Just watched a lady in Devon teaching Ukulele to a class of Year 4's(on Teachers TV). Has anyone tried this? I have just ordered a Ukulele, can't wait to try it!

The other idea I have is to try Lyons C Clarinets in whole class teaching.

Lyons C clarinets can sometimes be more toruble than they are worth due to the fact that the keys come off. I know they were designed for taking the keys off in mind, but just think about a group of 30 year 4s who get bored and start fiddling with clipping the keys; you'll end up spending more time putting them back together for them than actually teaching the instrument. Apparently John Packer clarinets are quite good for wider opportunities classes. They aren't the best made, but at least they're a start, and I would certainly say they were better than the Lyons, although some others who have more knowledge of them may disagree.

The average Year 4 has fingers big enough to play e,d and c but there will probably be one or two that have very small hands and would be better off with a Lyons Clarinet.

I have seen the ukelele teacher programme too. I have mixed feelings about this kind of teaching. Ukelele looks fun, though!

My daughter's school do Wider Opportunities.... Her class does Flute. She is Yr 4. Last year she did trumpet.... Yr 5 and 6 do Ukelele and guitar. One class does samba .... that's good.

A yr 3/4 class did clarinet last year...... on full size clarinetes. They obviously didn't learn low notes..... I have picked up a pupil who started on Wider Opportunities Clarinet. He had quite a lot of bad habits!!!!!

So do they all have to do the same instrument in a class lesson even if they already learn another instrument and have no interest in the one the calss is doing?
And if they change next year what happens if some have actually taken to the instrument?
Do they have to give it back and change anyway?
Are there ever going to be opportunities for individual or even small group lessons for those who show real interest and would benefit?
I imagine there's rather a danger of those who are interested being held back or prevented from getting far by those who aren't bothered.
What about parents who won't allow an instrument to be played at home........ or are they only intended to play during the lesson?

Or am I just being very silly?

Where I live (Somerset), yes, they change every year. My youngest learns violin and piano out of school and she doesn't take wider opportunities that seriously. She is Gr 3 violin...
They can bring the instruments home if we insure them, but my daughter didn't want to... we have a flute at home anyway.
She could have carried on in groups of 10 (the letter said) for 'It might be as low a cost as £3 per lesson'. I'm not sure anyone took that option.
It does give evry child the opportunity to have a go... to learn some notation. My daughter has played the flute at home a couple of times this year, but she has to practice her violin and piano and so I don't blame her. I think she is one of the best flautists in her class, but she does have the advantage of understanding notation. They do play rhythm games etc, but I would prefer it if she was allowed to go to play her violin when the others have flute. It is a bit of a waste of her time and she is certainly not going to take up the flute. Now... I might let her have a Ukulele next year.... that might be fun.....

At a school I taught at one of the teachers took a class in playing the lyre. I thought that was very original and it sounded lovely

I teach Wider Opps, either flute or clarinet ( not both together for obvious reasons!) Our Music Service offers one term's tuition on each of three instruments, chosen from woodwind, brass, strings, drumming, folk and vocal. The idea is to bring the experience of music to kids who otherwise would not have the chance, so the schools where it is offered have been chosen according to the Fischer scale of deprivation (Ithink that's the correct spelling?). None of the kids have learned an instrument beofre unless there is a keyboard or guitar at home and they have had a go.

The idea is that they get a taste of instrumental lessons, perform in concerts for their parents, carers and school mates, then if they so desire take up an instrument for the next year at a subsidised rate in a group of 10 - 15.

Sadly the instruments do not go home, as the schools have to insure them and they can't afford to do so. Some schools do not even let reading books go home! The class teachers and TA's learn alongside the kids and are encouraged to get the instruments out and practise with the class between sessions.

I also teach Wider Opps, both brass classes (cornet / horn / trombone) and whole class concert band sessions (flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone, euphonium and percussion).

What does everyone think of the double reed instruments that are designed especially for children. Howarths new junior oboe will be great for wider opps (apart from it sounding like a school for ducks!) It is meant to be brilliant and so much lighter than a full size one.

They also have mini-bassoons and tenoroons and apparently music schools are going mad for them!

Any double reed teachers here? What do you think?

The school I work, as a TA, at does wider opps on trumpet.
Positives:- The children get a chance to try an instrument; the general musicianship is very good (we have an hours session and only part is spent learning the instrument); the children get a chance to perform in front of parents several times a year.
Negatives:- Some children have come to hate the trumpet and are begining to think of music as a horrible part of the week; the numbers are so large that it's just about impossible to check the children are developing the correct technique - quite a bit of miming occurs and some children are being held back whilst others are struggling to keep up.

This would mirror the experiences in my daughter's school.... It is impossible to ensure correct technique is developing, but the children are learning lots about musicianship etc, with 1 hour lessons.... It's just VERY tedious for my own daughter... and I don't see why they change instrument every year!!!

How does the scheme fit in with normal class music - or does it replace it?

[quote name='cellophile' date='Jul 10 2008, 05:32 PM' post='720086']
[quote name='Clari Nicki1' post='684205' date='Apr 2 2008, 09:07 AM']
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How does the scheme fit in with normal class music - or does it replace it?



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I think it replaces other music. There is no other music in the school.....

Wider Opps is not supposed to replace classroom music (could probably find the links to government docs if anyone's interested!!) and the extra funding is not supposed to be used for teaching classroom music. What happens in practice , of course, may be different.......

The way it works in the school that I go into - Y4 have WO violin lessons, which I teach. (This lasts for one year and this is the only instrument they are offered - they don't get other instruments in other years). Their class music is taught partly in PPA time by me and another music specialist. The remainder should be taught by the class teacher, although enthusiasm for this varies between staff members!

Well... got my daughter's school report today. The music comment is :-
'This year, pupils have been learning to play the flute......' then it talks about how this has re-inforced their sense of pitch, rhythm and pulse. Then 'They have been introduced to the technique of playing the flute, experiencing the fun of music making at first hand and enabling them to make an informed choice about learning a musical instrument in the future. XXXXX has tried hard with this, and as a result, can play notes on the flute showing an awareness of rhythm and timing'. Wider Opportunities has been her only music lessons in school..... and the report , I think, is a standardised version.... as she has been learning the violin since Yr 1 and has just taken her Grade 3. I should hope she has got an awareness of rhythm and timing!!!!!!