Students will now utilise the skills they have developed in earlier units to be to compose music to a set stimulus. This is also an introduction to GCSE music as they are required to compose music to a brief.

The stimulus on this occasion is a piece of drama. The students will divide into groups of 8 over 2 scenes, each taking a role as an actor (for stimulus purposes) and a composer. The actor will make a scene and the composers will compose music to accompany, enhance and help support the story. This is an excellent way of bring music elements to life especially when you explore how music changes the meaning of a scene.

Particular skills assessed:

• Using musical elements to support a narrative
• Developing musical elements as a scene develops
• Utilising music elements to change mood / feel.

The main assessment is a group composition to accompany a scene. 

Music department success criteria used for composition skills. TBC.

Teacher will assess along with student peer assessment of composition ideas.

The students now take skills developed in autumn 1 and autumn from year 7 to explore how musical elements can be used to enhance a film scene. It does this by exploring how music plays a pivotal role in film. As well as exploring how music can be used to tell a story such as:

• How music was used in early silent movies and cartoons of the time such as Tom & Jerry
• How music effects how the film music viewer interprets a characters’ personality
• How musical elements can be used and developed to further embed the story of the film.

The main assessment involves composing music to a 30 second cartoon clip. The aim of this is for the students to bring the characters to life, including their chosen personalities and the overall narrative of the story. 

The students will also be exposed to listening to film music of different genres and also develops different aural skills.

Music department success criteria used for composition skills. TBC.

Teacher will assess along with student peer assessment of composition ideas.

To begin this year, the students will look at music from another area of the globe, Jamaica. This will further expand their knowledge of different musical styles from around the world by studying Reggae music. This will involve looking at the historical context of reggae music as well as musical features which are unique to the style. 

Particular skills assessed:

• Students’ ability to perform chords using syncopation
• Students’ ability to perform a song in a reggae style and what this means

The main assessment is a group performance if a song in a reggae style.

The students will also complete a listening assessment of reggae music. 

Music department success criteria used for performance skills. TBC.

Teacher will assess along with student peer assessment of performance skills.

This unit builds on previous composition units, in particular, the form and structure unit from year 7. It also sits as a bridging unit towards the long term of goal of composing an entire song in year 9.

The focus is melody development, including learning how to notate a melody, and learn how to write lyrics.

The students begin by exploring how to select melody notes to fit with a chord pattern. This is done initially in semi breaves but the students then go on look at introducing minims and other rhythmical values as the melody progresses.   

The students will also look at how to write lyrics to a melody line. This is in preparation for the compose your own song unit in year 9. They do this by writing a parody song and performing this to the normal performance assessment criteria. 

The writing of the lyrics will also be assessed with consideration to:

• Syllables, rhythm and phrases
• Whether the students can maintain a common theme and narrative throughout the different sections.

Music department success criteria used for performance and composition skills. TBC.

Teacher will assess along with student peer assessment of composition ideas.

To further explore different styles of music, the students will now delve into the world of Blues music. This includes:

• Looking at the cultural history of blues music including the links to the slave trade.
• Learning and performing the 12-bar blues cycle
• Listening and analysing musical elements in relation to blues music
• Further extending on the previous unit by writing lyrics to a blues song

The students will be assessed on their performances of the 12-bar blues cycle on a keyboard as well as the blues songs that they have wrote.

Music department success criteria used for performance and composition skills. TBC.

Teacher will assess along with student peer assessment of performance and composition ideas.

To begin this year, the students will look at music from another area of the globe, Jamaica. This will further expand their knowledge of different musical styles from around the world by studying Reggae music. This will involve looking at the historical context of reggae music as well as musical features which are unique to the style. 

Particular skills assessed:

• Students’ ability to perform chords using syncopation
• Students’ ability to perform a song in a reggae style and what this means

The main assessment is a group performance if a song in a reggae style.

The students will also complete a listening assessment of reggae music. 

Music department success criteria used for performance skills. TBC.

Teacher will assess along with student peer assessment of performance skills.