"The only thing better than singing is more singing” - Ella Fitzgerald

Swindon Music Service

Swindon Music Service (SMS) is committed to giving every child the opportunity to sing.  We believe singing is a healthy activity and enables children and young people to express themselves by accessing making music activities.  Often with little or no musical experience and without prohibitive financial outlay.

Singing can promote team work in a social setting similarly promoting self-confidence and self-esteem.  MMS believes that all children and young people should be able to access high quality opportunities for singing in school and the community as an entitlement.

The Benefits of Singing:

Physical benefits:

Very young people have been shown to increase the amount, quality and understanding of speech development through singing activities such as counting games, nursery rhymes and finger play
Singing increases blood flow and lung capacity
Combined with movement or dance, singing helps combat obesity and increase general physical fitness

Social Benefits:

Singing can lead directly to whole-school improvement, particularly through creating a greater sense of community and increasing social cohesion within the school
Music lessons in school can help foster individuality, improve social skills and help create more positive attitudes in general.  In studies, these effects have been particularly marked in low-ability, disaffected pupils.
Developmental benefits:
Singing can be used to prepare to start or finish routine activities such as setting down to take the register or signifying the end of the school day.  Choose a well known song or create a new song with your whole class
Music can be used to reinforce mathematical development through the use of finger and counting games and exploration of musical; instruments and sound-makers through sequencing and patterning.
Studies have shown that school music lessons can benefit reading and language skills.  Very young children have been shown to increase the amount, quality and understanding of speech developed through singing activities.

“Once schools get the singing habit, in my experience, they never want to let it go” - Howard Goodall

What’s offered to schools:

• We will make you fully informed about how to sign up to Charanga resources
• We will show you around the resources available online for your schools through our website
• We will help teachers to understand and work through setting a singing strategy in your school.
• We can help you to undertake a singing audit to enable us to help you plan for ‘Singing Schools’ programme in your school.
• Provide tuition for whole class or whole school singing in your school (At full cost recovery)
• Invite your school to take part in our annual voice festivals for infant, junior and Christmas concerts
• Give you details of CPD and resources which are available to you to support singing

Useful Links:

To access the Festival resources (password protected for members)  click here

To access Singing Strategy Top tips and developing a school singing strategy (password protected for members) click here

To access the Song Bank through the buy-as-you-go menu.  click here.  password protected

This Christmas, we will replace the usual voice festival held at the Wyvern theatre with an online option.  click here to view the Promo and to get more information.  You can also book on to the Virtual Big Christmas by clicking here and placing your order.

Out of the Ark Music

Singing Resources

You can purchase singing resources by following the links below:

Cinderella & Rockerfella and Aladdin – these are musicals for ages 7 – 11  http://www.outoftheark.co.uk/products/nativities/pantomimes/

I Love Music and It’s Christmas for you to show.    http://www.outoftheark.co.uk/series/my-world-series/