Year 9 Music

Term 

What are we learning 

1 

Samba 

In this unit, students will understand how instruments, structures and textures are used in Samba music – whilst also learning about the culture and context of Samba music/Carnival in Brazil. Students will perform as a larger ensemble, using authentic samba instruments and will explore the role of instruments within the samba ensemble – knowing how the affect the overall performance.  

2 

What Makes a Good Song?  

Pupils learn about the importance of Hooks and Riffs, Popular Song Structure and the various difference components/sections within, Melodic Motion (Conjunct and Disjunct Motion) and Lyrics – that when combined, create popular songs we know and love.  

3 

You’re in the Band 

In this unit, students form bands and learn, rehearse and perform a song of their choice focussing on the fundamentals of band performance (accuracy, timing, rhythm, communication) working towards a class concert.  

4 

You’re in the Band pt2 

Students will review ongoing development through a performance diary – understanding how to set themselves SMART targets for improvement ready for their final performances 

5 

Music in the Movies 

Students will listen to and explore the features of film music including instrumentation, leitmotifs and mickey-mousing. We will then move onto looking specifically at the horror movie genre, where students will explore techniques for creating rising tension through minor 2nds, dissonance, atonality and cluster chords – resulting in a composition for a specific movie scene stimulus.  

6 

Song Writing  

In this unit students use knowledge learnt in term 2, 3 and 4 to come together in groups and write a popular song including lyrics, chords, inversions, drums and other accompaniment parts and features. Students will gain confidence in lyric writing and setting this to music ready for a performance.  

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