Musical Aspects
To follow progression of musical skills from EYFS to Year 6.
Follow the progression of one musical skill through the school. Listening and responding and how this filters into other skills such as performing and composing.
Sounds and Tempo - Nursery
In Nursery, the children have explored the different sounds that animals make through listening and sharing ideas through talking and role play. They have improvised sound effects of different animals through vocal sounds and body percussion. They also explored how different animals move which generated musical vocabulary around tempo such as ‘slow and fast’ as well as ‘slower and faster’. They then displayed their sense of tempo through performing an animal dance.
Feeling and Space - Year 1
Year 1 explored how music can convey a feeling or effect through their listening and responses. They listened to two contrasting pieces, one with a beat and the other with no obvious beat. They responded through paired talking and group movement. They experimented with emulating the musical effect of Space through the music of Brain Eno and improvised/composed their own sound effects which they appraised mixing these effects with the original music of Brian Eno’s ‘Ascent’.
Quaggy and Drumming Techniques - Year 4
As part of their preparations for the Quaggy Carnival, Year 4 had the opportunity to learn drumming techniques with a variety of different drums including homemade drums. Having listened to a variety of Carnival music, they explored the rhythms and beat of different carnival dances through movement. They then learnt some of the different steps of these dances which they performed with both classes in collaboration.
Music Aiding Storytelling - Year 6
Year 6 have been involved in a project to explore the use of music and musical sound effects in storytelling. They first listened to two different pieces that use this technique, ‘Carnival of the Animals’ and ‘Peter and the Wolf’. They explored tempo, dynamics and structure through movement and discussion promoting the use of musical vocabulary. They then improvised their own sound effects using a variety of percussion instruments. These pieces were shared as a class and groups were able to appraise their compositions.
