Music – Years 7-9

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
How can the elements of music enhance performance?	Why do I need to plan ahead?	Why is reggae music so important?
Why is notation an important part of music making?	What does music from Indonesia sound like?	Why music?
How do I perform as an orchestra?	How has the classical orchestra evolved?	Why is minimalism so important?
In what other ways can I read music?	Why is the Blues so important?	How did Britpop come to be?
What does music from Africa sound like?	What does traditional British music sound like?	What makes this song great?
How do I compose a melody?	Why is rap music so important?	What have I learned?

Enhancements:

The best way to enhance your music is through listening. There are many platforms to stream music including YouTube, Spotify and Amazon Music, but also websites such as Classic FM, BBC Radio 3 and Scala Radio.
There are lots of venues to visit to see and listen to live music and they cater for all styles and tastes. Venues include The Platform (Morecambe), The Grand Theatre (Lancaster), Kendal Leisure Centre (Kendal), The Lowry (Salford), The Apollo Theatre (Manchester), The Opera House (Manchester), Bridgewater Hall (Manchester) The Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Liverpool), Leeds College of Music (Leeds). There are many venues in London to visit!
There are also venues across the country that are dedicated to music education. ‘The British Music Experience’ and ‘The Beatles Story’, both on Albert Dock in Liverpool, are excellent places with lots of interactive opportunity.
There is almost always music as part of film or TV programmes. It’s always worth a listen to the music in more detail to see the effect it has on the action on screen. Notable composers to listen to more detail include John Williams (Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones), Hans Zimmer (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar), Danny Elfman (The Simpsons, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Spiderman 2) and Anna Calvi (Peaky Blinders)
Films that feature music from famous bands include Rocketman (Elton John), Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) and Tick Tick Boom (Jonathan Larsson, creator of the Musical Rent)
There are many fantastic musicals to watch and are available live or through streaming services, such as Hamilton, Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman, La La Land, Oklahoma! and A Star Is Born. Disney+ also gives you access to many great films
There are lots of non-fiction books that may enhance your understanding, including Big Bangs – The story of Five Discoveries that changed Musical History by Howard Goodall and The Right Way to Read Music by Harry Baxter