5 minute read
Get Creative with Classical Music
Jennifer Redmond reveals how the BBC Ten Pieces project continues to inspire children across the UK.
Since the launch of BBC Ten Pieces in 2014, the BBC Orchestras and Choirs have been making it easy for teachers to access inspiring, beautiful films and other resources that bring classical music to life for a young audience in the classroom. BBC Ten Pieces has a life beyond the classroom too. For 10 years, the BBC’s five orchestras and its choirs have been delivering a programme of live concerts and workshops around the UK.
The aim of BBC Ten Pieces is a simple one: to inspire children to get creative with classical music. At the age of 7, children rarely have the preconceptions that teenagers or adults often have about classical music being boring or not for them. It’s the perfect age to introduce them to the huge variety of sound worlds that exist in the classical music genre.
The breadth of music available across the 50 BBC Ten Pieces composers is astonishing; from a concerto for orchestra and turntables; to a piece that uses just the body to make the music; and a piece commissioned from one of the world’s leading film composers especially for BBC Ten Pieces. There is something for everyone.
The jewel in the crown of BBC Ten Pieces is the collection of films: beautifully shot performances of each piece of music, and an accompanying presenter-led film that explains the story behind the composer or the piece.
Many teachers tell us that they use only the films – and that’s okay – but there are so many other resources available too. Each piece of music has at least one lesson plan that guides teachers (including those with little or no musical training) step-by-step through creative activities. They can lead to a unique composition, or sometimes another artform such as poetry or art which can be performed or shared. The resources all link with the curricula of England, Scotland, Wales and Northen Ireland and are written by experts with hands-on experience of classroom musicmaking.
BBC Ten pieces also provides simplified arrangements of the pieces for school or youth orchestras. This will make accessible music that would normally be too difficult to tackle for beginner or intermediate instrumentalists. The pieces have been rearranged according to ability. So, if you have a complete beginner flute player in your ensemble, alongside a Grade 8 cellist, there are parts to suit everyone!
The most recent set of BBC Ten Pieces is particularly important in making under-represented composers accessible to young people. The music is written exclusively by women composers, and significantly, the performance films are conducted by a woman, Ellie Slorach.
BBC Ten Pieces Fast Facts:
Over 100 films music by 50 composers covering nearly 1,000 years of composition
more than 100 simplified arrangements for school orchestras and choirs
nearly 100 lesson plans.
I recently attended a music education conference and in a session on composing at Key Stage 2 (KS2), all the musical inspiration examples that the speaker used in their classes were exclusively by men. It reaffirmed the urgent need to provide teachers with good quality content. This means pupils can be exposed to music by a wide variety of composers. It will enable children to have the opportunity to see themselves and know that music is for everyone.
Also new in 2024 is an expanded offer for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The BBC Ten pieces team has worked hard to foster a series of fantastic partnerships. Two of the pieces – Judith Weir’s Magic and Laura Shigihara’s Grasswalk – have been arranged for open ensembles. Both have parts for a variety of adaptive and accessible musical instruments, including Clarion, Soundbeam, CMPSR and Thumbjam. They include accessible notation from Drake Music Scotland who have created Figurenotes parts, and Digit Music who have created Arrownotes parts. Sounds files are available on the BBC Ten Pieces website or within the instrument itself as in the case of the Clarion. It has recently become available to buy and is likely to be a big hit in SEND settings and inclusive classrooms. Pupils will be able to play the music on their own, or as part of a flexible ensemble, depending on the setting and the individual needs of the child.
The films are also a fantastic way to explore or expand on other parts of the curriculum as the music crosses over with so many topics that are covered at KS2: Rosa Parks and the American civil rights movement, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the seasons, geography and many more. The films can be used to inspire creative writing projects, dance, art, even making your own computer game and a soundtrack for it.
Many of the BBC Ten Pieces composers and pieces feature in the Model Music Curriculum. Teachers that find this model for teaching music helpful will find that there is plenty of content available.
If you are keen to find opportunities for performing or getting creative with BBC Ten Pieces, or even CPD, be sure to get in touch with your local Music Service or Music Education Hub, many of whom are registered as BBC Ten Pieces Champions. This means they work in schools and local communities to build on the children’s interest and excitement stimulated by the BBC Ten Pieces films. But most importantly, don’t miss the incredible films and resources on the BBC Teach website: bbc.co.uk/tenpieces
