Music
Here at St Joseph’s, we love to sing and play instruments!
Our School Vision for Music – At St Joseph’s, we create and engage with music to enrich our lives and to connect with the people around us. Our music teacher is called Mrs Brook.
We are therefore delighted to read about the new National Plan for Music Education which was published in June 2022.
The vision of this document is to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally. This change to the curriculum, places more emphasis on specialist music provision, learning to play a musical instrument and music literacy. We as a school have a long-term vision that all children will be able to sing, read, write and play music in at least the key of C major by the time they leave Key Stage 2. We aim to provide this through our singing assemblies, class music lessons, instrumental and vocal lessons and school performances.
To read about the National Plan for Music Education, please click here:
The power of music to change lives - A National Plan for Music Education (publishing.service.gov.uk)
LEARNING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AT ST JOSEPH’S
A number of children have expressed an interest in learning a musical instrument at St Joseph’s. Instruments that children have said they would like to learn include the piano, keyboard, viola/violin, trombone and guitar.
In response to this, Mike Johnson, the Strategic Lead for Create Music, will be talking to children in Year 2 to Year 6 during assembly on Thursday 3rd November 2022. Later that day, there will be an opportunity for parents to meet with Mr Johnson and to ask further questions at 3 pm. Children can either choose one to one or small group lessons.
To find out more and to register your interest, please view the website:
https://createmusic.org.uk/for-children-and-young-people/lessons-at-school/
MUSIC PERFORMANCES
The children have been preparing for our school Welcome Mass in October 2022. This is our opportunity to welcome back our pupils and staff and to give an extra special welcome to our children who have started in Reception as well as to new pupils and staff across the school this year. The children have had to learn lots of new hymns with Year 3s learning to accompany with percussion, Years 4s and 5s leading some of the more difficult pieces including some solo and a descant part while Year 6s provided the readings. There will also be a Harvest Assembly in the last week of half-term.
After half term, our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be preparing for their Christmas Nativity: Magical Christmas Journey (we can’t wait to teach children the new songs and scripts for this!). Meanwhile, Key Stage 2 will be preparing for their Christmas Carols concert to be held at St Joseph’s Church in December. Our Key Stage 2 choir will also be re-forming as we prepare for an extra special concert which will be held locally.
MUSIC CURRICULUM – AUTUMN 2022
YEAR ONE -
Children are learning to find the beat, notice and follow changes in speed, recognise and copy sounds and rhythms, recognise, sing and play high and low notes and begin to talk about what they hear in music. They are also given lots of opportunities to sing together which helps them to listen to one another and identify sounds in the environment. The children are also encouraged to dance to the rhythms, use actions and simple musical instruments to accompany the rhythms and pulses in the music.
In the Autumn term, we focused on finding the beat and rhythms by clapping and echoing sounds heard. They also began to move and dance to music and talk about the feel and tempo of music heard. Finally, they learnt to sing some of the hymns in preparation to sing as part of the school choir in the Welcome Mass and Harvest Celebrations in October.
After half term, the children will be having fun developing their singing and performing skills as they prepare for the annual school Nativity: Magical Mystery Journey. They will add actions to some of the songs and play some simple instruments during their lessons.
YEAR TWO -
Our Year Two children have been learning about pitch and music literacy. We began the term learning to play whole class Boomwhackers by listening to one another and following the directions of a conductor. The children have been learning how to recognise, sing and play the notes of the C major scale and to play some simple tunes on the glockenspiel. Finally, they were given the opportunity to write down some of the notes of the C major scale and to compose and play a simple tune to play on their glockenspiel.
After half term, the children will be preparing for their Christmas Nativity: Magical Mystery Journey. They will continue to sing as part of a choir and develop their ability to sing in unison and in tune. They will also develop their performance skills by joining in at the appropriate sections of the performance by following the leader’s directions and using singing to convey the meaning of the song. They will rehearse and share the music with appropriate actions and choose instrumental parts where appropriate. Year Two’s will also discuss the difference between rehearsing a song and performing it to an audience. Finally, they will begin to learn about the dynamics of forte, piano, crescendo, diminuendo and pause.
YEAR THREE -
Our Year Three children have been playing untuned percussion instruments to accompany us at our Mass. They have also learnt to play some Calypso music. They have also been discovering the various instruments of the Orchestra.
After half term, they will be preparing for the KS2 Christmas Carols Concert.
YEAR FOUR –
Year Four has been developing their singing skills and learning some new hymns in 2/4, 3/4 , 4/4 time as part of the choir. They have been learning to sing with expression expanding their breathing techniques to produce phrasing. They have also been practising singing a descant line above the rest of the school choir. They have also been learning some music terminology including legato, forte, piano, crescendo and diminuendo.
After half term, they will be preparing for the KS2 Christmas Carols Concert.
YEAR FIVE –
Year 5 have been preparing for the school Mass by learning new hymns in 2/4 , 3/4, 4/4 time and singing as part of a choir. They have also learnt to sing along with solo parts using call and response and they are practising holding a tune while a second part is being sung. They are developing their ability to sing expressively with breathing, phrasing and by adding dynamics in response to a conductor.
After half term, they will be preparing for the KS2 Christmas Carols Concert.
YEAR SIX –
Year 6 have been learning about music terminology. They have been practising some new singing warm-ups and revising their knowledge of music notation in the treble clef. They are also learning to sing in phrases and to add dynamics to their singing to express the meaning of the music. They will be helping to lead the singing and readings at the school Mass at half term.
After half term, they will be preparing for the KS2 Christmas Carols Concert.