Music
Overview
Introduction
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity.
Music lessons engage and inspire students to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. Students work collaboratively to develop performance, composing and listening skills, with a focus on the elements of music throughout Years 7, 8 and 9. They develop teamwork and leadership skills within a creative environment, becoming proficient using music technology to create, record and edit their own musical compositions and performances.
Students are given the opportunity to showcase their work throughout the year and are encouraged to participate in our extracurricular music clubs and activities.
Course leader
Mr G Hydes
Curriculum
Course content
Students will explore three main themes throughout key stage 3 focusing on:
- world musical cultures
- music and the media
- music styles and products across different genres
Students are taught to develop personal and transferable skills needed to be successful, no matter what they go on to do. These include confidence, creativity, communication and team work. They are taught to play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments fluently with accuracy and expression. They also improvise, compose and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions.
Students use relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles and genres, and listen with increasing sensitivity to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians.
Topics
Year 7
- Understanding the elements of music.
- Exploring rhythm.
- Composing and performing graphic scores.
- Exploring program music.
Year 8
- World music: African cyclic patterns.
- World music: Indian raga compositions.
- World music: reggae music of the Caribbean.
Year 9
- World music: samba rhythms and performance.
- Performance skills: instrumental choice, individual and group performance skills development.
- Music and media: music for video games.
- Music and media: music for film.
Skills and requirements
Skills developed
Composing music
- Musical elements: knowing the key elements that are associated with explaining musical ideas.
- Composing ideas: being able to articulate musical ideas through performance and notating. Being able to express the artistic intent within a piece of music. Taking risks and experimenting mistakes.
- Performing music: Performing accurately and effectively: being able to apply knowledge of an instrument to create the intended sound.
- Style and genre: being able to apply knowledge of different styles and genres to create a stylised performance.
- The meaning of a performance: communicating the performer's intentions and deeper meaning of the performance.
Knowing and understanding music
- Aesthetics/value: what is music?
- Listening to music: identify, appraise, analyse music from a range of different genres and styles.
- Pitch and rhythm: music is organised sound.
- The purposes of music are not always musical: music can be used for enjoyment and entertainment but can also be used for power and manipulation.
- Music can be personal but is designed for sharing: music shared & social, communicative, expressive, and oriented toward others.
- Music is a language: to understand music you must learn how it is put together. It has its own vocabulary.
- Music affects you in mysterious ways: We feel the effects of music before we have time to explain them to ourselves. Music directly affects the central nervous system. It is the most 'abstract' of the arts.
Music development plan
Schools are asked to publish a music development plan that captures their curricular and co-curricular offer and sets out how it will be staffed and funded. The Westfield School music development plan is available below: