Select a year group to view the associated units and music.
EYFS
Exploring sound
In this unit, the children create their own music using body percussion and instruments.
Celebration music
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Raghupati Raghav | Popular |
| 3 | Unknown | Jalikunda African Drums | Percussion |
| 3 | Ella Jenkins | Toom-Bah-Ee-Lero | Folk |
| 4 | Unknown | Jingle Bells | Popular |
| 4 | Unknown | We Wish You a Merry Christmas | Popular |
| 5 | Nanette Regan | When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney | Popular |
| 5 | The Kiboomers | The Reindeer Cokey | Popular |
Music and movement
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singing Hands | Row, row, row your boat | Nursery rhyme |
| 3 | Vivaldi | The Four Seasons – Summer III. Presto | Classical |
| 3 | Unknown | The Seine et Toi | Classical |
| 3 | Unknown | Menage | Classical |
| 3 | Unknown | Sahara Search | Classical |
| 3 | Camille Saint-Saëns | Carnival of the Animals | Classical |
| 4, 5 | kindyRock | Jiggle Scarf Song | Popular |
Musical stories
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Walter Bratton | Teddy Bear’s Picnic | Popular |
| 3 | Michael Rosen | We’re Going on a Bear Hunt | Storybook |
| 2 | Unknown – Traditional nursery rhyme | There Was a Princess Long Ago | Nursery rhyme |
Transport
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Heitor Villa-Lobos | The Little Train | Classical |
Big band
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Laurie Berkner Band | We Are The Dinosaurs | Popular |
| 2 | Auckland Symphony Orchestra | Pirates of the Caribbean | Film soundtrack |
Year 1
My favourite things: Keeping the pulse
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Randy Newman | You’ve Got a Friend in Me | Popular music |
| 3 | Justin Timberlake | Can’t Stop the Feeling | Popular music |
| 4 | Pharrell Williams | Happy | Popular music |
Snail and mouse: Tempo
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Unknown (traditional) | Snail and Mouse Rhyme | Traditional |
| 1–4 | Patrick Hawes | Slow Waltz | Classical |
| 1–4 | Richard Lacey | Fast and Fluid | Classical |
| 3 | Barrie Gledden | Cityscape | Garage |
Seaside: Dynamics
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Benjamin Britten | Storm Interlude (Peter Grimes) | Modern classical |
| 2 | Barrie Gledden | By The River | Light classical |
Fairy tales: Sound patterns
In this unit, the children listen to short audio clips and fit rhythms to different parts of a story.
Superheroes: Pitch
In this unit, the children listen to short audio clips and use their bodies and voices to respond to different pitch patterns.
Under the sea: Musical symbols
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Bradley, Matt Sanchez, Steve Dymond | Ocean Waves | Electronic |
Year 2
Animals: Call and response song
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Neil Sidwell | Marimba class | Percussion |
Musical storytelling: Instruments
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Coates | The Three Bears – A Phantasy | Classical |
On this island: Singing
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Composer – unknown | My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean | Traditional Scottish |
| 1 | Arnold Bax | Tintagel | Classical |
| 2 | Ralph Vaughan Williams | The Lark Ascending | Classical |
| 2 | Composer – unknown | Lavender’s Blue | Traditional |
| 3 | Composer – unknown | London Bridge | Traditional |
Space: Contrasting dynamics
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Davis and James Bambury | Relaxing Space Ambient Music | Instrumental |
| 2, 3, 5 | Gustav Holst | Mars, The Bringer of War (The Planets) | Classical |
| 2 | John Williams | Main Theme from Star Wars | Film soundtrack |
| 3 | Gustav Holst | Venus, The Bringer of Peace (The Planets) | Classical |
| 4, 5 | Gustav Holst | Uranus, The Magician (The Planets) | Classical |
Myths and legends: Structure
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carthy Waterson | St George | Folk (Traditional English) |
| 2 | Unknown | When Good King Arthur | Nursery rhyme |
Musical me: Pitch
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Once a Man Fell in a Well | Traditional |
Year 3
Mountain melodies: Steps and leaps
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barrie Gledden, Tim Reilly, Jeff Dale | Harmonic nature | Ambient indie |
| 2, 3, 4, 5 | Bespoke compositions | — | — |
Reading rhythms: Patterns and layers
Coming soon
Inspired by India: Musical improvisations
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock | Book of Naghma | — |
| 2, 3, 4, 5 | Bespoke compositions | — | — |
Music technology: Introduction to music technology
Coming soon
Reggae rhythms: Playing in a band
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Bob Marley | Buffalo Soldier | Reggae |
| 3, 4, 5 | Bob Marley | Three Little Birds | Reggae |
| 2 | Teddy Weber | Island Whistle | Reggae |
| 2 | Julian Emery, Jeremy Wheatley | Jump to it | Pop Rock |
| 3 | Hilary Anne Pattison, Stephen Mandile | Count on Me | Tween pop |
| 4 | Bobby McFerrin | Don’t Worry, Be Happy | Reggae |
Baroque meets pop: Building harmony
Coming soon
Year 4
Singing in parts: Loops and layers
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ray Charles | Hit the Road Jack | Rhythm ‘n’ Blues |
| 1, 2, 5 | Unknown | Frere Jacques (lyrics re-written) | Traditional French Nursery Rhyme |
| 2, 3 | Marion Sinclair | Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree | Australian Folk Song |
| 2 | Bruce Maginnis | Mildura | Australian Folk |
| 3 | Queen | We Will Rock You | Rock |
| 5 | Unknown | Banaha | Traditional Folk Song (DRC) |
Musical motifs: Reading the stave
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Beethoven | Symphony No. 5 | Classical |
| 3 | Julius Fučík | Entry of the Gladiators | 20th Century March |
Sounds of China: Scales and structure
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darren Leigh Purkiss | Water Garden | Traditional Chinese |
| 2 | Christophe Goze | Temple of Gold | Traditional Chinese |
| 1 | Ellis Hall | Babaloo | Latin |
| 1 | Edward Elgar arr. David Tobin | Land of Hope and Glory | March |
| 2 | Traditional | Dragon Dance | Traditional Chinese |
| 2 | Michael Tedstone, Maryann Tedstone | Xi Yang Yang | Traditional Chinese |
| 2 | Michael Tedstone, Maryann Tedstone | Lao Yuan Xiao | Traditional Chinese |
Music technology: Loops-based composition
Coming soon
12 bar blues: Playing in a band
Coming soon
Minimalist melodies: Developing patterns
Coming soon
Year 5
Music in nature: Chords and melodies
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Dinletir, Nicholas Steinbach | Nature’s Form | Ambient |
| 2 | Bob Bradley, Christopher Wonfor | Cirrus | Ambient |
| 3 | Stuart Roslyn, Michael Rogers, Thomas Barlow | The Way of Nature | Ambient |
| 4 | Debbie Wiseman | Forbidden Forest | Ambient |
| 5 | David Tobin, Jeff Meegan, Malcolm Edmonstone | Nordic Dust | Ambient |
Three-chord pop: Playing in a band
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | American Authors | Best Day of My Life | Pop |
| 1 | Coldplay | Viva La Vida | Pop |
| 1 | Unknown | Wind the Bobbin Up | Nursery Rhyme |
| 2 | Terry Devine-King | Jazz Warriors | Jazz |
| 4 | Lincoln Grounds, Bob Bradley | Hubba Bubba Hop | Rockabilly |
| 5 | The high energy video TBC | — | — |
West African rhythms: Create, play and perform
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Traditional Ghanaian song | Obwisana | Traditional Ghanaian |
| 1 | Kwaku Kwaakye Obeng and Brown University | Kpanlogo | West African Drumming |
Music technology: Podcasts and jingles
Coming soon
Stage and song: Storytelling through music
Coming soon
Samba sounds: Rhythm and groove
Coming soon
Year 6
Four-chord pop: Playing in a band
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Emery | Happy Birthday | Rock |
| 1 | Jodie Jenkins | Happy Birthday | A capella choir |
| 2 | James Corden | Hello | Pop |
| 2 | Adele | Hello | Pop |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | K’naan | Wavin’ Flag | Pop |
Songs that speak: Lyrics and messages
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Withers | Lean on Me | Soul |
| 1, 2, 3 | The Script | Hall of Fame | Pop |
Bhangra beats: Rhythm and movement
| Lesson(s) | Artist / Composer | Song | Period / Tradition / Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidhant Kapoor | Jashn ni Shaam | Bhangra |
| 1 | Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock | Hip Koka | Punjabi |
| 1 | Philip Guyler | Gangsta Symphony | fusion |
| 1 | Andy Cooper, Marietta Smith | I Feel So Free | fusion |
| 1 | Igor Dvorkin | Hooray for Bollywood | Bhangra |
| 2 | Kenneth Meredith | Detroit Lean | Motown |
Music technology: Film soundtracks
Coming soon
Theme and variations: Developing melodies
Coming soon
Leavers: Our story in song
Coming soon
