"Music should be at the heart of every Early Years' curriculum..."

In this article, I am sharing one of the recent musical highlights I experienced as part of some face-to-face training I was delivering. It reaffirmed everything I believe music, in all its forms, can offer to not only young developing children, but all the adults around them too. I hope it fills you with the same heartwarming feelings of optimism and positivity as it did me while I was actually taking part in it.?

You may, or may not know, that one of the current projects Musicbuds is involved in as a consulting partner is called ‘Musical Exchanges’, under the auspices of Derby & Derbyshire Music Partnership, funded in part by Youth Music, and led by by Ju and Vicki Brown (- two of the most inspirational, organised and efficient professionals I have ever met).?

Put quite simply, the project is exactly what it says on the box - it supports Early years’ teachers and schools in providing their young children with a range of quality musical experiences, based on the premise that by encouraging, modelling, and noticing a variety of musical exchanges between all the participants, so the learning environment, and all within it, benefit from, as one participant put it; “...the power of music”.

The project started in 2023 (and runs through to 2025), and our most recent meeting was to bid a fond farewell to the initial cohort of schools and EY teachers, and to welcome the second cohort in. Although there was magic happening right throughout the day, with both groups of professionals, there were so many special, uplifting and affirming moments as we listened to the feedback from the participants of Cohort One.?

Before we get to those, I’ll briefly tell you about the premise of the project:?

Each participating school has the opportunity to work with TWO expert EY music leaders simultaneously over the course of a series of weeks. These experienced and inspirational musicians take the time to model a variety of musical interactions and experiences with the children, both within and where possible, outside the setting too. The EYs teachers then continue to provide these, or similar, musical interactions, in ways that suit themselves and their settings on the days between the specialists visits, and they take the time to make a note of the musical interactions that happen at these points.

The teachers, as part of the project, are required to make musical resources available to the children, and then to note and record the types and numbers of musical exchanges that take place within their environment. This could be as simple as witnessing a child begin to vocalise the sounds they hear around them, to as complicated as extending a rhythmical exchange between the children themselves. The fact that the feedback was so positively affirming is testament to (i) the incredible project planning that went on ahead of time, and (ii) the quality, musical integrity and all-round enthusiasm of the hand-picked music leaders involved. No wonder these interim results are just so brilliant!?

Obviously an article such as this is not the place to describe the feedback in depth (much as I’d like to!), but I’d love to share just a few comments from the different schools with you, because they really did make my heart glow. Even though I know deeply what teaching and learning through music can do for all, regardless of their own musical knowledge, it is so lovely to see this realisation dawning on others. Music isn’t just powerful, it’s magical too!?

This is something we should be shouting from the rooftops!?

But for now, here is the essence of what the project has generated (- although I am using speech marks, I have had to significantly condense the sentiments, so apologies for not being able to quote verbatim):

“So far, this project has touched the lives of 545 children, and we are just about to do it all over again…”

“We (the staff) have been on such a journey! We have moved from not being quite sure how to ‘do’ music, to having been enabled to be musically creative ourselves. We all feel so much more confident to use singing in every part of our day…”

“Most of our EAL children’s exchanges are musical”

“It’s so inclusive! All of our SEND and EAL children wanted to take part”

“Music is the most responsive way for SEND children - it’s so regulating”

“It’s a brilliant tool for behaviour management. Singing has really developed our demand-avoidance children”

“We have many children with high level needs: EAL, SEND, deprivation and even non-vocal children. Their eyes light up when they hear our singing, or music, start up”

“It really supports the shy and reserved children. Even if they aren’t fully participating, we can see that they’re involved and engaged in their own ways”

“We need to incorporate the opportunity for more musical exchanges into our planning”

“The staff perception and mindset has been transformative”

“I can’t express myself just what a difference this project has made to all of us”

“We’re now giving music the value it deserves. You can hear music, and song, going on throughout the school all the time.”

“Our school is more happy!”

I could go on…and on…and on...

Even writing these quotes to share with you has put a smile on my face - I can’t believe just how fortunate Musicbuds is, to be a partner in all of this. It truly is a privilege to be surrounded by a group of committed, professional practitioners who ‘get’ so clearly, what music can do for all individuals, young and old alike.

Why not think about the numbers and types of musical exchanges you’ll be making over the course of the next few days? I'll bet there you make more than you would have ever thought!

#musiceducation #artscouncilengland #lotteryfunded #musicservice #primary education #earlyyears #childdevelopment #earlylearning #earlychildhoodeducation