How can I make a stand against the "chavvy" music at dd's school?

[fircone]

When ds was in the infants, the children sang a lot of songs and it sounded lovely. Now dd is there the music is on a downward spiral. They just sing along to (presumably teachers') old pop music tapes. At the last assembly the children mumbled dispiritedly to "Reach for the Sky" by SClub7, and at Christmas I ground my teeth as they half-heartedly muttered a bit of "Funky Town" (remember that one?!) and something by Annie Lennox. They came into the Christmas concert to "Fairytale of New York". You cheap lousy slut, anyone?

I'm not expecting a full production of "Nymphs and Shepherds" but this is getting ridiculous. It seems not just a shame but a failure not to encourage music.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can broach the subject? I am a governor, but I am not in the inner circle, and have to struggle to get my points raised. I need to put it diplomatically, rather than coming across as an outraged snob.

well if you are not stepping on anyone's toes (someone amongst the staff very keen on those productions etc), maybe a call for help to the dp. You may have some very musical dp who might be willing to get involved a bit more. Worth a try. Singing to a piano/guitar accompaniment is more motivating that singing along to a CD, singing with an adult who is singing too beats singing to a CD with an adult listening etc.

i'm sure we used to sing a song about idi amin at school. those were the days.

Through PHSCE and Circle Time, we encourage children not to use stereotypical language, like 'chavvy', full stop - we don't teach them just to refrain from using it while they are at school.

I expect your dc's school does the same.

chavvy is a horrid expression.snobby, but yet shows no class using it

Good point, ZZZenAgain. There used to be a teacher who played the piano and led the music, but she has left. The mantle has now been seized by someone who appears to have last bought a CD in 1998.

Perhaps I could suggest that there may be helpful parents. Also, there used to be recorder lessons, but the head has now said that "there is no room in the curriculum" for these when I tentatively asked what had become of them.

Must be a staffing issue.
Nobody with an idea about music? nobody who knows how to teach singing?

It does sound grim. SClub7, for crying out loud - were the kids even born when that was current?

I suppose you would need to have some specific practical suggestions on how to change the situation if you were going to raise it - more chance of people listening to you then. Give examples.

Ah x-posts - piano playing person leaving was the turning point then.

As a parent (not a governor) talk to your child's tacher as you would normally about anything else that concerns you. Especially language in songs that is not realy suitable.

As a governor, look at policy, and suggest ways in which policy could be implemented - is there a LA scheme or posibility to get an experienced music group in to do a project in Arts week, for e.g. (I don't think governors should micro-manage schools according to personal concerns). Has the school tried f ArtsMark? (an Arts Council seal of approval for the delivery of the arts in school). That requires some sound music input, and if the school aspired to artsmark they would need to address it.

However, you may not get far. afaik, singing and music are way down the national curriculum list of hot topics, and unlike in 'our day' few teachers seem able to play a piano or guitar to accompany singing, and the school may have no staff at all able to really teach it.

Sad, but true. I wish there was more singing in DS's school.

We used to play the likes of Merry Christmas Everyone (Slade), Jungle Book and Rock Around the Clock in school orchestra, it's been going on for years.

Also, S Club aren't shit. There's nothing wrong with shiny pop music sung by enthusiastic good looking young people. Don't Stop Movin' is a complete classic, and is one of my top 10 tunes ever (also included in this is the likes of PJ Harvey, Nick Cave and Arctic Monkeys so I have somewhat Catholic taste in music )

DD is as completely incapable of singing in key as her mother.
I'd rather her singing butcherd stupid pop songs than classics I'd like to retain some respect for.
So, long reign the rule of silly pop songs at school assemblies.

Well, yes. Six grinning young people doing athletic dance moves and singing catchy tunes is one thing, 90 year 1s shuffling around and half-heartedly raising their hands to a chorus and about one third of those knowing any of the lyrics is quite another.

I rather have pop songs rather the weekly diet of God songs my kids get fed at their local state school, my son is particularly good at picking up the words & it hurts my ears.

I do sympathise, fircone. This is definitely one of those downward spiral things: it looks like the current crop of teachers didn't have a good musical education and therefore have nothing to pass on to the next generation. And so it goes ...
I think that an outside-curriculum-constraints activity is the way to go, with parental involvement. It's amazing what a junior school can achieve with one or two stars (there are always some, you just don't realise that they exist) and a bit of input from adults.

It might be more PC to suggest that the kids sing something in 'parts'.
Is there an Arts Festival that the school can get involved in?

This London's Burning fircone?

fircone - I sympathise. I shuddered in horror at the end-of-year school show when 90 3 and 4 year olds mouthed along to Blues Brothers in full gear

My take is that children need to learn traditional songs and rhymes as part of their cultural baggage.

The English teachers at DD's school are all fab musicians and performers (the French teachers are crap)

My mother says this kind of thing. When I said that I took DD to a music festival her eyes lit up and when she found out it was "only" a "pop" music festival she looked all Daily Mail about it.

She says things like "how are they going to learn about proper music?"

("Pop", you will note, in MyMotherWorld, covers anything written after about 1955 and which cannot be played on Radio 3, and so encompasses pop, rock, soul, jazz, funk, heavy metal, rap, dance, etc., etc.)

Having said that, I do see where you are coming from to an extent, fircone! We had "traditional" songs in school and "pop" was always a bit of a forbidden pleasure for me. I remember being confused when one of our primary school teachers got his guitar out and got us singing "Streets of London." And when our secondary school teacher used "Metal Guru" to teach us about syncopation and rhythm, I felt disturbed!

LOL god songs?songs that make you go god or songs about god botherin

Some of the few english lessons ds had included writing a rap song and writing a poem 'chav' style (catherine tate "yeah, like")

Message withdrawn

Has anyone read Jonathan Coe's The House of Sleep? I'm thinking of the hilarious "gangsta rap poetry" scene.
"But sir, you said Pulp and Oasis wrote poetry. So why doesn't Da Offishul MC? [or whatever it was] Is that cos they are white, sir? Are you a racist, sir?"

Fircone

Something similar happened when I was at school and it had a really negative effect on the kids that really wanted to learn to play an instrument properly. This was at comprehensive school so a little later. All the school choirs and orchestras were closed and only a few (ultra pretty) girls were selected to sing pop songs accompanied by everyone else. A mixture of music would have been just fine.

I know a lot of people think this is snobby and an over-reaction and I love pop music as much as the next person but the skill involved in most of it is not on a par with that needed for playing or listening to classical music. It is also less inclusive and requires less team work.

I hope you find a way to change this...sorry, I haven't actually suggested anything useful!

Have you spoken to the board of governors?

Oh, really sorry, you are on board of governers - rushing as DH wants me to watch a film. Will have a think.

Here's an interesting article with some resources listed at the bottom:

www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6013036

Perhaps everyone knows it is a problem but just needs some suggestions for things that could be done to change for the better.

Good grief.