Music
Music is taught as a compulsory subject in Years 7-9, following the IBO Middle Years Programme. This includes the teaching of bilingual music lessons in French or German in Year 7. Pupils may then opt to study GCSE Music in Years 10-11 (Edexcel board) followed by the Music IB Diploma course in the Sixth Form. Our diverse curriculum reflects the international dimension of the college, including practical units of work that focus on developing the pupils’ listening, performance and composition skills in music from all styles and cultures. Technology also features strongly throughout the curriculum, with pupils being taught how to use computer-based sequencing and notation software as part of their regular classwork. Alongside students’ academic work, they are strongly encouraged to develop their performance skills to a high level on at least one instrument or voice, supported by regular practice in aural awareness and theory skills and engagement with the department’s varied music clubs programme.
All pupils engage with music, whether this be within college or outside as a leisure pursuit or more serious academic or practical studies. Irrespective of a student’s level of skill or experience outside the curriculum, the Middle Years Programme for music is centred around concept-based models for learning, enabling students to engage with a broad range of topics and styles in the roles of researcher, performer and creator. Teaching-led approaches to learning are also balanced with more facilitating roles, enabling students to work more independently and/or collaboratively on group projects inspired by their own research and real-life musical practices. Students are encouraged to find cross-curricular links to improve their contextual understanding of the music they engage with.
The topics taught throughout the curriculum reflect the international dimension of the college, focusing on the study of global musicmaking and fusions of styles, as well as music in more personal and local contexts that reflect the pupils’ own strengths and experiences. Students are then encouraged to broaden their musical horizons by engaging with less familiar musical concepts and using these to influence and develop their own emerging music style and understanding.
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Year 7 |
Year 8 |
Year 9 |
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Unit 1 Title |
Who am I? |
Programme and Film Music |
The Blues |
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Key Concept Communication Change Global Context Identities and Relationships Statement of Inquiry Elements of Music are the bricks and mortar of every composition. ATL Focus Social: Manage and resolve conflict and work collaboratively in teams Thinking: Create original works and ideas Content Focus Debatable: Can sound create a visual image? Factual: What are the main elements of music? Conceptual: How to combine different elements of music to create a musical portrait of a chosen character? |
Key Concept Communication Change Global Context Scientific and Technical Innovation Statement of Inquiry Music as a trigger for emotional responses in storytelling. ATL Focus Research: Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. Content Focus Debatable: Can sound be more important that the visual image? Factual: What is the difference between non-diegetic and diegetic sound? Conceptual: How can musical element be combined to create a specific mood and atmosphere
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Key Concept Communication Change Global Context Personal and Cultural expression Statement of Inquiry Changing role of the Blues music from a tool of communication, a synonym of racial identity and segregation to globally accepted aesthetic form. ATL Focus Research: Make informed choices about personal viewing experiences. Content Focus Debatable: Would Blues and Jazz music still exist if slavery was never abolished? Factual: What are the main musical features of Blues music? Conceptual: What shaped the sound of Blues? |
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Unit 2 Title - |
SAMBA |
West African Music |
Reggae |
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Key Concept Identity Global Context Personal and Cultural Expression Statement of Inquiry Mass migration creates fusion and new styles of music. ATL Focus Research: Seek a range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources. Content Focus Debatable: Can you feel the rhythm? Factual: What are the main musical features of Samba music? Conceptual: What role does music play in life of children in favelas and in the modern Brazilian society. |
Key Concept Identity Global Context Personal and Cultural expression Statement of Inquiry Musical features of African Sub-Saharan music are universally recognised in modern musical styles. ATL Focus Research: Seek a range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources. Content Focus Debatable: Is it what you play or how you play it? Factual: What are the main musical features of Sub-Saharan African music? Conceptual: What role does music play in life of African tribe and in the modern African society?
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Key Concept Identity Global Context Identities and Relationships Statement of Inquiry The unique sound of Reggae is recognised around the world as a symbol of a peaceful fight for freedom. ATL Focus Thinking: Practise flexible thinking – develop multiple opposing contradictory and complimentary arguments. Content Focus Debatable: Is Reggae music a positive or negative influence on young people who listen to it? Factual: What are the main musical features of Reggae music? Conceptual: What is the influence of Reggae in contemporary culture and politics?
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Unit 3 Title - |
Loops and Layers |
Worksongs |
Hip Hop |
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Key Concept Change Global Context Orientation in Space and Time Statement of Inquiry Replacing orchestra with sensitized sound creates new opportunities. ATL Focus Research: Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats. Content Focus Replacing orchestra with synthesised sound creates new opportunities. |
Key Concept Change Global Context Identities and Relationships Statement of Inquiry Music as an essential life force. ATL Focus Social: Manage and resolve conflict and work collaboratively in teams. Content Focus Debatable: How did music help slaves in their everyday life? Factual: What are the main musical features of worksongs? Conceptual: What cultural influences shaped the sound of slaves’ worksongs? |
Key Concept Change Global Context Scientific and Technical Innovation Statement of Inquiry Developments in technology can manipulate artists’ identity. ATL Focus Research: Seek a range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources. Content Focus Debateable: Is it where you come from, or where you’re at? Factual: How do we create music without musical instruments? Conceptual: How did poverty aid development of Hip Hop? |
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Unit 4 Title - |
Minimalism/Gamelan |
Spirituals |
Canon in D |
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Key Concept Aesthetic Global Context Personal and Cultural Expression Statement of Inquiry Minimal use of resources can create an exciting piece of art. ATL Focus Thinking: Use existing works and ideas in new ways. Content Focus Debatable: Is this really Art? Factual: What are the main features of Minimalism? Conceptual: What cultures shaped and influenced the sound of Minimalistic music. |
Key Concept Aesthetic Global Context Orientation in Space and Time Statement of Inquiry Music as an essential life force. ATL Focus Thinking: Inquire in different contexts to gain a different perspective. Content Focus Debatable: Would spiritual music still exist if slavery was never existed? Factual: Why is spiritual music considered fusion music? Conceptual: What shaped the sound of spirituals? |
Key Concept Aesthetic Global Context GlobaliSation and Sustainability Statement of Inquiry Globalization reflected in accessibility of unlimited pool of musical inspiration to 21st century musicians. ATL Focus Thinking: Practise visible thinking strategies and techniques. Content Focus Debatable: Does music have to be taught? Factual: Should we get back to our roots? Conceptual: What shaped the sound of pop and rock music? |
Year 10 and 11
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Composing Music: The purpose of this component is to assess students’ skills in composing music and enable them to appreciate the process of creating music. Students will be introduced to the technical and creative skills required by a composer. Composing is the creative process by which most of the music we experience came into being. Students will be encouraged to explore a range of compositional starting points and investigate a range of elements, techniques and resources for developing and manipulating ideas – and turning them into completed pieces of music. Students can also explore the skills needed to compose music for different instrumental and/or vocal forces.
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Performing Music: The purpose of this component is to assess students’ performing skills in both a solo and ensemble context. Students should be given the opportunity to rehearse and refine performances on their chosen instrument or voice, developing technical control, expression and interpretative skills. This component will encourage students to develop creative thinking, aesthetic sensitivity, critical awareness, self-confidence, self-motivation and their own musical interests and skills. This includes the ability to make music individually and in groups, and perform with control, using phrasing and dynamics appropriate to their chosen styles and moods of music.
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Appraising Music: The purpose of this component is to assess students’ listening and appraising skills through the study of music across a variety of styles and genres. The content is grouped into four areas of study, each of which contains two set works. This component gives students the opportunity to reflect on, analyse and evaluate music in aural and/or written form. To achieve these objectives, students need to use their knowledge and understanding of musical elements, musical contexts and musical language to make critical judgements about the repertoire and context of music within the areas of study. These critical judgements will require the use of attentive listening, aural perception and specific music vocabulary associated with a particular style or genre. These areas of study also provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their contextual understanding of music when performing and composing.
Purpose: How does the curriculum support a holistic approach to education that goes beyond academic development?
- Provides opportunities for students to explore a range of musical contexts and make links to, and between, different musical practices, conventions and forms of expression.
- Enables students to acquire, develop and experiment with musical competencies through a range of musical practices, conventions and forms of expression, both individually and collaboration with others.
- Allows students to evaluate and develop critical perspectives on their own music and the works of others.
Environment: How is the curriculum adjusted to ensure all students can succeed?
Three contexts are used to guide the student’s choice of material:
- Personal – including music that has significance to the student, and that they are most familiar with
- Local – including music that has local significance, but that may be unfamiliar to the student
- Global – music from a variety of places, societies and cultures. Discussion and joint decision making between teacher and student will take place when selecting diverse musical material to be studied.
Learning: How is feedback written into the curriculum to ensure that all students are set challenging goals?
Students’ engagement with diverse musical material will be evidenced in the work submitted for assessment – this will include formative teacher feedback, both informally and formally in annual mock assessment feedback using appropriate DP assessment criteria.
Year 12 Curriculum Map
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Key Stage 5 (IB Diploma Programme) |
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12 |
Topic: Exploring Music
Why is this being taught? Students learn to engage with a diverse range of music to broaden their horizons and provide stimuli to expand their own music-making. Students gain breadth of understanding by engaging in music from four areas of enquiry and personal, local and global contexts.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 12-13
Will this be revisited? Regular formative review process and mock assessments in Years 12 and 13. |
Topic: Experimenting with Music
Why is this being taught? Students connect theoretical studies to practical work and gain a deeper understanding of the music they engage with. Through this theoretical and practical work as researchers, creators and performers, students experiment with a range of musical material and stimuli from the areas of inquiry across local and global contexts.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 12-13
Will this be revisited? Regular formative review process and mock assessments in Years 12 and 13. |
Topic: Presenting Music
Why is this being taught? Students learn to practice and prepare finished pieces that will be performed or presented to an audience. In working towards completed musical works, students expand their musical identity, demonstrate their level of musicianship, and learn to share and communicate their music as researchers, creators and performers.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 12-13
Will this be revisited? Regular formative review process and mock assessments in Years 12 and 13. |
Topic: The Contemporary Music Maker (HL only)
Why is this being taught? HL builds on the learning of musical competencies and challenges, enabling students to engage with the musical processes in settings of contemporary music-making. Students plan and collaboratively create a project that draws on the competencies, skills and processes in all the musical roles of the course and is inspired by real-life practices.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 12-13
Will this be revisited? Regular formative review process and mock assessments in Years 12 and 13.
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Year 13 Curriculum Map
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Topic: Exploring Music
Why is this being taught? Building on the skills developed in Year 12, students learn to engage with a diverse range of music to broaden their horizons and provide stimuli to expand their own music-making. Students gain breadth of understanding by engaging in music from four areas of enquiry and personal, local and global contexts.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 13.
Will this be revisited? Formative review process and mock assessment in Year 13.
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Topic: Experimenting with Music
Why is this being taught? Building on the skills developed in Year 12, students connect theoretical studies to practical work and gain a deeper understanding of the music they engage with. Through this theoretical and practical work as researchers, creators and performers, students experiment with a range of musical material and stimuli from the areas of inquiry across local and global contexts.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 13.
Will this be revisited? Formative review process and mock assessment in Year 13.
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Topic: Presenting Music
Why is this being taught? Building on the skills developed in Year 12, students learn to practice and prepare finished pieces that will be performed or presented to an audience. In working towards completed musical works, students expand their musical identity, demonstrate their level of musicianship, and learn to share and communicate their music as researchers, creators and performers.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 13.
Will this be revisited? Formative review process and mock assessment in Year 13.
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Topic: The Contemporary Music Maker (HL only)
Why is this being taught? Building on the skills developed in Year 12, this HL unit focuses on the learning of musical competencies and challenges, enabling students to engage with the musical processes in settings of contemporary music-making. Students plan and collaboratively create a project that draws on the competencies, skills and processes in all the musical roles of the course and is inspired by real-life practices.
Why now? Ongoing unit throughout Year 13.
Will this be revisited? Formative review process and mock assessment in Year 13.
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Multiple extra-curricular opportunities available
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String Ensemble
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Concert Band
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Woodwind quartet
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Woodwind ensemble
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Hockerill Voices
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Brass Ensemble
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Trombone Ensemble
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Orchestra
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Lower College Choir
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Upper College Choir
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Chapel Choir
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Percussion Ensemble
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Big Band
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Musical Theatre Ensemble
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String Quartet
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Jazz Orchestra
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Theory Club