Singing Steps Workshop Programme

What have I learned during Singing Steps? That singing can be FUN and you don't have to be a 'music teacher' to do it
Teacher, The Discovery School, Kent

In November 2007, we were delighted to receive funding from Sing Up, the National Singing Programme, to deliver free workshops - and conduct follow-up support visits - in up to 50 schools around the country by 31 March 2008; this special programme, called Singing Steps, was specifically designed to initiate and support the development of singing in schools.

 

Demonstration lessons and workshop sessions, which were usually held at the end of the school day, were open to the entire school community - class teachers, non-teaching staff, parents and governors - and those leading the workshops imparted key techniques and ideas plucked from The Voices Foundation's methodology and pedagogy, which could be put to use immediately in the classroom.

 

Feedback from the schools taking part has been extremely positive, with many non-specialist teachers taking these techniques and ideas on board wholeheartedly - thus starting on the journey to transform the children with whom they work, through singing.

As an aide-memoire for those taking part, we filmed a demonstration lesson led by Suzi Digby (Lady Eatwell OBE), our Founder and Principal, in one of the five schools taking Singing Steps in Cambridgeshire. In this short film, she highlights some of the key skills and concepts which form the building blocks of developing musicianship skills in children, and around which our aural-vocal approach is based.

 

 Click here to watch the demonstration lesson.