End-of-year event

by LINDA ZAMBON
    School sections
    • Primary
    Educational subjects
    • Choir
    • Instrumental practice
    • Music, Rhythm and movement
    • Aural skills (Ear training)
    • Composition
    • Theatre/music
    • Music and technologies

End-of-year event

This project took its cue from a request by the School Principal that the fifth-year primary school class prepare a public end-of-year event for their classmates in other classes: time available – one month. 
 
As a first step, a brainstorming session was carried out with the students, during which various hypotheses were launched. They were then divided into groups and each individual could choose who to join, but also whether to work on an idea of his/her own or jointly with others. 
 
At the end of this phase, the teacher documented the activity by recording all the performances of the students who, one at a time, described how the work had gone in the groups and what ideas had emerged, in conjunction with relevant justifications. 
 
There were two strict rules: to listen without interruption and to listen without judging. 
 
Subsequently, everyone could say what had particularly struck him/her, but they always spoke about themselves, never judging the work of others. 
 
Having chosen the activities to be developed, the groups began a work of investigation, development and attention to detail: in this phase they alternated individual and collective sessions, continuous self-assessment and reflection on what had been done, endeavouring to develop their aesthetic sense. 
 
Finally: realization of the scenery and general rehearsals, considering the movements, presence of scenery, amplification of the voice, stage management and timings. 
 
Important prerequisites were the activities carried out by the class teacher in previous years: Brain Gym and elements of Educational Kinesiology (Ruth Schmid Firenze, Monica Martina Torre Pellice), creation of a mandala using a compass and goniometer (Bortolato method), mind maps (Matteo Salvo), peace education projects (Living Peace International). 

Work tools

Paper and pen, smartphone, musical instruments, pencil sharpeners, card, markers, rulers, compass and goniometer, peace dice, books, computers, USB memory stick, Internet connection, amplification system. 

Educational purposes

The skills, goals and training objectives selected by the teacher for this experience are shown below.

Competences
    Listening
    • Sound perception
    • Interpretation
    Production
    • Execution
    • Improvisation
    • Composition
    Reading and Writing
    • Use of unconventional analogic music notation
GOALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCES [...]
    Primary
    Listening
    • Learning to listen to oneself and to the others
    • Exploring, identifying and elaborating sound phenomena on the basis of quality, space and source
    Production
    • Exploring different expressive capacities of voice, musical objects and musical instruments
    • Producing timbre, melodic and rhythmic combinations applying basic schemes; executing them with the voice, the body and instruments (including IT tools).
    • Improvising freely and creatively gradually learning to master techniques and materials
    • Playing, alone or in group, simple vocal or instrumental pieces of music belonging to different genres and cultures, using also didactic instruments and self-made tools.
    Reading and Writing
    • Using analog and codified notation
Educational targets

Music education objectives 
LISTENING 
The students:  
- Can distinguish sounds by timbre. 
- Can give meaning to sound/music, words and gestures. 
- Understand key musical concepts. 
- Are able to listen in an active and participatory way. 
 
PRODUCTION 
The students:  
- Can play an existing musical piece. 
- Can produce music extemporaneously, on the basis of a predefined blank page or shared rules. 
- Can express musical ideas. 
 
PERFORMANCE 
The students:  
- Can use reading and writing skills, also resorting to non-conventional notation codes. 
- Can design and follow a list of songs. 
- Refine their own vocal and/or instrumental technique. 
- Refine their aesthetic sense. 
 
Other educational objectives 
The students:  
- Can express and communicate to others, emotions, feelings, and arguments through verbal and non-verbal language. 
- Integrate their musical skills with other knowledge and other artistic practices. 
- Can listen to and understand narratives, know how to reason on language, recognize and experience the plurality of languages, develop creativity and imagination. 
- Can recognize difficulties and use strategies to overcome them. 
- Acquire relational skills. 
- Increase their self-esteem. 
- Can implement flexibility and self-control. 
- Can develop creative thinking and critical thinking. 
- Can make decisions and solve problems. 
- Acquire life skills. 

Community

Commenti inseriti
Slide "End-of-year event "
Presentazione della buona pratica Download
Approfondimenti
Bibliografia Download
Link utili Download