Using Charanga and Yumu for Home Learning in Music

It is great news that all the children at Holy Family will once again be participating in a weekly music lesson at school. However, they can also continue to use Yumu at home, to follow-up and add to what we have been learning in music at school. They can also continue to use Yumu to help them practise their instrument if they are learning one at home.

Once you've obtained your child's login details, please visit this webpage: https://www.ealingmusicserviceonline.co.uk/music-world.  You or your child should then click on "Pupil and teacher login" on the left hand side of the page, and then select "log in to Yumu". This is the area of the website which children can use to work independently on their musical skills and understanding.

Your child will then see they have been set  a unit of several lessons, which is their music home learning over the next few weeks.There is one lesson for each week, containing a number of different activities. They do not have to do all of the activities. However, it would be great if they could spend some time working on the singing activities, as we aren't able to teach singing in school at present due to the pandemic. 

Your child will also see an icon called Charanga Music World. They may wish to use this as well if they are learning an instrument- there are sets of lessons and activities for many different instruments.

Using Chrome Music Lab

This is a website  that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments. It can be used to explore music and its connections to science, maths, art and more. The song maker feature lets you make and share your own songs.

There is no need to make an account, just open the site on a web browser such as Chrome.It can be used on phones, tablets and laptops.

The web address for Chrome Music Lab is https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com

Practising an instrument at home

If your child is learning to play an instrument, regular practice is essential. Little and often is best! 

Your child should have a practice diary which they should give you to sign every time they practise, in which their teacher will have written what they need to practise that week. Your child should remember to always bring their diary to their lesson for the teacher to sign and then set the practice objectives for the following week. 

Everybody's schedules are different, but you may find that a few minutes are available before school for practice after breakfast, or perhaps a session after dinner works better for your family. 

As with PE, it's always good practice to begin a practice with a warm-up. Playing some scales prepares the fingers or the mouth for playing the pieces your child is learning. They may also wish to play a well-known piece they enjoy first before working on the pieces they are currently learning as part of their warm-up.

Turning now to the main part of the practice session, it may be that the teacher has highlighted certain sections of the piece which your child needs to focus on. They should practise these separately a few times, and then try the whole piece once or twice.

 Your child could finish their practice with a favourite piece so they end on a high note!

Finally, here are a some suggestions which may make it easier for you to encourage regular practice. If the instrument is set up ready to play rather than put away in its case, this will make it easier for your child to make a start. You may wish to purchase a stand or holder so that the instrument is stored safely when not being played. Your child may also enjoy playing with others, so they may wish to practise with a friend or a sibling from time to time. By doing this they will learn from each other as well as from their teacher. If you hear your child working hard and practising effectively, please give them positive, specific acknowledgement; e.g. "well done, you've improved your playing of that tricky section now".