Music
Curriculum Intent
The Music Curriculum at Grace Academy Coventry is a knowledge-based and skills-based curriculum, which provides students with the powerful knowledge needed to compose/ create, perform and respond to Music.
In KS3, pupils will develop an understanding of how to perform on a range of instruments including keyboard, ukulele and a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments. During KS4, pupils will be able to choose their preferred instrument.
Students across both key stages will have the opportunity to compose/ create music through developing an understanding of music theory, composing techniques, musical processes and notation.
Topics covered provide pupils with the opportunity to improve communication skills, creativity, performance skills and composing skills. It allows them to consider music from around the world, how music has changed over the years, how musical features are used in genres including Reggae, Blues and Gamelan and the impact music can have in the media.
We aspire to open students’ eyes to the vast scope of opportunity and experiences available within the Music industry and teach them to appreciate a range of musical genres which may not have otherwise been explored. As such, the Music curriculum includes the following:
- Music theory – understanding written notation, musical symbols and tablature
- Instrumental families – understanding the orchestra and identifying instruments
- Performing skills – using a range of instruments to develop accurate techniques
- Composing skills – understanding and using a range of composing methods to suit particular feelings and settings
- Musical elements – understanding how to make noise into music
- Key vocabulary – understanding a range of musical vocabulary including Italian and Latin terms to describe music heard
This foundational knowledge enables students to:
- Perform music
- Compose music
- Listen to and Appraise music
Our curriculum enables cross curricular links between Drama (musical theatre, music in the media), PSHE (Blues, lives of composers) DT (instrument maintenance and repair, technical instrument setup), History (the development of music from the middle ages through to modern music), Geography (music from around the world and its social impact).
Pupils at Grace Academy are offered instrumental lessons on a range of instruments. These lessons are free of charge for 20 minutes each week with visiting professional staff. They are given the opportunity to attend extra-curricular activities which currently includes a school choir and a ukulele club. Pupils are encouraged to perform in a variety of events during the school year allowing them to showcase their developing skills as a musician.
This term, we are studying:
|
Year |
Topic(s) |
Why this? Why now? |
|
Year 7 |
World Music |
This topic exposes students to music from different cultures,therefore, developing their cultural capital. Students will have opportunities to showcase their understanding of the topic with compositional tasks that feed into performance challenges. Students are given opportunities to perform: as a soloist, with peers and as a whole class ensemble. Through this topic, students will develop performing, composing, listening and appraising skills. |
|
Year 8 |
Theme & Variation
Music Tech |
This topic revisits the skills of: time signature, rhythm and instrumental skills. Students are developing their composing, listening and performing skills by identifying pieces of music with short main themes and altering them using a series of variation techniques. Students will demonstrate their understanding by conducting tasks using variations of particular motifs and then, performing their examples.This unit will enable students with creative tools that can be utilised for any composition task during their KS3/4 journey. Also students are introduced to Music Technology, where they will compose different pieces. This unit develops computational skills and listening skills by analysing pieces of music that are produced using technology. Students will begin to understand how elements of music are utilised within their pieces to create desired outcomes and will demonstrate this through arranging a piece of music. |
|
Year 9 |
Band |
This topic revisits the skills of: notation, tempo and articulations. Students will continue to build their skills in reading notation, performing, listening and appraising. This will be achieved through this holistic topic, which aims to advertently identify and unpick the importance of every musician within a band.
They do this through the analysis of the different instruments and performance techniques employed by various bands who have performed the particular piece of music. This will differ according to the genre/style. The delivery method allows for the discovery of new bands and techniques that students may have not been exposed to previously. The end product of this topic is the culmination of different students into groups and playing the piece as an ensemble. |
Curriculum content:
Attached are the curriculum maps which outline the sequence we use in order to structure our learning. If you would like to support your child's learning, we have attached links to Oak National Academy who provide lessons, activities and resources for commonly taught topics. Please use the curriculum map for this subject before visiting:
https://teachers.thenational.academy/subjects/music/key-stages/key-stage-3