The Beat Goes On

Drums, tambourines, percussion, beats and chants were all part of the samba fun for our 11s (Year 7) pupils. 

Samba workshops led by Ollie from Beat Goes On were organised this term by music teacher Ms Claudia Baum with the aim of enriching and enhancing the music curriculum for all pupils in the 11s. 

"We introduced the Samba workshops to enliven our music curriculum and enhance the experience of studying music as a curriculum subject," she says.

11s pupils are currently learning about different rhythms and beats in music, so the samba workshops really supported and complemented their class studies. They have also been learning how to improvise and compose using rhythm, as well as being able to pick out rhythms by ear.

"Having a strong sense of pulse and rhythm is really important, no matter where you are in your musical journey, particularly if you take part in ensemble music-making," explains Ms Baum, who is keen to point out the benefits of interactive musical workshops like this one. 

Samba is an incredibly sociable form of music that brings large sections of the community together, particularly during the famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Ollie (the workshop leader) made the point that the sambistas (samba-players) often practise for months in the lead-up to the carnival, so these are skills learned over time rather than in just one session! Nonetheless, Ollie gave the kids a brilliant flavour of what being in a samba band entails.

When asked what they enjoyed most about the session, one very enthusiastic 11s pupil said, "Ollie had so much energy and it was such fun getting the chance to try new instruments and styles of music."

To see and listen to a sample of their workshop, please click on the short video below: