Music and Movement

• Exploring pulse, rhythm and the musical elements through Dalcroze Eurhythmics and other approaches

Bronze Arts Award

• Part C: Who is your arts hero or heroine?

Find Your Voice

• Musical Futures
• Exploring how to build a composition using vocal riffs
• Exploring music through handheld technologies

Bronze Arts Award

• Part D: Teaching others an arts skill

Marching Music and Fanfares

• Exploring the musical ideas and purpose of fanfares, using keyboards
• Composing a two-part fanfare for the Royal Opera House
• Brass students will be able to perform the fanfares, too
• Introduction to Garageband, and how to use the software musically
• Arranging a march using Garageband

Music for Machines

• Exploring staff notation
• Composing a rhythmic piece to accompany scenes from Fritz Lang’s film ‘Metropolis’
• Uploading compositions to the school’s record label on NUMU

Bronze Arts Award

• Part B: reviewing the Christmas Concert as an audience member

Gamelan

• Exploring the geographical, cultural and religious aspects of gamelan music
• Understanding how to recreate gamelan music
• Understanding how to play tuned and untuned percussion with the correct techniques
• Understanding how to perform successfully as part of a group
• Playing on an authentic Indonesian gamelan in Central London

Soundscapes

• Recording sounds using handheld technology from their local environment
• Arranging these sounds into an abstract composition, thinking about the elements of music
• Uploading these compositions to the school’s record label on NUMU

Jazz & Improvisation

• Learning how to improvise vocally and on their own instruments
• Understanding what free improvisation is
• Understanding that improvisation can be based upon musical parameters such as pitch and rhythm
• Exploring musical ideas in jazz, both aurally and through performance
• Preparing a group performance of Bag’s Groove

Pimp My Melody

• Exploring pitch notation, to compose melodies
• Understanding how to develop a melody and add chords

Classical Music is (not) Boring

• Challenging students’ opinions about classical music
• Exploring music that makes a statement, that tells a story, that is used in films, TV and advertising, and that has been stolen for pop music!
• Finding out more about the orchestra and its instruments
• Performing and arranging classical music

Codes & Games

• Exploring minimalism, experimental music and serialism (20th century music) through performing, improvising, listening and composition

Brazilian Samba

• A cross-curricular project with MFL, Geography, RE and Core Light
• Exploring Brazilian percussion techniques
• Discussing the historical context of samba, linking it to African slavery
• Exploring the cultural and societal role of samba in favelas
• An opportunity to attend a rehearsal at the London School of Samba

Dance Music

• Using Garageband software to create dance music
• Exploring and understanding how dance music can fully utilise texture and how it is structured
• Exploring different types of dance music, from the medieval period to 2015

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

In At The Deep End

• Exploring the real-life learning practices of popular musicians

• Creating a cover version of a song that students choose

• Developing PLTS skills

• Silver Arts Award

Music Production

• Exploring how to create and produce a song using music technology

• Silver Arts Award

Why and how has music changed?

• Exploring the history of music, and what historical and technological events have changed it, in preparation for GCSE Music

• Focusing on the music of London

The Blues

• Exploring the Blues throughout their own musical instruments and keyboards

• Exploring field hollers and the historic context in which the Blues was originally created

• Singing blues songs too Silver Arts Award

Perfect Harmony

• Exploring chords and keys, preparing students for GCSE Music

• Understanding what primary chords are

• Understanding how to construct and label chords (depending on the style of music)

• Understanding how keys can structure music

• Understanding how a

• four-chord progression is very useful

• Silver Arts Award

What is an outstanding performance?

• Preparing students for the performance part of GCSE Music

• Evaluating performances in contrasting styles, genres and traditions

• Preparing for a solo or group performance

• Understanding the GCSE criteria