Music – Page 3 – Toftwood Infant and Junior School Federation

Music Summer 1

Reception

This term the children have thoroughly enjoyed our topic Once Upon A Time. The children have been learning about traditional tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood, The 3 Billy Goats Gruff, The Ugly Duckling etc. The children particularly enjoyed The Gingerbread Man where the story was told alongside ‘Zorba the Greek’ music. As the tension in the story heightened, the tempo of the music quickened. This really helped add to the drama of the tale.

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The Children also enjoyed watching Miss Helen’s performance of The 3 Little Pigs. Everyone got to join in with building the houses and blowing them down in character as The Big Bad Wolf. The music used really supported the children as they them expressed themselves.

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Year 1

The children this half term have loved continuing their learning in music focusing on finding the pulse and beat. The children have learnt and sung lots of new songs all focused around getting ready! They have loved singing songs, such as ‘Brush Our Teeth’ and ‘Dress Up’, and have liked moving their body to find the pulse. The children have even tried playing some percussion this term by playing some beaters. They focused really hard when listening for the steady beat and then practiced hitting the beaters in time with the pulse. They did really well with this!

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Also in singing assembly, the Year 1 children had been practising singing ‘God Save the Queen.” They did such a great job of it that they also performed to the whole school on the field when planting our jubilee tree!

Watch the video below of the wonderful singing of our national anthem!

Year 2

As part of our Art ‘Around The World’ topic, all of the children in year 2 listened to sounds of the South American rainforest. They listened carefully and thought about which instruments they could use to recreate the same rainforest sounds in the classroom. The children were very focused and made excellent choices, transporting us all to the Amazon Rainforest.

In music this half term, DC2 and ZK2 have been learning to play the ocarinas. The children learnt how to hold the ocarinas correctly and how to blow into them. They have thoroughly enjoyed it and have perfected notes D, B and G.

PA2 have been learning about how music can teach us about our neighbourhoods and have enjoyed learning songs such as, ‘The music man’ and ‘Helping each other’.

Spring 2 – Music

Reception

This term in Reception the children have been excited to play on the new drum kit in the outside area. They have been focusing on how to make loud and quiet sounds, keeping a rhythm and following a beat. They have also been making up own games, such as musical statues or pretending to be part of a band.

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Also in maths, the children have been learning patterns, and making up their own body percussion patterns such as clap, stomp, clap stomp. Please see the video of Mrs Goddard’s class making their own body percussion pattern.

In the last week of term the children went on a bus trip so we taught them the song, “The Wheels on the Bus” and they had the opportunity to sing it on an actual bus! Watch see the video below of their performance.

Year 1

During this half term, year 1 have celebrated a wide range of musical styles. The children have listened, sung, composed and performed both familiar songs like the lullaby, Hush Little Baby and new songs like learning the Days of the Week. They have once again enjoyed playing the chime bars, as well as discovering high and low notes in some of the songs they have learnt the lyrics to and performed.

Year 2

Over the next three half terms each Year 2 class will have the opportunity to learn how to play the ocarina. The first class started this half term and thoroughly enjoyed it! One child has even asked their parents if they can buy one so they practise at home! The children learnt how to hold the ocarina and how to blow into it correct so it doesn’t squeak! They also learnt the notes D, B and G. They have learnt how to play songs using these notes and performed them confidently. The other two classes are really looking forward to their turn over the coming weeks.

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Music KS 2 Spring 1 and Spring 2

Key Stage 2 Music Spring 1

Once again Toftwood enjoyed a fabulous ‘Sign to Sing’ day learning how to sing and perform (using British sign language BSL) “Reach for the stars” by S Club 7. The children took part to show awareness of sign language and how it is seen as a language in itself. They practised very hard for 3 weeks, please see the link below to watch their performance.

Spring 1 Music 2022

In Year 3 we have continued to develop our ukulele playing skills, experimenting with different strumming patterns and beginning to change between chords. The children now find the first few songs we learned easy and fun to play and perform them with great enthusiasm!

The children in Year 4 have begun using the New Model Curriculum supported by the charanga. We have explored songs including ‘Hoedown’ and ‘I’m always there’. While learning to sing the songs and accompany them on recorder and glockenspiel, we have looked at how the notes can be written using standard notation. We have used some of the notes from the pieces to perform our own improvised melodies.

Year 5. We have been looking at Jazz and the concept of improvising around a melody. Children have concentrated on two pieces which exemplify how simple sequences of notes can form the basis of improvisation and getting the hang of the difference between ‘playing straight’ and ‘swing’.

Key Stage 2 Music Spring 2

Mr Hardy was like a kid on Christmas morning as he took delivery of 25 brand new, soprano glockenspiels to replace and add to our existing instruments. It is so great for every child to be able to use an instrument throughout the lesson.

In Year 3 the ukulele skills are growing all the time. Children loved playing the song ‘Dr Knickerbocker’ and were having so much fun that they didn’t notice that they had learned to play while standing (and moving), keep a rhythm and change between chords while singing!! We increased our repertoire of chords adding G7 (tricky as it uses 3 fingers on the fretboard). This is a bit of an ‘open sesame’ moment as with C, F and G7 hundreds of songs are possible and children ended the term using them to learn to play ‘3 Little Birds’.

We have been using the website Charanga to learn to sing new songs, including ‘Looking in the Mirror’ and ‘Take Time in Life’. When reading the sheet music to the songs, we have noticed the note lengths for a minim, crotchet and quaver and we have also noticed the symbols for some of the rests (a pause in the music). We have learned to play the instrumental sections by playing the metal glockenspiel. We have also learned how to compose our own sections of music, by using the same notes from the original score but in our own unique order.

This half-term, Year 5 have listened and responded to a variety of old school hip-hop songs. For each song, we tried to recognise the instruments and voices that we heard. We also tried to recognise the tempo, dynamics and whether the song had a hook. The children enjoyed performing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and accompanied this rap by playing recorders and glockenspiels.

In Year 6 we learned the song ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ by Carole King from the album, ‘Tapestry’ for which she won four Grammy Awards, one of the most successful albums by a female artist. Hopefully an inspiration for any of our budding young songwriters. In addition to all the musical learning involved in learning to sing and accompany quite a challenging song, this very emotional piece gave us a chance to think about what friendship meant to us and see how we could bring those feelings to our performance.

Finally, fancy a little Easter Puzzle?

Mr Hardy has composed this tune (you’ll notice it’s a waltz in 3/4 time) however it contains a secret message can you ‘crack’ it?

Spring 1 Music 2022

During this term, the children in Reception have been learning about Chinese New Year and enjoyed their online lesson from Miss Helens in music and movement. The children experienced dancing with fans, listening to instruments they like to use in China and pretending to feed a Chinese dragon wanting to eat cabbages!

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The children have also enjoyed listening and dancing to sea shanties during Pirate week and ‘Heroes Unite’ during superhero week!

In Year 1 the children have enjoyed introducing Tempo and Dynamics into their lessons and celebrating a wide range of musical styles. They have enjoyed listening, singing, playing, composing and performing to a variety of music which has included Reggae and Funk. The children loved performing Funk music using the chime bars.

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In Year 2 this half term the children have been focusing on the theme ‘How Does Music Make the World a Better Place?’ We learnt to sing and perform the songs ‘Rainbows’, ‘Hands, Feet, Heart’ and ‘All Around the World.’ The children also learnt how to play the notes for these songs on the chime bars, focusing on learning A minor. The children enjoyed finding out about a steady beat, and following rhythmic and melodic patterns. They enjoyed listening to a range of songs from different genres and we discussed our opinions about these songs.

At the end of Spring 1, the federation was involved with learning how to sing and perform (using British sign language BSL) “Reach for the stars” by S Club 7. The children took part to show awareness of sign language and how it is seen as a language in itself. They practised very hard for 3 weeks, please see the link below to watch their performance.

Music – Autumn 2 2021

On the 15th November Reception children enjoyed taking part in Nursery Week. Every day for a week everyone got to listen to, discuss and enjoy different nursery rhymes and well known songs such as, ‘The Wheels On The Bus’, ‘Down In The Jungle’ and ‘5 Little Ducks’.

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In Year 1 the children focused on finding the beat in different types of music styles, whilst continuing to find the about pulse and rhythm in songs that they had learnt in Autumn 1. The children also concentrated on their listening and singing skills also performing such songs as ‘1-2-3-4-5’, ‘head shoulder knees and toes’ and ‘Shapes’. Before Christmas, the children enjoyed learning and listening to songs from pantomime, especially ‘Mr Blue-sky!’

Year 1 have also mastered the signs and lyrics to ‘Jingle Bells’, which they then performed in a video that was shared with their grown ups along with photos of clay snowmen the children had made.

In Year 2, the children have been focusing on dynamics and tempo. They have been thinking about the question, ‘How does music teach us about the past?’ whilst listening, singing, composing and performing. The children have learnt several different songs including, ‘Sparkle In The Sun’ and ‘The Orchestra Song’.

The children enjoyed learning how to perform ‘The Orchestra Song’ using the notes C, G and B♭ on their glockenspiels; building on notes C, D and E that they learnt when performing the song ‘Music in my Soul’ in Autumn 1.

At the very end of term, the whole Federation was able to be part of the audience for a pantomime performed for us and other schools across Norfolk. This musical version of Jack and the Beanstalk was thoroughly enjoyable and a wonderful way to end the term. Children from Reception right through to Year 6 enjoyed being part of this event and demonstrated their listening, singing and signing skills whilst enjoying the traditional and quite silly jokes!

We’re aware that at the moment not all families are able to experience a live pantomime for many reasons so it was lovely to be able to share this experience with children across the Federation.

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Here are some of the comments children made after seeing the panto!

Reception:

“I liked it when the lady did a whizz pop!”

“I liked it when Mary and the cow got trapped in the giant’s castle.”

Year 1:

“I liked the singing”

“I liked when they sang Mamma Mia because we learned it before.”

“I liked when Jack climbed the beanstalk.”

Year 2:

“I like it when they were running from the giant.”

“I liked it when they chopped down the beanstalk so the giant couldn’t get them.”

“I thought it was funny when they kept turning around and the giant wasn’t there.”

“I really liked the songs”

Music Key Stage 2 Autumn 2 2021

What a wonderful term of Music! Year 3 have continued to enjoy learning to play the ukulele, progressing to changing between chords, strumming in different rhythms and exploring different picking patterns. Children have used different ways to read music such as staff notation and fret maps and are becoming very skilled at noticing difference in pitch (sharp or flat) when tuning up.

In Year 4, Ian Draycott from Norfolk Music Service has finished his time teaching the children to play the steel pans. This is a deceptively challenging instrument and all pupils have done incredibly well, not only at handling the beaters and playing the notes but also learning to perform with others as part of an ensemble. We are very grateful to Norfolk Music Hub for giving our children this opportunity.

The children in Year 5 have spent the term leading up to Christmas learning to play carols on the recorder. If you played recorder at school you will be well aware how easy it is to play recorder badly! Children have had to develop sensitivity of breath to avoid those shrill squeaks and a lot of dexterity to achieve the quick fingering needed to play the pieces. (Due to COVID pupils did not have the opportunity to play recorders last year so we have given them a real challenge.) This unit has also given pupils a chance to put their learning of standard notation into context.

Year 6 pupils have been investigating Jazz and Blues. Listening to both classic Music from the 20’s and contemporary pieces and gaining an understanding of the structure and conventions of these genres. This unit gives children an opportunity to further develop their improvisation on the glockenspiels, responding and replying to a theme in the moment.

On the final day of term, the whole federation came together to enjoy a streamed ‘virtual’ pantomime – ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. In addition to usual Music lessons, children had spent time learning the songs used in the performance so that we could all sing along. They also learnt about the conventions, characters and customs of pantomime so that it could be a fully interactive experience with ‘Booo’s, ‘Hooray’s and shouts of ‘It’s behind you!’. Did we enjoy it?

“OH YES WE DID!”

Music Key Stage 2 Autumn 1 2021

A wonderful start to a new school year! Musicians from Norfolk Music Service came and performed a concert for us, taking us through a flying tour of orchestral music from the last thousand years. Allowing children to see and hear instruments being played and gaining an understanding of how they work. Year 3 children watched in the hall while the rest of the federation joined remotely, through the wonders of video calling.

Year 3 pupils have been very excited to start learning to play the ukulele. They have learned a number of songs to practise different picking and strumming techniques and how to play the C major chord.

Children in Year 4 are very fortunate to have Ian Draycott from Norfolk Music Hub in teaching them how to play the steel pans! This will continue throughout Autumn Term so they get a great experience of ensemble playing with a music Specialist.

Year 5 have been sent back to the 80’s, rocking out to ‘Living on a Prayer’ and Year 6 have had the joy of ‘Happy’ – singing together in different parts and accompanying with melodies on the glockenspiels. So lovely to hear children singing in school again – it really hasn’t been the same without it.

Music Autumn 1 2021

During the first half term the children in Years 1 and 2 have enjoyed returning to our regular ‘Singing Assembly’ times. The children have enjoyed singing songs such as ‘Big Red Combine harvester’, and ‘Consider Yourself.’ They also have been enjoying listening to a different piece of music every week that can range from modern pop to classical and other music such as movie soundtracks or music from different parts of the world.

After listening to music, all children spend some ‘reflective time’ thinking about how listening has made them feel.

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In Reception classes, the children have enjoyed listening to and singing along to many songs with their class peers.

A variety of music has also been experienced in the classrooms, as well as created in the outdoor classroom. Children have been observed making music independently, singing and moving to the music experiences throughout this half term.

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In Year 1, the children have been listening to and learning about the well-known song ‘Hey You!’ They have been learning about pulse and rhythm as well as having a go at learning the lyrics and playing instruments, such as glockenspiels. When doing this the children used the C note to play alongside the music.

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In Year 2, the children have been learning about feeling the pulse and clapping along to a beat. They have also been using Charanga to learn some new songs like ‘Music Is In My Soul’.

Music Spring Term 2021

COVID 19 has had a massive impact on Music – Imagine Primary School without singing! It has also meant a temporary halt to our Yr 4 WCIT of Steel Pan, Year 6 Samba and use of recorders in all classes.

On a brighter and more positive note, we now have a beautiful set of yellow ukuleles and have introduced whole class ukulele lessons throughout the year for Year 3 children. Charanga (the online Music resource we use for some of our lessons) has been specially adapted to be COVID safe with more glockenspiel use and sign language versions of songs being taught!

During lockdown we have made use of Oak Academy Music lessons when the majority of children have been learning at home. These are really good fun (Year 3 went ‘cup song’ crazy and have loved the body percussion sessions) and also incorporate lots of simple music theory continuing the skills taught in our usual curriculum.

‘Music from Around the World’ assemblies have been created to be shared in class giving children a chance to experience music from a range of cultures, eras and genres.