Music

Becoming a Musician at BFPA

Key skill: Pulse and rhythm

Visual support: Pictures of key musicians/genres on the timeline

Our aim is that children who leave our school in Year 6 will be able to:

•  Sing and/or play confidently on my own or in a group
•  Compose imaginatively using voices or instruments
•  Use different musical devices including melody, rhythms, chords and structures
•  Have a range of sound vocabulary and can use it to compare and describe a range of high quality live and recorded music
•  Understand the relationship between lyrics and melody
•  Listen carefully to, appreciate and appraise a range of live and recorded music
•  Have an understanding of the history of music
•  Use and understand staff and other musical notations

How our children learn to be a Musician

Every year, our children complete three music units. Each unit focuses on one particular song and musical genre and follows the format of listen and appraise, perform, compose. These units are rooted in the children’s ability to find the rhythm and pulse of pieces of music. Once this skill is embedded, they are able to improvise, compose and perform their own musical pieces, whether this be a one note improvisation during a piece or composing and notating complete sections. Children are introduced to key terms each year, such as melody, pitch and tempo. The children are able to root their learning in the real world by referring to key musical artists and genres on the timeline and maps in their classroom.

This means that as well as singing, performing on instruments and composing, children are able to make links between the genres studied and the lives that people led at the time that these genres were pioneered. For example, in Year 5 there will be opportunities to discuss the emergence of hip hop and the roots this genre has in low-income communities in America and how this music gave people at that time a political voice in their community.

Foundation Stage - Nursery rhymes, funk and classical

Year 1 - Blues, hip hop and classical

Year 2 - Rock, pop and classical

Year 3 - Reggae, disco and classical

Year 4 - Pop, soul and classical

Year 5 - Hip hop, rock and classical

Year 6 - Pop, jazz and classical

Our children are provided with good quality resources and experience as much as they can first hand from trips, clubs and visitors. This includes African drumming mornings in Year 3, after-school choir club and participation in the Young Voices concert and Braunstone Beats, a project which sees Year 5 children perform their own compositions at the Y Theatre.