Musicians

Our Intent

Our intent is to instill and develop a love and appreciation of music in our pupils and develop their musical skills. We engage and inspire children to appreciate, compose and perform music exploring different music genres.

Pupils learn to:

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 inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations

“Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.”
National Curriculum Music (2014)

In at least one enquiry each year, music is an integrated key focus. When teaching other enquiries, music is taught discreetly using the Charanga music resource. Charanga is an award-winning, high quality resource that supports teachers to inspire pupils and develop their musicality. More information on Charanga is available here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EorNyoYLtxs

We offer extra curricular instrument lessons and have a vibrant, enthusiastic choir who perform regularly at school events. More Information on these can be found in the ‘Children’ section of the website (Extra Curricular Clubs/Instrumental Lessons).

Sea Mills Villanelle

John Hegley a famous performance poet, comedian and musician visited Sea Mills in December and worked with our children to improve their poetry skills.

Whilst here he began writing a villanelle poem (a 19 line poem) about our wonderful children which he has now turned into a song.

He has recorded his brilliant poem/song with a Bristol band and sent us the audio. Have a listen and a sing along to ‘Sea Mills Villainelles’.

A Sea Mills Villanelle with extra portions

by John Hegley

With two classes of children, in Sea Mills

With paintings, pencils paper and some Pritt

And with our basic education skills

Malaika and I came down from the hills

And happily, our faces seemed to fit,

That Wednesday, in December, in Sea Mills.

Along with poetry – some other frills:

Drawing, songs and drawing upon wit

And Clare there, with her observation skills

(and a bit of folk guitar).

For a fan of local football thrills

We incorporated Bristol City

With an Edvard Munch and scissors, at Sea Mills.

We opened up the doors to Psyche’s inner ills.

Malaika played a winner – eyes were lit,

with everyone assembled – it more than paid the bills.

It has been said that poetry distils.

It boiled down to us all doing our bit:

Our team, the gleaming children of Sea Mills

And teachers with their burning and discerning and their entertaining skills

And Clare there with a bit of folk guitar.