27.02.17
The class have hardly sat down and I am clapping the rhythm of ‘Lil’ Liza Jane’. By the end of the song the class is singing along. This particular class are very keen singers. I write a simple rhythm (ta ti-ti ti-ti ta) and ask the class to clap it. I am moving along very quickly at this point and many don’t do it. I ask them to do it again. Once they’ve done it I tell them we are going to clap it as an ostinato. Someone asks “What’s an ostinato?” I repeat the question in mock horror and ask another pupil to answer.
Month: February 2017
Yr6_Master of Puppets
This week all the music lessons are based on the ‘Philosophy for Children’ model (P4C). On the website www.philosophy4children.co.uk it is stated that “Philosophy for Children (enquiry based learning) offers a way to open up children’s learning through enquiry and the exploration of ideas. Children learn that their ideas have value, and that the ideas of other children have value too. Through Philosophy for Children they realise that they don’t always have to be right, but they gain the confidence to ask questions and learn through discussion.”
Steel Pans: Classorama!
For the last few years there has been a schools steel band competition held in London called Classorama. In the Summer of 2015 two small groups went to Classorama from my school. The Youtube footage here is from that competition. This group plays ‘Show You the Way to Go’ by The Jacksons. These players were in Year 4 and Year 5 at the time. They have learned with Kyron Akal (@KAPANMUSIC).
Community Song Project I
In 2014/15 I organised a project with parents and staff singing songs from their own national backgrounds. In three different studios over the course of the year we recorded 17 songs. The CD we produced includes songs from Somalia, Bangladesh, The Philippines, Poland, England, Lithuania, Hungary and Kenya. To listen to all these songs just continue reading. You will also find lyrics and translations.
Community Song Project 2
In 2015/16 we recorded children singing songs from their home backgrounds. We produced a CD with 14 songs reflecting the great diversity of families at the school including Somalian, Polish, Bengali, Scottish, Syrian, Kenyan and Kurdish. Continue reading to listen to these songs and read lyrics/translations.
Yr1_First The Experience Then The Concept
The Year 1 class enter the Music Room and sit down in front of me very quietly. I think about possibly talking to them about something or other just to break the ice. In the end I just hum a simple little two-note melody. They hum it back. I vary it a few times and it works as a little warm-up.
I tell them that I’m going to sing ‘Hello Everyone’ three times. I explain that it might be high pitched, low pitched or in the middle. As I say this I encourage them all to show these different pitches by holding a hand up high or in front of their chest or down near the ground for low pitch. Continue reading “Yr1_First The Experience Then The Concept”