Inclusive Music Education – How?

A high-quality music education is the right of every pupil. It should be inclusive of all, regardless of additional needs, in both mainstream and specialist education settings. Schools should aim high with music – an individual child’s needs may make some aspects of teaching, learning and performance different, but there should be no compromise on quality provision.

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This guide offers research-based, practical guidance and links to further reading and resources to help you implement an inclusive approach to music education. Children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities can, and should, be involved in the musical life of their schools. All students should have access to a rich curriculum where musical skills, knowledge and understanding are developed, enabling them to become more musical.

Aims of Music Education

Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

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There are many benefits to music education, both musical, and extra-musical. Students receiving a high-quality music education will become more musical, deepening their understanding, knowledge, and skills in music. This can lead on to further study; performance opportunities with bands, choirs, ensembles, and orchestras; composing opportunities; or simply having a greater appreciation of the music they listen to for the rest of their lives.

In addition to these “musical” benefits there are many “extra-musical” benefits to music education that translate into other areas of life. Singing and playing in a group has been shown to improve wellbeing; music sessions can help develop social skills, e.g., turn-taking and collaboration; and playing as part of an ensemble, or performing in a concert, can help to increase confidence and self-esteem.

What a privilege it is to introduce our students to these wonderful benefits of music.

Overcoming Barriers to Engagement in Music

Listed below, are some tips to help overcome the barriers faced by some learners when accessing music education. Rather than discussing the many different diagnoses that learners may have, ideas and resources are presented to try to overcome some common barriers to engagement that students accessing music education may encounter. It is important to note that some children, who struggle in many other areas of learning, find music to be a subject in which they do not need additional support. Be mindful that the very nature of music itself may ‘level the playing field’ for these students.

The ideas below will enable students who have diagnosed learning difficulties to access music education, but as is so often the case, what is necessary for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities is usually beneficial for everyone.

Behaviour

Challenging behaviour in music lessons can be really disruptive. There are many reasons why these behaviours occur and it’s beyond the scope of this document to deal with them all. Some unwanted behaviours in music may relate to a student’s ability to access learning at the right level of challenge in the knowledge that they are safe to express themselves. Many of the points below will help in allowing students to access music lessons with as few barriers to progression as possible.

Communication

Students who struggle to communicate in everyday life can find music to be a wonderful opportunity for self-expression and interaction.

• Make music the language of the lesson. Keep talk to a minimum. Does that new song need a verbal introduction?
• Signing when singing – Use signs (e.g. Makaton/Signalong) to create an inclusive environment. Why? It helps students to remember lyrics; non-verbal students can now take part fully in singing activities.
• Consider using visual prompts and timetables. Tools like Widgit Online (www.widgitonline.com) are great for creating flash cards and timetables.
• Repertoire choice – Consider including nonsense songs and foreign language songs. Associations between words and meaning are less obvious, enabling students to sing with more freedom than when singing in English.
• Use instruments as a means of communication. E.g., improvise “musical conversations” to enable students to express themselves.

Sensory Processing

Some students have spiky sensory profiles leading to them being under/over-aroused by the classroom environment, instruments and/or resources used within lessons.

Auditory Environment

• Make sure there are moments of quiet and calm within lessons.
• Are there alternative spaces that could be used for practical work for students who need them?
• Are ear defenders available for students who require them when listening to others?

N.B. Unless playing very loud instruments, consider not using ear-defenders for musicians when performing so they are aware of how loud they are playing.

Visual Environment

• Is the teaching space clutter free? Are displays useful or distracting?
• Only have out the resources required for that lesson.
• Cover/hide instruments when explaining the task to keep focus on the teacher.

Tactile Environment

• Some students may have a favourite instrument because of the way it feels (e.g., cabasa), or dislike certain instruments because they don’t like to touch it (e.g., a djembe’s goat skin). Accommodating these preferences can be the difference between engagement and refusal. E.g., Use a synthetic skinned djembe or thin gloves.
• Allow students to explore instruments freely when first using them, encourage them to fiddle/play and create new sounds.
• If necessary, remove instruments when explaining next steps to keep the attention of your students.

Taste and Smell

• Although these are generally less relevant in music lessons, some instruments have strong smells associated with them (e.g., brass instruments).
• The classroom may also have a distinct smell. Consider using a subtle air-freshener
  before lessons and keeping windows open where possible.

Attention

• Give clear instructions.
• Break tasks down into small chunks.
• Refer to key words/vocabulary to reinforce learning.
• Allow for regular movement breaks.
• Use visual timetables and prompts.
• Use your body to respond to music. (e.g., instead of writing-down, or discussing, the tempo of a piece of music, can you demonstrate it with your body by jumping, walking, dancing or by making a mark on a tempo continuum on the whiteboard?)
• When using instruments, create clear routines for starting, stopping, and listening to instructions.

Physical Disabilities

• Students with physical disabilities may need extra space and/or adaptations to instruments to be able to play them successfully.
• Discuss with the student which instrument they would like to play.
• Consider adapting playing technique if required.
• Lots of instruments can be adapted for musicians with physical disabilities (see The
  OHMI Trust for more information).

Curriculum Planning

Many schools will use pre-planned schemes of work e.g., Charanga or Sing Up. These have considerations for students with additional needs built in and have extra help on their websites. Most of the ideas above will complement such schemes.

To implement some of the ideas above, it may be necessary to revise the approach or curriculum that is currently taught. Here are some things to consider.

Musical Development

Everyone, regardless of any additional needs, goes through the same stages of musical development. We all move through these stages at different rates, and some will go further than others. The Sounds of Intent project (www.soundsofintent.org) sets out these stages and is a great resource for understanding what our students can do and how we can help them as they progress in their musical development.

Stages 2-5 are particularly relevant and can be described as follows:

• Sound Makers – makes or controls sound inten9onally.
• Pattern Makers – deliberately makes simple patterns in sound (e.g., a regular beat).
• Motif Makers – sings/plays distinctive bit of pieces (motifs) and starts linking them together.
• Music Makers – sings/plays short pieces, gradually more in time and in tune.

These descriptors can be helpful when organising students to perform within class or for concerts etc. Students can, and should, take part at the appropriate level in an inclusive and musical way.

Learning Objectives

Depending on your cohort, it may be reasonable to set learning objectives for each lesson which can be achieved by most or all students. In some situations, it may be more applicable to have a learning focus with all students working around the same concept (e.g. dynamics) but accessing that concept at different levels. Some students may be able to identify that the music is changing dynamics but not have the vocabulary to describe it, some may be able to signal that change using their body, some will be able to play an instrument using different dynamics and some will understand that dynamics can be used to help create meaning in music and have the skills and vocabulary to support this view. How can we support all these learners in one class?

– Low Threshold / High Ceiling Activities

• Activities designed to allow students to work at their own level. E.g., open ended composition tasks; open questioning “What do you notice?”.

– Parts for all musicians

• Using the different levels identified above (‘Sound Makers’ through to ‘Music Makers’), we can ensure everyone can make a meaningful contribution to a class performance or Christmas production.

Assessment and Qualifications

Assessing students in music lessons can be difficult. With limited time it is not always possible to assess students every half-term or even termly without significantly reducing the amount of teaching time available. Even if we do have time, finding the right model for assessment is not always straightforward.

If students can access a curriculum of increasing challenge as they go through the school, then they are demonstrating progress. For those with additional needs, it may be useful to use the Sounds of Intent assessment framework to assess their musical development. The framework is linked to nationally recognised music qualifications awarded by Trinity College and can be accessed through the Sounds of Intent website.

More Information and Resources

Useful websites

Music Mark (SEND resources): https://www.musicmark.org.uk/all-resources/?fwp_marketplace_categories=send

Sounds of Intent: https://soundsofintent.org/en/home/index

Count Me In: https://soundsofintent.org/count-me-in/

Tuning in Autism: https://www.tuninginautism.com/

OHMI Trust (One-Handed Musical Instrument Trust): https://www.ohmi.org.uk/

Drake Music: https://www.drakemusic.org/

Useful Apps and Technology for Engagement

Clarion – Accessible instrument for use on tablets with various methods of control: https://www.openupmusic.org/clarion

Thumb Jam – Well established instrument for iPad: https://thumbjam.com/

Soundbeam – Accessible instrument controlled by movement: https://www.soundbeam.co.uk/

Drake Music Instruments – Various instruments created by Drake Music: https://www.drakemusic.org/technology/instruments-projects/

Teaching prompt

Overcoming barriers to engagement in music – A4 printable teaching prompt: