Curriculum Leader: Miss H. Durham

The Music Department provides opportunities for all students to develop their performing, composing and listening skills. Students are encouraged to develop their confidence, independence and teamwork while exploring instruments such as the ukulele, keyboard and African drumming through a range of musical genres.

Students are encouraged to listen widely and experiment creatively with musical ideas, performing to a high standard in every lesson.

The Music Department is proud to support and extend the emerging skills and talents of our students through a broad extra-curricular programme and provision of peripatetic instrumental lessons.

We offer the following instrumental lessons in school:

• Strings
• Classical guitar
• Electric/acoustic guitar
• Singing
• Piano
• Drums
• Woodwind
• Brass
• Theory/composition

Please contact Miss Durham directly by emailing durhamh@fulford.york.sch.uk if you would like to enquire about individual musical instrument lessons in school, or students can collect a letter from the Music Department in school, giving further details.

The Music Department fosters a sense of community cohesion through school concerts, extra-curricular activities and events with the wider community.

Throughout Year 7 and 8 students develop their performing, composing and listening skills through a range of musical genres. Students have the opportunity to work independently, in groups and as pairs, with the opportunity to explore a range of instruments. The Year 7 and 8 curriculum is designed to encourage students to develop a passion for music while preparing them for Eduqas GCSE Music should they wish to continue with their musical studies at this level.

Year 7

During Year 7 students will explore the following projects, each culminating in a half-termly assessment.

• Find Your Voice – developing singing technique and singing as an ensemble, while also exploring beatboxing and body percussion.
• African Drumming Skills – developing ensemble skills, rhythm reading and rhythmic composition using djembe drums.
• Keyboard Skills – developing note reading skills, culminating in a performance of a piece of music on the keyboard.
• Written in the Stars – exploring rap, lyric writing, and developing ensemble performance skills.
• Ukulele Skills – introduction to ukulele chords, developing tablature reading and ensemble skills.
• Carnival of the Animals – students combine the skills they have gained throughout the year to compose a theme for a chosen animal, learning how to notate their music.

Year 8

During Year 8 students will explore the following projects, each culminating in a half-termly assessment:

•  Written in the Stars – exploring rap, lyric writing, and developing ensemble performance skills. (Students did not complete this project in Y7.)
• Instruments of the orchestra and programme music – exploring how different instruments are used to create an atmosphere. Listening to a range of composers of programme music and orchestral music.
• Film Music – developing composition skills. Students will explore how to create a piece of music to fit with a given film clip, exploring the techniques used by film and video game composers. Students will explore music technology and instrumental techniques to create compositions.
• The Blues – exploring the roots of Jazz, Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll music; developing performance, listening and composition skills.
• Theme and Variations – exploring composition techniques to develop a melody; developing performance, listening and composition skills.
• Electronic Dance Music – developing students’ appraisal skills by listening to a variety of music, and using instruments music technology to explore EDM composition techniques.

Year 9

• Hooks and Riffs – performing a range of melodic riffs from different genres, and exploring what makes an effective riff.
• Reggae – developing performing, composing and listening skills, leading to the creation of a Reggae song and suitable lyrics.
• Folk Music – listening to and performing a range of folk melodies, and exploring how these are often fused with other musical styles.
• Video game music – using instruments and music technology to compose a video game soundtrack.
• What Makes A Good Song? – Analysing what makes songs effective, and learning song writing techniques.
• Battle of the Bands – students combine the skills they have gained through KS3 in an ensemble performance of a chosen song.

Eduqas GCSE Music 

Aim

To develop 3 areas of musical skills and knowledge.

• Composing
• Performing
• Listening with understanding

Type of Work

Composition can be for all types of instruments. You will build on the composition skills learned in KS3 to create music for your chosen instrument/s. You will explore how to write a detailed score using Sibelius and Noteflight software, as well as how to develop ideas practically.

Performance: you will complete two assessed performances. You can either perform two ensemble pieces, or one solo and one ensemble. You should aim to perform a piece at ABRSM/Rock School (or other exam boards) grade 3 standard or above. Pieces of grade 4 standard and above will enable you to access the higher marks more securely.

Listening: Preparation for the Listening paper will involve learning about, and responding to, a wide variety of styles of music. There are 2 set pieces of music which you will study in detail for the final exam. The remainder of the exam involves responding to unfamiliar pieces of music and applying your understanding of the elements of music.

Eduqas Syllabus and Assessment

1. Composition (30%): 2 pieces, each at least 1.5 minutes in length.
2. Performance (30%): One solo piece and one ensemble performance OR two ensemble pieces.
3. Listening (40%): Based around 4 Areas of Study..

Current Y11 students are only required to submit one composition and one performance, in line with adaptations to this year’s GCSE course. There is no requirement to submit an ensemble performance this year. This only applies to current Y11 students, not Y10.