Music in context

Instrumental and ensemble music

The music learning program provides the starting point for designing, maintaining, expanding or reviewing instrumental and ensemble music components of the school's teaching and learning plan. As with other curriculum delivery questions, there is no ‘right’ way to design and run instrumental and ensemble music learning. These opportunities should reflect each school’s vision, philosophy and resources. Often, in the eyes of the wider community, instrumental and ensemble learning is the music program so it is important to make distinctions between the music learning program for all students and any optional learning opportunities. Like any other intentional music learning experience, instrumental and ensemble music learning should be planned using the curriculum. Instrumental and ensemble music learning will be most exciting, engaging and satisfying for students when they are working toward a purposeful outcome – achievable goals and playing together and for others. Instrumental and ensemble learning can happen using a range of teaching methodologies.

Successful instrumental and ensemble music learning will include:

• listening, to learn about the sound of the instrument, how it is used in different styles and genres of music and its role in different ensembles, and to develop students’ aural skills, including recognition and the ability to manipulate elements of music in performance, including pitch accuracy and intonation, dynamics, rhythmic accuracy and feel
• opportunities to explore, experiment, compose, improvise, arrange and reimagine to create new music
• opportunities for students input into the way music is interpreted to express the intended meaning
• lots of opportunities to perform in formal and informal contexts.

Instrumental teachers can work closely with other teachers to coordinate and emphasise current learning themes and goals. The instrumental teacher or teachers should participate in the planning of the overall school music learning program.

 

Deepdene Primary School

The music teachers at Deepdene Primary School think that all students should have the opportunity to learn an instrument. These are some of the reasons they think these opportunities are important:

• It has the dual benefit of stimulating the brain and calming the body at the same time.
• Children who learn music become more engaged, which results in them feeling much better within themselves.
• It complements other curriculum areas when students are learning to read music notation and to decipher rhythms.
• Learning a musical instrument develops a child’s fine and gross motor skills, hand–eye coordination and, in the case of piano and drum kit, crossing the midline (bilateral coordination).
• It can also assist in social, emotional and academic development, literacy, numeracy, coordination and leadership, inquisitiveness, curiosity, imagination, creativity, human connection, confidence, diplomacy, awareness of self, discipline, teamwork, ways of managing performance anxiety, and insightfulness in terms of self-assessment.
• Instrumental music encourages perseverance, and teaches that hard work can be rewarded by an excellent exam result or a polished performance.
• Students who participate in the instrumental music program learn about taking responsibility for themselves, their instrument, their learning and progress.
• Learning an instrument promotes logical, sequential thinking, and is a close relative of mathematics.
• It is fun and enjoyable, improves overall learning and teaches life skills.

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