Starting in 1st grade, students start preparing for their future band instruments by using the flutophone. The flutophone is a simplified recorder. It shares many techniques and skills with the recorder and band instruments but is less complex making it ideal for young students. Once students have a good foundation with the flutophone, they are able to easily transition to the slightly more complex recorder. In 1st grade, students develop fine motor skills in their fingers, air control, posture, articulation practices, rhythm and note reading, practice skills and habits, and music literacy. In 2nd grade, students continue developing their skills from 1st grade with the recorder. Additionally, the students dive into music history, deeper instrument family history, how sound is created, percussion basics, basic song creation, and test out the band instruments to find their best fit.