, logical and consistent instructional methods for young instrumentalists. Publisher of "The Ed Sueta Band Method" and "Premier Performance for Band," Ed Sueta Music also publishes outstanding collections of beginning duets and band arrangements. 

Stay tuned for more exciting details on the development of the K-4 curriculum in the district where music makes a difference.

—AnnaRene Jeremiah, Bridgewater