New London Orchestra - Adventures in Music

Curriculum Projects: Literacy

Using music as a tool in education as part of the core curriculum

Recent Projects

Following previous successful projects linking music and literacy, the New London Orchestra has designed a new week-long project for Year 6 pupils which uses music to enhance learning in literacy and to explore the themes of transition and change, reflecting the pupils’ imminent departure from school.

This project ran in the summer of 2009. Pupils participated in four workshops in which they will reflected upon their time at primary school and explore their hopes for the future. Poems were written and set to music, farewell songs composed, all of which were put together in a performance for peers, parents and teachers at the end of the project.

"One of the most gratifying things is when the children begin to come up with their own ideas and offerings, and these began to pour forth on this last day. It takes time to build trust and familiarity and this often starts to happen as we come to the end of our time in a school" - Lucy, Musician

History

We have delivered Music & Literacy programmes in Southwark, Hammersmith & Fulham and Tower Hamlets since 2004 and worked with the Institute of Education on evaluating those projects.

The borough of Tower Hamlets has a very high number of school children with English as an Additional Language (EAL), who are especially likely to benefit from projects of this kind.

The project content was devised by members of the Orchestra working closely with education advisers from the borough in which we were working. Pairs of musicians then led the workshops in which the links between music and words were explored. Activities also included composing songs and soundscapes, and creating graphic scores.

"The teachers present seemed astounded at how well Yr 6 had foccussed and committed themselves to their performance, and how much they had achieved in 3 sessions.Well done all of you!!" - Carolyn, Musician