Teach Music In School With Jolly Music

Get your class singing!

Jolly Music has been developed so that any primary / elementary teacher, whether they are a musician or non-specialist, can effectively teach music to schoolchildren and help them learn to love music!

The carefully developed primary / elementary music resources offer clear step-by-step guides to singing lessons, accompanying Audio CDs for additional teaching support, and illustrated Big Books with song lyrics, giving teachers the confidence to teach music in an effective and enjoyable way.

Musician and non specialist music teaching with Jolly Music

Teach music skills in a fun & effective way with Jolly Music!

Jolly Music is based on the tried and tested principles of Hungarian composer and music educator Zoltán Kodály. Using this philosophy Cyrilla Rowsell and David Vinden, both experienced practitioners and teachers of the Kodály method, have developed the Jolly Music programme.

Jolly Music is a structured and progressive programme for teaching music skills to children. It is a multi-sensory programme, with all the teaching done through singing. This approach enables children to become instant music makers without the need to learn how to play an instrument.

How does Jolly Music work?

Through a repertoire based on playground rhymes and songs, children become aware of musical elements including pulse, rhythm, pitch, loudness and speed. Activities and musical games support multi-sensory learning and make the lessons fun. The singing lessons are carefully structured to build the key musical skills of listening, singing in tune, inner hearing, and ultimately reading and writing music. Taught in this way, classroom music will build children’s motivation, enthusiasm and confidence, and lay the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment.

For more information on Jolly Music resources visit our Products section.

“These books by Cyrilla are a treasure trove for music teachers” (Christopher Woolmer, Director of Music, Oakwood School)

“I have found the key to teaching SEN students is using multi-sensory, systematic, reinforced teaching methods. Jolly Music is a perfect example of all of these three things combined together, making it a wonderful inclusive music education programme.”

Karen Marshall, Music Educator (SpLD Specialist Music Teacher)

Click here to learn how Jolly Music supports EYFS learning goals

Jolly Music Online Training Course

This self-paced on-line course contains detailed information, instructional sequences and teaching suggestions for working within the music curriculum, touching on listening, responding, performing and composing. Teachers will discretely and systematically engage with the school self-evaluation processes as well as instruments with a view to later formulating and implementing a self improvement plan.

To find out more please click here.

Articles & Reviews

Jolly Music Beginners Review, InTouch Magazine (Ireland), Jan/Feb 2012

Non-Specialist teacher Marj shares her experiences with Jolly Music, Creative Teaching & Learning Magazine (UK), Dec 2011

‘Rhythm and Pulse – teaching music to primary-aged children’ by Cyrilla Rowsell, Music Teacher Magazine (UK), Feb 2012

‘Primary Kodaly: Karen Marshall summarises the benefits of Kodaly in the primary classroom and offers advice on the best courses and resources.’