Year 7

In year 7 students will focus on building a universal foundation of musical understanding through performing, composing, listening, and appreciation. Students will engage with music practically and theoretically, developing a range of musical skills, knowledge, and techniques. This will engage and inspire students to develop a love of music from a range of culture and traditions, as well as their own musical skills.  

Over the course of year 7, students will be taught the following knowledge and skills to prepare for their next learning stage:  

Icons of Music – Elvis and The Beatles 

Pupils will study icons of pop/rock/rock n roll by examining the lives, history and music of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. This will be split across the term – 50% Elvis and 50% the Beatles. Students will explore the era(s) that those particular musicians were in, so that they can understand the impact of the music at the time. Each student will create a fact file on their given ‘icons’. This topic will be assessed by the students choosing one of the icons they have studied and playing one of their songs, whilst also presenting their fact file on their chosen icon. 

Keyboard – The Basics 

Students will learn the basics of keyboard playing, they will explore the musical elements (Tempo, Pitch, Duration, etc) using the keyboard to apply their knowledge. Students will be shown how to label the keyboard notes correctly, enabling a better knowledge of the keyboard. Students will be taught how to read sheet music by studying and then creating their own musical staves. This will culminate in a series of keyboard warm-ups performed as an assessment. Each warm up will showcase a different area of the students knowledge; such as finger placement and why it is important to warm up. 

Keyboard – Pop Songs 

Applying their knowledge from the previous term, students will take a more advanced look into the keyboard, how to play it and various songs to be played. We will introduce the students to pop songs to show the basic structure of the songs (Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus). They will be introduced to the importance of a melody, both creating their own and playing along to a well-known song.  For assessment, students will be applying their keyboard knowledge and playing along to a well-known pop song, focusing on correct technique and their interpretation of the provided sheet music. 

Rhythm and The Boomwhacker 

In this topic, students will explore rhythm in music, focusing on percussion instruments. We will introduce the concept of playing a melody, introducing different chords and techniques. To support this, students will be using the Boomwhacker – they will learn more about the instrument, its roots, how to play it and how to apply knowledge on rhythm and timing into a practical assessment play along of a song using sheet music. 

History of Music  

Students will study the history of music. They will be taken on a journey to understand where music started and how it has developed through time. They will study classical music then explore Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll, they will then go through different decades and look at different the different types of music and how they have developed. Finally, students will look at what genre is and explore different genres. Students will explore this by listening to selected music through history and commenting on the different music elements in the music and how it has changed and adapted throughout the years. Students will be assessed by creating a poster or PowerPoint that explains the history of music.   

Global Music 

Students will study different genres from around the world. They will study African music, Reggae, Samba and K-Pop music. Students will explore this by listening to selected music from different genres and commenting on the different music elements in the music and how each genre is unique. Students will also explore what research is and how we research effectively. Students will then chose a genre of their choice and start researching as much information as they can about their genre. Students will be assessed by creating a poster or PowerPoint that explains their chosen genre.    

Year 8

Students continue to develop their listening skills, practical skills and musical knowledge. Utilising the skills and techniques explored in Year 7 students continue to develop Music technique and understanding.  

Within the Year 8 curriculum, students will listen to and review styles of music, describing the key features of Music. They will explore music practically, learning the foundation of reading, playing and composing their own music. They will use vocal skills to sing and create a pitch to sell their music products.  

Term 1 a – Icons in Music – Ed Sheeran and Queen 

In Term 1a – students will look at famous pop icons of music. They will understand what it means to be an ‘icon’, how each artist(s) has influenced modern culture and modern music; whilst also appreciated the particular musical style of the ‘icon’ they are studying. They will complete this term by producing and presenting a Powerpoint presentation about their chose icon. 

Term 1b – Keyboard Skills 

In this term, we will explore all things keyboard this term, from playing a melody to learning simple chords. From learning about note valuations, to reading sheet music​. Students will have both practical and theoretical looks into the keyboard, from looking at posture ready to play, finger placement to looking at complex melodies. This will culminate in the students playing a well-known melody. ​ 

Term 2a- Stomp! 

In this term, students will learn about body percussion by studying the works of Stomp! From an in-depth theoretical view of looking at playing styles of percussion music, to creating homemade instruments, to performing in a practical rhythm workshop. This will be completed by the students (in groups) creating their own rhythms using household objects.

Term 2b – Create a Band 

In term 2b, students will create a band, using the skills they have generated over the academic year, combined with workshops is ensemble work. Looking at beats and rhythms, melodies and song writing, students can choose the genre of their band, the instruments used and the musical elements they will use. They will create a band name, logo and merchandise to promote. They will look at promotional materials such as interviews, posters, social media and listening platforms such as You Tube and Spotify. They will then create their song, and prepare a pitch on their band. 

Term 3a – Singing – The Voice as an instrument 

students will explore the voice. Exploring how the voice works, students will begin by looking at how the human body produces sound from a scientific point of view. They will then explore genres of music and how the affects the voice of a singer, concentrating on tone of voice and articulation. From this, they will learn advanced singing techniques such as applying emotion to your voice and techniques such as Call and Response, chanting and singing in Ensemble. This will culminate in a presentation in small groups outlining what they have learnt this term. 

Term 3b – Charanga – DAW 

In term 3b students will use DAW to compose music for Film and performance, this allows students to explore atmosphere, applying musical elements to a theatre sound sheet. Using Charanga and Yu studio students will get first-hand knowledge of being a music producer. This gives them insight into modern music production and the role of music producer/artist. 

Students will gain skills this year that will support their transition into Year 9, allowing them to work as a solo artist and as an ensemble. They will work independently gaining skills and techniques to prepare them for the Year 9 curriculum.

Year 9

Term 1 a – Icons in Music – Elton John and Eminem

In Term 1a – students will look at famous pop icons of music. They will understand what it means to be an ‘icon’, how each artist(s) has influenced modern culture and modern music; whilst also appreciated the particular musical style of the ‘icon’ they are studying. They will complete this term by producing and presenting a Powerpoint presentation about their chose icon.

Term 1b – Keyboard Skills

In this term, we will explore all things keyboard this term, from playing a melody to learning simple chords. From learning about note valuations, to reading sheet music . Students will have both practical and theoretical looks into the keyboard, from looking at posture ready to play, finger placement to looking at complex melodies. This will culminate in the students playing a well-known melody.

Term2a – Create a Pop Song

In this topic, students are re-associated with the musical elements, to develop their knowledge and skills. They will look at how the musical elements inform the creative outcome in preparation for composing a piece of music from given stimuli. Students will be given a range of images as a starting point and taken through the process of composing from the chosen image. They will be introduced to music notation using grid notation to record their composition and then use this in performance. This topic allows opportunities for students to engage in active music making as a whole class, in small groups, duo and individually. This will help develop students’ communication skills as well as develop working relationships with resilience and diplomacy.

Term2b – DAW Music and Technology

This topic introduces students to working within the music industry using technology. They are given a brief in which they will fulfil as a solo music maker for a production company. Students will plan and compose a piece of descriptive music for a pre-existing moving image. To do this, students will compose and record their composition using DAW software, (Digital Audio Workstation). Students will recall learnt knowledge and skills from their key stage 3 music journey. The final composition will be performed with the moving image where students will analyse their new knowledge and skills and progress of prior knowledge and skills. Students will also undergo a skills audit at the start and end of the topic to analyse individual progress made.  

Term 3a – Horror Music and Charanga

In this topic, students will use Charanga  to create horror music, that could be used in a dramatic scene. We will begin by listening to music from horror films, both with and without the video – this will encourage creative thought. We will look at techniques such as dissonance and drone, applying the skills in a practical way on charanga by creating a soundscape.

We will work to a brief and use stimulus such as images and muted videos, to encourage you to think analytically, focusing on how to apply these techniques into our own work.

We will regularly reflect on our work, creating targets for subsequent lessons. Our term will culminate in you creating a soundscape for a horror film; using all learnt techniques.

Term 3b - Music Technology Dance Music and Computer Game Music

This Term will be broken down into two separate topics; Dance Music and Music for Computer Games.

Students will learn about the different types of Dance Music, compose a piece of dance music using Charanga. This will include visiting dance music from the early 80s right through to current day. This will give students a more rounded view of the genre and aid in their understanding of how to create it.

They will also look at Computer Game Music and understand how music impacts game play experience. Computer & Video Game Music begins by looking at Character Themes in computer and video game music before pupils move on to explore ways in which Character Themes can be developed and changed for different atmospheres and scenarios within computer and video games. This will include listening to video game music from different decades from the 1980s to current day. This will expose them to 8-bit (computerised) music, to more advanced techniques, whilst also giving students the tools to analyse music from different video games/genre and discuss the differences between them. The students  will then compose  their own loop of music for a computer video game on DAW Charanga and reflect on their choices for assessment.

If you would like any more information about our Music curriculum, please contact Mrs S Goldie, Head of Creative Arts, by emailing sgoldie@colneprimet.co.uk, filling in the form on our contact us page or phoning the main office to arrange a call back.