At St. Joseph’s we believe a well-rounded musical education can contribute to musical excellence and much more besides.  We are very proud that our achievements to date have been recognised by Hertfordshire Music Service and that they have recommended us to receive a Music Mark Award.

Through our specially tailored Music Curriculum, we intend to inspire a life-long love of music and the curiosity to continue developing their musical skills and learning to the best of their ability. 

In curriculum music lessons children learn to play percussion instruments, including chime bars.  During Key Stage 2 children begin learning to play the ukulele.  Children learn to read musical notation and perform a wide range of melodies and also compose their own music.  If you scroll down, you can view a selection of recordings and video recordings from our lessons.  

We listen to and discuss works by the “Great” composers and others, including Florence Price, Fela Sowande, William Grant-Still and many more.  We want to inspire children to begin playing a musical instrument and compose their own music.  Maybe one day some of our students will work in the music industry. 

Our goal for Music education is that children are able to:

• perform with confidence, using their voices and playing a variety of musical instruments.
• develop their creativity through composition and improvisation activities.
• appreciate music from many diverse countries and cultures.
• move onto the next stage of their musical education with the relevant musical vocabulary, skills, knowledge and understanding.
• evaluate work and performances and suggest possible improvements.
• learn useful skills such as problem-solving, perseverance and team-work through musical activities.
• gain an awareness of others, acceptance and tolerance of other people’s viewpoints or preferences.

We believe it is important for children to have as many meaningful musical experiences as possible, to enable them to find out which kinds of music they enjoy performing or listening to most.  Music can be used for enjoyment and relaxation and can contribute to good mental wellbeing.  We aim to give all children opportunities to fulfil and even exceed the curriculum expectations for music, regardless of their background, gender or SEND status. 

We are very proud to have recently been awarded Silver Artsmark accreditation by Arts Council England.  It is a testament to our hard work and the quality of our Music provision.

If your child is in Year 4, 5 or 6 and is not already learning a musical instrument in school, we have some spaces for Flute lessons.  If you would like more information or to register for lessons, you can follow the link below to sign up with Hertfordshire Music Service.  Lessons will take place within school hours, at school.

Learning an instrument is fun, and can teach many useful skills for life, such as perseverance, teamwork and problem solving and many, many more.

You can apply to have lessons by clicking on the blue "Sign up for music lessons and ensembles" tab and completing the form.

If you wish to have lessons on another instrument, it may be worth checking what is available at The Broxbourne Music Centre, also available by visiting the Hertfordshire Music Service website.

After playing the two-note melody by ear, Year 3 went on to compose their own melodies using just tow notes.  I am so proud of the way they approached this most tricky of challenges.  Please enjoy hearing some of their pieces below.

Year 5 have learned about syncopated rhythms.  They sang a song which included some syncopated rhythms and then tried playing it on the chime bars.  It is a very difficult challenge to play it accurately.  We have performed only one line of the song each.  If you ask, they may be able to sing you the entire song so you know how well they performed.

Year 3 learned a song with two pitches in.  their next challenge was to work out how to play it....without and musical notation to help them.  It was a very tricky challenge, but they did a really good job.  Playing "by ear" is a useful skill for a musician and the children in year 3 have made a excellent beginning.

Year 5 learned some tricky rhythms with semiquavers in.  Then they combined them into a rhythm ensemble.  

Next, they added a melodic ostinato pattern.

Year 6 have been learning to play melodies on the chime bars and ukulele.

Precision in notes and rhythms is difficult to achieve, but they made a fantastic job of it.

Year 5 composed Call & response songs inspired by the ocean and the planets.

Year 4 played an accompaniment for a song that needed two chords - F major and C major.  It takes a lot of practice to be able to switch accurately between the two chords.  Great work.

Year 2  learned a call and response song and then worked out how to play their response phrase on the chime bars.  The big challenge was performing it at the same time!  What excellent effort boys and girls!

Year 3 had a lot of fun creating their own words and actions inspired by Antarctica.  They watched a piece by Anna Meredith called "No Place Like..."  and then created their own musical cacophony.

Year 6 used the first verse of a poem about trains by George Savige to create a call & response performance.  They had to compose their own "response" phrase using train-like sounds.

Year 5 enjoyed using the Song Maker app from Chrome Music Lab.  Enjoy listening to their creations!  

Year 1 have been learning about pitch.  They have been learning to play the chime bars in their music lesson.

Year 3 have learned a melody on the ukulele, which uses a fingered" note for the first time.  Adding a finger on a string changes the pitch of the note.

I was very proud to see how hard everyone tried and was very impressed with how fast they learned.  Well done year 3.

Year 6 got creative with Chrome Music Lab.

Here are just a few of their creations using the Songmaker app.

Year 4 had to work out how to play a 3-note song on chime bars.  They discovered three different sets of notes on which they could play it.  Some pairs got very creative and used more than one version within their performances.

Year 3 interpreted a graphic score and composed music for a Roman road.

See if you can hear the different layers.

Year 4 learned a melody that uses three "fingered" notes, including a high C, which we had not attempted before.

Super effort everyone.

Year 3 performed a melody on the Ukulele open strings. 

Year 5 transformed song lyrics into raps and performed them.  Good teamwork everyone!

Year 6 created raps using words written by Sue Nicholls.

Year 2 composed and performed a soundscape about flying.  See if you can hear the plane taking off; travelling smoothly; running into turbulance and then landing safely.  

Please note: there is no picture on this video.

Year 5 completed a music lesson based on the Greek Myth about King Midas.  They learned a call and response chant and created an accompaniment for it.  

Year 5 learned a song about King Midas .... and then played it on the Ukulele.  There were some very tricky rhythms in this song but we worked very hard to try to master them - well done everyone.

Year 2 learned a song from Nigeria.  It means "may your day be filled with happiness."

Year 4 composed call & response chants inspired by Rainforest animals.  They wrote their own lyrics and performed them with their partners.  Good work everyone!

Year 1 made a soundscape based on a song about the Great Big Woods.  See if you can hear the bees; squirrel; woodpecker; birds and the owl.  

Please note: there is no picture on this video.

Year 4 performed a poem from a story about Mowgli in the jungle.  "Enemies are everywhere!"

Year 5 had lots of fun turning information about Henry VIII's six wives into a performance.

Year 4 have been using chrome Music Lab to experiment with composition.  We used the Song Maker app to compose our own repeating patterns.

Year 2 read the story of The Sun and the Wind and learned a song for each of the characters.  We wanted to share them with you.  The children made up their own actions to fit with the song words.  You can see how much we are enjoying performing together.

Year 3 learned to play another melody on open strings on the Ukulele.  

Year 4 enjoyed learning a new piece on the Recorder.  It is from Razzamajazz and is called "Pineapple Punch".

Year 3 continue to improve on the recorder.  This week's melody is called "B B Blues" and comes from the amazing Recorder Boppers series.  Good work everyone!

Year 5 have been improving their Ukulele skills.  We learned a song called "Pavans and Pageantry" and learned to play the melody on the Ukulele.  It needs some intricate fingerwork and fingered notes.  Fantastic work year 5!

Year 3 have also been working hard on their Ukulele playing.  They learned a melody that uses open strings and performed.  Here are just a few of their performances.  Super work Year 3!

Year 6 have been studying Blues songs and have created their own lyrics to fit the 12-bar Blues chords.  Enjoy! 

Year 4 were very excited to continue learning the recorder this year.  It takes a lot of effort and perseverance to play the more challenging pieces.  Good effort everyone.

Year 2 have been improving their performance skills.  We learned a song and then worked out how to play it on chiime bars.  Here are just a few performances for you to enjoy.

Year 3 are enjoying their First Access Recorder lessons.  So far we have learned to breathe gently into our recorders and how to play the note B.  Here is our first song - it is called Glory B!

A visit from Perform

We were very pleased to receive a visit from Perform a few weeks ago. The children had a wonderfully energetic time exploring the theme of Around The World and using drama, dance and singing to help develop their confidence, concentration and social skills.

Perform run regular weekly classes in the local area and they are offering a special introductory discount to all parents of St Josephs Primary if they come along for a free trial session before Tuesday 17th October - i.e. just over one week's time.

To claim your discount, just call Perform on 020 7255 9120 quoting BRBD171023 or visit perform.org.uk to find out more.

Year 5 learned a new song, added actions and then experimented with different ostinato accompaniments.

Please note, the second video has no picture.

It has been a very busy start to the year in our music lessons at St. Joseph's.  We have enjoyed singing together and have been remembering all that we have learned so far about playing instruments and composing.  To see a little of what we have been up to so far, please scroll down and watch the videos.  Check back next week for further updates.

Year 1 have learned about the pulse and how to play various percussion instruments.  You can see us accompanying a song called Old Mr Woodpecker with wood blocks.

Year 4 have been composing their own Rainforest animal rhythms.  Everyone chose an animal and thought about the number of syllables in the words.  Then they had to find a rhythmic way to say it and work out the musical notation that would describe it.

Year 5 have worked hard on their strumming technique for the Ukulele.  They also had to "de-code" some musical notation and learn how to play a song on the chime bars.

Year 6 have got the Blues....but in a good way!  So far they have fallen in love with Blues music and learned about the 12-bar Blues chord sequence.  They have played the chord sequence on chime bars and Ukulele.

Year 5 have composed music to represent a plant growing.  Listen and see if you can hear the shoots sprouting and leaves and flowers developing gradually as the music unfolds.

Year 3 were experimenting with chime bar harmony - playing two notes at the same time.  They studied the Greek myth about Pandora's box and used hope as their inspiration for a chime bar composition.

Year 6 have been learning about minimalist music.  We listened to a piece by Steve Reich and then used the ideas to compose our own minimalist music.  Enjoy the slightly hypnotic performances.  

Today we hosted a singing celebration for Hertfordshire Music Service.  We were joined by children from Four Swannes school and Kirsty from the Music Service to learn some new songs and some rhythm games.  The children had a great time singing together.  Thank you to everyone who joined us this afternoon.

Year 5 had an interesting challenge in their music lessons this week.  They were given a choice of poems about springtime and had to turn it into a rap or a song.  We had some very creative performances.

Year 4 have been learning about Samba and polyrhythms.  We really enjoyed a game using call & response phrases and then composed food rhythms.  See if you can hear these patterns: "Big mac, big mac, chicken nuggets too!"  and "Haribo and maoam are the best."

Year 1 learned a pentatonic melody from China and then learned two different ostinato patterns to accompany their singing.  They worked really hard to concentrate on playing their ostinato pattern without being distracted by other parts.  Some children are even able to sing and play at the same time!  

Year 2 learned a song which uses three different pitches.  After we sang it, we learned how to play it on the chime bars.  We even looked at the musical notation which belongs to us to help guide our performance.

Year 3 have been learning about the Theseus and the Minotaur.  We imagined the fight in the labyrinth and improvised some music to accompany it.  See if you can hear the darkness; the Minotaur and Theseus in these performances.

Year 5 have been playing the ukulele.  They learned how to play D (3B) and F (2G) and used them to perform a melody about a a little seed.  Super effort.

Year 4 have really enjoyed composing their own animal music.  They started by writing word rhythms and notating them and then extended them into songs by adding pitch.  Today they performed their melodies on their own choice of chime bars or ukulele.

Super work everyone!

Year 3 have been learning about ancient Greek plays.  We learned about the Greek "chorus", which would tell the story as it unfolded.  They were given some lyrics and had to interpret them in their own unique style, while making it as exciting and effective as possible.  Enjoy these performances.

Year 4 had a big challenge this week.  We learned some rhythm patterns that fitted with the four stages of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection and built them up into a four-part rhythm ensemble.  It is tricky to sustain a rhythm, without being confused by the other parts, but they did a fantastic job.

Year 3 have been making excellent progress with their Ukulele playing.  They learned a song about the Greek gods and then performed it on the Ukulele.

It is always lovely to hear children performing.  I always feel that once you can play a particular melody (that everyone will recognise) on an instrument, you have achieved something.

Please enjoy.

Year 5 made the first verse of a poem by Paul Perro into a Viking rap.  They had to fit it to a backing rhythm and remember that rapping requires rhythm, attitude and expression.

Year 6 have been challenging themselves and learned a melody that uses dotted notes.  We decoded the musical notation and then chose to perform on either chime bars or Ukulele.

Year 4 have been composing.  They have written a short melody for open string Ukulele.  Here are some of their very impressive melodies.

Year 3 learned to sing a round in their music lesson this week.  It is about a volcano with a very tricky name: Popecatepetl, which is in Mexico.

Please note: there is no picture on this video.

Year 2 have been getting creative in their music lessons and have composed a Lion soundscape.  We thought about different characteristics of lions, such as sharp teeth and claws; soft fur and long tail.  Then we thought of sounds and instruments we could use to describe these characteristics.  Then we performed our music.  Some children conducted our performances, choosing which order each group should play in and then finishing with all the instruments playing together.  Each of the three videos below has a different conductor - see if you can hear the differences.

Please note: there are no pictures on these videos.

Year 6 have been composing.  Here are some of their pieces.

Year 1 loved watching Michel Rosen perform "We're going on a Bear Hunt" in their music lesson.  We though of a symbol to represent each obstacle on the journey and then created body percussion and vocal sounds for each one.  We thought about dynamics, tempo and pitch in our performance.

Please note: there is no picture on this video.

In September Year 3 began learning to play the Recorder in "First Access" lessons, which are funded by Hertfordshire Music Service.  Today we really enjoyed performing "Walking Talking Robot" - it might be our favourite piece so far.  See if you can hear what the robot is saying...

Year 1 have enjoyed listening to the story of the Great Fire of London on BBC Schools Radio broadcasts.  They have learned some fantastic songs to go with it and even composed their own body percussion and vocal soundscape about the fire.You might hear the sticks catching fire and then the flames getting higher; the people throwing items into the river to save them from the fire and maybe the poor pigeons whose wings caught fire.  (Please note: there is no picture for this video.)

Year 6 learned to play the melody for Frere Jacques on chime bars.  Some of us were even confident enough to perform it as a round!

Year 5 tackled a tricky rhythm activity in their music lesson.  We thought about sustaining two patterns at the same time and then used Loki (a Viking god) as our inspiration.  Loki is a shape-shifter, which means he can transform.  We tried to make changes to our patterns to represent his different forms.

Year 6 have continued to be inspired by the 12-bar Blues.  Here are some of the pieces they composed after learning the 12-bar Blues chord sequences.