Our Learning
Music @MNS
Music at Miramar North School takes on many different faces depending on the changing circumstances we are in. During Covid, we went online and gave up singing in favour of delving into the musical concepts and elements through a range of cultural games. Debs, (a registered music teacher specialising in teaching music to groups of children) works throughout the school one day a week offering a wide range of musical experiences and covering as many classes as she can.
In Rimu, our junior children have a chance to explore the musical elements of dynamics, tempo, pitch, timbre, beat, rhythm and form through a very hands-on programme of singing, listening, playing, moving, creating, and notating. We have a lot of fun exploring and making music together.
In Kowhai our 7 and 8-year-olds apply these musical building blocks by singing and playing together in bands and choir. There are opportunities to learn recorder and ukulele as well and we provide our own accompaniment in our popular concerts and productions for the whole whanau.
We continue to refine these skills in Pohutukawa -Years 5 and 6, by playing instruments together, singing in parts, moving to music, using GarageBand, composition and practising to develop our musical minds. Artsplash, Kiwileles, Kapa Haka, WOW Shows, Multicultural Concert, Grandparents Concert, recording music, and assemblies all provide opportunities for children to practise their musical performance skills.
As a school we gather together to learn and practise for different events, giving our students a sense of belonging and a vision of what they can aspire to. All the music is taught within a historical and cultural context, adding a rich perspective to this learning. We recognise the benefits that music has when developing neural pathways, memory and wellbeing and support this belief by continuing to fund a music teacher on our staff.
Music with Debs
