Music plays a very important part in bringing people together and during this period of extended school closure the power of music could be transformational.

For teachers, parents and pupils, working from home brings about a new set of challenges but a regular musical interlude could be a welcome addition to your daily routine.

Whilst every country has its own language we can take comfort in knowing that the language of music is universal. Music can do great things for your mood and well-being.

Here are 8 FREE practical resources and activities to get started with:

1. Out of the Ark Music (5-11 years old)

To help with the rhythms and routines of your new daily life, Out of the Ark Music are releasing seven songs, one for each day, all with challenges and activities related to each song.

To quote Out of the Ark Music: “Music has an extraordinary power to bring us together, it can lift us when we feel low, energise us when we feel tired, and is something we all have in common.”

Find out more.

2. BBC Nursery Rhymes and Songs (0-5 years old)

“Animations of some of the best-known traditional nursery rhymes, mainly sung by BBC Children’s TV presenters, with music that your children will love.”

Listen now.

3. BBC Primary Music (5-11 years old)

“BBC Primary Music takes a cross-curricular approach, with music objectives explored in relation to popular infant topics or related areas of the curriculum.”

Explore BBC Primary Music now.

4. BBC Primary Music and Dance (5-7 years old)

“Dances for each of the four elements have been choreographed to different pieces of classical music including JS Bach, Karl Jenkins, Aaron Copland, Johann Strauss, Claude Debussy and John Adams. Suitable for KS1 PE and Music.”

Watch now.

5. Five creative music ideas to try with children at home (5-11 years old)

“If you’re self-isolating or caring for children at home with schools closed these simple ideas will help keep little ones occupied while encouraging them to explore and learn about music.”

Explore now.

6. KS2 BBC Bitesize (7-11 years old)

“Exploration of the main musical elements and key concepts with examples.”

Find out more.

7. BBC Ten Pieces (7-11 years old)

“Explore the stories and secrets hidden in these classical pieces of music. For each piece you will find free teaching resources, exciting short films, lesson plans, arrangements and more.”

Get started.

8. The Beat Goes On (5-11 years old)

Beat Goes On is a collection of body percussion videos. The founder of this company, Ollie Tunmer (a former cast member of the hit show STOMP) will be streaming a live body percussion workshop every day at 11am on his YouTube channel. No instruments required!

Watch on YouTube now.

Summary

We hope you find these free music resources valuable and engaging. You can find even more of them on our Parents Page, here where you’ll also find English, Maths, RE, wellbeing and general resources and activities too.

You might also be interested in the following blog posts:

• 4 Ways to Stay Mindful Whilst Working from Home
• 11 Tips For Homeschooling Your Primary School Children
• A Message to Parents and Guardians from the Head of Music Service

At Services For Education, we are committed to supporting you through this troubling time, so over the next few weeks, we will be posting blogs and sharing resources with you via our website.

Stay safe and look after yourselves.

About the Author – Adam Hickman – BMus (Hons), PGCE, HonRBC

Adam graduated from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (formerly Birmingham Conservatoire) in 2008 with a BMus(Hons) degree where he studied classical guitar with Mark Ashford and Mark Eden. Upon graduation, Adam completed a PGCE in Primary Education at Birmingham City University and has since worked as a peripatetic music teacher and is currently Deputy Head of Music Service at Services For Education.

He has also worked as an External Examiner at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and coordinates and lectures on music education modules at both Birmingham City University and The University of Birmingham. In June 2019, Adam was awarded Honorary Membership of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in recognition for his work in the field of music education. Adam is also active as a conductor and ensemble director through his work with the Birmingham Schools’ Training Guitar Ensemble and the National Youth Guitar Ensemble.