Music

Music Key Stage 3

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

Music is not just learning to play an instrument or singing. Music links to every curriculum subject and naturally the subject itself encourages students to stretch and challenge themselves on a daily basis when they engage with it.

In the Academy:

• There are lots of lunchtime and extra-curricular clubs available in the Music Curriculum Area for all tastes and genres (see extra-curricular timetable).
• There are opportunities for students to lead aspects of rehearsals within extra-curricular ensembles. These skills not only develop musicianship, but also leadership skills.
• Students do not just contribute musically to our concerts at Somercotes Academy; students also help with the logistics of putting on a concert: lighting, sound desk, choreography, etc.
• Inter-House Music Competition: Students enter this as solo artists and as larger House ensembles. This is an opportunity for students to socially stretch themselves, as there will be students from different year groups and of varying abilities, whilst again initiating leadership skills.
• The Music Curriculum Area has a wealth of instruments that students can explore. They range from common instruments found in the west, to rarer eastern instruments. Why not challenge yourself to play an instrument that is similar to your own - what are the similarities and what are the differences/new difficulties?
• As well as our instruments we have a very large collection of scores (sheet music) and CDs from genres ranging from the Renaissance period right up to Contemporary music. How does music evolve through the centuries?

Out of the Academy:

• In Lincolnshire there is lots of music making taking place. An obvious venue where a variety of music events take place is Grimsby Auditorium (also the venue for our MAT concerts). The Auditorium features acts ranging from 'The Foo Fighters' to Big Jazz Bands to 'The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra'.
• The area has lots of established musical groups that you can join, meet new people and make music together. If there is nothing already out there that takes your fancy, why not make your own band?

What else can be accessed to support the curriculum?

Some Music apps are particularly useful:

• Garageband.
• Figure (Make Music and Remix Beats).
• EarWizard.
• Yousician.
• ABRSM Sight-Reader Trainer.
• ABRSM Aural Trainer.
• ABRSM Practice Partners (Piano, Violin, etc.).

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

www.bbc.co.uk/education
www.naxosmusiclibrary.com - (speak to your teacher regarding logon information)
www.sfskids.org
www.sphinxkids.org

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

• Speak to your son or daughter about how music has evolved in your lifetime. Music is so accessible now and it is difficult for them to understand when music was not instantaneous.
• Attend a variety of local and wider field concerts. Encourage students to research the contextual background behind the pieces they have experienced at the concert - even better do it retrospectively, then students can engage more with the music.
• Encourage students to involve themselves musically in the community. MAPAS are specialists in this field.
• Share likes and dislikes in music and justify them. We find students struggle to justify their preferences and resort to the opinion that 'it's on the radio' or 'my friends like it'.
• Most importantly, have a variety of music playing in the house.

Music Key Stage 4

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

Music is not just learning to play an instrument or singing. Music links to every curriculum subject and naturally the subject itself encourages students to stretch and challenge themselves on a daily basis when they engage with it.

In the Academy:

• There are lots of lunchtime and extra-curricular clubs available in the Music Curriculum Area for all tastes and genres (see extra-curricular timetable).
• To develop theory skills, we offer two additional classes to facilitate this. One is designated for students taking GCSE Music and supplements the work they are doing in lessons; the other is for students who wish to take graded exams in Theory (grades 1-8).
• There are opportunities for students to lead aspects of rehearsals within extra-curricular ensembles. These skills not only develop musicianship, but also leadership skills.
• Students do not just contribute musically to our concerts at Somercotes Academy; students also help with the logistics of putting on a concert: lighting, sound desk, choreography, etc.
• Inter-House Music Competition: Students enter this as solo artists and as larger House ensembles. This is an opportunity for students to socially stretch themselves, as there will be students from different year groups and of varying abilities, whilst again initiating leadership skills.
• The Music Curriculum Area has a wealth of instruments that students can explore. They range from common instruments found in the west, to rarer eastern instruments. Why not challenge yourself to play an instrument that is similar to your own - what are the similarities and what are the differences/new difficulties?
• As well as our instruments we have a very large collection of scores (sheet music) and CDs from genres ranging from the Renaissance period right up to Contemporary music. How does music evolve through the centuries?

Out of the Academy:

• In Lincolnshire, there is lots of music making taking place. An obvious venue where a variety of music events take place is Grimsby Auditorium (also the venue for our MAT concerts). The Auditorium features acts ranging from 'The Foo Fighters' to Big Jazz Bands to 'The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra'.
• The area has lots of established musical groups that students can join, meet new people and make music together.
• As an Academy, we encourage students to take part in musical activities outside of the curriculum that we feel they would enjoy, helping them to engage in the wider music scene of our local area. This opens doors for our students into many other musical activities, which consequently benefits their learning within school, through development of musicianship.
• If there is nothing already out there that takes your fancy, why not make your own band/music group?

What else can be accessed to support the curriculum?

Some Music apps are particularly useful:

• Garageband.
• Figure (Make Music and Remix Beats).
• EarWizard.
• Yousician.
• ABRSM Sight-Reader Trainer.
• ABRSM Aural Trainer.
• ABRSM Practice Partners (Piano, Violin, etc.).

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

www.bbc.co.uk/education
www.naxosmusiclibrary.com - (speak to your teacher regarding logon information)

Increasing familiarity with the following software will be useful:

• Sibelius.
• Aurelia.
• Protool.
• Cubase.

What films or television programmes can be used to support the curriculum?

• Fantasia - Disney.
• August Rush.
• Howard Goodall's Story of Music - YouTube.
• How to Make a Number One Record - BBC.
• Music Masters - John Adams/Karlheinz Stockhausen.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

• Speak to your son or daughter about how music has evolved in your lifetime. Music is so accessible now and it is difficult for them to understand when music was not instantaneous.
• Attend a variety of local and wider field concerts. Encourage students to research the contextual background behind the pieces they have experienced at the concert - even better do it retrospectively, then students can engage more with the music.
• Encourage students to involve themselves musically in the community. MAPAS are specialists in this field.
• Share likes and dislikes in music and justify them. We find students struggle to justify their preferences and resort to the opinion that 'it's on the radio' or 'my friends like it'.
• Most importantly, have a variety of music playing in the house.