Term / Half-term

Main topics / units

Key knowledge & skills

Autumn 1

Dance Music

Dance music takes an explorative look into rhythm, chords and metre in a variety of different types, styles and genres of dance music.  By exploring the characteristic musical features of dance music from different times and places, pupils will understand the important connection between the steps, movement and formation of the dance and how these are inter-related within musical features such as time, metre, rhythms and chords in the music.

The unit is entirely flexible in delivery with several lesson pathways and may be delivered as a ‘double unit’ over an entire term, culminating in pupil’s creating and promoting their own Club Dance track.  From simple marches in 2/4 time, to waltzes in 3/4 time, The Baroque Dance Suite to Latin Dance: The Tango, from Country and Western music that accompanies American Line Dance to Irish Folk Music used for the Irish Jig and Reel and modern improvised dance music such as Disco and Club Dance.  To gain a deeper understanding of dance music, it’s a good idea to watch brief performances of the chosen dance music genre ‘in action’ or even attempt basic dance routines and steps with pupils, along with performing, composing, listening and appraising activities: all fully resourced below.

The emphasis throughout the unit is on the characteristic rhythms, time signatures and metre (simple and compound time) and use of chords (primary and seventh chords) in a range of dance music from different times and places.

Autumn 2

Film Music

The unit begins with an introduction into the purpose of film music and the decisions and challenges a composer of film music faces. 

Leitmotifs are an important aspect of film music and pupils explore how composers have used these to represent certain characters and situations within films and how, through the manipulation of the elements of music, these can be changed to suit different on-screen situations. 

The unit has several “Lesson Pathways” allowing teachers to focus on some of several film music genres in detail.  While the focus of this unit is on creating and composing, there are opportunities for pupils to critically engage with a range of film music through listening and appraising, together with some performing activities of famous film themes and leitmotifs.

The James Bond Film Music Project is one such popular pathway where pupils perform the James Bond Leitmotif and Themes before using these in a soundtrack composition for the newest James Bond film trailer.

Another popular pathway is to focus on the music in horror films using one of the “Haunted House” videos as a stimulus for a soundtrack composition.

Spring 1

Computer and Video Game Music

The unit 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.   

The characteristic musical features of much computer and video game music: jumping bass lines, staccato articulation, chromatic movement and syncopation are included as musical knowledge through composing and performing tasks. 

Sound effects are then explored and pupils either perform or create a range of sound effects to match common actions and cues within games.  Finally, the unit ends with optional pathways of pupils undertaking a performance project based on a computer or video game theme or creating a musical score/soundtrack for a computer or video game creating their own ground theme and sound effects which can be presented in a final “Dragon’s Den” style presentation/assessment.

Spring 2

New Directions

New Directions takes an in-depth exploration of two of the many various styles, movements and genres of twentieth century music: minimalism and expressionism. 

The unit can be delivered solely through a “minimalism pathway” focusing on the compositional rhythmic and melodic devices and conventions of minimalist composers and their work or, alternatively, by an “expressionism pathway” later in the unit, where pupils explore serialist compositional techniques such as note/tone rows and hexachords. 

Both lesson pathways explore how composers develop compositions from small starting points: motifs/cells or note/tone rows, and how these can be extended, developed and varied using musical devices such as augmentation, diminution, retrograde, inversion and retrograde inversion. 

Through exploring a wide range of music from the minimalist and expressionist styles, pupils learn about common trends in twentieth century music such as the use of different tonalities, chromaticism, dissonance and extremes of pitch and dynamics as well as how composers use unusual and experiments timbres, sonorities, sounds and instruments within their work, which pupils are encouraged to explore and use in their own performances, improvisations and compositions to get a feel “of the style” in which they are exploring.

Summer 1

Samba Music

This unit introduces the polyrhythmic style of Latin-American Samba and revises and revisits may key concepts concerning rhythm, beat and pulse from pupil’s learning including features such as polyrhythms, cyclic rhythms, syncopation, ostinato and call and response.

The experience of performing together as a class or larger group ensemble aims to give pupils the exhilaration and physical impact of ensemble percussion music. 

The unit is based around a flexible class Samba piece - an arrangement of Bellini’s “Samba de Janiero” where original melodic parts have been adapted and Samba percussion rhythms added to form various sub-sections: Intro, Groove, Breaks, Mid-Sections and Coda which are learned over a series of lessons and “added to” as the unit progresses.  The Form and Structure of this arrangement of “Samba de Janeiro” follows the traditional layout of a piece of Samba including sections which feature call and response, syncopation and the opportunity for rhythmic improvisation within an overall structure. 

During the unit, pupils learn about the timbres and sonorities of instruments within a Samba band, how Samba has influenced popular music and through music theory and dictation explore the effect that syncopation has on music.

Summer 2

What Makes a Good Song?

This unit begins by exploring ‘What Makes a Good Song?’ through practical musical investigation of two ‘good’ songs as case studies: “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran and “Shotgun” by George Ezra.  Pupils explore Hooks/Riffs, Structure, Melody and Lyrics through listening and analysis and performing parts of each song as short musical arrangements. 

Pupils learn about the importance of Hooks and Riffs, Popular Song Structure and the various difference components/sections within, Melodic Motion (Conjunct and Disjunct Motion) and Lyrics within both these case studies and a range of other popular songs. 

Lead Sheet notation is used throughout the unit and pupils are encouraged to confidently navigate around lead sheets evaluating what musical information is, and is not, included in this form of notation.

The unit ends with pupils creating their own musical arrangement of a popular song from a Lead Sheet in their chosen style/genre.  This concept of “cover version” is explored by listening and examining a range of different musical arrangements of the same song for stylistic and elemental changes.   Pupils are encouraged to explore the resources available to them, the musical information included (and not included) on their lead sheet and to manipulate, refine and adapt existing (and include new) musical material to create their final arrangement.

Type of assessment

Approx. frequency / when

What it is used for

Classwork

One session per week

To check the key musical facts and vocabulary, and correct misconceptions.

Composing Assignments

Once per 2/3 weeks

To reinforce learning via a practical musicianship task

Listening Assignments

About once per half-term

To reinforce learning through a listening task

Performing assessments

End of each unit / term

To give an overall picture of progress across the unit / term

• Create a simple March in 2/4 time for a military event or ceremony using Chords I, IV and V as a basis for the harmony and a melody line part derived from the notes used in the accompanying chords. 
• Use music technology to create a piece of Disco music, starting off with the “four-on-the-floor” rhythm and adding seventh chords, melody, lyrics etc. 
• Compose a solo melody in the style of an Irish Jig or Reel for an instrument of their choice.

• Undertake a research project into how film music has changed over the last 50 years.
• Perform a THEME SONG from a film which pupils particularly enjoy or is popular at the moment.  Pupils could research the music online and source the sheet music or other suitable ways of putting together a musical arrangement of this.
• Create a presentation on a film music composer.  Pupils can choose a composer and explore the compositional techniques they use – do they favour a particular instrument? Which pieces have them composed? Can pupils create a timeline of works etc.
• Film Music Composer Battles – in small groups, pupils select a film composer and find 3 soundtracks.  They have to make a case as to why that particular composer in the number one, arguing against other groups and using selected examples.  Perhaps create a sheet in advance with quarter final, semi-final and final on.
• Choose a film music composer – John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Ennio Morricone – and listen to three different pieces from different films identifying the musical ingredients of each, how the elements of music are used to meet the mood, feel and style of the film and why they might have chosen those particular instruments.  Create a presentation ready for at least 3 people to present to the class.
• Create a Facebook® profile home page for a film composer and then extend to have dialogue between them and another film music composer e.g. John Williams and Hans Zimmer.  Source suitable adverts for the page.

• Realise, adapt and refine their ideas for their own computer or video game using websites like SCRATCH where they can they refine and adapt their own musical soundtracks to.
• Create character themes/motifs, decision motifs and sound effects using online websites such as BEEPBOX.
• Create music for already established games or gaming platforms such as music, soundtracks and sound effects to accompany the Wii.
• Create a more in-depth soundtrack to accompany a BOSS BATTLE using additional musical features such as low-pitched ostinatos, stab chords, minor tonality and fast tempo.
• Explore FANFARES to celebrate victory – end of levels, defeat of enemies – create a fanfare for a computer or video game including triplets and ended with a ‘ta-da!’ moment.
• Explore music to accompany a loss (loss of level or defeat by an enemy or big boss) – links to funeral music.

• Attending a concert (school or other) that includes music from computer and video games performed by a live orchestra.
• Inviting members of the school/college’s governing body, members from local ICT business (ideal gaming!), parents or members of the SLT to act as “Dragons” within the final presentation/assessment lesson where pupils present their computer and video game soundtrack to the “Dragons” and the rest of the class (for a fictitious business investment!)

• Explore how Samba has been used as a Latin-American dance in popular TV shows such as “Strictly Come Dancing” and the inter-relation between music and dance steps.
• Create their own piece of polyrhythmic Samba including features learned about during the unit.

• Put together their ideas from exploring riffs, lyrics and melodies into a complete popular song which can be recorded (professionally).