Music

About the Faculty

The Performing Arts Faculty is committed to providing high quality and dynamic teaching. Together we support students into building ownership of the work, developing resilience and equipping them with the freedom and confidence to take creative risks. The Faculty aims to create a working atmosphere in which creativity and originality is celebrated.

It is our intent that the Performing Arts Curriculum sparks student’s curiosity and fascination within a range of artistic disciplines. At Belper School, we seek to build upon student’s interests and equip them with powerful knowledge about the  performing  disciplines of music and drama.  We want them to develop skills in RESPONDING, CREATING, PERFORMING and EVALUATING performance for an audience. We provide a range of progression pathways towards qualifications across all of the performing arts. We provide students with access to a wide range of resources including musical instruments, a recording studio, specialist  drama studios and technical equipment. We aim to emulate the specialist disciplinary conditions of the professional arts and want them to develop their confidence and aspirations for the future. We take pride in the development of a rich wider curriculum including opportunities for students to attend performing arts venues, work with professional artists and prepare performance for professional spaces. We strive to teach the students the responsibilities they have as part of a performing arts community and the importance of teamwork, communication and discipline as a performer and member of a ‘company’.

Years 7 to 9 – Key Stage 3

All Key Stage 3 students have 2 Music lessons a fortnight. Students are taught in their mixed ability tutor groups. These lessons are practical and take place in one of our dedicated Music spaces.

As well as teaching music one hour per week as part of the curriculum, the department also offers a wealth of enrichment opportunities. There are visiting instrumental teachers who offer individual tuition on a wide range of instruments including brass, woodwind, violin, piano, keyboard, guitar, drums, singing etc. There are also a range of ensembles from wind ensemble to choir to rock bands. All students are encouraged to take part and also to get involved with some of the regular performance opportunities throughout the year.

The Curriculum

Year 7

Year 7- Introducing

The following units of work are taught in Year 7.

Let’s Get Singing

Students will:

  • Develop ensemble skills singing as part of a large group.
  • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places.
  • Build confidence in performing

I’ve Got Rhythm

Students will:

  • Understand that pulse is a fundamental upon which music is built and performed
  • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places.
  • Distinguish between pulse/beat and rhythm.
  • Develop an understanding of note values in terms of duration, bars and simple time signatures.

Keyboard Skills

Students will:

  • Understand the basics of pitch notation through the treble and bass clefs
  • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places
  • Be able to perform short melodies on the keyboard using accurate technique

Melody Writing

Students will:

  • Understand the basics of pitch and rhythm notation
  • Understand different music forms and structures within classical music
  • Be able to identify different sections within a piece of music
  • Combine rhythm and pitch to create melodies and develop composition skills
  • Learn to use music notation software such as MuseScore.

 

Building a Song

Students will:

  • Understand how popular songs are put together, looking at structures such as verse and chorus
  • Understand what a chord is and learn how to form them on both keyboard and ukulele
  • Develop skills performing on the ukulele

Derbyshire Folk Song

Students will:

  • Understand the conventions of folk music
  • Develop lyric writing skills within a structure
  • Further develop composition skills

Year 8

  • Year 8 – Exploring

    The following units of work are taught in Year 8.

    Let’s Keep Singing

    Students will:

    • Develop ensemble skills singing as part of a large group.
    • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places.
    • Develop part song and harmony singing.
    • Build confidence in performing

    I’ve Still Got Rhythm

    Students will:

    • Understand that pulse is a fundamental upon which music is built and performed
    • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places.
    • Distinguish between pulse/beat and rhythm.
    • Develop an understanding of note values in terms of duration, bars and simple time signatures.

     

    Four Chord Trick

    Students will:

    • Further develop their understand on chords and chord sequences
    • Develop performances skills at the keyboard, playing with both left and right hands
    • Develop music notation reading skills; extending from single line reading to chords

    Off Beat

    Students will:

    • Recognise the stylistic conventions of Reggae music
    • Understand how chords contribute to the texture of a song
    • Be able to recognise the key features of a Reggae bass line
    • To understand syncopation and how it is used in Reggae music

    Hooks & Riffs

    Students will:

    • Develop an understanding of the terms hook, riff and ostinato
    • Develop their awareness of pulse and performing with a sense of timing and fluency
    • Develop their knowledge of staff music notation
    • Develop playing skills on the keyboards, using both hands using accurate technique

    Rhythm and Poetry

    Students will:

    • Develop listening skills, identifying structures and instruments
    • Extend knowledge of songwriting skills – in the genre of hip hop
    • Work collaboratively as part of group to compose

     

    Music Technology

    Students will:

    • Explore form and structure using software such as Soundtrap or BandLab
    • Explore a range of music technology terminology and demonstrate learning through a range of tasks.
    • Extend knowledge of songwriting skills – in the genre of hip hop

Year 9

Year 9- Mastering

The following units of work are taught in Year 9.

Keyboard Skills – Music for Film

Students will:

  • Understand how music is used in film music to enhance on screen action
  • Understand specific musical vocabulary
  • Show confidence in the basics of pitch notation through the treble and bass clefs
  • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places
  • Be able to perform short melodies on the keyboard using accurate technique

Music Technology

Students will:

  • Show deeper understanding and mastery of form and structure using software such as Soundtrap or BandLab
  • Explore a range of music technology terminology and demonstrate learning through a range of tasks.
  • Extend knowledge of songwriting skills using the computer in preparation of study at KS4

Strike a Chord

Students will:

  • Extend their knowledge of chords and chord sequencing from Y8
  • Develop their ability to perform with dexterity and transition between chords with fluency using the ukulele, guitar and keyboard.
  • Work collaboratively with other students to create a group performance

Soundtracks – Composing for film

Students will:

  • Understand how music is used in film music to enhance on screen action
  • Understand specific musical vocabulary
  • Draw on knowledge of ostinato, drone and leitmotif to create soundtracks to a specific theme
  • Use different compositional devices to add drama to a scene

 

Keyboard Skills

Students will:

  • Develop understanding of music notation, considering more complex time and key signatures using treble and bass clefs
  • Develop a feeling for and an awareness of a regular pulse in music from different times and places
  • Be able to perform short melodies on the keyboard using accurate technique

Responding to a Brief

Students will:

  • Develop songwriting and lyric writing skills
  • Extend knowledge and understanding of popular music
  • Further develop understanding of chords and chord sequencing
  • Understand the different textural and structural elements of a song/popular song
  • Understand and use the different musical information given on a lead sheet
  • Consolidate learning across KS3 to produce a group performance piece
  • Demonstrate an increase in confidence in performing to others.

Assessment

Formative assessments take place throughout lessons through discussion work and feedback from teachers and peers. Memory boost activities help to consolidate knowledge and inform the teacher about progress and understanding. Students are assessed on a set of core values in Music. These include accuracy, fluency, technical control, confidence in performing and using expression.

Years 10 to 11 – Key Stage 4

GCSE Music (Eduqas)

Years 10 to 11 – Key Stage 4

At KS4 students are offered further opportunities to study music through two different Level 2 courses

GCSE Music (Eduqas)

Students studying GCSE Music will complete work across three distinct disciplines: performing, composing and appraising

 

 Component 1: Performing 30%

Students will prepare a minimum of two pieces, both as a soloist and ensemble performing resulting in a portfolio of work lasting between 4-6 minutes. Their performances can be of any instrument (or combination of instruments), including the voice.

Component 2: Composing 30%

Students will create a portfolio of two compositions, one of which is in response to a brief set by Eduqas, the other is a free composition. This portfolio of original music will last between 3-6 minutes.

Component 3: Appraising 40%

Students will sit an exam in Year 11 based on the study of a variety of genres and styles in a wider context. There are four areas of study:

AOS 1: Musical Forms and Devices

AOS 2: Music for Ensemble

AOS 3: Film Music

AOS 4: Popular Music

 

Level 2 Music Technology (NCFE)

Students will be introduced to the music technology industry and will explore a range of topics that will prepare them for a career in the music industry.

The course is project based and covers a range of topics including:

  • Introduction to music technology and the music business
  • Using digital audio workstations
  • Musical elements, musical style and music technology
  • Working with professional music software
  • Sound creation
  • Multi track recording
  • Recording and production processes

Years 12 to 13 – Key Stage 5

A Level Music (Eduqas)

Years 12 to 13 – Key Stage 5

A Level Music (Eduqas)

This two year course provides the opportunity for students to further develop their music skills. The course covers areas of performance, composition, listening and appraisal work and looks at a wide range of music styles and genres.

Component 1: Performing

Students will prepare music for a recital, given to an external examiner. The recital will consist of at least three pieces of music and will have a total duration of 10-12 minutes.

Component 2: Composing

Students will create a portfolio of original compositions. One will reflect the musical techniques of the Western Classical Tradition and the other is a free composition.

This composition portfolio will last for 4-6 minutes

Component 3: Appraising

Students will sit a written examination in Y13 where there are questions on a range of styles and genres including:

AOS A: The Western Classical Tradition

AOS B: Rock and Pop

AOS C: Musical Theatre

AOS E: Into the 20th Century