Good morning from Mr Allinson,
This term has been a very busy one for music at St Mark’s! Please see below for an update on what your childs class has been doing, but firstly I want to share some information about the Music Education Islington: Music Centre. This is a fantastic opportunity for your child to learn an instrument. On Monday after school we take children to the music centre at AMSI. They take part in group lessons, play in an ensemble and learn about general musicianship. They run a musicianship course for Year 2s, and from Year 3 upwards children can learn an instrument of their choice. We would love to take more children to the music centre so if you are interested, please have a read of the following link and let Mr Allinson know. Free places are also available.
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/children-and-young-people/music-education-islington/music-centres
Updates:
The choir will once again be attending the Young Voices concert at the 02 in January. They have been practicing very hard and performed a song in assembly on Monday 20th. Thank you for your support if your child is in the choir and you have signed up to the Musicroom for home practice.
Rock Club have been learning how to play John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’. We hope to perform in assembly after half term with a special guest vocalist, Mrs Bearfoot.
Year 6 have worked really hard with their bucket drumming, culminating in a performance in assembly. They performed ‘Pompeii’ by Bastille which has 5 separate rhythms/beats in a complicated structure. Well done Year 6.
Our Year 5 have been building a whole class composition based on Hans Zimmer’s ‘Earth’. We hope to perform it in assembly after half term when its finished.
Year 4 have started learning the violin with our brilliant professional violinist, Ricardo.
Year 3 have been learning basic Ukulele chords and they have done really well. For Black History Month we have learnt about “Little” Laura Dukes, a ukulele player from Memphis and we have learnt her song ‘Crawdad’.
Year 2 have been learning how we can use our voices differently and rapping. We also made a hip hop drum beat on Garageband which they really enjoyed. Finally we tried improvising clapping rhythms to a hip hop backing track.
Year 1 have been doing some really tricky group work where one half of the class keeps a steady pulse whilst the other plays a rhythm.
Reception have got to try out some of our instruments like the keyboards, boomwhackers, glockenspiel and some percussion instruments. They have also been learning songs like ‘This Little Light of Mine’. A great start to the year.
Nursery and our 2 year old class have been singing lots of songs and using our voices expressively. Our repertoire is growing rapidly!
If you have any questions about music, or want your child to be more involved with our music offering at St Mark’s, please speak to me, Mr Allinson. I am in school on a Monday and Tuesday.
Thank you,
Mr Allinson