Music Education can lead ALL education

Music is a universal language. As I say to my students – if you can read music, it is the same in all countries. You might not speak the same language as your desk partner but you can play together.

Music is also a “leveller” for students as well. For younger students, you don’t have to speak much to be able to play a tuned percussion instrument, for the slightly older students, technology allows everyone the ability to create musical compositions. GarageBand is a tool I use in my classroom. This technology is easy for the students to use and learn about musical ideas and concepts.

The DJ has to be able to mix lots of ideas when combining music. his knowledge of music that he is using is vast. I can see this knowledge in some of my students when they are listening and discussing music.

Through listening to music online, to learning from each other, creating music is becoming more accessible to the students. I know that I am learning from my students and they are always absorbing my ideas and knowledge. I had a great unit last year where the Stage 3 classes used coding to create music and then went on to use MakeyMakey’s. It was lots of fun and lots of learning.

Project Based Learning is something that I am part of at my school. We are an IB PYP (Primary Years Program) School. Most of our learning is Inquiry based. One of the units I do with a Stage 3 group is creating small mixed ensembles and ask them to create a composition which they have to perform. While there is guidance from a variety of teachers, the leaders are the students themselves. They can use technology to help them record what they have done, notate it, even have it as one of the instruments. It is always interesting to see the variety in the end results.

IN Stage 3 the students are involved in an Exhibition. They are placed in groups and they do in-depth research into an area that they are passionate about. This year the exhibition is based under the unit of How we Express Ourselves so the students have to focus on how they are going to express their views – through music, art, drama, writing etc. It will be wonderful to see what comes out.