Music
Music
INTENT
Understanding the importance and significance of music in peoples lives.
Developing personal preferences whilst being open to discovering and exploring new sounds and music.
Knowing that it takes practice and dedication to improve their own skills when playing a musical instrument.
Listen to and explore different genres of music, understanding and respecting our own and other’s preferences.
Rationale
EYFS –
During this year the children will have continuous provision providing access to a range of untuned musical instruments. Together with this free choice opportunity, the children will have more structured input during their Hall Time when they will use percussion instruments alongside their PE/Dance lessons. A wide variety of musical genres will be explored during dance and movement, from which the children will be given the opportunity to express their personal opinions. At story time or transition times the children will randomly play a minute long ‘pitch match’ game where they echo a sound/tune. Children will also learn new songs for celebrations such as Harvest and Christmas.
Yr 1-
Children build on their learning from EYFS of using untuned instruments individually, to using a range of different untuned instruments to complement and respond to an age appropriate song. Children will also move on to use their bodies as instruments where they will begin to understand the difference between pulse and rhythm and start to recognise high and low notes. Further to this, children will create their own written symbols to represent pitch and rhythm comprising of a range of high and low notes. Building upon from this, children will start to clap out their own short rhythmic patterns and repeat those made by others. Further to their expression of personal opinions based on genres of music in EYFS, in Year 1 children will be more specific in expressing an opinion about a piece of music.
Yr 2-
Using the knowledge of untuned instruments and their experience of rhythm and pitch the children will learn to play the recorder this year. They will be given the responsibility of caring for and looking after their instrument at home and at school. The children are introduced to musical notes on a stave, building upon their knowledge from Yr1(writing symbols), they will learn a range of eight notes. Progressing on from last year the children will also learn to recognise and play a range of different notes such as crotchets, quavers and semi-breves. Building upon their knowledge of pulse and rhythm from year one, children will develop a deeper understanding of the structure of a piece of music, such as parts where bars repeat. As a Class the children will perform a variety of songs they have learnt during the year, in an assembly to the whole school and their parents.
Yr 3-
A balanced musical curriculum is taught in Year 3, the lessons enable the children to develop their musical creativity through practical and exploratory opportunities which allows them to develop as performers, song makers, composers, improvisers and listeners. Through deliberate practice, children become fluent in their knowledge of music. Building on from Year 2, the children continue to learn that all musical learning is built around the nine interrelated dimensions of music. Children have opportunities to recall their musical knowledge and skills and demonstrate their abilities through performance.
Moving forward, in term 1, children begin to develop an increasing understanding of the History of Music, learning about music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
In term 2, the children take part in Singfest. The children not only learn about music, but they also develop a love of music, becoming musicians who are able to share and perform using their new knowledge.
We understand how music promotes diversity so in term 3, children are given the opportunity to explore music from different cultures. Additionally they use music to express their own personal, emotional, social and cultural identity.
Yr 4-
In year 4 the children are lucky enough to have a guitar lesson each week delivered by Mr. Parr. The children are trusted with their own guitars; they must be responsible for taking care of them and bringing them in to school each week for their lessons. Over the year, children learnt to perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their guitar with increasing accuracy and fluency. They should listen with attention to detail and follow instructions on how to achieve the sounds with their instrument. Children must use and understand staves and other musical notations when reading their music. Tying together all of these concepts with plenty practise, the children confidently show off what they have learnt in a whole school assembly with their parents in the audience.
Yr 5-
Children in Year 5 are very lucky to be taught, play and perform using a brass instrument. At the beginning of Year 5, children will choose to learn to play either a trumpet, a trombone or a baritone and their lessons will be taught be a specialist music teacher. They will have the responsibility for their instrument for the whole year where they will be expected to look after and take care of it as well as take it home and be motivated to practise as much as possible. Children will be taught to use their brass instrument with increasing accuracy, fluency and control. This will include listening with attention to detail to follow instructions on how to blow and breath, to achieve the required sound and control clear and steady notes. In addition, children will be taught how to read music. These skills will be showcased at the end of the year in a performance in Manchester with the Halle Orchestra with an audience of hundreds.
Yr 6-
Using their knowledge of pitch, tempo and rhythm, year 6 children will sing and play musically with increasing confidence. They will be given opportunities to improvise and sing over known melodies, performing in small groups with a 4-chord backing track. They will learn about the components of a song in detail, listening with attention and recalling sounds with increasing aural memory. Once they have identified these features, they will use this knowledge to compose their own songs, writing lyrics and melodies using their own creative ownership. Children will also be able to sing in an ensemble with 2 or more independent parts. These songs will be performed and recorded in the children’s end of year Leavers Assembly and used to recall their favourite memories from their time at Whirley.
