Music

The provision and access the children have to music is outstanding, with our well-equipped music studio and teaching resources. We are a Music Mark school and Artsmark Gold Award holder and work closely with Thurrock Music Hub and other local schools and organisations.

• All children have a weekly music lesson lead by a music specialist, following a bespoke, far-reaching curriculum designed by the music teacher. 
• Lessons encompass the following areas of study: singing, listening, composing, performing, musicianship, learning different instruments and using music technology.

At Woodside we give the children many opportunities to take part in performances:

• Class and singing assemblies.
• Seasonal celebrations including: Harvest festivals, Christmas performances, International Week, patriotic events etc.
• Opportunities for the school choirs and steel pan group to perform in local music festivals and events.
• KS1 / KS2 Choir club.
• Weekly music group sessions for SEND children.

Wider Opportunities at Woodside

• Opportunities to learn and perform through projects devised by The Royal Opera House/Royal Ballet.
• One to one instrument lessons are available to all age groups which are provided by music services - contact office for more information.
• Year 3 steel pan lessons run throughout the year culminating in a final showcase to parents. When children have learnt to play steel pan they can join Woodside Steel, our performing group which is often in demand at Windrush day and other celebrations.  
• Gamelan workshops (Indonesian percussion, often performed with shadow puppets).
• Opportunity to join Woodside Choir and perform regularly at events in and out of school.

INTENT

• To introduce children to a wide variety of music of diverse styles.
• To give children musical experiences in learning, listening,
  • composing and performing.
• To give children an experience of making music with the voice and instruments.
• To give children the opportunity to understand the relationship between sound and symbol and develop a working knowledge of systems of notation for use in composing and performing.
• To instil within children, a love of music which will form the keystone to future enjoyment and achievement.

IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT

SINGING:

• There is more to singing than just singing!
• Children will learn about vocal health and the importance of correct breathing and posture through warm-up exercises.
• By singing songs from different methodologies and musical genres, they will learn to sing expressively and confidently.
• Singing enhances mental wellbeing and is a great tool for group and whole school collectiveness.

LISTENING:

• Listening to music from all genres and cultures will give children the ability to understand different musical styles, instruments and see how key musical devices (like tempo, dynamics etc.) are used in real terms.
• Children will develop a good appreciation of all styles of music and have the skills to interpret and analyse, helping them for future learning in KS3.

COMPOSING:

• Writing their own music, from a simple rhythm to a more complicated melody will instill confidence in their own musical ability.
• Composing will start in its basic form, with on-the-spot creations of rhythms or short melodies and develop into the formal creation and writing of a short song, learning how to compose for a theme and using their gained musical knowledge effectively.
• Using music technology to create and explore music.

PERFORMING:

• Like composing, performing allows children to gain confidence and showcase their abilities.
• Performing will include in-class individual playbacks of music they are learning, whole class performance to conclude a learning block, and more formal performances with an audience.
• Children are encouraged to perform throughout their time at Woodside and already we have found it most relishing to take these opportunities.

MUSICIANSHIP:

• Learn about the key elements of music and how to identify and replicate them (e.g. tempo, dynamics etc.).
• Learn the basics of music notation, from graphic to proper musical notation and how to read and follow it.

INSTRUMENTAL TEACHING

• Children will have the opportunity to explore and learn to play a wide variety of instruments including: glockenspiels, keyboards, recorders, steel pans, djembes, gamelan, guitars & ukuleles, and other percussion instruments.

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

• Children will learn how to use technology for music, as an alternative to traditional instruments and as a tool to compose and perform music.
• Types of technology used include: apps, websites and electronic/music production devices.

If children would like to use the same music creation software at home that we use in school, these are the details/links:

GarageBand (Apple-only app)                   

Perfect Piano (app)             

Groovepad (app)

BandLab (app)

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/

https://learningmusic.ableton.com/the-playground.html