Music Rationale

Musical ‘knowledge’ has been described as knowing how to make music, knowing musical practices with critical insight and knowing how music enriches the inner life: in summary music making and music thinking (Toyne, 2021). This curriculum, which is informed by the Model Music Curriculum (MMC) (2021), develops musical knowledge within this conceptual framework. A knowledge-rich curriculum can be misinterpreted as being about knowing ‘facts’. Within the discipline of music this would be a misconception: an understanding of music can only begin to develop where the language of music is explored through experience. Musical knowledge which is gained through experience (which can be difficult to put into words) is sometimes referred to as ‘tacit’ knowledge. In this curriculum, such experience is developed through singing, listening, composing (including improvising) and performing. These musical practices are woven throughout the curriculum and are carefully sequenced so that pupils can build procedural knowledge and technical skills which allow them to begin to realise and develop their own expressive intentions through music.

Beginning to understand the language of music might be described as becoming more ‘musical’. This is the aim of this curriculum. As such, each unit has a musical focus, such as pulse, rhythm, tempo, pitch, timbre, dynamics, form/structure, texture or harmony or a combination of these. These are sometimes called the elements of music. Knowledge of the elements is sometimes referred to as ‘constructive’ knowledge. Pupils may explore how music is constructed using the elements of music by listening analytically or using them as components to build their own compositions. Experience of, understanding and use of these elements build gradually throughout the curriculum. For example, in year one children begin to understand pulse by marching. By the time they reach year 6 they have progressed to learn the difference between simple and compound metre.

Different pieces and genres of music are explored as examples of the different musical focus in each unit. For example, in year 6, by listening to Herbie Hancock’s ‘Watermelon Man’, children are able to understand the concept of, and experiment with, improvising over a groove. The different elements of music do not exist in isolation from each other, so, whilst a unit will have a primary musical focus on a particular element, other elements are highlighted and used alongside the primary element to develop the children's musical understanding. For example, whilst studying Hancock’s ‘Watermelon Man’ year 6 also learn that it includes an example of syncopated rhythm. It is recognised that children’s understanding of and proficiency in practising music builds with repeated experience of how the different elements of music intersect. As such these elements are woven throughout the curriculum so that children can begin to build automaticity in their musical practice.

The different genres of music which are explored in the curriculum introduce them to the wonderfully diverse story of music and build pupil’s declarative knowledge of musical culture and history. Music is drawn from a variety of traditions, including western and non-western classical music, folk, and a variety of modern traditions including rock, pop and jazz. Pieces are drawn from all over the world and from periods spanning seven centuries. Because the driving focus of each unit is musical, rather than being based on genre or style, music is not presented in chronological sequence. To allow children to begin to understand how different types, genres and styles have developed, opportunity is given to children in key stage 2 (who will have an increasing sense of chronology and place from the PKC history and geography curricula) to plot when and where the music they are listening to is to be found on a timeline and world map. Their increasing cultural contextual understanding is further enhanced by learning about music which relates to other areas of the PKC curriculum. In general, where there is a connection between another a topic studied in history, art or geography and a musical piece, the music is introduced after the relevant topic has been studied. For example, in year 5 children learn about Nigerian drumming in the half term after they have learnt about art from the same region.

Each unit, over the course of six lessons, follows the same structure. At first the children listen to and encounter music which will form the focus of their musical learning. This is not a passive exercise: they are encouraged to actively engage with the area of musical learning which will be the focus of the unit. They then explore the key musical ingredients and cultural context of the piece of music through active music making. Practising, improvising and/or composing then allows them further to experience and investigate the key musical focus before performing the music they have made to their peers. Evaluation of their own and others’ performances concludes the process.

Each lesson in the unit also follows a broadly similar structure: warming up the body and the voice using songs which relate to the musical focus of the unit; recalling prior learning; listening to, responding to and exploring music which forms the focus of learning for the lesson; creative practice based around the focus music whether by composing, improvising, practising or performing; evaluating and reflecting at the end of the lesson. A familiar structure week by week aims to create and perpetuate an effective learning environment. 

Each lesson starts with singing as this is the essential basis of musical learning. Learning music through movement (as developed by the methods of Dalcroze and Kodály) is also seen as a central element of musical development and therefore forms an important part of each lesson. Western notation is learned using the methods of Kodály and introduced slowly and in relation to a gradual increase in understanding of musical elements which the children experience as the focus of each unit. It is important that ‘sound’ is encountered and understood before its corresponding ‘symbol’ is introduced.

Finally, each lesson includes an element of working with others. This is central to musical practice and may be experienced as a whole class or in smaller groups which are introduced as the children get older and can manage social cooperation with more efficacy.

This curriculum is for classroom music and as such does not seek to cover learning an instrument or wider musical opportunities such as singing in a choir, playing in a band or ensemble, performing outside the classroom and watching musical performances outside the school setting. It is expected that such activities, which are important (and recommended by both the MMC and National Plan for Music Education (NPME) (2022)) will be provided alongside classroom music, which forms only a part of a child’s musical education at school. Music which the children listen to, create and perform as a part of this curriculum can, of course, be a springboard or impetus for musical activity outside of the classroom.