Music Curriculum

Year 7

Year 7: Year 7 is just the start – you will build on any skills you already have, and learn to: read music, play the keyboard and begin to perform confidently in front of an audience.

Topics you will learn about include: STOMP (how rhythms can be combined to make exciting patterns), Pachelbel’s Canon (how to read music and play the keyboard), The Blues (advanced keyboard skills – including both hands together, Improvisation (making up your own music), Adverts (including composing and learning about the music industry) and World Music (music from other cultures and traditions).

Every lesson you will: play an instrument, work with other people and learn something new!

Year 8

Year 8: Year 8 is where you begin to learn how your skills fit into the music industry. This helps you to see how you might progress with music as part of your future…

Topics you will learn about include: Song Writing (composing your own pop song), Cover Versions (learning about different genres and making well known songs into your own version), Film Music (how composers use their skills to write music that suits different film scenes), Musicals (how different job roles come together to put on a show and helping you perform more confidently).

Every lesson you will: play an instrument, learn how what you’re doing fits into the music industry, and build on your composition skills!

Year 9

Year 9: Year 9 is where you use your skills to begin working at an industry level, using the most up to date equipment.

Topics you will learn about include: Cover Versions (learning about different genres and making well known songs into your own version), Blues (advanced keyboard skills including playing with both hands together and improvisation) and The Music Industry (what different jobs there are, how they fit into the music industry, and using industry level software to compose dance music.)

At the end of Year 9 you can choose whether to take music into KS4 to gain a qualification. If you don’t choose to do this, you’re still a welcome part of our department, and there will be lots of opportunities for you to continue your love of music by performing and composing.

Year 10 and 11

Our department has the most up to date equipment which is the same as the ones used by industry experts. Our BTEC Music students’ study four different units: composition, performance, making a music product, and the music industry.

In composition, students work to a given brief which mimics the jobs of modern composers today. In performance, students prepare two contrasting pieces on their instrument of choice to perform to a small audience. In making a music product, students work together as part of a group to put on a music performance or create a CD or website – again mimicking the music industry. The music industry unit is an external exam, testing students on their knowledge and understanding of how the music industry works.