Performing Arts

We're Just Getting Started!

It's been an awesome start to the year in the Performing Arts Classroom! Students are enjoying a composition unit this Term where they are experimenting with different ways of creating their own music.

Every week at the start of the lesson students are participating in mini lessons from Kaboom Percussion which focuses on Body Percussion & Drum Sticks. This helps students tune in, develop their coordination, musicality, rhythm and ability to decipher and learn pattern, whilst challenging them with varying levels of difficulty.

Heres A Run Down of What We've Been Up To So Far:

Week 1 - No Classes

Week 2 - Thunderstorm Soundscapes 

Students arranged images to create a Thunderstorm timeline (sequence of events). 

They then experimented with vocal and body percussion to create the sounds they thought each image would make. 

Lastly, they sourced instruments in the room to add to their soundscape. Finished soundscapes were played for the class whilst the audience listened with their eyes closed for a heightened sensory experience. 

Week 3 - Variations 

Students were introduced to the large percussion instruments and learnt to play some or all the notes of the English Folk Song and Nursery Rhyme, Lavender's Blue. They then began experimenting by creating 'a variation' which means they kept the melody of the song the same but changed the lyrics. The Foundation & Year 1 Students changed the lyrics to tell the story of The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland which they were reading in their class with Miss Gray. Another variation from the year 4 & 6 classroom was about 'Sigma Boys, silly silly' instead of 'Lavender's Blue, dilly dilly' such fun!

Week 4 - Beatboxing

This week we introduced beatboxing to the classroom and how a human beatbox is someone who tries to make electronic drum noises with their mouth - tm, ch, k, tss

Students were then introduced to Ben Mirin, an American sound artist who leads expeditions around the world recording animal sounds, taking samples of their voices and then creates music that helps us understand and protect wild places. Ben has teamed up with Cornell Lab of Ornothology to create the website, BeastBox. Students spent the lesson exploring the website, experimenting with beatboxing loops and adding in animal sounds to create their own music samples. 

Choir

In addition to their Performing Arts classes, students have 30mins whole school choir instruction each week! 

This is a fun session which brings the entire school together to focus on their ability to come together as an ensemble, train their vocal ability through various warm-ups & singing techniques, correct posture & choreographed movement. 

This is a group full of talented individuals and we're excited for where the year will take us! Stay tuned...