Musical Futures Musical Futures and Newly Qualied Teachers: A Case Study

Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

Anna Gower

ISBN: 978-1-905500-06-2

Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

Anna Gower This article by Champion School teacher Anna Gower demonstrates how one school used the Musical Futures (MF) ethos and approaches to overhaul a traditional Year 8 Scheme of Work (SoW) that wasnt engaging all students.
The content of this SoW is the Blues, but as this is an exercise that fundamentally explores pedagogy, this process could be applied to a SoW covering any musical content. Aims of reviewing this scheme were: q To write MF approaches into schemes of work at KS3 q To make experience of all musics authentic and meaningful q To integrate performing, listening and improvising into practical work every week q To build upon skills covered in previous SoW (Year 7) q To develop relevant resources pitched appropriately for Year 8 to challenge and support all learners q  To reduce the amount of teacher-led learning within the SoW and to use informal learning to encourage independent and personalised learning experiences for the students The Musical Futures website contains details of the teaching and learning strategies for the band carousel approach (www.musicalfutures.org.uk/resource/27355) and the informal learning model (www.musicalfutures.org.uk/resource/27362). The colour coding of the tables below are as follows: Activities which are teacher-led Use worksheets as the basis for learning Student-led using resources other than worksheets

Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

BLUES SCHEME OF WORK: BEFORE

Activities which are teacher-led | Use worksheets as the basis for learning | Student-led using resources other than worksheets

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1 q Introduction to Blues music q Understand the terms chord and triad

ACTIVITIES
q Starter: show video of Blues artist q Learn to sing Woke Up This Morning q  Learn to play chords on keyboard and guitar q  Plenary: revise key terms; mini-performances

HOMEWORK
q  Five facts about Blues artist (Voluntary G&T extension HW = guitar project)

RESOURCES
q Lyrics on powerpoint q Videos of Blues artists q Easy guitar chords worksheet q Piano cards q Keyboards / guitars q Project plan on powerpoint q Piano cards q Easy guitar chords worksheet q Audio recordings q Keyboards / guitars q Listening back chart q Levels in Music worksheet q Examples of music targets

q Revise terms chords and triad q Understand how to assess peers work

q Starter: review homework facts q Revise chords on guitar and piano q  Listen and assess peers work using Listening back chart q Plan project q  Plenary: as appropriate, e.g. sing through Woke Up This Morning or other song

q  Set two personal targets for the unit using Levels in Music grid

q  Understand how to work effectively in groups in music lessons q Learn how to create a bass line q Understand the term root note

q  Starter: review targets set as homework q  Go through rules and expectations of practical work in music q Demonstrate adding a bass line q Start working in their groups q Tidy away q Plenary: review keywords to date

q Fill out project diary

q  Rules for practical work in music on powerpoint q Piano cards q Easy guitar chords worksheet q Keyboards / guitars / basses q Project diary q Bass guitar worksheet q Blues project worksheet

Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

Activities which are teacher-led | Use worksheets as the basis for learning | Student-led using resources other than worksheets

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
4 q  Understand the mood behind Blues lyrics q  Understand how structure in music is labelled with letters (AAB lyric format) q Continue to work effectively in a group

ACTIVITIES
q Starter: as appropriate q Discuss lyrics format and mood q  Continue group work some groups to start writing own lyrics q Tidy away q Plenary: as appropriate

HOMEWORK
q  Fill out project diary

RESOURCES
q History of Blues on powerpoint q Lyrics from previous students work q Piano cards q Easy guitar chords worksheet q Keyboards / guitars / basses q Project diary q Bass guitar worksheet q Blues project worksheet

q  Continue to work effectively in a group in preparation for performance q  Learn how to incorporate improvisation into the Blues q  Understand the terms improvisation and scat singing

q Starter: as appropriate q  Demonstrate the Blues scale and show how to t it into the Blues format q  Continue practical task. Every student to learn to play the Blues scale on piano q Tidy away q Plenary: as appropriate

q  Fill out project diary

q Blues videos q Piano cards q Easy guitar chords worksheet q Keyboards / guitars / basses q Project diary q Bass guitar worksheet q Blues project worksheet q Blues scale worksheet

q  Prepare for recording q Record nal performances

q Starter: as appropriate q Groups rehearse and then record q G  roups that nish rst to start You Have Finished Recording sheet. q Tidy away q Plenary: as appropriate

q C  omplete You Have Finished Recording sheet

q You have Finished Recording sheet q Piano cards q Easy guitar chords worksheet q Keyboards / guitars / basses q Project diary q Bass guitar worksheet q Blues project worksheet q Blues scale worksheet

q Assess nal recordings of Blues

q Starter: as appropriate q L  isten back to each piece complete the Listening Back Chart q F  ill in targets and levels from teacher in planners q Plenary: as appropriate

q None set

q Listening back chart q Audio recordings q Teacher assessment feedback sheets

Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

BLUES SCHEME OF WORK: AFTER

Activities which are teacher-led | Use worksheets as the basis for learning | Student-led using resources other than worksheets

LESSON OBJECTIVES
1 q  To become familiar with the sound of Blues music through listening q To express a preference for a piece of music giving musical reasons q To recognise commonly-used musical instruments and Blues conventions

LEARNING STRATEGIES
1. Whole class warm up 2.  Group work informal listening tasks 3.  Plenary: feedback from listening tasks 1.  Relevant starter (whole class warm up or singing) 2.  Either carousel model or in small groups working through the same objectives 3.  Plenary: revise key terms; mini-performances

HOMEWORK
q  Research an allocated Blues artist minimum of ve facts

2-4

CAROUSEL: q Keywords: chord and triad q  Play at least C triad or one note in time to a backing track using keyboards, or move between chords C, F and G in time, using 1, 2 or 3 note chords. KEYWORDS: PENTATONIC, IMPROVISE: q  Understand how a pentatonic and Blues scale can be used to create a melody, through either: Playing pulse notes of the pentatonic/Blues scale I mprovising using the pentatonic Blues scales and appropriate rhythms in time to the backing track KEYWORDS: AAB STRUCTURE: q Learn to sing/perform to a Blues backing track q Compose appropriate lyrics to suggest a mood in keeping with Blues style q Demonstrate an understanding of the structure of Blues lyrics OPTIONAL: q Add a bass line/drums

q  Complete extended Blues listening question (2 weeks) (LEVELLED) then complete a diary entry for subsequent weeks using NUMU (www.numu.org.uk)

5-6

q  Perform and record as a whole class and workshop the components of the Blues studied applying keywords and exploring how a piece can be structured q  Understand structure in music (AAB lyric format), include head and improvisation in the nal piece

q  Video and record to assess together at the next lesson q  Informal assessment and reection upon performance q Peer assessment q Self assessment

q Evaluate the project

q Assess nal recordings/performances/video q Class discussion and feedback

Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

SCHEME 1: BEFORE
The majority of learning in lesson time is teacher led, or taught through a variety of worksheets which would appeal mostly to aural and visual learners with good literacy and some basic notation reading skills. Homework tasks allow students more opportunity to direct their own learning under headings provided in the project diary. NB as with any SoW teachers are encouraged to deliver content through a range of appropriate strategies. Listening activities within this SoW are limited and there is no evidence of students experiencing any authentic Blues music beyond what they see on the video in the very rst lesson. Other listening tasks include the teacher demonstrating the elements of the Blues that the students will be learning and listening back to completed student work at the end. Integrating performing, listening and improvising This new scheme uses a range of audio, video and written resources so that students can select the best method of learning for themselves. A backing track, based on a 1950s Blues genre, is provided for groups to perform along to. Individual audio tracks for each part in the carousel are broken down into tracks, including bass line, improvising on pentatonic and Blues scales, swing rhythms and lyrics with video tutorials, in addition to worksheets using notation and chord symbols. Written tasks and assessment To t with the requirements of the school assessment policy, one opportunity for a piece of written work that can be levelled using National Curriculum level criteria was included. In this scheme it was an extended listening question based on the students own selection of Blues music. As this was the rst opportunity for students to complete this kind of assignment, no guidance was given beyond the initial setting up of the task, in keeping with the informal nature of the project. In subsequent schemes, feedback, exemplar work and guidance were given once the areas in need of development had been identied. Improvements in attainment have been tracked through the project. NUMU blogs are used to keep an ongoing record of progress made in the project and to encourage self evaluation, reection and describing the activities using relevant musical language. To incorporate formative self and peer assessment into each lesson, levelled tick charts, based on National Curriculum level descriptors, have been developed to be completed by students at the end of each lesson. Often used to prompt group discussion and the opportunity for students to assess each other, these are combined with formative teacher assessments to come to an agreed level for the practical work at the end of the unit. This also ensures that the processes of learning, as well as the outcomes, are assessed.

SCHEME 2: AFTER
Authenticity Groups and practice spaces are named after Blues artists and each space contains an information poster about the relevant artist. Students research their artists background as a homework task and share this information with others (see also informal learning and listening tasks below). Informal learning and listening tasks At the beginning of the project, students are given a selection of recordings on a CD (of the artists the groups are named after) and in their friendship groups are asked to complete a series of tasks. These include: placing each piece into a timeline to emphasise the development of Blues music; multiplechoice tick charts; and comparison questions along the lines of a simplied GCSE question. They are also challenged to choose one extract and complete an extended listening task to identify which elements of the music are typical of the style and why they prefer one above another. Informal learning Students spend a lesson exploring a different component of the Blues using a carousel model with the aim of getting the class together to workshop a Blues piece at the end. They work together to devise their own objectives in each lesson and support learning through peer teaching and sharing of skills.