We’ve all heard of the benefits of music education. But, as a primary school or trainee teacher, if you don’t consider yourself to be ‘musical’ or have no music confidence, the prospect of teaching it could be pretty daunting.
Let’s dial things back a little. Forget about the primary music curriculum requirements for a bit. Forget about pupil learning goals and how to read music. Let’s start with you.
The first step is to help you feel more connected to music without the pressure of being in the classroom. After a little prep work, you can take your new-found music confidence to your pupils with an authentic connection to music which will be a more fulfilling experience for you and your class.
Skill up
Music is a skill. You have to practise it. You can’t just read a book or website and then be a musician. It’s something we all enjoy but it’s also theoretical, practical, auditory, participatory, performative and collaborative – and it takes time. On the flip side, everyone has the ability; it’s certainly not out of your reach.
Listening
There are lots of ways for you to build your skills, even without playing an instrument. You can start with listening. Really listening. Music is often a backdrop to daily life (in shops, on the radio, online) but we hear it rather than listen to it. Deep listening is a mindful experience. It means paying attention to all the elements of the music, identifying them and their activity, purpose and effect. It applies to the beat (rhythm), the tune (melody), how the instruments go together (it’s called ‘orchestration’ even if they’re not orchestral instruments) and how loud or soft the music is played (dynamics). This kind of listening can open up a whole new world of how you hear sound and feel rhythm. It can even help you uncover new things in songs you’ve listened to for years!
Try it…
If you’re in the UK, you might have seen this shampoo advert numerous times. But did you actively listen to the music behind it? It’s genius!
- Notice how the music changes for each scene and how it conveys the mood of each one.
- Imagine if the music for the French and zombie scenes was swapped. Would it still work?
Now, let’s concentrate on audio only and do a few deep listens of this Dua Lipa song. (It doesn’t matter if you know it or not).
- Actively identify the different parts of the song: verse, chorus, bridge and instrumental.
- Notice how the beat builds up from the beginning to the first chorus.
- Notice how the 2-note pattern played by stringed instruments punctuates the melody (at 00:21 and each time after that).
- Do you hear metallic bell-like notes? Are they always in the same place?
Take listening further
Listen to your favourite songs/music with a new focus and try different genres. Steer away from videos though; you’ll split your brain into dealing with visual and aural information, and your listening won’t be as effective. Listening to audio with your eyes shut will mean you can give the music your full concentration.
Singing
Very few people are natural singers, and for those who are not, it doesn’t matter; giving it a go is what counts. Singing releases endorphins that provide us with a ‘high’ for free. With a little effort, we can all develop our vocal skills to be passable enough to bring us joy – being brilliant is simply not required.
Find your voice
Start by singing along. Find your level, your style and songs you feel comfortable with – and vocalise! Be mindful of your technique (stand tall and project your voice from your chest, not from your head) so as not to strain your vocal cords. You can build up your confidence for singing in front of others by singing to your pets or along to vocal backing tracks of your favourite songs (there are free ones online).
Rhythm
Everyone has a sense of rhythm. It often needs guidance to develop it but you can begin to coach yourself by listening for and noticing rhythms – they’re everywhere.
Things to try…
Focused listening. Find a beat and focus on it. Tap it out to train yourself on how it feels as well as how it sounds. This connection helps you to immerse yourself in music.
Find rhythms in names or phrases. Adverts are a great example of this. Think of the “Trust a Trader dot com” jingle or the Cinch advert strapline, “Cars without the faff” whistled at the end. See what you can discover.
Find music in daily life. Actively listen to your surroundings to find music in them to help you develop a listening and music ear and mindset. For example, what do you hear here?
What do you hear?
Do you hear a well-known sound from your car or a rhythm and melody you could build a song on? It’s both!
Movement
Movement is key to externalising what your brain is now registering and understanding – and it connects you to the music (it’s the combination your pupils love!). Clap, tap your feet, dance as subtly or exuberantly as you want – react to the music and feel it as well as hear it.
You can even use body percussion jams to help direct your music and movement. We Will Rock You by Queen is a great place to start, as you can hear the stomps and claps to get you going.
Creativity and composition
A great route to gaining confidence in musical creativity is to adapt something that already exists – just for you. Begin by adapting song lyrics or put new lyrics to a short well-known jingle. After a while, you could move this on and create your own music snippets (don’t put yourself under pressure by thinking you have to do a whole song).
For inspiration, check out how R.I.S.E. author Tricia Fuglestad uses songs in her art classes.
You’ve got this music confidence thing!
Music is a vehicle for expression and if you are at one with it, your pupils will gain so much from your authenticity. Remember, it’s not competitive. Put the work in to build your music confidence and your confidence to teach it to your pupils will soar.
