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'Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity.’ National Curriculum “It is in learning music that many youthful hearts learn to love.’ Matthieu Ricard
Why is it important to teach music? Listening and producing music is something that brings people joy and that in itself is important. Music also plays a huge role in brain development. Studies have shown that music activities particularly in Early Years facilitate many different aspects of development and learning, providing one of the most effective influences on young people’s brain development at this key age. It has been shown to activate all three cortices (motor, visual and auditory) of children’s brains. It helps develop creativity and can also support children with their mental health and well-being. Our objective at Discovery MAT is to develop an understanding and acceptance of the validity and importance of all types of music, and an unbiased respect for the role that music may wish to be expressed in any person’s life.
Key Concepts:
Curriculum Design We currently use the National Curriculum to guide us to support our planning. Whenever possible and most appropriate we link Music learning to our topic work. The Trust Music Coordinator has worked to develop the Music Progression Map, which breaks down the National Curriculum objectives into the small steps needed to build towards the key end goals. Covid has been a significant factor in the recent teaching of Music lessons, and as a Trust we aim to develop the teaching of music further through more regular and consistent whole class music lessons, as we begin to head towards normality again. One way in which we have begun to successfully ensure this, is through securing an external whole class music teacher from Plymouth Youth Music Service, who has been teaching multiple year groups across our schools, how to play different instruments. We also provide a wide range of opportunity for our children to perform to an audience across all year groups; the Foundation Stage’s Nativity, Year 6 end of year production, each class assembly and the school choirs who have the opportunity to perform in the wider community. The elements of music are taught in the classroom lessons so that children are able to use some of the language of music to dissect it, and understand how it is made, played, appreciated and analysed. In the classroom students learn how to play an instrument, from all four main instrument groups of wind, strings, percussion and keyboards. In doing so understand the different principle of each method of creating notes, as well as how to read basic music notation. They also learn how to compose focussing on different dimensions of music, which in turn feeds their understanding when listening, playing, or analysing music. Composing or performing using body percussion and vocal sounds is also part of the curriculum, which develops the understanding of musical elements without the added complexity of an instrument. Our Music curriculum aims to give the children the opportunity to:
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