Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School

In Year 4 we learn to play the Ocarina:

About Ocarinas – where do they come from?

Round shaped flutes have been made for thousands of years from stone, wood, coconut and clay. Lavishly decorated, and with a beautiful sound, these vessel flutes were used in ancient cultures to charm the birds, please the gods, and lift people into a higher state of consciousness. Such flutes are now known as ocarinas.

The name ocarina, meaning ‘little goose’, was first given to a musical instrument by Italian teenager, Guiseppe Donati, when he invented a submarine-shaped clay flute in 1853. He showed it to his friends and, together, they perfected an instrument that has been carried to all corners of the world. Also known as a sweet potato flute, an ocarina even features in the popular Zelda Ocarina of Time computer game.

Pupils develop early musicianship as they sing and play music of many genres. Their close interaction with a simple instrument brings musical rewards beyond anything possible with more complex instruments, which often only deliver a handful of notes in the first year or two of whole class playing.

Year 4 learn to play the Ocarina using the class teaching book ‘1-2-3’ where the children (over the course of a school year)  focus on the notes High D,  B,G  Low D,E,A,C finishing off with introducing F,C and G sharp.  This will enable children to develop breath control and continue learning about music notations and rhythms.

Singing:

Children also develope their singing skills by taking part in choir training with ‘Lets Go Sing’.  This is a fantastic music project where the children will be taught a wide selection of musical songs  and this project will  finish with  a public perform with many other schools in the Lancashire area.