Curricula

Music education in primary school provides pupils with the basic experience necessary for a selective and active approach to music offered by the media and musical events; for taking part in choirs and other musical activities; for further education which stimulates a deeper interest in music or in a study or profession involving music. Musical life at school must go hand in hand with a comprehensive cultural atmosphere and form a healthy sound environment. With its openness and sound language, music education brings a different, relaxed communication into school work.

Its’ complex array of activities and contents contribute to general and musical development of pupils. The nature of music education enables affective, psychomotor, cognitive, aesthetic and psychosocial development. Thus, the principal musical activities (performing, creating and listening) which are carried out are connected to pupil’s musical development abilities. The nature of music itself requires the use of active and diverse methods and forms of work.

Table 1: Hours per week of music by class in the 9-year primary school

The syllabus for music has, in addition to the operative aims for the three basic activities in each class, both thematic-informative and musical-artistic content. Table 1 shows how music can be a chosen subject in the last three years. This will consist of four modules: Playing in groups, musical works, musical projects and keyboard and ICT.

Table 2: Basic music activities in the 9-year primary school

Music education is carried out through a complex of performing, listening and creating activities. These activities give a pupil musical experience which forms the basis for the development of his/her abilities, skills and knowledge.

Performing

Performing, which involves singing, playing instruments, rhythmical articulation of text and expression through movement, is a key musical activity that enables development of musical abilities and skills. By performing, pupils gradually develop interest in and positive fillings towards music and internalise musical values. Based on this they acquire musical experience, form musical conceptions and improve the quality of their performing.

The aim of performing is experiencing and aesthetical performance of musical contents. Pupils’ accuracy in rhythm and pitch improve, as does their ability to interpret a song. Thus, creating is interconnected with creativity which is shown in the expression of the experienced musical contents. Performing experience leads to a deeper experiencing and apprehension of musical parameters of expression and form.

In the same way as singing, playing instruments also deepens the experiencing and apprehension of musical parameters. Playing instruments (children’s folk, improvised, Orff instruments) stimulates the development of musical and motor abilities, as well as performing skills. By playing improvised or written (bordun, ostinato, etc) musical accompaniments, pupils discover the main musical concepts, including pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, form etc.

Listening

The objectives of listening activities underline the development of active listener, capable of choosing, on the basis of different cultural needs, among different musical programmes and contents, and discovering their artistic value. The teacher selects a program which stimulates pupils’ attentive and focused perception. The selection of compositions includes examples of absolute and programme music, different ensembles, types and genres of music. The listening procedure includes proper motivation, an adequate duration of perceptive attention and feedback which is creatively expressed by pupils. Such a procedure prevents passiveness and introduces pupils to the treasury of musical works. In a guided learning process pupils develop their attention and sensitivity for sound environment, memory, aesthetic perception and evaluation of music, and the ability of a creative interaction with a musical work. In selecting the examples for listening activities the teacher has to take into account the artistic value of works, heterogeneity of different periods and environments, as well as pupils’ musical development characteristics. Listening to a composition, pupils identify and analyse whether it is vocal or instrumental, the individual voices, instruments, ensembles, tempo, dynamics, melody, form. However, it is important that an artistic work is never only subject to analytical objectives but is always dealt with in the context of aesthetic experience.

Creating

Creativity as an active learning method is developed in all musical activities involving new musical experience and knowledge. Through this creative learning method pupils discover the rules of musical language (develop musical abilities, skills and knowledge) and establish a polyaesthetic communication.

Creative achievements, in which pupils express their perceptions and (re)formation of musical material, include: creation of musical contents (songs, rhythmical texts, accompaniments, etc.); aesthetic interpretation of a song, instrumental contents, etc.; creative expression of musical experience and concepts through other media (art, words, moves). With creative activities pupils develop their musical thinking and establish a creative attitude towards music. Creating at all levels and directions of music education is indispensable, as it helps establishing an emotive and critical attitude towards the learning environment.

Expected Learning Outcomes (first cycle / class 1-3)

Pupils:

·      can sing, in group or individually, (approximately thirty) folk and authorial songs, according to their individual abilities and in different manners (in unison or with instrumental accompaniment);

·      know rhythmical texts (riddles, children’s poetry etc.);

·      repeat melodic and rhythmical motifs according to their individual abilities;

·      play accompaniments to songs and short compositions for instruments (body percussion, Orff instruments, improvised instruments, children’s folk instruments);

·      recognise the pieces and instruments they listen to by the sound colour;

·      distinguish among the sound colours of different instruments and singing voices;

·      distinguish between sounds, tones and silence;

·      understand concepts such as loud-quiet, fast-slow, higher-lower tones;

·      can identify a melody and contents such as march, lullaby, musical fairy tale;

·      distinguish between the work of composers and performers: singers, choir, choral conductor, orchestra, conductor;

·      use the term “composition” and can read basic symbolic notations.

Expected Learning Outcomes (second cycle / class 1-3)

Pupils:

·      sing repertoire of Slovenian and foreign folk and authorial songs (approximately 25);

·      sing the songs individually or in groups, in unison or in parts;

·      play accompaniments and compositions for Orff instruments;

·      are familiar with a repertoire of compositions by Slovenian and foreign authors;

·      distinguish between vocal, instrumental and vocal-instrumental music;

·      can identify individual singing voices, instruments and groups of instruments;

·      know certain ensembles: youth and adult choirs, other vocal ensembles (octet), soloists, instrumental ensembles (trio, quartet), orchestras;

·      know about the work of composers and performers;

·      know that music is composed of parts (motif, theme) and that there are different compositional forms (sonata, suite, concert, opera, ballet);

·      know the basics of notation (the system of determining the pitch and duration, time signatures);

·      understand the meaning of scales and distinguish between major and minor;

·      distinguish between absolute and programme music;

·      distinguish between different types and genres of music.

Expected Learning Outcomes (third cycle / class 6-9)

Pupils:

·      sing a certain repertoire of Slovenian and foreign folk and authorial songs;

·      know a certain repertoire of accompaniments and compositions for Orff instruments;

·      know vocal, instrumental and vocal-instrumental compositions of different forms and contents;

·      know the basics of the development of music and of contemporary musical reality in Slovenia and worldwide; they can name classical music styles;

·      know a few Slovenian and foreign composers of individual styles and some contemporary musicians;

·      know different styles and genres of music (folk and authorial music, music for theatre and film, dance music, jazz, pop music);

·      know the names of compositional forms;

·      distinguish between absolute and programme music.

For more information see here.