Music

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

Falcons School offers an inspiring and creative music programme for all of our pupils. Pupils have one hour of Music a week, developing skills in singing and instrumental performance, ensemble participation, music technology, composing, analysing, theory and music history. The School is dedicated to making music accessible for all pupils, regardless of their prior musical knowledge or abilities, and provides opportunities for each individual to succeed, develop in confidence and enjoy the gift of music.

Singing is a much loved part of school life at Falcons. Pupils enjoy regularly participating in music assemblies, concerts and celebrations, and weekly rehearsals in our choirs. Pupils develop correct singing technique, the ability to sing in harmony, and a passion for expressing themselves musically from a young age.

Falcons School celebrates the achievements of gifted and talented pupils and has successfully supported pupils on their musical journey to gain 11+ Music Scholarships and places in the London Youth Choir, National Youth Choir and Pro Corda string ensemble.

Early Years

Early Years’ music is a colourful and energetic exploration of beat and sound. Pupils sing, play tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments and dance to a wide variety of songs, from much loved folk tunes to creative vocal exploration activities. Pupils develop a firm foundation of pitch and beat skills whilst learning introductory vocabulary for pitch, tempo, rhythm and dynamics. EYFS perform a nativity musical for Christmas and participate in school performances such has the Harvest, Christmas and graduation celebrations.

Years 1-3

In Years 1-3, pupils are introduced to the instruments of the orchestra, exploring the enchanting world of Tchaikovsky’s ballets by listening, playing instruments, dancing and singing. We explore musical storytelling, characterisation and timbre in Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and compose our own melodies for different characters. Pupils develop a thorough knowledge of Kodaly’s rhythmic syllables and solfège and can recognise and compose rhythms and melodies of their own. Year 3 finish off the year with an energetic and exciting rap unit where they write, sing, play and dance to their own class rap song.

Years 4-6

Music in Years 4-6 gives pupils a chance to find their own voice and extend their musical skills to a high level in composition and performance, and analyse the Seven Elements of Music. Pupils enjoy performing in the end of year musical production (Matilda 2022, Shrek 2023) as well as class units such as Year 4’s instrument making, Year 5’s ensemble recording and film clip of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and Year 6’s African Drumming. Pupils explore the genres of Latin music, Hip-Hop, Jazz, world music and study great works from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras.

During the course of the year, pupils partake in Music lessons in the school’s ‘Creation Station’, a dedicated and inspiring space for ICT and Music Technology. Music Technology is an exciting and accessible way to help pupils unleash their creativity and achieve their musical potential. Composing and recording skills are extended when arranging pieces and developing jingles in fun projects such as the Year 5 animation soundscapes unit and Year 6 television commercials unit.

Click here for further information about our music clubs and annual performances.