The material for this course arises from thirty years teaching in nursery and primary schools and as a professional composer, performer arranger and producer of recorded music.

A theoretical basis is provided in part by the work of Colwyn Trevarthen and Stephen Malloch. This workshop, in common with their seminal publication Communicative Musicality:

“explores a particular way of thinking about how the human mind and human body work together and are intimately interdependent; it investigates how we share life and make meaning of our culture in communities” (P24)

This session will have participants actively engaging in enjoyable activities that exemplify effective approaches to teaching music in the early years and beyond.

The aim is to share material, detailed approaches and overarching ideas that I have developed working with children from 0 – 5 and their families as well as giving practitioner training for both musicians and non-musicians. 

Each action song, rhyme, dance or activity connects to one, or several general practical teaching points and overarching pedagogical themes. There will be some space for questions and discussion. 

Themes will include

• The nature of musical knowledge – how movement, mathematical understandings, linguistic development and sociability are not separate things and are combined in musical activity – connecting with the idea of embodied cognition
• Listening – how we can encourage children to listen - also how we can listen to children without judgement appreciating all responses before we think about evaluating in order to improve performance. This relates to inclusion - starting with the child’s interests and abilities and to how musical activities help shy children navigate the transition from home to school.
• The value of an improvisatory approach – how to encourage a creative approach to music making and how this relates to Froebel’s principle of freedom with guidance - simple practical techniques for improvising using a song or rhyme that can be communicated to colleagues who consider themselves “unmusical”
• Working on composition with older children - developing the improvisatory elements of music making, using simple material as a template for composition influenced by Orff and Kodaly approaches. 
• How stories help with organising musical activities and how music aids the telling of stories – developing the ability to hold longer sequences in mind and the expressive use of the voice and body
• The use of humour and the deliberate mistake to encourage engagement and critical thinking - 

All the songs etc. in this workshop are available to stream free online at https://stevegrocott.bandcamp.com 

A handout can be provided with all lyrics, ideas, full references and links to relevant articles. 

No equipment is needed – only a circle of chairs.

• Music and sound education experiences, values, and practices
• Social musical settings
• Inclusion, marginalization, bullying and exclusion
• Music in special education
• Meaningful musical experiences
• The nature of musical knowledge
• Lifelong learning for music educators
• Music and communities

Education

PGCE in primary education and courses with The Carl Orff Society, IOU Theatre and The Voices Foundation (Kodaly) 

Associate Trainer Early Education (British Association for Early Childhood Education) and an active trustee of MERYC (Music Educators and Researchers of Young Children)

Training for

The Institute for Education - London

The British School - Brussels 

The Royal School of Music, London

Conference presentations 

NYMAZ

IBBY - Athens 

Published articles

Nursery World

The Orff Times 

Composition and recordings

Music Express primary music teaching series

Steve’s Sparks albums

Story Songs with Pie Corbett

Performance

UK Radio, TV and numerous venues and festivals with The Drones