Wren Education Policy
This education policy should be seen in relation to Wren's artistic policy
Wren's basic approach to all education is to respect the prior knowledge brought to the session by the participants
Education Vision statement
Each person has a right to express their own creativity, to an understanding of their cultural heritage and to be involved with setting their own learning targets.
Introduction
Wren works in a variety of settings, with an educational thread running through all its work. For the purposes of this document we shall refer to working in situations where we can identify learning outcomes. This policy will overlap with our overall artistic policy and the programme links to our Community Development programme.
Aims
To encourage the enjoyment and a better understanding of traditional music and its related disciplines.
To stimulate active participation in music making and related creative activity.
These will be achieved through an ongoing programme of performances, projects,
workshops and Continuing Professsional Development (CPD) working with groups and individuals in:
- Schools and colleges
- Out of school clubs
- Teacher Education
- Open access groups
- Pre-school groups and Youth clubs
- Hospitals, homes and day centres
- Interest groups
These can be further defined within the programme as being either:
- Formal or less formal settings
- Wren supported or self-supporting groups
Wren has adopted a core curriculum for traditional music. This is followed within work with schools, colleges, teacher CPD and out of school clubs, and is also drawn on for work in less formal situations.
These sessions will include some, or all of the following progressions
- Instrumental
- learning about traditional instruments
- their names
- how they work
- how to hold them
- the basic of ensemble playing
- starting/stopping
- listening
- more details of ensemble playing
- rhythm
- pitch
- dynamic
- about English traditional music
- local tunes
- the basic dance rhythms
- waltz
- waltz
- polka
- jig
- about more developed rhythms
Singing
- learning about finding your own voice
- diction
- relaxation
- tone
- focus
- breathing
- centring
- Learning about singing together
- singing in tune and time with others
- keeping your own part alongside others
- learning about interpretation
- weight
- speed
- direction
Context
- Songs and music for dancing
- Songs and music for special groups
- Seasonal customs and music
- Songs and music as history
- Songs and music as social comment
- Songs and music as communication
- Songs and music as therapy
- Songs and music from other cultures
In addition to the musical objectives we have identified the following outcomes:
- Better learners
- We will encourage young people to make choices and set their own learning targets
- Sessions will encourage listening skills and positive feedback
- Learning outcomes
- Better understanding of composition
- Better understanding of their own voices
- Co-operation with others
- Understanding of traditional cultures