Starting the Year Out Right in Music

The Music department has had an exciting start to the year, filled with wonderful sounds from instruments and voices right from the beginning. Let us have a look at what pupils have been studying this term:

Year 7 – Stomp and Sing

Pupils in Year 7 have been exploring their voices through singing together as whole class choirs. They have been learning about the essentials of good singing technique and have enjoyed warming up their voices with a variety of vocal exercises and tongue twisters.

Year 8 – Popular Music

Year 8 has begun to learn their first full song for this term on the piano – ‘Kids’ by MGMT - where they will get to practise their ensemble skills and develop their ears.

Year 9 – The Blues

Year 9 have been enjoying their new Music options subject with two lessons a week, expanding their knowledge of the Blues and their keyboard playing. They have not only been getting to grips with performing the 12-Bar Blues and ‘Bags’ Groove’ by Miles Davis, but also have studied the theory and origins behind this music genre.

Year 10 – Starting the GCSE

Pupils are looking forward to a split in the curriculum from the middle of Autumn 1, where they will start their Free Compositions, enhance their performance skills on their specialist instruments, and begin to learn about the Edexcel GCSE set works, beginning with an analysis of ‘Star Wars’ by John Williams.

Year 11 – Composition and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto

Year 11s have started the year with mastering the key concepts of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, before they embark on tackling the epic ‘Pathetique Sonata’ by Beethoven. In particular, these two set works have involved pupils learning more about score reading and analysis.