Reviewed by John Dabell
I have just returned home with a spring in my step having watched my football team play; in fact I am feeling rather warm and fuzzy. This is a strange response, given they lost 4-1 – but my elation may have come from me unwittingly hacking into positive chemicals released during an afternoon’s singing in the terraces.
My fellow fans may not have realised it, but endorphins and oxytocin were strutting their stuff inside all of us, thanks to a good old singsong. According to psychologists, singing essentially gets us high. Belting out a tune alongside hundreds of others can increase our tolerance for pain, improve happiness and make us feel better connected to our social group.
Secondary harmonies
Taken in a school context, then, singing makes perfect sense. Good quality singing provision should be a right for students, and the award-winning online service Sing Up is already used by many schools to make singing more engaging and accessible.
The organisation has shown over the years what can be done to raise the status of singing and increase opportunities for schoolchildren throughout the country to enjoy singing as part of their everyday lives. They believe that singing is important in helping children to develop their understanding of music, raise attainment and develop permanent tools to express themselves with self-confidence and resourcefulness.
The catch for those of us in the secondary sector has been that so far, Sing Up has delivered its resources to primary schools only. But now there’s really something for us to sing about, with membership having been announced for secondary schools too, offering stacks of tools and support for putting singing right at the centre of learning at KS3+.
Sing Up’s Secondary Package includes a wide range of teaching resources and songs to support you in including some singing in your lesson,s or to act as a full-blown comprehensive foundation for singing school-wide. If singing is not your forte, this is for you; if singing is your bag, then this is for you too.
Pillars of Groove (Ages 13+) from Sing Up on Vimeo.
Words and music
School membership offers a flexible and comprehensive package featuring unlimited streaming from a unique Song Bank that provides access to nearly 800 songs, from pop to classical, specially arranged for young and developing voices.
You also get 85 download credits with Secondary Membership, regardless of your school size (spending credits gives you the ability to use songs offline) and three issues per year of Sing Up magazine each containing 15 new songs, teaching tools and articles on teaching practice.
Signing up to Sing Up also grants access to hundreds of comprehensive teaching resources, including topic plans, assembly plans, training videos, nativities and Sing Up Music – a flexible music curriculum scheme using Song Bank songs that makes planning easy and learning fun.
The Song Bank is a terrific resource to dip into. You can easily search for songs by title, style, subject or age group, and there’s even a Top Ten Curriculum Songs section, where you can find songs related to different subjects. If you need help selecting a song, you can browse through a range suggested playlists from ‘Disney ditties’ to ‘In love with languages’.
Type what you’re looking for into the search bar, and resources galore will open up. Clicking on a song title you like allows you to find various versions of the song, including alternate backing and performance tracks. Each song further comes with a set of teaching notes, whiteboard lyrics and printable song sheets. You can preview songs by clicking a play button beside listed songs, or listen to the song in full. The quality of music and singing on the site is superb.
Having recently watched the Bond movie Skyfall, I searched for the theme song and wasn’t disappointed – Sing Up gave me everything I needed to try it for myself. Adele would have been proud!
Something for everyone
Elsewhere on the site you will find Teaching Tools, which is where you get to unearth seasonal assembly plans and countless lesson, topic and activity plans. Then there’s the Knowledge Hub, where you’ll find advice, How-To guides, brilliant training videos, webinars and more.
The Videos section is the place to head for teaching ideas to inspire your singing. Here you can access Sing Up Webinars led by expert vocal leaders, which will help you to deliver outstanding lessons.
At £295, I’m convinced you get great value for money given the wealth of resources on offer. The transition between primary and secondary school is renowned for being a time when many pupils become less engaged in musical activities – but this resource can help to weather the changeover, promote continuity and inspire new musical journeys and experiences.
VERDICT: Release the endorphins! Whether you want to sing the register or put on a show, Sing Up has something for everyone whatever your skill level or background. Remember – you are what you sing…
