Pupils to enjoy the sounds of music
Next week is music week for the pupils at Smithton Primary school and all the children will be taking part in workshops and performances featuring traditional and contemporary music and song as well as Samba sounds and foot tapping and hand clapping rhythms from around the world.
The music week starts on Monday with a guitar and drum session led by Martin O’Parka. Martin will be demonstrating how contemporary sounds can be produced on guitars and drums while using computers and giving the children the chance to try their hands at creating their own tunes.
The following day the whole school will be taking part in drumming and piping workshops which will be led by Drum Major Drew Caldwell. Also on Tuesday the P4 and P5 pupils will be transformed into vocalist Margaret Rae’s “Song Squad”, working with her each day throughout the week. In the afternoon everyone will take part in a Ceilidh dance with music performed by acclaimed accordionist David Bowen.
The school will be filled with the sound of singing on Wednesday. Traditional songs will be taught to the P5 pupils by Feis Rois and singer songwriter Craig Robertson will be running sessions throughout the morning for P1 to P7 In the afternoon there will be a chance to enjoy some exotic Latin Americian sounds when pupils and staff from Culloden Academy host a special Samba Workshop.
On Thursday two concerts will give everyone the chance to sit back and enjoy 6th year pupils from Millburn Academy perform as well as listening to musicians play jazz piano, the clarinet and the double bass. Also P1-P3 pupils will be working with Heather Muir to explore the Kodály approach to music education. This is based developing musical skills and teaching musical concepts beginning in very young children. First introduced in Hungry, it uses folk songs, hand signs, pictures, rhythm symbols and syllables.
The week will culminate on Friday when the Brian Mitchell Brass group and the Margaret Rae ‘Song Squad’ pupils give a performance to the whole school. This will be followed by a Celebration Assembly with the various classes performing items they have rehearsed throughout the week.
Since arriving at the school three years ago Headteacher Aileen Mackay has been running an annual themed week. Previous events have included a Fair Trade Week and an International Week.
She is really looking forward to the Music Week and said: “We have managed to create a very full and varied timetable for the week which will give all the children the chance to take part in and learn more about different musical styles and ways of learning. Although we are focussing on music we are using the week to promote the wider key message that if you practice hard at whatever you do you will get the results. We want to try and instil in our pupils the idea that their future ‘success’ in life is down to them and they can do something about it and that by working hard, they’re getting ‘smarter.’
“I would like to thank all the groups and tutors who will be coming along and The Highland Council's Music Development Officer Norman Bolton for his support of the initiative. I am particularly delighted that the senior pupils from Culloden and Millburn Academies will get the chance to work with our pupils and hopefully inspire them to try new experiences.
“The musical theme ties in very well with the Curriculum for Excellence and I am sure all the pupils and staff will all get a lot out of the week.”