Volume 31 Issue 10 08 Apr 2022 7 Nisan 5782

Years 3-6 Music Program

Diana Springford – Head of Music

Years 3 – 6 Instrument Program News
End of Term Wrap!

Mazal Tov for all the hard work and achievement in IP this term. Year 3 have made such amazing progress that it is difficult to believe that their IP journey began only 7 weeks ago! 

Our teachers have taken some footage from the Week 10 ensemble sessions. Consider this work in progress!

 

The first days of IP in Term 2 are:
Years 4 and 6: Wednesday 27 April (Week 1)
Years 3 and 5: Tuesday 3 May (Week 2)

What routines do we need for IP to work for every child?
For everyone to make progress on their instrument, and indeed not to go backwards, and maybe even to have some fun, here is the minimum we need for IP:

  • Routines for remembering gear: Make some routines so that on IP Day, students have their instrument, their folder with their books and their (signed) yellow sheet. The most successfully organised students seem to have a routine that ensures the night before IP day an alarm on a family smart device reminds them to put their gear in their bag/in front of the door/in the car/somewhere, that makes it very difficult to forget the next morning. The vast majority of students need a parent to help them establish and maintain this routine. 
  • A practice routine, timetabled in advance: A short, sharp, sweet, regular practice routine for building skill, muscle strength and coordination, and the body/brain/eye connections that playing an instrument requires. Beyond the fun and satisfaction of being able to play an instrument, the special transferable neurological and physical benefits of playing an instrument require at least 3 x 10+ minute practice sessions on the instrument each week, and not all on the same day! Agree on a plan in advance so that this routine doesn’t require decision making or “feeling like it” in the moment. Make a plan that you can agree on as a family in advance so that one can appeal to the earlier agreement rather than the intensity of the demand or the anguish a lack of practice causes. 
  • A spot to return to each time we play: Even we humans are territorial creatures, and having a spot with a music stand handy that is reserved for playing music is a really effective way of making the session easy to begin. Just starting to play is the hardest part, continuing is easy!

Safe, dry storage for the instrument: Instruments need a cool dry spot to be stored safely and need to be cleaned every time they have been used. They may need an occasional airing to be properly dry.