Primary Music

In Term 3 Music, primary students have not only kept building up their knowledge of music theory and practical skills on different instruments, but have also developed their ‘communication skills’ in Music.

Last term, only students in higher grades composed their own rhythmic pieces, but this term even students in lower grades started composing their own pieces, according to the different notes learnt in Music so far, including Ta, Ti-ti, Ti-ka-ti-ka and so on. The music terminology, crotchet, quaver and semiquaver are also spoken about to allow students to hear these musical terms repeatedly and become familiar with them, but not requiring them to remember these tricky words at this stage. All students engaged in this theoretical practice activity and tried their best to write down something. Writing notation is not easy! We must thank Mr Nguyen for showing us the cup rhythmic activity. Students had fun and practised reading rhythmic sheets before starting to write their own pieces.

(9 photos in this gallery)

Our students have shown a big improvement in music theory and are now ready to experience playing on different instruments. For lower grades, the instruments are percussion instruments; maracas, triangles and drums. For higher grades, they are now learning other instruments; recorders, ukuleles and on the drum kit, which require deeper understanding of theory and better co-ordination in both fingering, hands and feet. Soon we will be trying to sing while they are playing the ukulele! Students from Grade 3 to Grade 6 have their own recorders to play. At first, when learning a new instrument we make some shocking sounds! At home parents may want their children to play them in their own room, or outdoor places like a beach with few people around, or even just put some cotton/tissue into the tube which can decrease the volume.

Although most of our primary students are beginners in both theory and practical music, they have some beautiful and creative ideas for different music pieces. According to their learning of the inner vision of music from last term, they always have good descriptions of the songs we hear in the class. This term, we are developing more on finding the connections between music and emotions, especially joyful and positive feelings. ‘Ode to Joy’ is one of the core songs that we learned in singing, playing on recorders, ukulele and drum kit. This allows students to find and express happiness in musical ways. Additionally, we learned how the composer, Beethoven, composed the song with a bright feeling and sent positive messages to others, even when he faced the difficulties of hearing loss.

Moreover, most students are so keen on improving their music skills, but it is not easy to remember everything in the weekly lessons, so I am preparing our own Term 3 - 4 music book for each student in different grades. Some of the songs and theory are the same for the different grades, but they have different requirements, which have been put on the first page of the music book (I will try to complete it by the end of this term).

In the end, it is hoped that all students are becoming joyful beginner musicians and continuous to achieve their future learning goals and arrive at the next destination as each term progresses.

Mrs Clara Deng

Primary Music Teacher