Music
‘Without music, life would be a mistake.’ Friedrich Nietzsche
INTENT:
We want all Snape children to feel that they are musical, and to develop a life-long love of music. We want them to all know that music, in all forms is accessible to them and that they can be a part of a musical world. We focus on developing the skills, knowledge and understanding that children need in order to become confident performers, composers, and listeners. Our curriculum introduces children to music from all around the world and across generations, teaching children to respect and appreciate the music of all traditions and communities.
Children will develop the musical skills of singing, playing tuned and untuned instruments, improvising and composing music, and listening and responding to music. They will be able to read basic notation on the treble clef by learning to play the glockenspiel and the recorder. They will also follow guitar tab music by learning to play the ukelele. They will also have the opportunity to work with peripetatic musicians from the Suffolk Music service learning the keyboard. They will develop an understanding of the history and cultural context of the music that they listen to and learn how music can be written down so they can compose and perform their own music.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Snape children have multiple musical experiences during the week becuase we often have music playing when coming into school and in assemblies or singing a song to learn a new concept. for example. We sing in our assemblies and have a singing assembly every week where we sometimes sing and sign using Makaton as well. We teach music in a 'formal' lesson for 45 mins to 1 hour for 6 weeks in R/1 and 10 weeks in 2/3 and 4/5/6. We the Kapow Primary Music scheme of work.
Kapow Primary’s Music scheme takes a holistic approach to music, in which the individual strands below are woven together to create engaging and enriching learning experiences:
• Performing
• Listening
• Composing
• The history of music
• The inter-related dimensions of music
Each five-lesson unit combines these strands within a cross-curricular topic designed to capture pupils’ imagination and encourage them to explore music enthusiastically. Over the course of the scheme, children will be taught how to sing fluently and expressively, and play tuned and untuned instruments accurately and with control. They will learn to recognise and name the interrelated dimensions of music - pitch, duration, tempo, timbre, structure, texture and dynamics - and use these expressively in their own improvisations and compositions.
We are an Arts Award school and offer children from y 2 upwards the chance to follow an arts award in music or art. In music we work in collaboration with Mr. Joe Carr from the Britten Pears team. Children are awarded arts awards from Trinity House.
We have strong links with Britten Pears and regularly take part in workshops such as drumming, orchestra or singing run by professional muscians based at the Maltings. We also have visiting musicans to school such as chamber orchestras or Folk groups so our children experience live music on a regular basis. We also have strong links with Folk East and work with folk musicians such as Finn Collinson and the Young 'uns.
We offer keyboard lessons to pupils from Y 2 1 upwards-these take place in small group sessions on Thursdays and Fridays for 20 minute lessons with Mrs. Katy Chadwick from the Suffolk Music Service.
IMPACT:
We are a former Gold Arts Mark school and are currently going for reaccreditation. A large number of children have participated in the Arts Award for music and gained their Trinity school of music certificate.
Every child performs once a year at the Maltings singing in either the Christmas and Summer production. Chidlren also perform alongside artists, for example at the Maltings with the Young 'uns. Performing with musicians, following a conductor or lead singer is part of a Snape child's musical experience. They will also leave being able to read simple notation and chords to play guitar/ukekele and tuned instruments such as glockenspiels and recorders.
We see how much children enjoy music and appreciate it when they see live performers, listen to music or perform themselves. It is evidenced in their own obvious musicality and love of music.We want the chidlren to leave with a love of music -a life long love - which will help them possibly continue with instrument playing or, at the least, enjoy singing and listneing to a wide range of music from different cultures and times.
We evidence impact through regular assessment points using Kapow-for example ensuring children understand musical terminology or a mini proof of progress playing task. We use video, photos to record. Children use written language and drawings to communicate their responses to music.