Music at Western House Academy
Overview
Music at Western House Academy is taught in a fully inclusive and innovative way.
All students from Nursery to Year 6 learn, not only the skills to sing and play on a range of instruments, but also develop more holistic learner attributes that benefit them in all areas of their development, not only as a musician but as a global citizen.
The music curriculum has a rich and varied focus on a range of styles and genres from across the world and throughout history, often linking to curriculum learning, such as science, as well as Maths and English. There always a focus on promoting creativity, curiosity and having the confidence perform to a high standard whether it be to a small group or a large audience.
Developing Values - Music is a subject which requires consistent, high quality collaboration in order for musical outcomes to be achieved. Therefore, the values of teamwork, respect and friendship feature heavily in every single lesson. Emphasis is placed on the need for musicians to be conscious of others around them when they are playing their instrument. Students’ are taught the values of tolerance, ambition and curiosity in every lesson, which helps them to become compassionate and open-minded musicians.
When performing either on stage or in the music room, the children are taught to show the values of courage and resilience. They are taught that effective practicing builds a stronger performance skill set and this, in turn, develops their proficiency as musicians. They are taught to have a growth mindset in music lessons and that the application of effort is more important than any perceived notion of fixed ability level or innate talent.
The music curriculum provides valuable opportunities for all of the children at Western House Academy to experience the joy and wonder of what it means to be a musician, a singer, a performer and a composer. We take great pride in our commitment and emphasis on the music curriculum in the school as we believe that it is essential that the children have opportunities to be creative and divergent thinkers.
Music is well known for being a subject which develops the personal, psychological, social and emotional well-being of students and through weekly music lessons and singing assemblies, our students develop these positive learner attributes. They are taught on a range of instruments where the students have regular opportunities to develop their playing abilities as well as their singing voice.
There is a focus on giving the students opportunities to learn how to play music that is of their generation and interest, representing their cultural capital and habitus. In order to inspire and motivate the children, the learning opportunities that are afforded to them aim to reflect their interests and culture. This is why the students learn to play songs on the ukulele, guitar and keyboard that are current and meaningful. In singing assemblies, a portion of the repertoire we sing are songs that they choose, as this represents their voice and encourages them to participate with enthusiasm. The students are also introduced to examples of high quality music from the past or other cultures.
In Year 4, every child has the opportunity to specialise on the steel pan. Each child learns how to play songs by ear and from memory from a specialist teacher, and these songs are also typically modern and contemporary. In these lessons, as well as regular music lessons, the values of teamwork, respect, friendship, curiosity, ambition and courage are regularly promoted as the children need to work collaboratively and be dedicated to working their craft as a musician.
Developing Knowledge - Students’ are introduced to a broad range of musical styles and genres with the aim of developing a deep musical awareness and understanding that music is a unique art form as a universal method of communication. The music curriculum at Western House Academy aims to provide holistic learning opportunities that enable the students to develop an appreciation that being a musician is a life long journey and that mastering the art of good musicianship begins with the foundations laid here, at primary school!
Reading and understanding notation is given equal weight in the curriculum to being able to learn to play by ear and from memory in the oral tradition. Both skills help to develop the students’ knowledge of how music is pieced together. The students are also taught to listen with a critical ear to music in order to understand how music is composed. Having this critical ear helps the students when they compose their own pieces in groups and individually.
Developing equality - Humans have an innate ability to respond to and enjoy musical stimuli and at Western House Academy, we ensure that all students, regardless of background or identity have equal opportunities to explore a wide range of musical heritages and traditions. Students learn about and explore music from different cultures and backgrounds from across the world. This often celebrates the music of ethnic backgrounds that make up large percentages of our cohort in the school, in the form of learning about Indian talas and ragas, for example. Elsewhere, the achievements of famous musicians who have (or had) disabilities are celebrated in the likes of famous blind musicians such as Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. During Black history month, there is also a focus on learning to play The Blues in Year 6, as well as learning about famous black musicians who shaped the course of 20th Centruy music, such as James Brown, Miles Davis and Biullie Holiday. These experiences and learning opportunities not only broaden the musical knowledge base of the children but help to celebrate equality within the world of music, which, after all, is a universal language.
Developing experiences - Throughout the curriculum, the different learning experiences afforded to the children are always placed in social, cultural and historical contexts of where the music originates from and the background behind this. Having an understanding of where Samba originates from, for example, forms a fundamental part of the learning experience, as having an understanding of Brazilian carnival culture helps the students perform with more awareness, understanding and energy!
There are plenty of opportunities for the students to have purposeful and memorable musical experiences in their time at Western House Academy. We have two annual whole-school singing celebrations where every child in the school gathers to sing collectively at Christmas time as well as for the annual Sing Up Day. This develops a strong sense of community in the school and helps the students forge social bonds with their classmates, year groups and older and younger peers in the wider school community. Students also perform in large whole class ensembles to younger year groups, showcasing their learning in their ‘Djembe Drumming’ or ‘Samba Drumming’ projects, for example. Students also have opportunities to perform in small groups and as a soloist, developing their resilience and understanding of what it takes to have the confidence to play music to an audience.