Music

Introduction

Why study Music? The Importance of Music:

Music, apart from being a universal language, is a unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act.

Music forms part of an individual’s identity, and a positive interaction with music can develop pupils’ competence as learners and increase their self-esteem. Music brings together intellect and feeling and enables personal expression, reflection and emotional development. As an integral part of culture, past and present, music helps pupils understand themselves, relate to others and develop their cultural understanding, forging important links between home, school and the wider world. Music education encourages active involvement in different forms of music-making, both individual and communal, helping to develop a sense of group identity and togetherness. Therefore, Music fosters personal development and maturity, creating a sense of achievement and self-worth, and increasing pupils’ ability to work with others in a group context.

Further essential benefits of Music learning is the development of pupils’ critical skills: their ability to perform and compose music with their individual critical interpretation and expression, and also their ability to appreciate, by active listening, a wide variety of music genres, and to make judgements about musical quality. In addition, an active engagement with Music increases pupils’ self-discipline, cognitive function, self-esteem, creativity, aesthetic sensitivity and emotional fulfilment.

Contact details

Please contact the Head of Department for more information. A full teaching staff list can be found under 'About Us' 'Staff and Governance'.

Head of Department: Mr J Willows Email: jxw@ccfplus.com

What your child will be learning (curriculum mapping)

To view the modules studied each term, please click here.

Aims and enrichment

Aims

The music curriculum at CCF aimts to ensure that all pupils:

Become successful learners who enjoy learning music, make progress and achieve their highest potential.
Are engaged and inspired to cultivate a love of music and to develop their skills and knowledge as musicians.
Perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a wide range of historical periods, genres, styles and cultural traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians.
Learn to sing and to use their voices, learn performing on a variety of musical instruments, use music technology appropriately, and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence.
Understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, through the interrelated dimensions of: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
Are provided with the opportunities to Compose and Perform music on their own and with others.
Become confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Have the opportunity to develop their Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural experience through the multidisciplinary approach of the teaching methods and topics of learning that are on offer.
Are provided with a variety of vocational and academic careers pathways that are embedded within the schemes of learning both, at the end of KS3 and throughout KS4.
Become responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

Enrichment

As part of the Music Curriculum Enrichment at CCF, pupils have the opportunity (on a weekly basis) to join such school clubs as, The Orchestra, Choir, Music Technology, lunchtime music sessions.

In addition, the CCF students with a special inclination to music are invited to attend out of school Music Recitals and Music trips on a half-term basis. Furthermore, there is a wide variety of performance opportunities within the school setting at different times throughout the school year, such as; The annually established Art Awards Evening, Summer Concert, Music & Drama Productions in combination with the Drama and English departments, and furthermore opportunities that are constantly arising.

Key stage 3

Pupils at KS3 build on their previous musical knowledge and skills through performing, composing and listening.

Moreover, they advance their vocal and instrumental fluency, accuracy and expressiveness, in combination with the development of their understanding of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions by identifying the expressive use of musical dimensions. Furthermore, they listen with increasing discrimination and awareness to inform their practice as musicians through a wide range of musical contexts and styles.

Pupils at CCF are being taught to:

Play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression.
Improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions.
Use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions.
Identify and use the interrelated dimensions of music expressively and with increasing sophistication, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices.
Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians.
Develop a deepening understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, in combination with its historical and cultural background.

Key stage 4

Exam Board: Eduqas

At KS4, Music is a GCSE option.

In order to take this, students must either be able to play a musical instrument before beginning the course, or to have the sincere desire, commitment and devotion to start instrumental/vocals lessons within the school (peripatetic instrumental teachers) or on their own initiative (private tuition).

The Eduqas specification is followed which comprises three units:

Unit 1: Performing Music (30%)

Unit 2: Composing Music (30%)

Unit 3: Music – Listening and Appraising (40%)

The specification allows students to perform on the instrument of their choice and to select their own repertoire. It requires two compositions, one free (any style/genre of their choice) and one set to a brief. It is not only accessible to students trained in classical music but also to those trained in popular music such as rock,pop or jazz. Unit 3 consists of four areas of study which will widen the students’ knowledge of music and compositional techniques.