Music at Meanwood has a long tradition of excellence. We are very fortunate to have a dedicated music room and a specialist music teacher, Mrs Drumm, who works with all the children for a lesson every week.
In music lessons, the children learn all the elements of music, composition and singing. They learn basic standard notation (how to read music) and all have the experience of learning how to play an instrument. In Year 2, children begin to learn the recorder and in KS2, children learn African drumming and keyboard playing.
In addition, the music curriculum supports children's topic work and gives them exciting opportunities for class performances; for example, children have learnt about Indian Tal rhythms, Samba drumming, World War II music/dance, Roman instruments, junk drumming, Victorian songs, film music and music of The Andes.
Children have taken part in a variety of activities within the community, from performing at Spotland Methodist Church at Christmas and carol singing for residents of a local care home to performing at Award-winners' concerts, taking part in special workshops and visiting The Halle Orchestra.
Music News
Thank you to all the parents who came into school to watch Y6 perform their djembe drumming pieces on 18th October 2023.
The next event will be for Y5 on 11th December 2023.
Music for Youth
Meanwood Drummers performed brilliantly at the Music for Youth National Festival, Birmingham in July 2019
Norden Carnival
Year 5 children taking part in the Samba Band at Norden Carnival, June 2019
Choir and Drummers at The Gracie FieldsTheatre
The choir and drummers gave a super performance of 'Sifunileo' and 'The Little Drummer Boy' at Oulder Hill's Christmas Concert, December 2019. Here they are feeling relieved afterwards!
Year 6 Drummers
Year 6 drummers recently performed at our open day. Listen to the fantastic rhythms that they produced.
Music Festival
Watch our junk drummers who won first place at the music festival with a performance of 'Dashing Away with the Smoothing Iron' which involved moving, singing and playing all at the same time!
We have a wonderful range of musical instruments, including keyboards, a wide selection of tuned and untuned percussion instruments, recorders and African drums.
In addition to a weekly music lesson, children sing and perform in assemblies and can also join lunchtime or after school music clubs. There are currently clubs for choir, African drumming and Recorders (beginners, improvers and advanced). Many of our children enter the Rochdale Music Festival each year and come back to school with certificates and trophies.
Click on the picture link to watch a video of our junk drummers in action!
Individual or small group instrument tuition is offered as an optional extra at school, through the Rochdale Music Service. Instruments currently offered are guitar, violins and keyboards. There is a charge for these lessons, which are taught by visiting specialist teachers. Please ask at the school office if you would like more information.
