Music

The music curriculum should engage and inspire pupils and increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement.

Pupils’ exposure to Music in KS2 is varied, with some schools giving their pupils
a wide variety of musical experiences and some schools very few. Our core aim
in Year 7 is to give all pupils a broad experience, covering a wide range of
instruments and genres, to ultimately provide a firm foundation of music
knowledge and skills.

 

In Year 8, pupils are tasked with more challenging parts that link to the skills
embedded in Year 7. Group work becomes more demanding with greater
opportunity for improvisation and for pupils to take a leading/conducting role.
Pupils also discover styles from around the world and how they have
influenced the very music we listen to today.

 

In Year 9, pupils receive 2 lessons per week that are split into performance and
composition. The aim of the performance element is for pupils to explore and
select an instrument to use through three modules to deepen their
understanding and increase their proficiency. The aim of the composition
element is for pupils to work on longer and more demanding creations to a
given brief. With performance and composition split, a greater insight of GCSE
Music can be ascertained by pupils.

Learning Journey

For more information click on each of the units below.

Growth PAthways KS3

GCSE Music (OCR 9-1) - J536

There are three components in this GCSE.

  • Ensemble performance and composition to a board set brief. A selection of briefs will be released in the September of the year of certification linked to the Areas of Study.

  • The ensemble performance can be on any instrument and any genre.

  • This is an internally assessed, externally moderated component.

  • Listening, appraisal and notation skills assessed in an examination at the end of the course. This is externally assessed.

  • Performance on the learner’s chosen instrument.

  • Composition to a brief set by the learner.

  • They will explore the skills and capabilities of their instrument and produce a performance to demonstrate their interpretation and technical control, and a composition written to a brief of their own to demonstrate their ability to develop musical ideas.

  • This is an internally assessed, externally moderated component.

There are five areas of study that are examined as part of this GCSE.

Learners should study their instrument, which can be any of the following:

  • any instrument

  • voice – this can include styles such as rapping or beatboxing

  • DJ-ing

  • sequencing – realisation using ICT.

Learners should study the traditional rhythmic roots from four geographical regions of the world:

  • India and Punjab

  • Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

  • Africa

  • Central and South America.

Learners should study a range of popular music from the 1950s to the present day, focussing on:

  • Rock ‘n’ Roll of the 1950s and 1960s

  • Rock Anthems of the 1970s and 1980s

  • Pop Ballads of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s

  • Solo Artists from 1990 to the present day.

Learners should study The Concerto and its development from 1650 to 1910 through:

  • the Baroque Solo Concerto

  • the Baroque Concerto Grosso

  • the Classical Concerto

  • the Romantic Concerto.

Learners should study a range of music used for films including:

  • music that has been composed specifically for a film

  • music from the Western Classical tradition that has been used within a film

  • music that has been composed as a soundtrack for a video game.

Accessibility

Open Mornings

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