Curriculum Allocation

Music is taught for one 100-minute lessons per fortnight.

Curriculum Period 1: "Popular Music - Film Music and Cover Versions"

Curriculum content:

Students learn about different ways in which music can tell a story, through performing, composing and listening to Music for Film. They will perform and analyse a variety of film music leitmotifs, they will compose their own character's leitmotif and a piece of underscoring music for a James Bond clips. Students will learn to perform a variety of musical parts from the set work "Pompeii" by Bastille, and will then work with their peers in a band to produce their own cover version of this pop song. Students will be encouraged to use their performing and composing skills, alongside their understanding of the musical elements and how they work together, to produce a unique performance that reflects their own musical tastes, skills and learning journey so far. Students will also learn about the music industry and career pathways in music. Students' performing and composing will increase their technical ability as vocalists and keyboardists.

Assessment

Students' practical work will be assessed at a weighting of 60% of their overall grade. They will sit a 20-minute listening and appraising assessment, in which they will apply their theoretical understanding of the musical elements to unfamiliar music and contexts. 

    Curriculum Period 2: "Songwriting: Composition Project"

    Curriculum content: 

    Building on their work from all of Key Stage 3, students develop their pop music performance repertoire, learning more challenging songs with a wider variety of chords and more musically-complex characteristics. Students will then use this wider skill-set to compose another, more complex, pop song. Students will also listen to and appraise a broad range of pop song styles from 1950 to the present day. Again, students will perform and compose through singing and keyboard playing, developing their technical skills further.

    Assessment

    Students' practical work will be assessed at a weighting of 60% of their overall grade (30% performing, 30% composing).. They will sit a 20-minute listening and appraising assessment, in which they will apply their theoretical understanding of pop music structures, terminology and chords storytelling to unfamiliar music and contexts. 

      Curriculum Period 3: Composing using iPads

      To prepare students who are continuing their musical studies at Key Stage 4, students will learn to use composition software (using notation and other formats) on their iPads to compose, notate and replicate their compositional ideas. Students will be given the opportunity to experiment with apps such as iwritemusic, MuseScore and Garageband.

      Subject advice and guidance

      If you need any further guidance then please contact Mrs Reardon-Davies, the Director of Teaching and Learning in Music:

      a.reardon-davies@endon.shaw-education.org.uk