Music
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Below you will find information on the Music curriculum at Preston School. The five year learning journey for Music is available in all student books, in the Music Department, and to view here.
Year 7
In Year 7, students study two hours of Music and as such, undertake three Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - My Musical Life and Notation
Overview: Welcome to Preston School Year 7! This opening study cycle allows you to reflect on all of the music you have been in contact with over your time at Primary School and tell us all about it. You will write an extended piece of literacy based around your primary school – and out of school musical experiences – and you will create a display board piece with your learning. You will then learn about one of the formal ways music is written – Notation. You will learn about the different notes and how music is constructed. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your My Musical Life work – the literacy aspect as the context and detail. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the My Musical Life and Notation Study Cycle. You will be marked on your composition of an 8-bar phrase and the performance of this phrase. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Keyboard Skills and Tchaikovsky
Overview: In this second study cycle, you will be gaining skills and understanding in how to play the piano correctly with right and left hands. You will be performing small pieces and you will be developing increasing expertise in performance skills such as reading music notation, steady tempo, correct pitch and rhythm, audience awareness and performance fluency. You will then be learning about the composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and where he sits in musical history. You will be learning about some of his music and you will be performing an excerpt of his work. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your keyboard skills learning. This will be linked to your stage of development within the study cycle. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Keyboard Skills and Tchaikovsky study cycle. You will be marked on your performance of a small excerpt of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake theme. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Instruments of the Orchestra and Jingles
Overview: In this third study cycle, you will be learning about Instruments of the western European orchestra and you will then be composing a jingle for a radio advert. You will learn about the String, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion families of instruments as well as how they are structured in the symphony orchestra. You will then create a product and write an advertising jingle song to sell that product on the market. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your Instruments of the Orchestra learning. This will be written based.. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Instruments of the Orchestra and Jingles study cycle. You will be marked on your preparation and recording of your advert. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Year 8
In Year 8, students study two hours of Music and as such, undertake three Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - The Romantic Era and Pictures at an Exhibition
Overview: This Study Cycle offers the opportunity to explore, in some depth, the music of the Romantic Era. As a critical era in musical history, you will be able to gain knowledge and understanding of the vast variety of music that was being composed and performed at this time. You will also gain awareness of how this era fits into the musical history timeline and how it paved the way for other styles of descriptive music heading into the twentieth century. You will have the opportunity to work on your own, in pairs and then, ultimately, in groups for your assessment. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information sheet created about the Romantic Era. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Romantic Era and Pictures at an Exhibition Study Cycle. You will be assessed on 4 short pieces of composition work that you have written in groups. You will have used Garageband for this. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Form & Structure and Beethoven
Overview: In this second study cycle, you will be gaining skills and understanding in different musical forms and how they have developed from the Baroque era to the present day. You will be using your knowledge from Notation in year 7 to construct melodies using different forms in music and performing them. You will then be learning about the composer Ludwig Van Beethoven and where he sits in musical history. You will be learning about some of his music and you well be performing an excerpt of his work. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your form and structure learning. This will be linked to your stage of development within the study cycle. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Form and Structure study cycle. You will be marked on your performance of a small excerpt of Beethoven’s work of your choice from a given list. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Blues Rock N Roll and Samba
Overview: In this third study cycle, you will be learning about the origins of Jazz – the Blues. You will then learn how this genre developed into Blues Rock n Roll and how this fits contextually into musical history. You will listen to, and develop your critical appraising skills to, a variety of Blues Rock N Roll pieces and, drawing on your Instruments of the Orchestra learning from year 7, you will be able to identify timbres. Then, you will learn a genre of World Music – Samba. You will learn about where, geographically, Samba has developed and you will, in large groups, play a piece of Samba music. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your Blues Rock N Roll learning. This will be based within the stage of your learning. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Blues Rock N Roll and Samba study cycle. You will be marked on your performance of a piece of Samba in large groups. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Year 9
In Year 9, students study two hours of Music and as such, undertake three Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - Doo-Wap and Indian Classical & Bhangra
Overview: This Study Cycle offers the opportunity to explore, in some depth, the genres of Doo-Wap, Indian Classical Music and Bhangra. You will learn where Doo-Wap sits in musical history and the genres that prelude it and are after it. You will gain understanding of Doo-Wap musical structure as well as gain increasing expertise in composition and performance through the genre learning. You will then learn about the cultural contexts of Indian Classical music; the structural conventions and you will compose a Raga for performance. You will then learn about Bhangra as a fusion style of music encompassing Indian Classical cultural features as well as British pop and rock. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your understanding of Doo-Wap. This will be through a composition task in small groups. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Doo-Wap and Indian Classical Music and Bhangra Study Cycle. You will be assessed on 2 short pieces of composition work that you have written in pairs – the Raga and the Bhangra Remix. You will have used Garageband for this. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Jazz and Gershwin
Overview: In this second study cycle, you will be gaining skills and understanding in different styles of Jazz as well as the origins of the genres and how they developed. You will draw upon your knowledge of Blues Rock n Roll from year 8 as well as Instruments of the Orchestra from year 7. You will play a small excerpt of a jazz style of your choice. You will then be learning about the composer George Gershwin and where he sits in musical history. You will be learning about some of his music and you well be performing an excerpt of his work drawing on your keyboard skills learning from year 7. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your Jazz learning. This will be based on the information sheet you create within the topic. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Jazz and Gershwin study cycle. You will be marked on your performance of a small excerpt of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue or a piece of your own choice. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Film Music
Overview: In this third study cycle, you will learn all about Film Music. This includes the film soundtrack as well as the use of special effects and sound effects. You will learn about music in the media as well as how music in film has influenced the commercial side of media platforms. You will learn about animation and live action film soundtracks and the differences between them. You will learn key features of film music and you will be given a silent film excerpt to compose the soundtrack for. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your tonality composition. This will be pair work. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Film Music study cycle. You will be assessed on your soundtrack for your excerpt of film. You will have composed using a range of techniques learnt through the study cycle. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
GCSE Music
Below you will find information on the Music curriculum at Preston School. The five year learning journey for Music is available in all student books, in the Music Department, and to view here.
One of the GCSE options available to students is GCSE Music. In the video below, our Music teacher Mrs Hughes, provides an overview of the course.
Year 10
During this year, you will be learning the content from Area of Study 1 – My Music (Performance and composition) alongside the content from Areas of Study 2, 3, 5 and 5 in preparation for the Listening section of the GCSE Exam. You will be able to identify and critically analyse music from different genres and you will be able to perform and compose with growing confidence.
Study Cycle 1 - My Music
Overview: This topic introduces you to the performance and composition elements of the GCSE course. This will make 60% of your GCSE Music grade. You will learn about Solo and Ensemble performing and you will develop skills in composition leading to a Learner Led composition as part of the GCSE course. Finally, you will make your performance choices and be rehearsing those through the year. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information sheet created about Logic X. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the notes that you take in your book about your chosen instrument and its capabilities. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Learner Led Composition study area. This will be performance based and it will give you an assessment grade of your current standard. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet is available to view here.
Study Cycle 2 - The Concerto Through Time
Overview: This topic introduces you to the Area of Study: Concerto Through Time. You will learn about the 4 areas of knowledge within this area of study – Baroque Solo Concerto, Baroque Concerto Grosso, Classical Solo Concerto and Romantic Solo Concerto. You will understand the key features that underpins each of these genres and the features that link them. You will listen to, and critically appraise, music from each genre in preparation for the Listening Exam section of the GCSE Music course. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a short test about key genre features. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the notes that you take in your book on your composition diary from study cycle 1. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Concerto Through Time study area. This will be listening based. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Rhythms of the World
Overview: In this Area of Study, you will learn about Rhythms of the World. You will learn about Indian Classical Music, Punjabi Bhangra, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Arabic folk rhythms, African Drumming, Calypso and Samba. You will learn about key timbres as well as the musical context underpinning the genres. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a short test about key genre features. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a prose listening task reference one of the Rhythm of the World Genres. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Rhythms of the World study area. This will be listening based. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - Film Music
Overview: In this Area of Study, you will learn about Film Music. You will learn about music written specifically for Film, existing music used for Film and music for Video Game. You will gain a broad insight into how musical features are manipulated to suit a mood or atmosphere linked to a visual. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a listening question based on Film Music. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the notes that you take in your book about your performance diaries. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Film Music study area. This will be a listening paper with a part extended response. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - Conventions of Pop
Overview: In this Area of Study, you will learn about the conventions of Pop from 1950’s to the present day. You will learn about key musical genres from each of the decades and how the music has developed through them. You will learn about the context of culture and music behind the genres and the key characteristics of each. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a short test about key genre features. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a prose listening task reference one of the Conventions of Pop genres. You will perform your current practice piece and be marked against the OCR performance mark scheme. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 - Mock Exam
Overview: In this Area of Study, you will learn about Film Music. You will learn about music written specifically for Film, existing music used for Film and music for Video Game. You will gain a broad insight into how musical features are manipulated to suit a mood or atmosphere linked to a visual. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a listening question based on Film Music. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the notes that you take in your book about your composition diaries. You will undertake a full J536 OCR Listening and Appraising paper as part of the Mock Exam cycle. This will be marked against the board mark scheme and there will be detailed feedback in lesson time. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Year 11
During this year, you will be learning the final content from Area of Study 1 – My Music (OCR set brief composition) alongside reviewing the content from Areas of Study 2, 3, 5 and 5 in preparation for the Listening section of the GCSE Exam. You will be able to identify and critically analyse music from different genres and you will be able to perform and compose with growing expertise.
Study Cycle 1 - My Music
Overview: This study cycle introduces you to the OCR set brief composition element of the GCSE course. This will make 15% of your GCSE Music grade. You will rehearse and prepare to record Solo and Ensemble performances and you will develop skills in listening through your listening lessons. You will be able to critically analyse musical pieces in more depth in preparation for the first of your Year 11 Mock exams. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your composition diary as part of the OCR set brief composition. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a listening question of either AoS2 or AoS3 as part of the J536 Listening and Appraising element of the GCSE award. You will undertake a full J536 OCR Listening and Appraising paper as part of the Mock Exam cycle in November 2022. This will be marked against the board mark scheme and there will be detailed feedback in lesson time. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - My Music, Concerto Through Time Revision and Rhythms of the World Revision
Overview: You will rehearse and record Solo performance and prepare to record Ensemble performances and you will develop skills in listening through your listening lessons. You will be able to critically analyse musical pieces in more depth in preparation for the first of your Year 11 Mock Exams in November. You will be revising the content of Area of Study 2: Concerto Through Time and Area of Study 3: Rhythms of the World. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your composition diary as part of the OCR set brief composition. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a listening question of either AoS2 or AoS3 as part of the J536 Listening and Appraising element of the GCSE award. You will undertake a full J536 OCR Listening and Appraising paper as part of the Mock Exam cycle in November 2022. This will be marked against the board mark scheme and there will be detailed feedback in lesson time. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Film Music and My Music
Overview: This study cycle introduces you to the OCR set brief composition element of the GCSE course. This will make 15% of your GCSE Music grade. You will rehearse and prepare to record Solo and Ensemble performances and you will develop skills in listening through your listening lessons. You will be able to critically analyse musical pieces in more depth in preparation for the first of your Year 11 Mock Exams. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your composition diary as part of the OCR set brief composition. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the extended response listening question (Question 3) as part of the J536 Listening and Appraising element of the GCSE award. You will be marked on your ensemble performance as per the GCSE exam marking criteria. You must ensure your piece is challenging, shows you as a musician and shows your awareness of ensemble performance. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - Conventions of Pop and Mock Exam 2
Overview: You will complete any final recordings and re-recordings of Solo performance and Ensemble performances and you will develop skills in listening through your listening lessons. You will be able to critically analyse musical pieces in more depth in preparation for the first of your year 11 mock exams in this cycle. You will be revising the content of Area of Study 5: Conventions of Pop. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on your composition diary as part of the OCR set brief composition. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a listening question of either AoS 5 as part of the J536 Listening and Appraising element of the GCSE award. You will undertake a full J536 OCR Listening and Appraising paper as part of the Mock Exam cycle. This will be marked against the board mark scheme and there will be detailed feedback in lesson time. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - My Music (Completing) and Listening & Appraising Exam Revision
Overview: In this last Study Cycle, you will be completing your My Music portfolio and paperwork ready for moderation. You will be annotating any scores and putting all of your learning into a display folder. You will be completing revision sessions and listening lessons in preparation for the J536 Listening paper in June. You will be completing exam style questions as well as completing a revision pack in lessons and for homework. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a listening question in class revision sessions. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a listening question of any area of study as part of the J536 Listening and Appraising element of the GCSE award. You will have your coursework portfolio marked (by your teacher) and your mark will be shared with you. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.