Respect for all: Carnatic music

This activity was used with children in key stage 2, years 3 and 4.

Aim

• To learn about music from a different culture, but one with which many of the children share cultural roots through performing and listening.

Activity objective

• To learn the features of Carnatic music (eg melodic structure: notes and rhythm). Carnatic is a classical music style from South India, featuring sophisticated mathematical rhythmic patterning.

Activity description

A former teacher, now freelancing as a violinist, worked with the children over a period of three weeks, preparing them for a workshop with expert players from the Carnatic tradition. All year 3 children, a group of year 4 children learning to play the violin and their music-service tutor were involved.

The children were introduced to the pitch syllables ('sa', 're', 'ga', and so on), repeating phrases sung by the teacher to illustrate various 'rags'.

Next the teacher introduced a range of activities to illustrate the rhythm cycles of Carnatic music, using vocalised syllables and hand gestures. These were practised at double and quadruple speed. The violinists practised playing short phrases by ear using traditional 'rags'.

The project culminated in a workshop with a professional tabla player and a South Indian violinist. After the workshop year 3 children, with the year 4 violinists, performed for the rest of the school. The children's ability to initiate and copy complex rhythmic phrases, using the vocalised syllables at fast tempo, was particularly impressive.

Commentary

The value of this project lay in children being able to work with professional players of the styles. The children experienced musical thought processes that are very different from those of the West, but are coherent and fascinating. The project is repeated every year, so that older children revisit the experience as members of the audience (and often as eager participants). In this way, it becomes part of the shared cultural experience of the whole school.

Next year the school plans to include a deeper study of the mathematical processes involved in Carnatic music as an enrichment activity for gifted and talented children. They are also going to use traditional folk songs to enhance the rhythm and pitch work.

Resources

The music schemes of work can be found athttp:// http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes
The online national curriculum can be found at www.nc.uk.net