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Journal

Welcome to the Mayflower Community Academy and Nursery Music Journal, a vibrant space dedicated to celebrating the musical journey of our students. At Mayflower, we believe in the transformative power of music education, nurturing creativity, and fostering a lifelong love for the arts. Through engaging lessons, diverse musical experiences, and collaborative performances, our students explore a wide range of musical genres and instruments. This journal showcases their progress, highlights their achievements, and shares the joy of music-making within our community. Join us in celebrating the sounds and stories that make our music program so special.

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  • MCA Summer Festival of Music & Arts 2025: A Day of Community, Creativity and Celebration

    Published 15/07/25

    On Saturday, the grounds of Mayflower Community Academy were filled with music, colour, movement, creativity - and most importantly - people. The MCA Summer Festival of Music & Arts 2025 brought together children, families, artists, performers, volunteers and local organisations for a truly joyful day that celebrated the power of community in action.

    Across the school, something special was happening in every corner - and from start to finish, the energy was warm, welcoming and full of pride.

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  • MCA Summer Festival of Music and Art β€” A Celebration You Won’t Want to Miss!

    Published 04/07/25

    MCA Summer Festival of Music and Art — A Celebration You Won’t Want to Miss!

    Summer is here, and what better way to celebrate than with an evening full of music, art, food, and fun? The MCA Summer Festival of Music and Art is coming to Mayflower Academy, Ham Drive, Plymouth, on Saturday 12th July, and you and your family are warmly invited — completely FREE!

     

    Here’s why you need to save the date:

    A Musical Line-Up Bursting with Talent

    The stage will come alive with performances beginning at 5:45 PM, featuring a fantastic mix of community and school choirs, plus incredible soloists.

    • North Prospect Community Choir — Plymouth’s friendliest choir is sure to fill the evening with joy and community spirit.
    • Blokes Who Sing, fresh from releasing their first single, will bring their brilliant energy and harmonies.
    • Mayflower Community Academy’s Choir La will showcase the amazing voices of their young singers with a performance full of pride and talent.
    • City of Sons, a youth male voice choir, will share their powerful sound and skill.
    • Ford Primary School Choir will join in with their enthusiasm and charm.
    • And there’ll be a range of sensational soloists adding even more sparkle to this wonderful program.

    From seasoned adult choirs to the youngest performers, this event will celebrate the best of Plymouth’s musical community.

     

    πŸƒ‍♂️ ProActive Sports & Games

    From 6 PM, ProActive will be running sports and games — perfect for kids to burn off energy and for families to join in some friendly competition. Expect fun, teamwork, and a few giggles along the way!

    🎨 Children’s Art Gallery

    Come and admire a stunning display of local children’s creative work. The gallery will be packed with color and imagination, showcasing the incredible artistic talent of our young people.

     

    🐝 Six Bees: Bee Experience

    Get up close with nature thanks to the fascinating Six Bees Experience. Learn about these amazing pollinators, their role in the environment, and how we can help protect them. It’s hands-on, educational, and perfect for curious minds of all ages!

    βœ‚οΈ Arts & Crafts Activities

    If you love getting creative, don’t miss the arts and crafts activities available throughout the evening. Try your hand at something new, make a keepsake to take home, and celebrate creativity in a fun, relaxed way.

     

    πŸ“š MCA Learning Workshops & Bookshop

    Drop into the MCA learning workshops to see what’s on offer, or pick up a good read from the on-site bookshop. It’s a great chance to connect with what’s happening at Mayflower Community Academy and learn about future opportunities.

    πŸ” Hot Food & Refreshments

    No festival is complete without tasty food, and there will be plenty on offer to keep you well fed and refreshed while you enjoy the festivities.

    🎟️ Community Raffle

    Don’t miss the community raffle! With brilliant prizes up for grabs, it’s a fun way to support local projects and maybe take home something special.

     

    🌼 Come and Celebrate!

    With gates opening at 5 PM, this is the perfect evening to bring together family, friends, and neighbours to celebrate music, art, sport and the community spirit that makes Plymouth shine.

    For more details, follow our Instagram pages:

    @madeinmayflowermusic, @northprospectchoir, @blokeswhosing, @cityofsons.ymvc

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  • Christmas: A Perfect Time for Singing in Primary Schools

    Published 16/12/24

    There’s something truly magical about the Christmas season in primary schools. The decorations, the excitement, and, most importantly, the music all come together to create an atmosphere of joy and togetherness. Singing at Christmas is more than just a tradition – it’s a valuable learning and developmental opportunity for young children. Here are some of the reasons why the festive season is the perfect time to fill your school with song.

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  • Vocal Health: Caring for Young Voices in Music Education

    Published 28/11/24

    As the Christmas season approaches, schools across the country are buzzing with preparations for carol services, nativity plays, and festive performances. For children, this time of year often means extended vocal use—not just in school but also during family gatherings and community events. Combined with winter illnesses and cold weather, these activities can put a strain on young voices. This made me reflect on the importance of teaching good vocal health, especially as someone who has personally experienced the damaging effects of a vocal injury. 

    At Mayflower Community Academy, we place a strong emphasis on vocal health as part of our music education. This isn’t just about producing better singers; it’s about teaching children to care for a vital tool they’ll use throughout their lives. From their very first music lessons in our foundation classes, we introduce our students to practices that prioritise vocal care. 

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  • Looking Ahead to our Spring Term Music Curriculum: Fostering a love for music through building strong foundations.

    Published 21/11/24

    As we move towards the spring term at Mayflower Community Academy, our music curriculum continues to foster a love for music while building strong foundations in musical literacy. This term promises a wealth of exciting opportunities for our students across all year groups as they explore new concepts and deepen their understanding of melody, rhythm, and expression through our Kodály-inspired approach.

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  • Watching Yourself Back: Embracing Self-Reflection and Cultivating Creative Growth

    Published 14/11/24

    There’s a common misconception that musicians, performers, and artists enjoy watching or listening to their own performances. After all, they spend years honing their craft and putting it out into the world for others to experience. But the truth is, many artists find revisiting their work uncomfortable, even unsettling. Elton John famously admitted that he dislikes listening to his old songs or watching past performances. When he does, he often finds himself critiquing the tiniest details, wishing he had done things differently. This type of self-criticism is often rooted in perfectionism, and while it can lead to moments of self-doubt, it can also serve as a powerful tool for artistic growth when used constructively.

     

    For musicians, getting beyond the initial discomfort of watching themselves perform can open the door to self-improvement and refinement. Yes, it requires pushing past self-doubt and facing one’s anxieties head-on. But in doing so, artists gain the opportunity to identify areas for improvement, refine their technique, and ultimately create better work in the future. Self-reflection, when practiced with kindness and intention, becomes an invaluable part of the creative process.

     

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  • Harmonies Across Cultures: Uniting Schools and Communities through Gamelan

    Published 18/10/24

    Yesterday was an unforgettable day for both Mayflower Community Academy and Ford Primary School as we welcomed the incredible Jude Cummings, a Gamelan expert, to deliver a unique CPD (Continuing Professional Development) session. It was an hour of musical magic that not only opened our eyes to the fascinating world of Gamelan music but also sparked the start of several truly exciting cultural project that will unite our schools and communities over the next two years.

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  • Start from the Beginning: Building a Culture of Singing

    Published 12/09/24

    During our most recent year 6 leavers assembly rehearsal, I watched something pretty amazing unfold. Every student - whether they were naturally confident singers or a bit hesitant - was singing with real joy and assurance. That wasn’t always the case. I’ve had plenty of conversations with colleagues from other schools who tell me things like, "I can’t get my boys to sing," or "Year 6s just won’t sing - they refuse!" But we’ve managed to flip that script at our school. Now, we’ve got a culture of singing that turns even the most reluctant students into enthusiastic singers. How did we get here? It all started by making singing an essential part of everyday school life, right from the moment students walk through the doors. It’s something we’ve woven into the fabric of not just our school, but our wider community too.

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  • Leading by Example: The Joy of Singing

    Published 05/09/24

    This week started with two teacher training days - a time for us as educators to step back, challenge our thinking, and expand our understanding of how children learn. Usually, these sessions kick off with an icebreaker: maybe a guest speaker or a team-building activity. This year, though, things were a bit different.

     

    Imagine it: the first day back after a six-week break, Monday morning, 8:30 a.m. What’s the last thing you’d expect to be doing? Probably communal singing - but that’s exactly what we did.

     

    Over the summer holidays, I was tasked with creating and leading a 15-minute workshop on getting 130 reluctant, self-proclaimed "non-singers" to sing together… as a choir.  No small feat. As I stood in front of the room and saw the initial groans ripple across the staff - who were from both Mayflower and Ford - I knew I was about to face one of my toughest ‘gigs’ to date. But despite the palpable discomfort in the room, I held onto my belief in the power of singing. Once they got into it, I was certain they’d not only enjoy themselves but also gain real value from the experience.

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  • Year 6 Leavers Assembly: Full of Unforgettable Moments

    Published 21/07/24

    This year, the Year 6 Leavers Assembly took on a new twist, yet it retained its timeless magic and charm. One of the highlights of the event was the much-anticipated year group song performance by the Year 6 students. Over the past few weeks, we had been meticulously working on an arrangement of Pink’s "Cover Me in Sunshine." As a cohort, we unanimously agreed that this song perfectly encapsulated the joyous spirit of the children. Its familiarity also made it accessible to those less confident in their singing abilities.

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  • MCA EarlyBirds join other School Choirs at the Plymouth Big Sing

    Published 12/07/24

    Yesterday, it was our great pleasure to once again take part in the Plymouth Big Sing, an event dedicated to bringing schools together to connect through the joy of song.

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  • A Harmonious Future: Insights from Our Academy Music Council

    Published 05/07/24

    At Mayflower Community Academy, we're committed to nurturing the musical talents and interests of our students. To ensure our music curriculum is as engaging and diverse as possible, we recently convened a meeting with our Academy Music Council. This group of passionate students has been selected to help shape the future of our musical learning.

    Here's what we discovered:

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