5 minute read
MUSIC
Advertisement
We began our journey this year by introducing The Sherborne Way and exploring the piano. Understanding the time values, the shapes and the importance of the treble and bass clef were highlighted with our pupils. Many pupils were excited to learn that music is a language and this was reinforced by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Grade 1 theory workbook. EYFS were greeted with nursery rhymes within the music lessons and explored many high and low sounds. They were also excited about playing many different instruments. We learned about the keyboard and what the shape of our hands should be. Further excitement grew when we drew the treble and bass clef. The Year 1 production was another virtual event and pupils were introduced to the green screen. We understood the importance of looking into the camera and projecting our voices. Year 2 enjoyed playing the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the keyboard and were introduced to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. The Grand Staff was also an important part of the music lessons.
The children in Year 3 and 4 have spent a great deal of their year extending their knowledge and understanding of music notation and putting this into practice through learning to play the recorder. The children have learnt the correct hand and finger positions and are developing their ability to control the sound of the instrument. Many children have chosen to accelerate their progress by participating in our Recorder Karate scheme in their free time. Both year groups used the online learning period to study the various families of instruments and 3M were lucky enough to be able to look at and listen to an oud when one of the pupils brought her instrument in to show us.
Years 5 and 6 were also introduced to ‘share your skills’ as part of The Sherborne Way and had the chance to share their artistic skills. They enjoyed the process of using the microphone and led their own presentations. Pupils also had an opportunity to record their peers using our professional camera. Many of our pupils continued to learn an instrument through our one-to-one music programme and achieved great results with the ABRSM and Rock School examinations. They took part in virtual music recitals and also performed for their peers.
This year also brought many new affiliations and we are proud to have had the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and Sherborne Qatar joining together to tell the story of Peter and the Wolf. Pupils had the honour of playing with the orchestra and sharing the story. Nawaal Latif said, ‘It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed playing with the Orchestra’. Henry O’Keefe also commented on how amazing it was to play Peter in the story and said, ‘I loved wearing Mr Sarwar’s, Yorkshire hat’.
The very first Ramadan Nasheed was also sung by the pupils and a lovely comment from one of the parents was, ‘Thanks for connecting our children to the Master of all creation through the medium of music and the most celebrated poem of our tradition!’
A World Cup Song for the FIFA 2022 competition was composed to commemorate this event and recorded in one of the amazing stadiums in Qatar. The pupils sang the chorus and collaborated with artists from the UK.
To inspire our pupils further, we have also created new and innovative learning environments. These include: • A recording studio where pupils can record songs, narrate stories, produce their own music and understand the science behind sound; • A Green Room designed for pupils to understand the visual elements and how to use a professional recording camera; • A Video Editing Suite in which pupils can edit their creations; • A Drama / Dance studio to develop dance and ballet.
Pupils at Sherborne Qatar Prep will now have the opportunity to excel further in performing arts and understand the importance of technology. In addition, our music classrooms have been reinvented to stimulate more creativity.
The Music Department would like to thank all the staff, parents, pupils and the extended Sherborne community for continuing to support the department. We look forward to inspiring the next generation of musicians. Razwan Sarwar Head of music
