Music in primary schools
Music in the curriculum can be an exciting and fun area of learning, of creativity and of exploration using a variety of styles. It can also be a unique form of communication, for example when used to set a mood or an atmosphere - imagine a film without a sound score to support the drama. Many children and young people are actively engaged in music in their lives as listeners and over the Key Stages they can develop into performers and composers and informed critics.
This is however not always the case and the aim of the following pages is to encourage good practice in the planning of music in the curriculum to ensure that practical engagement is the norm rather than a pointless focus on 'theory' out of context, which cannot be applied. Let the sounds and the experimentation come first, followed by the vital support in the form of theoretical knowledge which when combined with a sharp focus on skills development will result in greater understanding and independent learning.
Music is often part of an individual's identity and can provide a vehicle for personal expression and intellectual and emotional development. Music is a vital part of culture - by this we do not just mean the 'high' culture of the classical repertoire but the everyday culture of us all. We need to start with the music that is meaningful to our children as we seek to broaden and further enrich their musical lives.
Suscribers in Shropshire will find a wide range of support for music in the curriculum including suggestions for planning for music in the new National Curriculum 2014.
Remember - If there is no noise in a music clasroom then it probably is not a music lesson.