Music

 

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"Music can be the fuel

to raise your spirit high,

marking you unbreakable or heal you. 

 

Find your music and use it.

 

-Andrew Jones

 

Intent:

At St Michael’s, it is our intent that we make music an enjoyable learning experience. We encourage children to participate in a variety of musical experiences through which we aim to build up the confidence of all children. Our teaching focuses on developing the children’s ability to understand rhythm and follow a pulse/beat. Through singing songs, children learn about the structure and organisation of music. We teach them to listen and to appreciate different forms of music. Children develop descriptive language skills in music lessons when learning about how music can represent different feelings, emotions and narratives. We also teach technical vocabulary such as volume, pitch, pulse/beat and rhythm and encourage children to discuss music using these terms.

Implementation:

Our pupils will learn that music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. Music lessons will engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and develop their talent as musicians, and in turn increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, listen for longer periods and appraise the work of others. At St Michael’s we use Music Express from Year R – 6. This Topic based scheme of work is cross-curricular in its approach; it supports children's learning in music and across other subjects through music. A steady progression plan has been built into Music Express, both within each year group and from one year to the next, ensuring consistent musical development. Music Express includes many examples of music styles and genres from different times and places. These are explored through active listening, performing and composing activities, which enable understanding of the context and genre. Music Express builds experience and develops understanding of the dimensions of music throughout the scheme. Each unit has as its focus, one process such as performance or composition, or one dimension, such as pitch, but the learning progresses within the context of the all inter-related processes and dimensions of music. Notations are used progressively to p romote understanding and use of the representation of sound in symbols.

At St. Michael’s, other opportunities are taken to sing and perform, in class, in school, to parents or the wider community. Examples include; weekly singing assemblies, special assemblies, class or year group performances, after school clubs, services at St Michael’s Church, services at Helston Methodist Chapel, and visits to local care homes. There are termly school performances from the large number of children who also access weekly music lessons in school with different music specialists.


Impact:

The children will:

• Achieve age related expectations in music at the end of their cohort year.
• Retain knowledge that is pertinent to music.
• Participate in wider musical activities.
• Experience opportunities for improved well-being and appreciation of music.
• Gain wider audience performance experience.
• Have a heightened awareness of musical opportunities available in and outside of school in the hope that access will be increased.
• Experience cultural capital opportunities as part of this curriculum.