Teach-Primary-Issue-19.2

Furthermore, reframing performance as a step on the journey to musical creation can allow pupils to value these tasks differently from how they might if they were an endpoint in themselves. I find that moving performance away from the end of a learning cycle can help lower the stakes for the children, who might otherwise see it as a summation of their learning, rather than a part of the process. Bit by bit The prospect of a blank page can inhibit the start of the creative process for even the most practised professional, so it’s no wonder that it can be intimidating for children. But we need to remind our pupils that we’re not expecting them to create something from nothing (although some can do this successfully). Rather, we’re asking them to make creative decisions based on the knowledge we have imparted, and that they have experienced already through recreation. We can increase creative freedom over time, loosening the specificity of the framework within which we ask the children to compose. For example, we might give a KS1 pupil specific pitches and rhythmic patterns to choose from, in order to create an ending to a provided melody. Whereas by UKS2, we might instead instruct pupils to compose the melody using the C major pentatonic scale, and any repeating rhythmic motif, ending on the tonic note of C. It might seem like removing all restrictions would make such a task easier, but while some children might welcome complete creative freedom, often providing a couple of limitations actually makes the process less demanding. Supplying a suggested beginning and ending scale or note can also ensure that the final piece is something the class enjoys listening to; after all, feeling successful is a key part of the learning experience. TP www.teachwire.net | 59 Ashley Betts is a primary music specialist, and former secondary teacher. Year group Topic Prior knowledge Know Recreate Create 1 Body percussion Understanding of percussion What is body percussion? Perform a song using given body percussion patterns Compose own body percussion patterns by ordering and reordering cards 2 Intro to melody Understanding of rhythm How is a melody different from a rhythm? What are the notes of the musical alphabet? Perform a given melody using chime bars/ glockenspiel Compose an ending to the melody using the given pitches 3 Indian classical music Understanding of melody, rhythm and harmony What is a raga? What is a tala? What is a drone? Perform given raga and tala patterns alongside a given drone Improvise a raga performance within a given three-part structure 4 Major and minor Understanding of chords. Ability to play C, F and G major What does major mean? What does minor mean? How to play Am and Em Perform the song ‘Titanium’, which contains previously learnt and new chords Compose a chord sequence for a given melody 5 EDM Understanding of other popular music styles What are the stylistic features of EDM? How can we use technology to create music? Perform ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by singing and playing the ukulele to gain an understanding of structure and harmony Compose a remix of the song on an iPad, using a given vocal stem alongside pupil-synthesised harmony and rhythm parts 6 Video game music Use of music technology. Understanding of textural layers: melody, harmony, bassline and rhythm How does sound enhance a player’s experience? What are SFX? What is a soundtrack? Recreate SFX from a video game on an iPad Compose a multi-layered soundtrack for a given video game @abetts.bsky.social