Rocksteady comes to Croxby
On Monday 20 March, Croxby Primary were delighted to have Rocksteady visit their school to work with all the pupils, giving them the opportunity to learn and also play music.
Rocksteady Music School offer in-school rock and pop band sessions to make learning music fun and to give children the chance to be in a band, perform songs they love and learn new skills.
The morning began with a whole school assembly. Tim, from Rocksteady, focused on demonstrating and discussing what the instruments are and how to play them. This was followed by two separate workshops involving KS2 pupils and KS1 pupils. For the first workshop with KS2 pupils, Tim had a more ‘grown-up’ approach with the children and used the well-known rock song, Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, to teach them the basic tunes behind the song in a fun and interactive manner. For the KS1 workshop, Tim had to adapt for the younger pupils, making the tunes behind the song ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra easier for them to learn and understand – and of course making it fun and very amusing!
“My aim for today is to get the kids to feel part of a band, building their confidence and basic music skills, which in turn is part of their curriculum. Rocksteady gives every child the opportunity to play an instrument and eliminates the worry of being able to read music. The focus is on them actually playing in a band, rather than having the need to read music, involving more interactive and listening skills.”
The day did not stop there though! At the end of the day, each child took a letter home and filled out a form, writing down what their favourite instruments are and what they would like to learn how to play. Then, when they come back to school after the Easter holidays, their parents/carers can sign them up for rock sessions. The goal is to create about four or five bands, with around nine or ten children in each band and offer 30-minute weekly lessons taking place in school time with all instruments provided. With termly concerts at school assemblies, the children will be able to show off their progress to friends, teachers and parents with the rest of their band.
"The event was superb – the children (and staff) thoroughly enjoyed the assembly which was really engaging, informative and inclusive for all. Tim was the perfect balance of knowledgeable, humorous and engaging whilst keeping his audience respectful – which isn’t easy when they are so excited with the performance. It definitely inspired our pupils and created potential bands of the future!"
