Music

Intent

Music is all around us and constantly evolving. In lessons, students will not only study the mechanics of music and how it is put together, but also explore how music serves as a key indicator of societal beliefs, values, opinions, and changes. Students are encouraged to form their own judgments about the music they like and dislike, recognizing that everyone has different tastes. The course covers a wide range of styles, from classical to modern, and is taught through practical activities and assessments accessible to all abilities.

Knowledge and Skills

Music students will be capable of developing a wide range of skills:

You can understand how music is structured.
You can understand how to read and write simple music notation.
You can understand the different layers that make up music.
You can understand how technology can be used to create music.
You can evaluate the functions of music in relation to audience, event, and place.
You can explore how different cultures have distinct musical styles and traditions.
You can discover how music has evolved and is continuing to change through time.
You can learn how to practice, rehearse, and perform.
You can develop skills to work as part of an ensemble.
You can construct structures, forms, and language used in music.
You can create musical ideas.
You can select pieces of music for a specific audience.
You can synthesize styles and create fusions.
You can aspire to work in the music industry.

Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 3

All students study music at Key Stage 3. They have the opportunity to perform, compose, and appraise music from a wide range of styles, cultures, and historical periods. Additionally, students can opt for individual tuition with a variety of private professional instrumental teachers.

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, students complete a full GCSE qualification in Music, with examinations taking place at the end of Year 11. In addition to the exams, students are required to complete four pieces of coursework. They will sit a listening exam based on the study of eight set works at the end of Year 11:

Performing: 1 solo performance and 1 ensemble performance (30% of GCSE)
Composing: 1 free composition and 1 composition in response to a brief (30% of GCSE)
Paper 3: Listening exam (40% of GCSE)

Throughout the course, students will study the eight set works, enabling them to understand the mechanics, stylistic features, and composition techniques, which they can then apply to their coursework.

Career Opportunities in Music

The study of Music allows you to develop skills that can lead to many different career choices. Some examples of careers you could pursue include performer, composer, music supervisor, editor, producer, teacher, engineer, publisher, record industry professional, film industry professional, music for games, music therapy, luthier, piano tuner, conductor, arranger, cruise industry professional, hotel music concierge, archivist, researcher, youth worker, festival organizer, manager, booker, agent, orchestral player, and more.

Year 7 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Skills Audit The Slave Trade and the Blues	Students will undergo an audit to see what they can already do and what they know. In particular this will be about students who have previously had instrumental lessons, performed or have an interest to do so. Students will learn how the slave Trade played a huge role in shaping the early roots of Blues. They will understand how this forms the bedrock of popular music and how the mix of cultures combine to form popular music genres of the time	Students will apply their knowledge to their own mix / composition / lyrics showing an excellent understanding of key features of the style. Where possible students will perform confidently as individuals or as a group – Eg. Drums, Keyboard, Bass, Voice. Students will be able to place the style of music in context of what came before; what follows on and the styles impact to popular music.	Through practical exercises; questioning in booklets; computer based projects and performances. There will also be a termly assessment on the facts surrounding the various styles.

Year 8 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?

What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?

What will excellence look like?

How will this be assessed?

1980s synth Pop

The Synthesizer

1980s – Wider View / Stock Aitken and Waterman

Students will follow on from last term (the 1970s) with the 80s. Students will learn how the synthesizer radically changed the face of pop music as we know it.

Students will learn how a synthesizer works and even build a component from scratch and hear it working.

Students will learn about the huge range of styles and music that came about in the 1980s – from stadium rock to the role of the producer becoming more famous than the artist (Trevor Horne, Stock Aitken Waterman).

Students will apply their knowledge to their own mix / composition / lyrics made up from the key features of the style. Where possible students will perform as individuals or as a group – Eg. Drums, Keyboard, Bass, Voice.

Students will be able to place the style of music in context of what came before; what follows on and the styles impact to popular music.

Through practical exercises; questioning in booklets; computer based projects and performances.

There will also be a termly assessment on the facts surrounding the various styles.

Year 9 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Advertising	Students will have the opportunity to look in depth at the world of advertising. As well as jingles, students will understand how an advert is a collaboration of drama, art, music and creativity. Students will create their own adverts through storyboarding and/or recording a finished product. Students will learn how to sync sound to picture and edit accordingly. They will learn about ducking, hit points, plug-ins, inserts and finalising.	Student work will evidence well thought out planning and reviewing of the progress. In practicals, the students will perform fluently and with confidence showing clear signs of practice and improvement; in composition there will be evidence of carefully considered structure and material. In producing there will be evidence of a clear understanding of the software resulting in an effective mix/film music/composition.	Each project will be assessed on the planning aspect and how thought has gone into reviewing and putting steps in place to show progress. Performances / showings will be assessed on the process and the fluency of the performance / composition; research will be assessed on depth of research and final outcomes.

Year 10 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?

What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?

What will excellence look like?

How will this be assessed?

Component 1

Students are completing Component 1: Exploring Music Styles. They will produce a portfolio of 4 styles of music showing they understand how these pieces are put together.

Students then create their own examples using music software and live performances.

After this component students will prepare for Component 2 – this is where they set themselves an individual target and monitor their progress. Eg. Learning to play the Moonlight Sonata on the piano.

A portfolio showing a deep understanding of how the styles of music are put together. There will be clear examples showing key features of the style.

Pieces by the students will be well mixed with high attention to detail in the final mix.

Students are assessed by the criteria set by the board. Each student has been given the mark schemes ensuring they hit the main criteria.

Year 11 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Component 2	Students are completing Component 2: Developing Music skills this is where they set themselves an individual target and monitor their progress. Eg. Learning to play the Moonlight Sonata on the piano.	The student will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of how to develop a musical skill. This will be in the form of written document, audio commentary or presentation. The evidence will detail planning, targets, goals and criteria to show how these targets have been met. The finished product will also be accompanied by a recording of their work – a live performance; a mix down; composition or remix.	Students are assessed by the criteria set by the board. Each student has been given the mark schemes ensuring they hit the main criteria.