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Langley Grammar School

Langley Grammar 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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