Blog

We are joined today by our guest blogger Paul, a musician in residence who has been working with the Music Club. The club meets every Thursday after school, and the children who attend are supported by staff including trained musicians in order to focus on creating music. Children discover ways to make different sounds, developing the skills and confidence they need to have control over their environment, and learn to produce sounds either individually or by working with others. As well as contributing to the self-expression and wellbeing of students, it is a major source of fun and achievement.

Afterschool Music Club uses percussion instruments to make it an inclusive session that everyone can be involved in regardless of musical ability.  Students come along at the end of the school day each Thursday to share in collective music making either by playing along, singing, dancing or simply listening to the sounds created.

School pupil Harrison has been coming to Afterschool Music Club for a long time and enjoys sitting in the group and listening to the sounds created by staff and students using the array of percussion instruments available for use.  Sometimes the sessions can be loud and bustling but sometimes we have quieter smaller groups and it was in one such group that Harrison and I stumbled across a happy accident which delighted us both! We were exploring the large sound box which produces a lovely sound when struck.  By resting Harrisons chair against the box while it is being played the vibrations can be felt right through the frame of the chair.  I accidently placed a tambourine on top of it which made a lovely rattling sound when the sound box was struck and Harrison was delighted by this so we immediately developed this into a little tune and sang along to him while playing along.  His laughter and hearing him sing was the perfect end to the day!

The gateways to music can be planned or can be purely accidental and we’re open to both at the Afterschool music club!