Music is a universal language that transcends cultures and generations. It has the power to inspire, uplift, and educate people of all ages. For children, music can be a valuable tool for developing their cognitive, emotional, and social skills. That's why it's important to provide them with a comprehensive music education that fosters their love for music and enhances their learning. Music Express is a series of books and resources that are designed to do just that. In this blog, we will take a closer look at Music Express and how it can be used to teach music to children from early to 11 years old.
What is Music Express?
Music Express is a series of seven books that provide teachers with a comprehensive resource for teaching music to children from early years to 11 years old. Each book is designed to support a topic-based, cross-curricular approach to music education and provides all the resources needed for musical learning. The books are written by a team of experienced music educators and include a range of activities, songs, stories, visuals, movies, and music from across the world and throughout history.
What's in the Music Express Books?
Each Music Express book includes three CDs of performance, backing, and teaching audio tracks, a DVD with whiteboard displays for photocopiable lyric sheets, a year of weekly lessons with over 100 activities, six medium-term lesson plans, and 36 fully-prepared weekly lesson plans. The books also include a glossary and background information to support teachers with their planning and delivery.
The Music Express books are organized into age-appropriate levels, with Book 1 designed for children in early years and Book 7 for children in Year 6. Each book includes a variety of musical activities that are designed to engage children of all abilities and learning styles. The activities are designed to be fun and interactive, with a focus on developing children's musical skills and knowledge.
Music Express covers a wide range of musical topics and skills, including singing, playing instruments, composing, listening, and performing. The books include a variety of musical genres, such as folk, classical, pop, and world music. The activities are designed to be cross-curricular, meaning they can be used to support learning in other subjects, such as history, geography, and English.
Some of the musical topics covered in Music Express include:
- Rhythm and beat: Children learn to recognize and create rhythms and beats using their bodies, percussion instruments, and voice.
- Pitch and melody: Children learn to sing and play simple melodies using instruments such as the recorder, ukulele, and keyboard.
- Composition: Children learn to create their own musical compositions using a range of musical elements, such as rhythm, melody, and harmony.
- Music notation: Children learn to read and write music notation using a range of symbols and notation systems.
- Listening and appraising: Children learn to listen critically to a range of musical styles and genres and learn to appreciate different musical forms and structures.
How Can Music Express Benefit Children?
Music Express has many benefits for children, both in terms of their musical development and their wider learning. Some of the benefits of using Music Express in the classroom include:
- Developing musical skills and knowledge: Music Express provides children with a comprehensive music education that covers a wide range of musical topics and skills.
- Building confidence and self-esteem: Music can be a powerful tool for building children's confidence and self-esteem. By singing, playing instruments, and performing in front of others, children can develop a sense of achievement and pride in their musical abilities.
- Fostering creativity and imagination: Music Express encourages children to be creative and imaginative in their musical explorations. By composing their own music and exploring different musical genres, children can develop their creativity and express themselves in new ways.
- Supporting cross-curricular learning: Music Express activities are designed to be cross-curricular, meaning they can be used to support learning in other subjects, such as history, geography, and English. This helps to reinforce children's learning and make connections between different areas of their education.
- Enhancing social and emotional skills: Music can be a powerful tool for enhancing children's social and emotional skills. By singing and playing together, children can develop their communication and teamwork skills, as well as their ability to empathize with others.
If you're interested in using Music Express in your classroom or homeschooling curriculum, you can purchase the books and resources directly from the Lioncrest Education website. They also offer support and training for teachers who are new to using the Music Express series.
If you have any questions or would like more information about Music Express, you can contact Lioncrest Education directly through their website. They have a dedicated support team who are happy to help with any queries you may have.
In conclusion, Music Express is a valuable resource for teaching music to children from early years to 11 years old. The comprehensive range of activities, songs, stories, visuals, movies, and music from across the world and throughout history make it an engaging and interactive way to learn about music. The benefits for children are numerous, including developing musical skills and knowledge, building confidence and self-esteem, fostering creativity and imagination, supporting cross-curricular learning, and enhancing social and emotional skills. So why not give Music Express a try in your classroom or homeschooling curriculum today?
