Music in Y5

Autumn 1 - The history and influence of black music.

I know that history and life events can influence music.

 To build on our initial learning about black history and make connections with music, we watched some scenes of Hairspray – the Musical. This not only helped us explore what segregation and racial divides might have looked like, but also allowed us to appreciate how a musical can be influenced by historical events and real-life experiences. We also discussed that songs were like stories told through music.

With the song ‘I Know Where I’ve Been,’ which tells the story of many black people’s lives and the struggles they faced with segregation, inequality, and racism, we listened carefully and analysed the lyrics as a class. We used our reading skills to understand the message and story behind the song.

 I know about the history of music (including the influence of black music)

This week, we continued learning about Black music by looking at the song A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke. First, we learned about Sam Cooke and his life, especially how he helped fight for equal rights for Black people, which linked to what we had seen in Hairspray.

Then, we listened to the song and looked at the lyrics. We shared our thoughts about what the song made us feel and what story it was telling. As a class, we discussed how the song is about wanting change and equal rights for Black people, and we talked about whether this change has happened today, linking it to the Black Lives Matter movement.

We began our learning journey by exploring the fascinating Early African Kingdoms, before discovering the stories of black Romans in Britain. Next, we learned about Solomon Linda, who was born in the Zulu heartland of South Africa in 1909. We loved listening to his famous song, Wimoweh - also known as The Lion Sleeps Tonight - which he first performed with his group, The Evening Birds.

Motown Music:
We read a short explanation text about Motown Records – the first official record company to sign Black singers. Using all of our previous learning, we talked about why this was such an important moment in history, especially during a time of segregation. Next, we listened to Marvin Gaye’s powerful song What’s Going On and shared our thoughts about the music. We then explored the lyrics, discussing the images and emotions they created in our minds, before expressing our ideas through artwork inspired by the song.

            

I know how music communicates intentions and develop an understanding of genre (focus on R&B and Hip Hop)

In this lesson, we explored R&B - a style of music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. We listened to Alicia Keys’ song Empire State of Mind and discussed its inspiring message about chasing your dreams in New York. Together, we reflected on why New York has often been seen as a place of opportunity and linked this to themes in Black history. We also connected the song to our current English text, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, as both explore dreams and determination — just like Philippe Petit’s daring performance in New York. Finally, we took part in a ‘think, feel, say’ activity, considering the perspectives of African-American people and Philippe Petit.

In this lesson, we learned about hip hop and rap music. We discussed how rap uses rhythmic speech and began in African-American communities in The Bronx, New York City. We then listened to Stormzy’s song Blinded by Your Grace, which links to the theme of faith. As a class, we explored its meaning and talked about how religion and faith have played an important role in the lives of many African-American people. We also looked at the gospel elements in the song - the chorus that shares the teachings of Christ - and discussed the rap verses, noticing the strong emotion and expression in Stormzy’s voice. Finally, we split into two groups: one sang the gospel chorus while the other rapped the verses. Together, we practised and performed the song!