Teachers should establish “musical sound as the ‘target language’ of teaching and learning, with talking and writing about music supporting, rather than driving, the development of pupils’ musical understanding (OFSTED, 2017)
Is the music lesson musical?
Children should be engaged in making music for much of the lesson, i.e:
- Chanting a rap
- Adding “body percussion” for example, clapping/stamping/clicking
- Singing songs (call and response, with actions, topic-related, a round or part-song, etc.)
- Playing classroom percussion instruments/keyboards
- Exploring/creating own compositions using voices, environmental sounds, acoustic and electronic instruments and computer software
All of this should be supported by the creative and musical involvement of the student.
Other key features of an excellent music lesson:
Creativity
Has the student used interesting starting points for composition?
These should offer scope for musical representation, for example patterns, materials, pictures and paintings, video-clips, etc. Are the children given opportunities to explore sounds and try out new ideas?
Knowledge of the curriculum
Is the student able to fit the planning into a wider scheme of work, and to make meaningful cross curricular links?
Knowledge of music and musicians
Does the student provide opportunities for the children to sing/play/listen to a variety of different genres?
Songs and pieces for listening should embrace a wide variety of styles and cultures.
Performance
Are opportunities provided for children to demonstrate what they can do – individually (from choice)/in pairs/groups – for class appraisal and student assessment?
Appropriate use of musical vocabulary
Is the student able to model the correct use of musical terms?
A student should use the following terms:
- DYNAMICS (volume)
- PITCH (high and low)
- TEMPO (speed)
- TEXTURE (layering)
- TIMBRE (sound quality, i.e., how does a drum sound compared to a bell)
- STRUCTURE (i.e., verse/chorus verse, etc.)
- RHYTHM (patterns of long and short notes), BEAT (beat is constant; think heartbeat, or clock ticking).
Understanding of techniques
Is the student able to develop the children’s ability to hold beaters correctly, or to adopt a comfortable posture for singing?
Classroom management
Does the student demonstrate clear strategies (hand signs/musical signals) to ensure that the children know when to start and stop playing?
Are instruments organised in a way which promotes access and inclusion?
Please note: it should be noisy, but it should not be chaos!