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Music
Children
learn music in school so that they can use it to express themselves
by singing or playing instruments; and so that they can develop an appreciation
of music composed and performed by others.
Performing and Composing
Children are given the opportunity to make music by singing and
playing instruments (at first unpitched - such as tambourines and drums;
later, they will use pitched instruments such as recorders). They will
explore rhythm, tempo and duration; the qualities of sound such as timbre,
dynamics (loud, quiet, silence) and pitch; and the structure of pieces
of music (for instance, how to give a piece a beginning, middle and
end). They will explore ways of combining these to make different effects
singly and in large and small groups. Later, they will learn the skills
of musical notation, moving toward being able to read music, and will
learn more about melody and accompaniment. They will learn to discuss
their work using appropriate vocabulary, improve upon it, rehearse it
and perform for an audience (such as parents at the end of term play,
perhaps!)
Listening
Children listen to music from all over the world, and of all types -
classical, folk and popular. They explore the way it makes them feel
- perhaps by dancing or painting as well as by writing, talking and
making more music - and later, how well the composer achieved the effects
she wanted. They learn to recognise different musical instruments, and
to discuss why they were used, and explore how different kinds of music
reflect different places, cultures and times.
Encouraging your children with music
Click here to see an interview with Australian
music teacher Adrianne Fitzpatrick, with some useful advice to parents on how
to develop their children's musical talents.
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