When you're teaching restless groups of 20 to 30 students day in day out, it's important to give them time away from structured lessons, to stretch their minds (and rest yours.) While History, Geography and English classes are frequently taken on exciting trips to museums, theatres and castles to enrich their studies, it is far less common in the case of music, but it shouldn't be! In fact, there is a wealth of educational experiences waiting just beyond the classroom. From discovering long forgotten instruments to visiting the homes of iconic composers, here are some fun and educational excursions, that will ignite your student's passion for music.
Extraordinary collections
For classes that would benefit from a detailed demonstration of various historical instruments, there are many excellent choices on offer. The Bate Collection at Oxford University has an impressive collection of over 2,000 instruments that covers the renaissance, baroque, classical and romantic periods, as well as more modern movements. The organisation offers numerous workshops for schools, from Key Stage 2 all the way through to 4 and 5. ‘Music Through the Ages’, provides GCSE and A Level students with a historical overview of the instruments on offer, including the social and musical development of orchestra from the renaissance all the way to the present day. Alternatively, the ‘Javanese Gamelan’, teaches Key Stage 3 to 5 students how to play traditional Javanese piece, placing emphasis on pentatonic scales, interlocking patterns and cyclic forms and how these structures are used in composition.
The Musical Museum in Brentford is home to the largest selection of self-playing musical instruments, including a fully restored Wurlitzer theatre organ, its grand sound accompanying many silent films in the early twentieth century. Providing visitors with a comprehensive understanding of recorded music, the museum also features pipe organs, gramophones, synthesisers, reproducing pianos and orchestrations. Featuring guided tours by knowledgeable specialists, the organisers ensure that visitors leave the space full to the brim with information. There are also options for younger children, including ‘Kid Detective Trails’ which are dependent upon availability. If you are lucky enough to be visiting on the same day as a silent movie showing, it is worth the wait to hear the Wurlitzer in all its glory – allowing students to experience and fully comprehend the instrument's original purpose.
© Harry Cole
The musical themed exhibition at RAM features gorgeous costume design Bate Collection
Popular hits
The British Music Experience in Liverpool is a dynamic and interactive museum that traces the history of British music, from the British invasion of the 1960s all the way to X-Factor pop mania. While the exhibit is home to an array of impressive memorabilia and artefacts, including costumes and instruments owned by John Lennon and the Spice Girls, its impressive educational ability comes from its numerous recorded performances, scrollable twenty century timelines, as well as access to a Gibson interactive studio, where students can try their hand at different instruments, learning songs through an interactive video.
The museum also offers educational guided tours, as well as workshops, allowing schools to tailor their visit to the needs of the curriculum. Aimed at students of both Primary and Secondary School age, the workshops take in a varied approach to learning, from History based lessons to composition exercises. ‘What's the Score?’ suitable for Key Stage 1 and 2, explores how music is used in film to create mood and emotion. Students are given the opportunity to use various technologies to compose their own scores, focusing on tone and rhythm. For older learners, ‘Shakespeare, the Grandfather of Modern Hip-Hop’ delves into Shakespeare's lyrical style, as well as his use of rhythm and tone, alongside a study of modern music and other works, in order to answer the question, ‘If Shakespeare were alive today, would he be a hip-hop artist?’
For those who want their music with a touch of showbiz, look no further than the temporary Musical Theatre exhibition at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM). Running until 22 February, the exhibit – entitled ‘What a Song and Dance: Celebrating Musical Theatre – traces the genre's beginnings in vaudeville and opera, through Sondheim and Lloyd Weber, arriving at the modern West End and Broadway shows of today. Featuring historic programmes, modern set designs and costumes straight from the West End, as well as interviews from the RAM's Musical Theatre alumni, it is a must see for fans of theatre, allowing students’ dreams of the stage to feel possible.
The RAM is also running a series of events and workshops, aimed at students of a variety of ages, to coincide with the exhibition. Including children's craft and singing sessions, as well as a talk on staging musicals for older students, these events enhance pupils’ learning experiences via discussion and practical exercises.
Historical homes
If you want to educate your pupils on the lives of famous composers, then the Holst birthplace and museum in Cheltenham may be the perfect option. Discover the story of the ‘Planets’ composer, through the various room of his 19th-century home. Beautifully preserved and well-kept, the house still boasts a fully working Victorian kitchen, bedroom, scullery and nursery, the piano on which Gustav composed his magnum opus, sitting pride of place. Educating students on the historical context of the Victorian period, with far more detail than any textbook, the house allows them to better understand the conditions in which composers of the nineteenth century worked, lived and wrote, presenting not only a historical and social context for Holst's work but Chopin and Debussy's too.
The museum also offers a wide range of educational activities to further enrich students learning. Particularly focused on Key Stage 1 and 2, they cover workshops, including the ever popular, ’Life in Holst's Victorian Home’ where children gain a hands-on experience of life as a servant and middle-class family in the 19th century. Providing a helpful cross over with History, it also allows children to develop their investigation and inquiry skills.
Leith Hill Place in Surrey offers a particularly breathtaking view with its gorgeous grounds and impressive view. Visit the one-time home of Richard Vaughan William, and take the stairs to the second floor to enjoy a guided soundscape, that tells the story of the famous musician through arts installations and music, with a great emphasis on the family home. There is also a room containing various artefacts such as letters, manuscripts and Vaughan William's composing piano, as well as a beautifully made video, created by Ralph Vaughan William Society members which gives even more detail into his life and work. Guests can enjoy a recital featuring the composer's most iconic pieces – during Christmas time, the concerts have a very festive theme. While younger children may not be able to sit still long enough to enjoy the winding beauty of Vaughan's ‘Lark Ascending’, it will definitely be a treat for KS5 students.
