Music

Only connect. These two words are at the heart of the musical life at RPPS. Through listening, performing and composing both inside and out of the classroom, connections are made to enhance our children’s learning experience and reinforce the RPPS school values. Through music we connect to place by exploring music from different parts of the world: Djembe drumming from West Africa, Samba from Brazil, Folk music from all parts of the world; and a catalogue of songs in different languages, from Spanish to Swahili. We connect to places both locally and abroad: taking performances into the local community such as care homes and Christmas markets. Choir tours take us further afield, most recently to Catalonia, where we can perform for local audiences and connect with the area we are visiting.

Through music we connect to time. Exploring historical musical periods, learning about the composers of the time, thinking about the world events happening at the time and using these genres and historical events to inspire our own creativity. For example; writing songs inspired by the music written to boost the morale of soldiers during World War I, exploring protest songs that were vital in the Suffragette movement, the anti-Apartheid movement and Civil Rights movement, or creating our own take on the Four Seasons by Vivaldi.

Through music we connect with other subjects. How do we create soundscapes to match landscapes painted in Art? How does written music relate to Maths? Can we write lyrics that use techniques learned in English? Can we think about how instruments produce their sound relating to Science? Can we use technology and computing to explore music and create our own? Are there similarities between how musicians practise their instruments and how a sportsperson trains to fulfil their potential?

Through music we connect with others. Performing together in one of our five choirs, two orchestras, guitar groups, violin groups, recorder groups, productions and concerts, or composing together in class lessons, encourage collaboration, friendship, kindness, and an understanding that when working well together we can be greater than the sum of our parts. We can connect with others from further afield, including a recent collaboration with a choir from Basel, and working with the other schools in the Gardener Group in joint performances.

Through music we connect to ourselves. Through learning an instrument, we build resilience and determination, create goals and gain a sense of achievement when Grades are reached. Through performing to others in Music Assemblies and concerts we demonstrate courage and pride in our achievements, and we support our musical colleagues in their performances. We develop our creativity through composing; expressing ourselves when writing rhythmic patterns in Year One, Blues songs in Year Six, recorder melodies in Year Two, ukulele songs in Year Three, or exploring different elements of music when creating a variation on ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ inspired by Mozart in Year Four. Through actively listening to many different musical genres, we can find the pieces that connect to us, and develop our understanding of others and ourselves.