Primary Music Magazine Issue 7.1 Spring 2023

The magazine for primary music teachers, by primary music teachers

The Big 'O' & Music

One school's experience of an Ofsted Deep Dive

Benefits of Music

Your advocacy toolkit

Music in Wales

How Dalcroze & Orff could help

In the know

Ofsted and musical knowledge

No child left behind

What true musical inclusion looks like

Free Resources: Primary Songbook and Opera Scheme of Work

FROMTHEEDITOR

O4. A warm welcome to this issue from Dr Liz Stafford

20. INTHEKNOW

What Ofsted mean by musical knowledge

THEBIG'O'ANDMUSIC

05. One school's experience of an Ofsted Deep Dive

10. REVITALISING SINGINGINSCHOOLS

A free singing resource from The Music Partnership

14. MUSICINWALES

How Dalcroze & Orff pedagogies could support

19.

CREATIVITY&CONFIDENCE

The Royal Opera House brings opera to your classroom

24. WHOLECLASS INSTRUMENTAL

Making it work in your school

27 NOCHILDLEFT BEHIND

What true musical inclusion looks like

35.

BENEFITSOFMUSIC

Your advocacy toolkit

40. REVIEWS

Aurora and the Magical Toy Box

Where are all the instruments?

R O M T H E E D I T O R

Welcome to our Spring 2023 issue, which is jam-packed with features written by teachers from all across the UK, reviews of new teaching resources, and information about free projects to get involved with all around the world!

Whether you're wondering what Ofsted are looking for, wanting to revitalise singing in your school, considering starting a whole class instrumental programme, or even thinking of introducing your pupils to the wonderful world of opera, you will find something in these pages to inspire you

This issue, like every other, is funded solely through advertising revenue and reader donations, helping us to keep the magazine free to access all around the world. If you would like to make a small donation to our running costs you can do so by clicking on 'Buy us a coffee' at the end of each article

HELEN BYARD

THE BIG 'O' AND MUSIC

The Music Lead at Edenbridge Primary School shares her experience of a recent Ofsted 'Deep Dive'.

Last month, we got the call. Ofsted were coming in for a 2-day inspection and music was put being forward as a deep dive subject. As I am a music specialist teacher, this was to be expected really. It made perfect sense for a school who were employing a specialist subject teacher to present this advantage and to show how music was valued at our school.

Firstly, I must say I found this a positive experience. The three inspectors who visited our school were friendly, approachable, and happy to listen. In the morning, I was observed teaching a Year 1 class. It was week five of the first term and our focus was on pulse. I had the children sitting in a circle, in our dedicated music room, singing action songs concentrating on the element of pulse. The inspector took notes but generally watched and listened. Her eyes wandered around the music room, identifying what instruments we had available, children’s work on display, key vocabulary, posters and questions displayed.

Later that afternoon, the inspector came to observe a Year 6 music lesson. During this time, she saw our ukulele tutor teaching a whole class instrumental lesson This has been a successful collaboration with our local hub established for the past two years The class were fully engaged and able to demonstrate what they were learning as the inspector chatted to the pupils

I was then called for the subject interview. This lasted about 30 minutes. I took in with me; music planning and progression overview, subject leader folder and a power point summery I had prepared earlier in the year for our governors. As well as our class Music Memory books and a digital files of music clips. I was first asked ‘How does music work here?’ and ‘How do I plan music in each year group?’. The music overview was scrutinised, and I was asked to explain how I showed progression. The inspector understood my methodology as to why I had planned the musical elements into a termly focus and listened as I explained how these elements grew in ‘small incremental steps’ (something I had learnt from listening to many webinars and talks from Ofsted Music Leads) I explained that every class received an hour a week for music therefore I was able to be consistant in my approach to teaching the curriculum. I also added that I was fully supported my Head and leadership team. I told her I was allowed to sign up to music projects and collaborations with other schools and encouraged to take part in events such as ‘Young Voices’. I explained there were no barriers for children going out of class lessons to go to their piano or guitar lesson.

I explained that I was in contact with the Creative Lead governor and apparently, she had also said to the inspector that she was well informed about our music curriculum as I'd presented a power point to them previously about music provision

Next, the inspector asked, ‘How do you ensure that all children access music at your school?’ I explained how I had been awarded a large amount of Pupil Premium funding to enable disadvantaged pupils to receive 1:1 violin lessons and group rock band tuition for half price. I also talked about our local hub whole class instrument provision and bursaries available to parents I told her that I applied for grants, and had been successful, providing additional instruments for our school She asked how I met SEND needs in music. I explained how we had ear defenders, visual clues, variation, and other provisions on hand, but we had a good chat agreeing that SEND in music was different to in other subjects. She was knowledgeable about the music curriculum and we had a good conversation about the importance of music in schools Turned out she was a flautist.

The Music Memory books seemed to go down very well as they clearly showed that music was consistently taught and she liked that I put the books out for parents evening to connect music to the wider community Also, the children were allowed to flick through the books when they had their pupil voice interviews, which I expect helped jog their memory of everything they had been taught in previous years.

As we were looking through the books, I explained that even though it was a nice reminder of the pupils compositions and performances that I actually used digital music clips for assessment. I was able to show her several video clips of Year 1, 3 and 5 all doing a similar activity with a rhythm focus but that clearly showed how each year group progressed and added a slightly more complex element as they went through the school I am glad I had organised these clips into musical element folders (pitch / rhythm / voice etc ) as I could quickly pick out relevant clips to make my point

One question I found interesting was ‘Do children listen to classical music?’ I explained that I used the Model Music Curriculum repertoire as a reference for listening but the children were exposed to a wide range of music genres from different cultures and traditions. I was then asked if the children were exposed to live music and what opportunities they had to take part in musical events. The day before, the choir had taken part in the Sevenoaks Singing Festival We had also got ‘Bach to the Future’ booked in to visit the following week, through Kent Music and Year 4 had just had a fantastic ‘Kidenza’ workshop. In September, I had booked all the workshops, concerts and visits for the whole school year. I had a clear overview of what each year group was learning and how the workshops would co-ordinate into their music timetable

Overall, I felt confident talking about our music provision and as a music specialist I could easily relay my passion for the subject. And as this is currently my only subject, I am lucky that I can dedicate all my time to music I think this was a huge benefit to a subject deep dive

@HelenByard

Ofsted's conclusion? We are a ‘Good’ school.

“Subject leaders have strong subject expertise. They are passionate about the subjects they lead. School and trust leaders have supported them to plan the curriculum. The content in each subject is logically sequenced, starting in the early years. In most subjects, the changes they have made are now embedded. In these subjects, children and pupils learn well. Teachers explain important concepts clearly. They question pupils well to deepen their understanding. Teachers plan activities for pupils to practise what they have learned and to revisit content in different ways. Pupils build on their prior learning well. They remember the most important knowledge.”

REVITALISING SINGING IN SCHOOLS

CATHY LAMB

The Director of Music Outreach at Lichfield Cathedral School shares their approach to bringing back singing to schools post-Covid

Over the many years of leading Continuing Professional Development for teachers (both specialist and non-specialist) I am constantly asked for repertoire ideas. Having now worked with 1000s of children, it is also clear that repertoire choice is half the battle with getting children singing – and the headache is that it is never ‘one-size fits all’. Lockdown came as a real shock to everyone and suddenly all the work that so many of us were doing either had to stop completely or had to shift online What I had not expected, was that lockdown was going to enable time to create some resources for MusicShare, a funded partner of The Music Partnership, coordinated between Lichfield Cathedral School and Lichfield Cathedral

Really it began as a bit of fun, writing a tune called The New Normal, which we sent out to schools to use. Feedback was really pleasing and so when we started to work online with schools we offered them a chance to have songs tailored to themes they might be working on and therein began the creation of the resource.Very quickly it became clear that as part of the Cultural Recovery Fund it would be really exciting to have a specific MusicShare website where these new resources could be showcased. Teaching videos accompanied by professional band, backing tracks, performance tracks, sheet music and lyric sheets alongside professional development guidance and links to the many brilliant resources that were created by many organisations during the pandemic

Once things began to open back up again, it became very clear that there was still a huge nervousness around singing and the safety of it, given it had been considered so dangerous for the spread of Covid-19. We, and all the hub organisations, have had to work really hard to gently encourage schools to return to singing, because we all know how vitally important it is for our children. Both to celebrate, and to continue to encourage schools, particularly those for whom online may still not be the most ideal way to work, The Music Partnership commissioned The Primary Songbook to go free to every school in the area

The Primary Songbook is mainly aimed at primary schools and yet all of the songs are very user-friendly, particularly for primary/secondary transition The book is divided into 3 sections – Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and for each stage it has an introduction on how to work with the voices, then the songs, then a set of lesson plans with a suggested way of introducing the songs into weekly school life, followed by an inventory of recommended resources None of the songs will be found published anywhere else and so are completely unique to our resource We hope that the songs are attractive both in terms of their topics and content but also because they are age-appropriate in terms of range, rhythm and style.

We are particularly delighted with the design of the book, which is colourful and extremely user-friendly and we are grateful to Lee Armstrong for his tireless work on this. The Music Partnership are already talking about the creation of Volume 2 and we are delighted already with the excellent feedback we have received

The book continually refers back to the website resource, which extends the ability to use the songs with the backing tracks etc. We are also particularly pleased that we have created a series of videos about vocal health and what to expect of voices in the different age ranges, hopefully to aid the choice of repertoire.

We also created a set of videos using key words from the music curriculum, creating a series of hashtag videos that emerge from the key stage document to help nonspecialists with some of the complex musical jargon with practical steps on how to address these while singing in the classroom

MusicShare is now delivering two-termly online professional development sessions in conjunction with The Music Partnership, known as ‘Singing Basics’, which have proved incredibly popular, and are also available within the password protected area of the website

Here’s to a continuation of the rejuvenation of singing in all our regions and to continuing partnerships that enable music education to thrive!

Download

DALCROZEEURYTHMICS,

& ORFF-SCHULWERK

MUSIC EDUCATION IN WALES

How two pedagogies commonly used for primary music teaching could support the new curriculum and national plan in Wales

DARREN FELLOWS

Jeremy Miles MS, (Minister for Education and the Welsh Language), in his foreword to the National Plan for Music Education Wales 2022 states: “Nerth gwlad, ei gwybodaeth”, the strength of a nation is its knowledge.” The aim of attaining the knowledge he speaks of, comes from a more rounded and holistic approach to music education in Wales which comes in the form of the new 2022 National Curriculum and National Plan for Music Education.

With every new initiative comes an opportunity to consider what has been done before, and what we might choose to keep doing or discard in our new approach. So how might two of the most widely used pedagogies for music teaching fit with Wales' new approach?

A brief overview

The Orff-Schulwerk Method:

The composer Carl Orff and movement instructor Gunild Keetman developed an approach to build full musicianship of learners by combining music, movement, speech and drama Teachers of this particular pedagogy want to provide a positive experience of music and means for personal expression and place more emphasis on improvisation and creativity This is achieved through the use of playing, imitating and creating; the use of instruments to create deeper sounds; project based learning; language- rhythm connections, lots of movement and folk dancing. The Orff process of learning is best known for its use of classroom xylophones and non-pitched percussion instruments making it ideal for use in the classroom setting. There is a natural progression to this method – the voice comes first through singing songs, then body percussion (such as clapping, stomping and finger snaps) Finally instruments are introduced, which are viewed as an activity that is an extension of the body and what has been learnt before.

The Dalcroze Eurythmics Method:

In the late 19th century, Swiss composer and music teacher Emile Jaques-Dalcroze noticed a lack of expression in the performance of his students. He believed that to create a better musician his teaching method should focus on rhythmic movement (eurythmics), ear training and aural skills (to develop the inner musical ear) and improvisation – which helps learners sharpen spontaneous reactions and physical responses to the music Teachers of the Dalcroze Eurythmics method focus on space and movement to physically show and practice expression This can include: improvised movements; spatial awareness, rhythm syllables and live performances by the teacher The philosophy of the Dalcroze method is that children learn best when learning through multiple senses and Dalcroze believed that music should be taught through the tactile, kinaesthetic, aural and visual senses.

Comparison

These pedagogical methods share many common themes, are both systematic in design, use music authentically (inclusion of folk music), are based on incorporating a ‘mother-tongue’ approach (to rhythm, pitch and timbre) and encourage active engagement with the young learner

The Dacroze & Orff-Schulwerk methods are both similar classroom based approaches that share a focus on movement, expression, improvisation & aural skills They focus on methods of learning music which place less of an emphasis on formally reading music and place an emphasis on songs and learning music through engaging activities

As well as the similarities these learning methods share, there are also a number of differences in approach. The Orff-Schulwerk method combines all elements (music, movement, speech, drama) whilst the different approach of the Dalcroze Eurythmics method focuses mainly on expression through space and movement. In terms of exploring creativity, Orff-Schulwerk method concentrates on improvisation and creativity through music, dance and speech, whilst the Dalcroze Eurythmics approach focuses on training aural skills & musical literacy through music and movement.

Common Pedagogical Features

Use of both voices and instruments

Music-making and musical communication at the heart of the learning experience

Sound before symbol Integration of performing, listening, composing and improvising.

Inclusion of music from a wide range of genres

The Dalcroze and Orff-Schulwerk methods of teaching music all place music making and musical communication at the heart of the learning experience In the OrffSchulwerk method this is achieved through the use of playing, imitating and creating and the use of instruments The Dalcroze-Eurythmics method uses a combination of music and movement for the young person to develop expression, listening skills and reactions to the music.

Both the Dalcroze and Orff methods also concentrate on sound before notation and offer a natural and holistic progression. Through singing, clapping, creating sounds on instruments and, speech and movement, these two methods introduce concepts aurally before notation is shown

The methods both offer an holistic approach to learning music Both methods integrate performing, listening, composing and improvising activities. Listening, improvising and composing music are at the heart of the OrffSchulwerk philosophy whist the Dalcroze Eurythmics method centres around combining movement and music to develop listening, improvising and selfexpression These methods both lend themselves to performance opportunities and create a well- rounded musician through an holistic approach

Both pedagogical approaches to teaching music aim to broaden the pupils’ musical and personal horizons through the inclusion of music of a wide range of genres, though folk music predominates

One area where there is a clear difference in pedagogical approach is that of the use of the voice combined with instruments This approach is best reflected in the Orff pedagogy which uses singing as a key method of internalisation, whereas the Dalcroze Method favours movement instead.

The Curriculum for Wales

The Curriculum for Wales centres around the ‘purposes’ of education and recognises that skills taught are transferable across the other subjects and gives the learner an opportunity to develop and grow. Here, music is grouped into the heading ‘expressive arts’ which encompasses music, dance, art and drama. This new curriculum is a perfect vehicle for both the Orff and Dalcroze methods to be adopted as they focus on music, movement, speech and drama

Musical listening is particularly wellserved by Dalcroze Eurythmics as this method involves live performance by the teacher, and to really think about, internalise, and respond to the music

Improvisation is a big part of both the Dalcroze Eurythmics and Orff-Schulwerk pedagogies. The Orff method places great emphasis on improvisation and creativity which is achieved through the use of playing, imitating and creating music and sounds Dalcroze also saw the importance of improvisation and believed it helped learners sharpen spontaneous reactions and physical responses to the music This was achieved through music and improvised physical movements. This fits particularly well with the crosscurricular approach of the new Expressive Arts Curriculum, as it gives the opportunity to combine music and dance.

The use of rhythm is an element of both the Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy which uses language- rhythm connections, and the Dalcroze method which also uses rhythm syllables. Using language to connect and learn rhythms fits in with the cross-curricular themes of the new music curriculum as it can develop both music and language (whether English or Welsh) skills.

The Orff method teaches music in four stages: imitation, exploration, improvisation and finally composition. This is a good sequential method that introduces the art of composition very gradually and this step-by-step approach fits well with the new music curriculum where composing is an element.

National Plan for Music Education

The NPME contains different programmes of work some of which could be delivered through or supported by these pedagogies.

First Experiences (Primary & Special Schools) ensures “ every child and young person has an equal opportunity to play, sing, take part in and create music....providing an inspirational starting point for the enjoyment of music ” The First Experiences programme will provide opportunities to experience music-making and develop creative, transferable skills. Both the Dalcroze and Orff pedagogies fit well here as they involve playing instruments and singing as a starting point for the enjoyment of music The methods also promote creativity and music making to develop transferable skills.

Music Pathways (Secondary & Special Schools) “will provide children and young people with music-making activities to support their health and well-being.”

Although the pedagogies do not explicitly set out to support health and well-being, they do in fact achieve this through their use of movement, dance and creative freedom allowing the learner opportunity for self-expression. They also support musical understanding and compositional skills so fit in with the ‘Music Pathways’ programme of work.

@DFellowsMusic

In conclusion, both of these pedagogies could have a valuable part to play in both the new Curriculum for Wales and the wider National Plan for Music Education Enjoyedreading?Buyusacoffee!

Creativity and Confidence in every classroom

The Magic Flute is part of the Royal Opera House's flagship learning programme, Create & Sing, which has been developed for KS1 & 2 pupils and teachers The teaching resources combine singing and drama, and have been designed to improve students’ wellbeing, self-expression, creative confidence, voice, movement skills, and memory.

The Magic Flute programme offers separate courses for KS1, and Lower and Upper KS2 Each of these contains five x 60-minute lessons,

which can be adapted to suit different curriculums and contexts Students can showcase work based on arrangements from Mozart’s opera, recorded by The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Youth Opera Company.

No prior experience in the arts is required for teachers or pupils, but for teachers who would like extra support there are CPD workshops taking place online and in person across the UK during the spring and summer terms.

Join the hundreds of teachers already using the Royal Opera House’s learning programmes and resources, and find out how you can apply the Create & Sing approach to dramatic singing:

‘ prepare – explore – learn – create – share’

https://www.roh.org.uk/schools/resource/create-and-sing

Introducing The Magic Flute - a new project by the Royal Opera House

In the know

Dr Liz Stafford investigates what Ofsted are looking for in terms of musical knowledge

On 12th July 2021, Ofsted published a Music Research Review, designed to help subject leaders with their curriculum planning. Ofsted published this review in the context of an education sector that has been pushed in recent years towards acceptance of a ‘knowledge rich’ approach to learning, based on cognitive science principles (many of which are actually untested on children) This has resulted in schools scrambling to create knowledge organisers, ‘progressive’ vocabulary lists, and evidence of the ‘facts’ that children are being taught. This approach might not do too much damage in knowledge-based subjects, but music is skills-based, and does not fit neatly into a knowledge-rich box. Yes, there are facts to learn in music, but these tend to be extremely peripheral to the main job of learning to perform and create music

It is great to see Ofsted acknowledging in this review that in fact a ‘knowledge rich’ approach to music shouldn’t mean just the learning and recalling of facts Instead, they identify three different types of knowledge which should be covered in a successful music curriculum: tacit (experiential), procedural (skills) and declarative (facts).

These map really well onto existing theories of musical knowledge, where we often talk about knowledge how (procedural), about (declarative), and of (experiential) Having the inspectorate lay this out for schools in their research review will be a welcome relief to the music teachers who have been fighting their corner against the homogenisation of the curriculum into a one-size-fits-all approach.

This research review also places considerable emphasis on cognitive load theory, and argues that musical skills should be developed incrementally over a sustained period of time in order that ‘low level’ processes become automatic to ‘free the mind from mundane considerations.’ The review suggests that humans can only process 4-7 pieces of new information at any one time, and that the process of playing an instrument using notation requires many more pieces of information than it is possible to successfully process They go on to say that ‘this cognitive liberty allows a focus on the musical quality in performing and composing.’ Whether or not you believe in cognitive load theory, the process of learning an instrument, and to read musical notations, has always followed this structure of aiming to become more fluent so that some tasks can be completed ‘automatically’ In the past, teachers have referred to this as ‘muscle memory ’ and it is an important part of becoming a more competent musician

The review also defines learning as ‘a change to long term memory ’ and states that ‘ we consider long-term memory to be the chief enabler of development ’ Many commentators disagree with this view, pointing out that it is quite possible to have learnt something but then forgotten it, which is not the same as not learning it in the first place! For example, think of all the pieces of music you ’ ve ever learnt to play over the course of your entire life, most of which you would probably now have to get the sheet music out for if you were to play them again correctly!

If we take this statement about long term memory in the context of the whole research review, it appears that what Ofsted are really trying to encourage as ‘learning’ is fluency in playing an instrument and reading notation. Again, fluency is not something that many music teachers would argue against as a principle, even if we might not agree that this is the only true definition of learning.

On the whole, Ofsted’s position on knowledge and learning in this research review should be broadly helpful to music teachers, particularly those working in schools adopting a solely declarative approach to a knowledge rich curriculum. It certainly seems to be the case that anyone selected for a deep dive in music is not just going to be asked to present knowledge organisers and vocabulary lists, a fact for which all the music teachers in England must heave a collective sigh of relief!

Dr Liz Stafford

Whole-Class Instrumental: Making it work

Since the publication of the Model Music Curriculum in March 2021, there has been a renewed interest in Whole Class Instrumental Lessons This type of teaching has been around since 2003, and has changed and developed over time to suit the needs of primary schools across England. So what exactly is Whole Class Instrumental Teaching and how does it work?

Whole Class Instrumental Teaching is, perhaps unsurprisingly, instrumental teaching that takes place in whole classes! So instead of certain children going off into a room for 1-2-1 or small group tuition, the entire class has an instrumental lesson altogether This can be all on the same instrument, or on different instruments to make a class ensemble. It was originally targeted at KS2, but many schools have these programmes in KS1, and even sometimes in KS3

The great thing about these programmes is that they give children the opportunity to learn a musical instrument when they might not have been able to if their parents had to pay for tuition. But it’s not just all about learning the instrument, in whole class instrumental programmes general musicianship and the music National Curriculum are covered too This is in response to the Open University’s findings in 2007 that ‘the richest musical and learning experiences are those where performing, composing, listening and appraising are brought together ’

In whole class instrumental lessons children learn basic instrumental technique, play musical games, sing songs, move to music, and create music of their own. The emphasis is on developing creativity, having fun, and dispelling any perception of music as elitist These programmes can contribute to your school’s inclusive approach, and aid pupils’ musical and general development.

The process of learning an instrument is an ideal companion to developing the skill of notation reading, which is something that many primary teachers do not feel confident delivering themselves This means that whole class instrumental programmes can be great for schools where the teachers are less confident with music, or not music readers, as they provide the specialist input to fill in any gaps in pupils’ musical learning. This will be particularly important for schools who are intending to follow the new Model Music Curriculum, where the Performing strand includes a large amount of integrated notation work beyond what is expected in the National Curriculum

If you are considering your extracurricular strategy for music, it can be a fantastic idea to start with a whole class instrumental programme to get children excited about playing an instrument, and then offer small group, 1-2-1 or ensemble provision that follows on from that experience This will give a really structured progression route for pupils who wish to develop their musical skills further, and will get the most benefit out of the provision long term.

In short, whole class instrumental is not just 'the trumpet lesson' but rather a wide-ranging and powerful vehicle for musical development. Done right, it can be the glue that sticks your whole school music plan together!

No child left behind Sarah Share

The Assistant Head at Leicestershire Music discusses what true musical inclusion looks like

I frequently visit schools and ask the question “Do all children have access to a quality music education and the instruments needed to support their musical learning?” Far too often the answer is ‘the children are fine and manage with what we have’ Is it right that children should have a ‘make do’ music education? It makes me wonder whether educational settings know the musical possibilities that are available for our children?

The Power of Music to change lives; The National Plan for Music Education (England), launched in June 2022 sets out a vision that a high-quality music education is for all It highlights a clear ambition to level up music making opportunities for all children, regardless of their circumstance or need and hold the same high ambitions for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as for every child. It stresses the expectation for a much clearer focus on inclusion and access in music making for all.

“A high-quality music education is the right of every pupil. It should be inclusive of all, regardless of additional needs, in both mainstream and specialist education settings. Schools should aim high with music – an individual child’s needs may make some aspects of teaching, learning and performance different, but there should be no compromise on quality provision.”

NPME (England) 2022

In fact, the NPME goes on to say that not providing musical opportunities for young people with SEND actually denies them a chance to experience the joys of music and to progress in their musical learning

“Our desire for music is profound. Wherever there is human life there is music; it is the expressive supportive soundtrack to our lives, integral to everything we do. And in its performance, it carries the rewards of individual achievement in shared experience, uniting each player with others and all with their audiences, in bonds of aesthetic union. To deny participation to anyone is to deny them a human need and right.”

Stephan Hetherington, OHMI Trust

With this in mind, the NPME 2022 shares three clear goals for all music educators in order to attain the vision:

All children and young people receive a high-quality music education in the early years and in schools

All music educators work in partnership, with children and young people’s needs and interests at their heart

All children and young people with musical interests and talents have the opportunity to progress, including professionally

“

All children and young people’ means not just those who are ‘extremely vulnerable’ or ‘gifted and talented’, but the full diversity of all young people.”

Sound Sense

For all children to access the vision and goals, and ultimately meet their musical potential, we as music educators, need to think creatively and ensure inclusive practice to support all groups of children. Musically Inclusive practice is about identifying the barriers in music making for the young people we are working with, and breaking down these barriers and finding solutions It ensures that all children and young people who want to make music are able to, which can only happen by embracing the opportunities and resources available.

Last academic year there was a total of 35,627 children with a physical disability attending school (Department for Education, 2021/22) In 2018 research was published by the Take it Away Consortium – a partnership led by Creative United – which looked into the music making experiences and participation levels of disabled children and adults The research showed:

52% of parents of disabled children said that their children experienced moderate or severe limitations to accessing a music lesson of any kind

Less than 20% of music educators believe that high street music shops generally meet the needs of their students in purchasing what they need for their music making. Over 50% of music educators tell us that “difficulty accessing a suitable instrument” is a barrier to their students’ music making

This research also identified that a significant barrier for disabled children to participate in music was a lack of access to, and knowledge about the existence of adaptive musical instruments and assistive equipment. Adapted instruments are specifically designed to accommodate the needs of disabled musicians, and make both learning and playing a musical instrument accessible to all Offering a way of breaking down the barriers of music making to disabled young people, it helps them to fulfil their potential in their musical making.

The National Plan for Music Education 2022 acknowledges the positives that adaptive musical instruments bring to our young people stating, “Adaptive instruments should be celebrated as much as other types of instrument, and teachers should be supportive of musicmaking, using these instruments, which may be less familiar to them ”

In response to their research the Take it away Consortium created and published the first guide to buying adaptive musical instruments. It can be found here. The guide is a great reference of what is available and details many of the extraordinary range of adaptive instruments that are currently available that have been specifically designed to make playing musical instruments as accessible as possible to disabled young people.

School educators must remember they are not alone when it comes to sourcing adaptive musical instruments. One of the three goals in the NPME 2022 is partnership working, signposting music educators and the local Music Education Hub to work in partnership Each Music Hub will be expected to publish an inclusion strategy and have a named Inclusion Lead who will be responsible for this It also sets out that Hubs are expected to understand and seek to remove barriers which young people face to level up musical opportunities. Alongside this there has been £25m assigned to the investment of musical instruments and equipment, including access to instruments or equipment such as assistive technology.

.

“For some, music will be the foundation of a career in one of the country’s most important and globally-recognised industries. For others, it will provide experiences and skills which develop their creativity. For many, music will simply be a source of joy, comfort and companionship throughout their lives.” NPME (England) 2022

By giving our young people all the opportunities we can, let it be their choice where they take their musical journey, not limited by the resources that we give them.

There are a variety of organisations that focus on research and support for young people with a disability to access adaptive musical instruments Below are the organisations that make up the Take it Away Consortium to give suggestions of a place to begin your research on adaptive musical instruments:

Creative United

Youth Music

OHMI Trust

Drake Music

Open Up Music

Music for Youth

Technology in Music Education (TiME)

@SarahShareMusic

The Benefits of Music Darren Fellows

The benefits of taking part in musical activities have long been recognised. Studies have shown that engaging in music can influence different areas of childhood development These can be categorised as aesthetic, spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, creative and academic

Aesthetic

Music can provide the opportunity for aesthetic experiences. Through learning, creating and listening to music, a young person can combine senses and emotions to develop important critical evaluation skills and an appreciation of aesthetic forms such as music, art or drama Engagement in music can develop a child’ self-awareness and exploration of individual tastes, likes and dislikes From a young age a child can learn what is pleasing to the ear and what isn’t aesthetically pleasant and can form opinions and tastes which extend beyond music into different art forms

Spiritual

Children who engage in musical activities develop a heightened sense of spirituality and understanding of the world. Exploring a range of music from across the globe provides a glimpse of other cultures and teaches the young person to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures This development of compassion, empathy and making music with others leads to respect of other races, religions and backgrounds and a greater understanding of the world

Engaging in musical activities can develop a young person’s morals and philosophy. Playing music in an ensemble can develop personal morals such as: cooperation; responsibility; commitment and mutual support These require the development of trust and respect, learning the skills of compromising and negotiation. These skills form the basis of a young person’s self-identity and personal development of morals and philosophy

Emotional

Music has been linked to the capacity to increase emotional sensitivity. The recognition of emotions in music is directly related to what we know as emotional intelligence. This allows the child to control, recognise and regulate their emotionssomething that young children find difficult Young people with undeveloped emotional intelligence do not often realise that they are sad because they are tired, or angry because they are feeling hungry and are unable to connect these feelings and emotions in their brain Recognising emotions in music can develop the emotional part of the child’s brain and helps them to recognise their own emotions and that of those around them. Identifying the different emotions in music actually draws on many of the same skills that form emotional intelligence in everyday life Once the young person is aware of their own emotions, they can then develop the ability to recognise those of other people and develop empathy.

Creative

Music has a huge impact on the development of creativity within children and young people. Taking part in musical activities gives a child opportunity to use their imagination, express themselves, explore new sounds and instruments and make choices and decisions The development of creativity is an important aspect of a child’s intellectual growth and it is no surprise that some of the most successful people have at one time or another, studied music

Social

Music has a huge impact on personal and social development Through engaging in musical activities a child can develop leadership qualities as well as collaboration, understanding and communication skills Music connects people through sound, so that there is a sense of physical and emotional bonding over a shared experience This leads to a greater sense of understanding and communication with others, team cooperation and enhances social confidence Learning an instrument involves activities that encourage social interaction such as: going to lessons, practicing the instrument, and talking about music with others. These activities allow children to communicate effectively, socialise and build relationships with friends with similar interests.

The development of social skills through music is further enhanced by participating in musical groups. This collaborative activity promotes friendships with like- minded people and the development of social skills; social networking; team work; cooperation; mutual support and bonding to meet common goals Respect of others’ skills and learning where one fits in to the group is important and teaches the child understanding, adaptability and compromise Through playing music with others, a young person can develop their collaborative skills - an important attribute utilised throughout a lifetime.

Intellectual

Numerous studies have identified a link between music nad intellectual and cognitive development, spatial awareness, problem solving, thinking and reasoning skills. Exploring music at a young age allows children to strengthen intellectual functions, such as observing, exploring, listening, producing, comparing, and hypothesising. This enables the construction of thought and its different types of knowledge

Playing music uses and develops cognitive functions, exercising and stimulating different parts of the brain. Creating music involves an array of skills and functions to be carried out simultaneously The beating of a drum for example, requires aural, fine motor skills, spatial awareness, concentration and thinking skills Problem solving, thinking and reasoning skills are developed during this process as children have the opportunity to explore how instruments make sound and the best way to produce this Observation and listening skills are developed through watching and listening to others and visual and instructional cues from a teacher. The cumulative brain functions and thought processes all come in to play when making music and this has an impact on a child’s brain development.

Research shows that one of the most notable benefits of music for children is the strengthening of the learning process and improved academic development This can impact on a range of subjects, particularly English, Literacy and Maths Children who learn music benefit from heightened brain activity and development of the auditory cortex (the part of the brain that interprets sound) This part of the brain is vital in the action of reading and learning languages

Playing a musical instrument can offer other academic benefits It can make children more organised, develop the ability to plan tasks and improve their attention span Through playing an instrument, progress in learning ability is reflected in areas such as long-term memory, hand/eye coordination, and overall academic performance Learning an instrument improves a young person’s ability to learn and remember words associated with the instrument, notation or musical terminology thus promoting a wider vocabulary

It has long been realised that there is a strong correlation between music and maths due to the increased stimulation of the related brain areas Music can impact a child’s academic development in relation to maths through simple counting songs, copying and counting numbers and clapping rhythms Young people who play music are required to count the beats of a bar and sub-divide these beats to turn rhythmic notation into music. Most musical notation is based on mathematical processes, therefore young musicians can improve their ability to deal with numbers, algebraic functions, and geometry

Having read this article, the next time you need to explain to someone why music lessons are important, you'll have a whole host of reasons to share with them! But remember, music is also important in its own right, no matter how many extra benefits it provides. @DFellowsMusic

Aurora and the Magical Toy Box

There are two things that I look for when exploring new teaching resourcespracticality and pedagogy. Aurora Orchestra's new classroom music programme has the former in spades! I was astonished at how well-thought out the user-experience is, with the platform constructed to make a time-poor teacher's life easier It is incredibly easy to navigate, and allows you the opportunity to build and save your own programmes and playlists, or switch from planning into 'lesson mode' where all the resources you need are displayed in an uncluttered format, in order No need to search around for things, no frustration looking for resources that you can't find, just everything at your fingertips exactly where you need it For this alone they deserve hearty congratulations!

The resource provides separate 10 week programmes of learning for Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, based around a performance of 'The Magical Toy Box' with music from Tchaikovsy's The Nutcracker and an original story by Kate Wakeling. These are mapped to the National and Model Music Curriculums (England) These schemes include high quality, engaging resources, and demonstrate clear progression of skills throughout There is also a scheme of work for SEND, which is presented in a flexible format that allows the teacher to select the different strands of learning most suitable for their learners' particular needs. I really like this approach, which in my view shows full understanding of the real meaning of inclusion

The one aspect I was a little wary of was the decision not to include composition as part of the main lesson, but as an additional extension activity Composing is a statutory requirement, and relegating it to an add-on activity, particularly when presented as an either/or against notation, which is not a statutory requirement in KS1 could encourage teachers to miss this out altogether This would be a shame as composing is an important part of an holistic music education, so I hope that the teachers who use this resource do make the time for the extension activities as well.

What makes this resource particularly interesting is that teachers can either use the provided videos to teach the lesson for them, or can toggle to the 'I'll lead this' option where they can teach the lesson live themselves Not only that, but this is an option for each individual section of the lesson, so the teacher can choose to lead some activities but not others The flexibility that this brings, and therefore the multiple different types of teachers it caters for, is a real selling point

Overall this is a great new resource that could be used by schools to supplement their music curriculum You can find out more at https://learning auroraorchestra com/

Where are all the instruments? West Africa

Written by Nathan Holder and illustrated by Charity Russell, the Why books series introduces children to a range of different musical styles through stories populated with diverse characters. This latest volume explores the music of the various different countries of West Africa via a group of plucky schoolchildren who adventure from country to country collecting instruments as they go The concept draws on a long tradition of children's adventure writing - who doesn't like a story about kids who wander round the world totally unsupervised - and there are pleasing parallels with other books that children will be familiar with such as the Oxford Reading Tree series

The real value of this book is in the way it both gently encourages the reader to educate themselves about bigger issues - "But Africa's a continent" - and provides a detailed and authentic guide to instruments, including their specific country of origin and, crucially for music teachers, how to pronounce them! Easy to miss on the back cover is a QR code which takes you to examples of these instruments so that you can hear and see them being played, which really elevates this from an interesting children's book into a full package of support for exploring the music of West Africa in the classroom.

Of course, this book is aimed at children, and therefore this review would not be complete without a child's perspective, so I handed it over to my 9 year-old nephew for the final word:

Children and teachers alike will get a lot out of this book, and the other volumes in the series, which you can purchase from https://www thewhybooks co uk/

"I enjoyed it because I learned about lots of different instruments. I liked the start because it was set in a music lesson"

Are there any other instruments that come from West Africa?

‘Where Are All The Instruments? West Africa’ is the first children’s book to focus on musical instruments from West Africa The book takes primary children on a journey with a group of friends (The Why Squad) who travel to sixteen different countries to learn about sixteen different instruments around West Africa

Discovery is at the heart of education, and music is one of the most powerful ways to help children to learn about cultures and places around the world. One of the simplest things we can do, is to have books and other resources available for children to discover on their own, even as we continue to think about what diversity might mean (ask yourself, how many music books written by a person of colour do you have in your school library?)

This book comes with an interactive map, accessed by a QR code which, allows you to watch videos of musicians playing those instruments, and further information will help to give more context to the region and people who make music using the instruments.

If we discover and learn together, we can give children a glimpse into a range of music, peoples, cultures and countries from the comfort of their own classrooms