For the past five weeks, every Wednesday afternoon I have been travelling to Bristol to attend a music session in St Werburgh’s community centre near St Paul’s. The five sessions have consisted of;

Singing
Musical Instruments
Structured and free flow sessions
Music and the curriculum
Music and emotion

Neil Johnson, Vicky Meadows and Bill Roberts have all been helping me learn more about music and not just the basic Twinkle Twinkle or Wind the bobbin up!

Since attending the music course the Burrow has been full of musical instruments and singing (Sorry to the other rooms in the nursery). Neil Johnson told me that when he enters a room people tend to say “It’s the music man”. He says that if he has a 30 minute session he won’t start singing until 15 minutes in, here he told us how important it was to get the child’s attention before starting.

When trying to get their attention and focus I tend to ask them to show me where parts of their bodies are. The children seem really involved when having to tickle the sky, tickle the floor then tickle your friends! Another song the children have enjoyed is;

2 tap your shoe
34 tap the floor
56 tap the sticks
78 lay them straight
910 let’s start again

We do this song using instruments, the children show lots of enthusiasm and are slowly getting the routine correct.

I’ve started to pass a teddy around the circle for the children to cuddle and kiss. This activity gets all the children involved and we’ve even sent around Bob and Tee Tee (The teddies belonging to PB and RW).

Vicky Meadows made one comment about an ocean instrument where she said “Some of the children I have worked with haven’t even left Bristol let alone been to the seaside”. This comment really made me think that I can support a child’s life by just using a musical instrument.

A question to think about, when you’re feeling down what do you tend do to? I listen to the radio, which is why I believe so much in music and sound in children’s lives.

Lauren ☺