Music
Our curriculum intent
Our Music curriculum is centred around the performing, composing and appraising of Music. The blending of theoretical and practical work ensures each student receives a well-rounded Music education. This enables them to build solid foundations towards a musical future but also provides them with experience of Music from different cultures and time periods. Students will improve their singing, employing vocal techniques to learn and perform existing songs, as well as adapting existing songs by composing their own melody lines and lyrics. Students will identify and apply the fundamental principles that make up Music, which promotes a deeper understanding of how Music has been and can be created. This is achieved through the teaching of the musical elements, which not only form a vital part of the OCR GCSE curriculum but also enables students to appraise and appreciate Music throughout their lifetimes.
Students will have the opportunity to perform confidently as part of an ensemble as well as performing solo using their voices or playing instruments that they may never have explored before. Through the appraisal and learning of pre-existing Music, students will gain the analytical skills required to adapt and compose their own Music in the style of the genres studied. Students will learn how to read notation, tab, chord charts and drum notation, all foundation skills which once acquired will allow them to continue their studies outside the classroom, independently or collaboratively. This comprehension and application of notation is built up over time and throughout the years as students’ progress from treble clef to bass clef, from drum tables to drum notation and to Music in different and complex time.
Music is an invaluable artform to learn and love, whether this be performing, composing or the appraising and appreciation of Music. Through studying the subject, students will learn invaluable life skills, such as resilience, determination, dedication, creativity, focus, and perhaps most importantly the ability to take risks, fail and persevere to become skilful and independent musicians.
The personal development and wellbeing of our students lies at the heart of our wider Arts Curriculum. Developing the whole person is our objective, through enabling their creative expression and teaching them the skills to confidently communicate their ideas.
“Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children’s education.” – Yo-Yo Ma
What this looks like in practice
Music at Robertsbridge is enriching, modern and exciting. As a department, we conduct a Christmas and Summer show every year that gives all students the opportunity to showcase their skills and build confidence through performing.
In Key Stage 3, students study a broad range of topics, such as:
- Elements of music - Understanding how songs are pieced together; Learning how to compose music
- Rhythms of the world - African djembe drumming; Brazilian samba; Greek music; Palestinian and Israeli music; Indian music
- Pop Music - Understanding structures of songs; Composing pop songs; Analysing songs in detail
- Instruments of the Orchestra - Learning about the families of instruments in the orchestra; strings, woodwind, brass, percussion; Composing orchestral music
- Film Music - How film composers create music; Composing music based on emotion; Understanding themes and ideas
- Performance Skills - Creating bands, working alongside others to replicate songs; Composing music as a solo artist and also as a band
In Key Stage 4, students students can select Music as an option subject where they will follow the OCR GCSE Music 9-1 specification. This allows them to further develop their knowledge and understanding through compositions, performances and specific theory content. We focus our efforts on the following:
- Performances - Ensemble and Solo
- Compositions - Free composition and Composition to a brief
- Theory lessons - Theory lessons in all areas of study - Rhythms of the world, concerto through time, pop music, film/game music.
Curriculum overview
Detailed information about the curriculum for each year group can be found in the document below.