IT all seemed very complex to the bemused adults present, but the routine had the school entranced.
Standing before the assembled pupils of Castleton Primary in Castlemilk, Glasgow, a ring of six and seven-year-olds were singing a simple song about liking coffee, or alternately, liking tea.
On the beat of the song, one pupil would bounce a basketball in the centre of the ring. Another sat before a bass drum, clocking it with a stick, also on the beat. As the song progressed, the ball was passed from girl to boy, boy to girl and back again, the song was sung, and neither a beat - nor a ball - was dropped. Finally, the song finished - to applause.
This, said the teacher of the routine, Marrian Klein, is a key part of the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) as it has been approached in Glasgow: to teach the youngest pupils the rudiments of rhythm and verse through a simple but intensive routine.
The gym hall was also the stage for featured performances of simple pop tunes from pupils at the school, and an elegant song "in the round" performed by students from a number of schools who attend Saturday morning lessons at the Voice Factory at the City Halls.
Ms Klein, a YMI teacher to 14 schools in Glasgow, has been involved in the initiative for two-and-a-half years and uses a musical tuition scheme called Going for Bronze. "We do a lot of games with the ball, bouncing and catching it to the beat of the song: it's all about learning the beat and co- ordination," she said.
"The main aim is to make the pupils feel comfortable with singing, with working in a group and reacting to each other, and the feeling of self-confidence once the song is learnt is very important."
The display was followed by six students playing cellos - all confident and composed, despite the instruments being as tall as they are.
Patricia Elborn, head teacher of Castleton, said: "The introduction of free music tuition has created a tremendous new opportunity for our pupils. The children really enjoy the sessions and are developing skills they might never have discovered otherwise. The scheme has had a real impact on the school."
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