Experiences and Outcomes:
I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a
I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a
Inspired by a range of stimuli and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 2-18a
I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work. EXA 2-19a
Lesson Outcomes
After this lesson, pupils will be able to:
- Listen and reflect on a piece of orchestral music
- Invent their own musical motifs and structure them into a piece
- Perform as an ensemble
- Learn musical language appropriate to the task
Curriculum Checklist
Learners will:
- Play and perform in ensemble contexts, using voices and playing musical instruments
- Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the interrelated dimensions of music
- Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
Activities
Prepare your class
Explain to your class that you are going to begin a 6-week music project focusing on a fantastic piece of music by a composer called Anna Meredith and watch the introductory film with Anna and Dev.
Teach the patterns borrowed from Anna’s piece and practise performing each one four times.
Challenge your children to perform each pattern four times back-to-back before moving onto the next one. You might like to choose someone to play a steady pulse as you do this, or just stand and count the patterns out loud.
Split the class into four teams, and try this as a canon or round. (A canon is the same as a round, the term describes a piece where the same material is performed by different teams but with staggered starts.)
Start the first group on their own. When they move on to pattern 2 start the second group, when they move on start the third group etc. The groups will stop at different times.
Once this is achieved, re-do but this time, ask the groups to continue looping pattern 4 until everyone is doing it at the same time. You’ll need to put in place a good signal for stop to ensure everyone stops at the same time after this looping!
Finally, when everyone is really confident with these patterns, arrange the class in a large circle and perform them as a ‘Mexican’ wave. One person starts pattern 1 when they move to pattern 2, the person on their right begins pattern 1 etc. Before you perform this, ask your children to decide what happens at the end. Do they continue looping pattern 4 until everyone is together again, or stop one by one? They might choose to end like Anna’s real piece, with a loud “Yeah!” from everyone.
Decide on your favourite version (canon, wave, altogether) and write it down.
Additional resources and a more detailed lesson plan can be found here on the BBC Ten Pieces website;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/KS2-anna-meredith-connect-it/zhyyb82
