Music

At Grazeley Primary School, we believe that music should provide pupils with opportunities to make music, think musically and become more musical. We use Charanga Music Scheme to support our teaching of music.  Lessons are taught through a complete suite of teaching resources catering for FS, KS1 and KS2 children based on the Model Music Curriculum, and supplemented by performance opportunities, whole school singing and wider music opportunities instrumental learning for all. 

Our music curriculum is built on the following golden threads:

1. Listening and Appraising – Children explore feelings and emotions in response to music, giving opinions, identifying instruments, structure & musical features. They are introduced to a wide variety of musical styles from around the world over their time at Grazeley.
2. Singing and Playing – Children learn to sing and perform a variety of songs and music, developing pitch, melody, rhythm and vocal control individually and as part of a group. These songs and musical pieces form the basis for them to develop their skills in playing a variety of tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments, are introduced to stave notation and develop their knowledge of the musical elements/interrelated dimensions of music. They develop their understanding of music: pulse/beat/metre, rhythm, pitch/melody, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure/form.
3. Improvisation – Through improvisation children are able to explore and develop what they have learned about music and musical structure.
4. Composition – Children go on to compose their own music, notating it by representing sounds through symbols, using both standard and non-standard notation
5. Performance – Children perorm to each other as part of their music lessons. They also have opportunities to sing and play instruments, both individually and in groups to a wider audience in whole school and local area events. They learn about practising, rehearsing and presenting. They record and evaluate their work.

We use glockenspiels, recorders, violin, percussion and pupils’ voices.  This allows the pupils to demonstrate progression in their knowledge and skills year on year.  Therefore, we aim for our children to become more proficient in music. We also work closely with The Berkshire Maestros and other local peripatetic teachers to provide pupils with high quality instrumental teaching in a range of instrument, for those wishing to extend their experiences further.

At Grazeley Primary School the music curriculum is mapped out using both The National Curriculum, alongside the non- statutory Model Music Curriculum. This is taught through the following key concepts of learning that repeat throughout the curriculum to enable children to become musicians.

The Key Concepts of learning glossary:

Children will develop an understanding of history and styles of music and will appraise, experiment, perform, improvise and compose for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music:  

Melody is formed from a succession of single pitches. Melody can be created using steps, leaps and repeated notes. The collection of notes from which a melody is formed is called a scale.

Harmony is the sound made by two or more notes simultaneously. These combinations are sometimes called chords. Harmony can sound pleasing to the ear or clashing, depending on the notes used. We use harmony when we play chords on the ukulele.

Pitch is the sound of a single note in relation to other notes. Words which can describe the pitch include: high, low, treble, bass, sharp or flat.

Tempo is the speed of a piece of music. The tempo can change during a piece. The tempo describes the pulse or beat of the music. Sometimes we use Italian words to describe the tempo such as lento, which means slow, or allegro, which means lively.

Dynamics are used to describe the volume of one or more notes in a piece of music. The dynamic can change gradually or suddenly. Symbols known as dynamic markings, based on Italian descriptions, are often used such as f for forte which means ‘strong’ or ‘loud’.

Structure is the overall framework of a piece of music. The structure of a song will usually have an introduction, some verses and a chorus.

Texture of a piece of music describes how the different sounds are being woven together to create a sense of depth. A thick texture uses several musical layers at once. The texture of a piece of music is influenced by factors such as the number of voices or parts, their relative strengths, and the relationships between them. A thinner texture will have fewer parts. A whole class singing “Frere Jacques” is a thin texture.  A few children singing the same song as a four-part round, starting at different times will create a thicker texture.

Timbre is the unique sound quality which helps us to distinguish between different instruments and voices. The different ways an instrument is played can change its timbre.

Rhythm is the organisation of long and short sounds around a pulse or beat. Rhythm within a song would be represented by the syllables in the words.  Some rhythms coincide with the beat; others use syncopation, in which most of the sounds fit between the main beats.

Notation is the method used to record, on paper or on screen, music that is heard or performed. A musician needs to read and write notation to share ideas. There are several different types of standard natation, such as staff notation, graphic notation and tablature.

Composing occurs when you select and organise sounds to make music. Good compositions have an intention which is successfully communicated to the audience.

Performing is the act of making music for an audience at a particular time and place. Most performances need to be practised. Performances can be solo, a duet or an ensemble of performers.

The following second order concepts are also explored:

• Chronology (history of music and changes over time)
• Similarity and difference (comparing pieces of music, identifying common/different styles and techniques)
• Significance (significant composers, pieces of music and musical movements)
• Written, oral and creative expression: (Using musical terminology, responding, refining, describing, experimenting, exploring

Within the Grazeley curriculum, a variety of knowledge bases are covered throughout the progression from KS1 to KS2 to ensure continuity of learning, thereby re-enforcing and committing knowledge to the longer term memory:

Early Year Foundation Setting

The music curriculum begins in the Early Years where pupils learn to sing and listen to a large repertoire of poems, rhymes and songs, and express themselves to the music through movement, dance and copying rhythms and beats. They have opportunities to explore a variety of percussion instruments through exploration and guided play as well as teacher led sessions. They are encourage to explore composition through sound stories and patterns with instruments. They start to learn about rehearsing to perform as they present their own Christmas concert.

Key Stage 1 children continue to build on using their voices expressively and creatively by singing songs, speaking chants and rhymes. They listen to a range of high-quality live and recorded music, whilst exploring and learning to play tuned and non-tuned instruments musically. They have the opportunity to perform each autumn term in their Christmas nativity production.

Key Stage 2 children, continue to develop their musicianship through playing a variety of instruments such as glockenspiels, the and violin alongside their voice and un-tuned percussion instrumetns. They will play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression. Children learn to use and understand staff and other musical notations, and are encouraged to improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music. Pupils develop their appreciation and understanding of a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians. Children develop an understanding of the history of music, listening with greater attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory.

Throughout their Primary years, pupils learn through:

• Procedural learning -explicit practical instrument skills- both external and internal opportunities.
• Tacit (experimental) informal learning- through cultural experiences and listening, throughout the whole school.
• Declarative (music facts & terms) long term knowledge to build theory & knowledge in different contexts and musical styles throughout years 1-6.