Over the next few weeks, our weekly blogs will focus on giving tips for teaching different genres of world-music in the classroom. Regardless of the genre, our tips will always come under the following headings which we believe are the most important areas to think about when teaching a world-music lesson or scheme of work:

• Instrumentation

• Technique

• Cultural Significance & Classic Motifs 

• Leadership & Classroom Management

This week we’re focusing on teaching West African drumming.

This 3-stage method for teaching rhythms to whole-class ensembles is commonly used by most music educationists. Here’s a few tips we’ve found work really well in whole-class world music lessons

The majority of world-music styles/genres are learnt in their home cultures without using notation. The teacher usually conveys all the necessary information either verbally or via demonstration on their instrument. In larger ensembles (such as Rio-style samba or Balinese gamelan gong gede) there is also a fair amount of peer learning when many people are playing the same part. What can we learn from these teaching methods and apply to our own whole-class instrumental lessons?

This week almost 1,000 children in Key Stage 2 started their world-music First Access Programmes with our team of workshop facilitators. We also have a further 2,190 children starting their online world-music First Access Courses with us. We are very aware that across the U.K. First Access Programmes look very different, are varying lengths and have differing objectives, expectations and outcomes. We deliver First Access Programmes on behalf of several different Music Hubs and have to adhere to their aims and fit in with their local model for other instrumental First Access Programmes. Despite these variants, are there common themes, core principles and musical skills, expected knowledge that should be covered in a world-music First Access Programme? 

When discussing using percussion instruments within EYFS settings, we've frequently heard Early Years practitioners say things like ‘we don’t use them much as percussion instruments are too loud’, ‘we don’t have the space’, 'we only use them occasionally for music circle time’, ‘we don’t know how to use them or what they’re called’ or ‘we think most of our instruments are broken or too big’. In response, our facilitators usually give the following top tips for using percussion in EFYS settings effectively…

This September marks the 15th anniversary of Inspire-works and it’s got us being very reflective about what we do, why we do it and what should we be doing! At our Facilitators Training Day on Friday we asked ourselves the question, "What skills does a workshop facilitator need this academic year?"