Term 1: Ground Bass
Students will explore Baroque Music and composers through the study of Ground Bass and Polyphonic Texture in Pachelbel's Canon in D. They will then develop their performance skills perfoming modern interpretations of the piece through NDubz: We Dance On
Students will be assessed through their understanding of the Baroque Period through listening activities as well as their performance skills in small and large ensembles
Ground bass
bass line upon which further melodic layers are added on top.
Pedal note
a single note that is held on or repeated in the bass.
Cantus firmus
fixed tune upon which melodies are laid. This term was used in the medieval and renaissance periods.
Violin
highest of the string instruments played under the chin and uses the treble clef.
Viola
string instrument larger than the violin played under the chin and uses the alto clef.
Violoncello
large string instrument which provides the bass line. Uses the bass clef but can also use the tenor and treble clef.It is played between the legs.
Pizzicato
strings to be plucked.
Arco
strings to be bowed.
Pachelbel
1653 – 1706, composer in the Baroque period.
Purcell
1659 – 1695, composer in the Baroque period.
Develop the individual:
Understanding of Music from the Baroque Period and how modern music is inspired by these pieces.
Create a supportive community:
Developing ensemble skills through collaborative working, listening and problem solving.
Term 2: Minimalism
Students will explore the functions of Minimalism in post-modern and Film Music. They will gain an understanding of Rhythm through the Music of Steve Reich and approaches to Melody and Harmony through Philip Glass.
Students will be assessed on their ensemble work in demonstrating Minimalism on classroom percussion as well as their compositions on Logic Pro XI or Musescore.
Bass
Used in most popular songs, mostly electric 4 stringed guitar.
Electric guitar
6 or 12 string guitar used as rhythm and lead.
Reminiscent
looking back to similar things from the past.
Sentimental
looking back fondly sometimes a little sadly.
Nostalgic
sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
Johnny Marks
composer with the most Christmas hits; Rudolph, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and A Jolly Holly Christmas.
Irving Berlin
composer of the most recorded Christmas song White Christmas.
Amplifier
A device that increases the level or amplitude of an electrical signal, making the resulting sound louder.
Audio
the transmission, recording or reproduction of sound, whether digitally, electrically or acoustically.
Scratch
A scratch vocal is a vocal done during a basic recording session to help the musicians play their parts. At a later date the final vocal track is overdubbed. It can also be the action of a musician or disc jockey quickly moving a record back and forth on
Develop the individual:
Understanding modern Music post World War II and how this is used in Film Music to develop tension. They will use ensemble skills to perform Music as a group whilst working collaboratively in pairs on a minimalist composition.
Create a supportive community:
Students will work collaboratively on their compositions and as an ensemble in performing examples of Minimalism.
Term 4: Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
Students will explore the musical devices of Electronic Dance Music and how music producers create sound using complex techniques in Music Technology. They will gain an understanding of EQ, Panning, Reverb as well as recording and layering sound.
Students will be assessed on their understanding of Electronic Dance Music through listening activities on Focus On Sound and the production of their own EDM track on Logic Pro XI
Blues
style of music which has its own scale, blues notes and originated in the Deep South. Improvised.
Jazz
uses improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swung note and is a fusion of many blues related forms.
Rock steady
originated in Jamaica, successor of ska and precursor of reggae. Uses offbeat and staccato chords like ska but much slower.
Ska
mixture of calypso, American jazz and rhythm and blues. Has a walking bass and fast tempo.
Protest
speak out against something you don't believe in.
Bob Marley
1945 – 1981, composer and performer, world ambassador for reggae music.
Rastafarianism
young, Africa-centred religion which developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, following the coronation of Haile Selassie I as King of Ethiopia in 1930.
Off beat
emphasis place on the weaker beats of the bar eg off the main beat.
Lento
slow.
Dreadlocks
grown and twisted hair.
Develop the individual:
Knowledge of pop culture and the development of dance music along with music technology.
Create a supportive community:
Understanding of the cultural and social role of Dance Music through musical history and modern society.
Term 3: Film and Computer Game Music - Heroes and Villains (Leitmotif)
Students will explore how Film composers have composed descriptive Music for both heroes and villains. They will gain an understanding of the function of leitmotif by John Williams and Alan Silvestri and gain deep understanding of Melody and Harmony.
Students will be assessed on their performances of examples of Leitmotif, their melodic compositions for heroes and villains and their listening skills within the genre.
Diegetic music
music contained within the action of a film eg music heard on a radio.
Underscoring
adds to the mood of the scene, reinforcing dramatic developments and aspects of character.
Mickey-Mousing
when the music is precisely synchronised with events on screen.
Orchestration
how a film is scored.
Tonal music
music which uses a key, major or minor according to the mood of the film.
Atonal music
music without key, often used in horror films.
Syncopation
chords/notes on the off or weak beats.
Leitmotif
a recurring musical idea.
John Williams
Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Artificial Intelligence: A.I., Harry Potter
Atmosphere
how a place/situation feels.
Develop the individual:
Students will gain an understanding of the role of Music in influencing an audience's interpretation of a character.
Create a supportive community:
Students will work collaboratively in pairs in sharing composition ideas and implementing them in their compositions, whilst also working together to perform their own music and that of existing composers.
Term 4: Film and Computer Game Music - Sound Design
Students will develop their understanding of descriptive Music in Film and Computer Games. They will gain an understanding of the role Music plays in influencing an audience including developing tension and affecting emotion.
Students willl be assessed on their listening and appraising skills through analysis of the musical elements as well as the composer's purpose and intention. They will compose Music to moving image, describing the footage through effective composition.
Concerto grosso
instrumental form used in the Baroque period using an orchestra and solo group.
Ripieno
whole orchestra in the piece.;
Concertino
solo group of instrumentalists who play alternatively with the larger group.
Corelli
1653 – 1713, composer in the Baroque period.
Vivaldi
1678 – 1741, composer in the Baroque period.
Contrast
2 differing sections eg tempo, dynamics etc.
Ornament
decoration of music eg trills.
Perfect cadence
end of a section/piece ending on chord 1 (like a full stop.)
Imperfect cadence
end of a section ending on chord 5 (like a comma) sounds unfinished.
Legato
smoothly.
Develop the individual:
Knowledge of European music traditions from the baroque period.
Create a supportive community:
Develop communication skills, teamwork and understand their own tradition. Understand how old structures can exist alongside new ideas.
Term 5: Beatle mania
Students will learn about the career of the Beatles and how they came to be widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era. They will look at how they were influenced by many different styles and genres including skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, pop ballads, Indian music , psychedelia, hard rock and classical elements as well. Students will learn how their enormous popularity produced the term "Beatlemania". Students will learn 2 contrasting Beatles songs and compose their own riffs for each song. The songs will be recorded using a multi-track recorder; students will mix down multiple tracks to a master track. Each song will be evaluated using peer and teacher assessment.
Students will be assessed on their ability to recognise the genre and structure of the topic area via aural and oral listening exercises. They will be continually assessed during the composing of the music with a final assessment of the performance and recording. These 3 marks will then come together to give a final level.
Counter culture
going against current social ideas.
Prolific
a lot of something.
Influential
someone or something that has an impact on or shapes how people act or how things occur.
Genre
type of something.
Ballad
a poetic story set to music usually slow and melodious in style.
Pyschedelia
subculture within a culture which has distinct patterns of behaviour and belief. They are take part in drug use.
John Lennon
songwriter, guitarist, pianist, vocalist for the Beatles.
Paul McCartney
songwriter, guitarist, pianist, vocalist for the Beatles.
Ringo Starr
drummer for the Beatles.
George Harrison
songwriter, guitarist, vocalist for the Beatles.
Develop the individual:
Understand the influence this group had on subsequent music and how they were influenced by other pop culture which preceded them. Understand how actions can influence others. Understand how many different types of music can mix together.
Create a supportive community:
Teamwork in producing music together. Tolerance of different styles and that they can enjoy and make use of different types of music.