Our innovative teaching resource, developed in conjunction with Music Education Solutions, to encourage children to play brass music has been awarded the maximum five-star rating in the 2018 Teach Primary Resource Awards.
The pBuzz KS1 Music Teaching Resource was ranked overall winner in the award’s Music Resource category. More than 450 products and publications were nominated in the awards before being whittled down to a 55-strong finalists shortlist. From those, a panel of primary subject experts selected 33 resources giving five-star, four-star and three-star prizes in each category. The resource achieved the maximum five-star rating.
Launched in 2016, our affordable, colourful and fun pBuzz is an innovative brass instrument that is helping to revolutionise the way children take up early brass playing and making music together.
Developed with mini-musician’s little hands in mind, we wanted to enable any teacher to use the instrument as a resource, whether they were a musician or not. Working in partnership with Music Education Solutions a step-by-step guide and support system for schools was designed.
The resulting pBuzz KS1 Music Teaching Resource introduces pBuzz to Years 1 and 2 through lesson plans, assessment trackers, teacher support videos, specially composed music, teacher development materials and cross-curricular activities.
The resource covers the entire National Curriculum for Music at KS1 and is specially designed for use by non-specialist teachers who may lack confidence in teaching music.
Writing about the resource, music category judge Gary Spruce said: “The accompanying lesson plans are pedagogically sound and are well structured to support children’s musical development.”
Dr Elizabeth Stafford, Director of Music Education Solutions, said she was delighted with the highest recognition awarded by the Teach Primary Music Resource Awards.
“For ten years, Music Education Solutions has been helping schools, music education hubs and services to encourage greater engagement in music,” said Dr Stafford.
“pBuzz is a brilliant instrument to do just that but becomes most effective when partnered with a structured teaching resource. We’ve had great fun in developing the materials and assets to help teachers and are delighted the response from teachers has been so positive.”
Chris Fower of pBone Music - who helped develop pBuzz - said the instrument was designed to encourage greater interest in and access to brass music.
“Our passion is introducing children to music - especially to playing brass. We have designed an affordable low-cost instrument to enable children, particularly in schools, to begin a passion for music and brass instruments that they will hopefully continue throughout their life,” he said.
“Working with Music Education Solutions, we have jointly created a total package that supports teachers in providing access to an instrument that aids a child’s sensory and fine motor skills, encourages self-expression, stimulates imagination and builds confidence, whether they are musicians or not.”
Teach Primary editor, Elaine Bennett, said: “This is the first time we have put the call out to the sector, but the response has been fantastic and we have some very worthy winners to share. It is an incredibly diverse list, but every resource and publication has something to offer primary settings.”