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LangleyGrammar School

    • Music

    Langley Grammar School has been nominated by Slough Music Service to become a Music Mark school for the 2023/24 academic year in recognition of the value that we place on music and our commitment to a broad and balanced curriculum. We are also Lead School for Music in the Slough area.

     

    Years 7-9

    During Years 7-9 the following topics are taught.

    Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

    Soundations 

    Learning intentions 

    In this unit, students will: 

    • Learn how to read and write music notation 

    • Develop Audiation & Dictation skills 

    • Learn about the Elements of Music that make music sound the way it does 

    • Play a piano piece (or their own instrument) and perform in front of their peers 

    • Develop their piano playing through Ensemble pieces – Arriba & Ship Without a Rudder 

    • Compose & Improvise their own B section of music in Ternary Form (3 sections) 

    Gamelan

    Learning intentions

    In this unit, students will:

    • Understanding the social & cultural factors that affect the sound of Indonesian gamelan music
    • Learn the characteristics of each independent part, and how they fit together to create the unique Gamelan sound
    • Critically listen to a piece of gamelan music. Identify the Balungan and its melodic shape
    • Develop instrumental techniques through performing Gamelan pieces
    • Create an original piece of Gamelan-inspired music; notate, perform and record it

     

    Instruments of the Orchestra

    Learning intentions

    In this unit, students will:

    • Learn about the different families of instruments: how they are played, how they make their individual sound [timbre]
    • Develop their listening skills by creating a sound dictionary to help discriminate between the different instruments in an orchestral piece
    • Develop your ensemble playing through performing an arrangement of the theme from ‘Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’
    • Consider the social and cultural factors surrounding the development of the orchestra.

    Rock ‘n’ Roll 

    Learning intentions 

    In this unit, students will: 

    • Explore the historical, social and cultural factors that affected the development of Rock ‘n’ Roll 

    • Develop their performing skills through playing a Rock ‘n’ Roll song as part of a small group 

    • Develop their composing and arranging skills by creating a Rock ‘n’ Roll cover version of a song they choose 

    • Develop their listening and appraising skills by applying their understanding of the key features of Rock ‘n’ Roll to unfamiliar examples of the genre 

    • Develop Audiation & Dictation Skills 

       

     

    Rondo

    Learning intentions

    In this unit, students will:

    • Understand Rondo structure and how to use themes and contrasting episodes
    • Develop performing skills through playing ‘Super Mario Rondo’

    • Compose and Perform a Rondo Rap

    • Develop listening skills through applying knowledge of the Musical Elements gained in this unit to other pieces of music
    • Compose a simple pentatonic Rondo piece and perform this to the class

    • Develop Music Technology skills through composing a Rondo piece on Garageband

     

    Samba

    Learning intentions

    In this unit, students will:

    • Understanding the social and cultural factors that contribute to the sound of Samba Batucada
    • Learn the characteristics of each instrument and the part it plays, and how they fit together to create the unique Samba sound
    • Listen critically to some excerpts of percussion music from different regions of the world and identify structure, instruments and other cultural influences
    • Create an original Samba-inspired composition; notate, perform and record it.

     

    Protest Songs 

    Learning intentions 

    In this unit, students will: 

    • Explore the Elements of Music that combine to create an effective song 

    • Explore songwriting techniques through performing ‘Stand by Me’ 

    • Develop their performing skills through playing a Rock ‘n’ Roll song as part of a small group.

    • Write their own protest song and perform it as part of a group 

      Develop advanced Audiation & Dictation Skills 

     

    Ground Bass

    Learning intentions

    In this unit students will:

    • Learning how harmony is built on a repeating bass line
    • Make links through listening to other genres of music that use this compositional technique
    • Explore these techniques and Musical Elements through performing ‘Time Lapse
    • Use these concepts to compose and perform their own Ground Bass piece, using Sibelius, Logic, or Garageband

     

     

    African Drumming

    Learning intentions

    In this unit, students will:

    • Learn how African drumming is structured and organised through performing ‘Kuku’
    • Develop drumming skills and percussive timbres using Bass, Tone and Slap techniques
    • Identify the various ingredients of African music in recorded examples
    • Learn to improvise using these ingredients
    • Compose and perform a polyrhythmic fusion piece

     

     

    GCSE

    Students studying the subject at GCSE follow the Pearson/Edexcel specification. During the course the following topics are covered.

    Year 10 Year 11

    Performing

    • Solo Performance on chosen instrument

     Composing

    • Theme & Variations
    • Popular Song and Music Production
    • Writing for Film & Television

    Listening & Appraising

    • Instrumental Music: Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D major
    • Vocal Music: Queen, Killer Queen
    • Music for Stage and Screen: Star Wars
    Music for Stage and Screen: Schwartz, Defying Gravity from Wicked

    Performing

    • Ensemble Performance on chosen instrument

    Composing

    • Responding to a set brief from Edexcel
    • Completion of free choice composition

     

    Listening & Appraising

    • Fusions: Esperanza Spalding, Samba Em Preludio
    • Instrumental Music: Beethoven, Sonata in C minor ‘Pathetique’
    • Vocal Music: Purcell, Music for a While

    Fusions: Afro Celt Sound System, Release

     

    For more detailed information on the course content and assessment please refer to the examination board website:

    https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/music-2016.html

     

    A Level

    Students studying the subject at A Level follow the Pearson/Edexcel specification. During the course the following topics are covered.

    Year 12 Year 13

    Appraising

    The following set works are studied across the two years:

    • Vocal Music: J.S. Bach, Cantata Ein Feste Burg BWV 80: Movements 1, 2 8
    • Vaughan-Williams, On Wenlock Edge: Nos 1, 3 and 5 (“On Wenlock Edge”, “Is My Team Ploughing?”, “Bredon Hill”)
    • Instrumental Music: Clara Wieck-Schumann, Piano Trio in G minor Op.17 Movement 1
    • Hector Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique Movement 1
    • Music for Film: Danny Elfman, Batman Returns: (“Birth of a Penguin Parts I and II”, “Batman vs The Circus”, “The Rise and Fall from Grace”);
    • Bernard Herrmann, Psycho: (“Prelude”, “The City”, “Marion”, “The Murder”, “The Toys”, “The Cellar”, “Discovery”, “Finale”)
    • Popular Music and Jazz: Kate Bush, Hounds of Love: ““Cloudbusting”, “And Dream of Sheep”, “Under Ice”)
    • The Beatles, Revolver: (“Eleanor Rigby”, “Here There and Everywhere”, “I Want To Tell You”, “Tomorrow Never Knows”)
    • Courtney Pine, Back in the Day: (“Inner state of Mind”, “Lady Day and John Coltrane”, “Love and Affection”)
    • Fusions: Debussy, Estampes: No. 1 and 2 (Pagodes and La Soiree dans Grenade)
    • Anoushka Shankar, Breathing Under Water: (“Burn”, “Breathing Under Water”, “Easy”)
    • New Directions: Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring: (“Introduction”, “The Augurs of Spring”, “Ritual of Abduction”)
    • Kaija Saariaho, Petals for Violoncello and Electronics

     

    Table Heading Table Heading

    Performing

    • Preparation for Performing recording
    • Concerts, events, masterclasses and seminars

    Composing

    • Developing a composition portfolio
      • 4-Part Harmony in the style of J.S. Bach
      • 2-Part Inventions in the style of J.S. Bach
      • String Quartets in the style of F.J. Haydn
      • Piano Trios in the style of Clara Schumann
      • Film scores in the style of Williams, Elfman et. al.
      • Arranging for small ensemble
      • Digital music production

    Performing

    • Performance recording on chosen instrument

    Composing

    • Responding to a set of technical study from Edexcel
    • Completion of free choice composition OR responding to a set brief from Edexcel

     

    Music Technology – Year 12 Enrichment

    Students in Year 12 may elect to take the Music Technology Enrichment option. Students follow the RSL Level 2 Creative Music Industry Syllabus. During the course the following topics are covered:

    Year 12

    CMI 202 – Performing Music Live

    • Planning, presenting, and evaluating a 20-minute musical performance

    CMI 203 – Recording Sound

    • Planning and carrying-out a recording session for a musical ensemble

    CMI 204 – Music Sequencing and Production

    • Planning, creating, and evaluating a digital composition using a DAW following a given brief

    CMI 242 – Music Styles in Context

    Reading, research and presentation on the history and musical features of a chosen musical style

     

     

     

    https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Music/2016/Specification%20and%20sample%20assessments/GCE-music-specification-A-Level-2015.pdf

    Additional resources

    Students may find the following links and/or resources useful to further their studies of this subject:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zmsvr82

    https://www.musictheory.net/

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