Active participation in musical games and in other pleasurable musical experiences is fundamental to the child’s acquisition of musical knowledge, understanding and skill. The curriculum emphasises active responses and music-making at all levels. This enables the student to gain first-hand experience of what it means to be a listener, performer, and composer in the world of music.
Curriculum content is outlined for each of the four levels, and it is important that each strand unit and sub-unit is explored each year to ensure continuity, depth and breadth in the programme. The strands and strand units offer teachers a sequenced, comprehensive programme on which to base the teaching and learning of music in the classroom. The music curriculum is based on the philosophy of sound before symbols. Added to this is the belief that musical knowledge is best acquired through moving from the known (e.g. knowing the melody and words of a song) to the unknown (e.g. the isolation and naming of the rhythm patterns within the song), from the simple to the complex, and from an experience (e.g. clapping in time) to a conscious understanding of that experience (e.g. an understanding of pulse). In this respect simple tunes learned through imitation in the early stages, ranging from two notes to five notes (pentatonic), can be useful in exploring rhythmic and melodic features in later classes.
Within the strand units and subunits examples and suggestions of possible approaches are included in italic type. Teachers may choose from among these and similar suggestions from other sources to devise a plan of Listening and responding, Performing and Composing activities to match the needs of their pupils while preserving a balance between Irish music and music of other cultures, styles and times.
The choice of content will be determined by the previous musical experiences and needs of the children. At times, these may best be accommodated through attempting the content suggestions given for an earlier level, rather than those recommended for their particular age group. The pace at which the children move through these early stages will vary, but while older children may be able to understand the theory more easily, it is important that an appropriate sequence of development is maintained. This is of vital importance in the area of musical literacy, where the translation of ‘sticks’ and ‘blobs’ on lines and spaces into musical rhythms and melodies is as important as the theoretical understanding.
This plan will cover the nature and extent of music in the school, recognizing the social and cultural environment, the varying needs of the children and the available resources. Given that the music curriculum is closely linked with other arts subjects and integrated with other areas of the curriculum, the class teacher is the most appropriate person to teach the music programme. The school plan will acknowledge the many activities in the music curriculum that may be organised successfully without the need for specialist knowledge, while allowing for additional support from colleagues, parents, local music groups and audiovisual resources where these are appropriate.
Assessment, as in other areas of the curriculum, is an integral part of teaching and learning in music. The section on assessment outlines how a range of assessment techniques can enrich the learning experience of the child and provide useful information for teachers, parents, and others.
Integration is an important principle of the curriculum. Engaging Students in activities that encompass a number of objectives from different strands or from different subject areas is an effective means of teaching. Integrated themes can be highly motivating and satisfying for children and are particularly useful in multi-class situations. In the music curriculum, links within music itself are referred to as linkage, while connections that occur between music and other subject areas are described as integration.
Language is such a universal influence in the teaching and learning process in music that particular examples of how various content objectives may be integrated with language are not signalled in the music curriculum. The teacher uses language, whether Irish, English, or another Introduction to music.
The music curriculum comprises three strands:
This strand emphasises the importance of purposeful, active listening in order to elicit physical, verbal, emotional and cognitive responses. It gradually builds on the experience of earlier classes by providing the student with opportunities to listen to a range of familiar and unfamiliar musical pieces, by focusing on a widening range of sound sources and by challenging the student to respond imaginatively with increasing precision and musical sensitivity.
This strand dwells on the importance of using the voice, the first and most accessible instrument for the student, both for the sheer enjoyment of performance and as a means through which musical skills may be expanded. Song singing is a vital aspect of the child’s early musical development. Students learn first to perform simple songs through listening to and imitating others. Young children also enjoy improvising their own chants and tunes on homemade instruments, musical toys or ‘found’ sound sources. These early compositions are valuable musical experiences and help the student to become sensitive to musical expression. As confidence grows, the student’s repertoire should be expanded to include songs and tunes with a wider range of notes, Irish songs and songs of different cultures, styles and traditions. As independence and competence develop, the student will also enjoy the experience of simple part work, ranging from performing a simple ostinato (repeated pattern) or drone to the addition of a second part (higher or lower) towards the end of sixth class. The development of musical literacy is closely linked with the song singing programme in the early stages and is expanded through playing simple melodic instruments. In the music curriculum, literacy is explored through its two main components, rhythm and pitch. It occurs in response to a need to record or recall a musical experience—a rhythm pattern, a melody, or an entire song—rather than being considered as a set of isolated skills. Opportunities to demonstrate growing confidence and understanding in making music using other music sources are afforded in the strand unit ‘Playing instruments’. At first the student performs on tuned and untuned percussion instruments and later experiences melodic instruments (for example tin whistle or recorder). The child is encouraged to perform both from memory and from simple notation.
This strand seeks to develop the child’s creativity and uniqueness, first and foremost by providing an avenue for self-expression. In the strand unit ‘Improvising and creating’ the child selects and sequences material from the range of sound sources available. This involves the student in listening and in deciding which source best suits the purpose and best captures the essence of what he/she wants to communicate or portray. Finally, the Student is given opportunities to evaluate the composing process and to record his/her work in the strand unit ‘Talking about and recording compositions’.
Musical activities are suggested within each strand unit that enable the student to develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the inter-related elements of music (pulse, duration, tempo, pitch, dynamics, structure, timbre, texture and style) and to grow in musical understanding. Young Students should not be expected to articulate these elements; rather, they should be guided towards showing their understanding through singing and moving. As children mature and develop they may reach a more conscious understanding of musical concepts, at which point the teacher may introduce the terms.