Sound, Sight, Space, Play (Sssp) 2014: June 2014

Accessibility & appreciation; music & education: Broadening music in Key Stages 2 and 3

A Research Presentation by Jack RichardsonPhD Student in the Music, Technology and Innovation Research Centre (MTIRC) at De Montfort University Leicester.

Technology plays an important role in supporting, extending and enhancing the teaching of music. It can help connect communities in ways that rely less on location; be used to inspire, motivate and stretch pupils, including those reluctant to engage with music; help extend musical experiences; and help children with additional needs to further engage in music making. It complements other music teaching, while encouraging wider communication and collaboration with other pupils

Music Technology in Education

Department for Education & Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2011). The Importance of Music: A National Plan for Music Education,

Key Aims of the National Curriculum for Music from September 2014

perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians

learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence

understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-music-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-music-

programmes-of-study

Key Aims of the National Curriculum for Music from September 2014

perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians

learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence

understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the interrelated dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

• Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-music-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-music-

programmes-of-study

Education as AccessBenefitting access by introducing sound-based music in a productive learning environment

Sound-based musicThe broader the corpus, the better the possibilities?

Accessibility in Sound-Based Music

The story of access starts by offering people a greater musical choice than what mass media and most schools are currently offering. Once

people are aware of this music and have been introduced to it through appropriate concepts, sound examples and the ability to make this type of music on their own, the awareness surrounding sound-based music will increase significantly and gain its rightful

place alongside many other types of music in today’s world. In short, sound-based music will have a brighter future when more people

gain access and are drawn to it.

(Landy, 2009. p.8)

Student age-range

✤ Key Stage 2 (Ages 7-11)

✤ Pro’s

✤ ‘Openeardness’: Open to new musical experiences

✤ Able to share their opinions

✤ Highly imaginative source recognition

Student age-range

✤ Key Stage 2 (Ages 7-11)

✤ Con’s

✤ Difficulty grasping new concepts

✤ Difficult to retain attention

✤ No/limited compositional experience

Student age-range

✤ Key Stage 3 (Ages11-14)

✤ Anticipated Pro’s

✤ Better at expressing themselves & their thoughts

✤ Knowledge about computers

✤ Some compositional experience

Student age-range

✤ Key Stage 3 (Ages11-14)

✤ Anticipated Con’s

✤ Difficult to retain attention

✤ Likely to be less open to new musical experiences that KS2

Teaching models being exploredIncreasing Engagement

Improving Experience

Benefitting Learners

Structured Listening Exercises

Introducing the concept of listening

“Eyes closed & covered!”

Opinion & Expression

“What do you like about the piece?”

Think first, then respond

Creative Exercises

- Composition/Creation

- Individual & Collaborative

- The creation of a story

Example of composition

✤ Created from scratch using a bank of sounds for Compose with Sounds (CwS).

✤ Made in one 1-hour session, in groups of four students aged between 7 and 8

Critical Analysis

- Why do you like the piece?

- Would you like to make a piece like this?

- What does the piece make you think/feel?

Indications so far...

- Creative exercises appear to help students better understand how such music is constructed, using even simple sounds

- By listening attentively, students begin to identify key sounds and engage with them

- Critical evaluation is based upon opinion

Progression

✤ Creative exercise demonstrating better levels of engagement with sound-based music

✤ Listening skills allow students to be involved in the piece than they might have previously

✤ Critical evaluation requires further development, but data so far has demonstrated reasonable comprehension with KS2 students