Course Information


Course Title: Music

Course Level: N4/5

 

What can learning in Music achieve for young people?

  • Pupils will be given the opportunity to develop solo and group skills
  • Pupils will explore sound and musical concepts from a range of styles and cultures
  • Using skills and imagination pupils will create musical ideas and compositions
  • Pupils will be encouraged to perform their chosen music confidently
  • Pupils will be encouraged to give assured, expressive and imaginative performances
  • Pupils will further develop their understanding and capacity to enjoy music through listening to musical performances and commenting on them
  • Pupils will use ICT to realise or enhance their composition and performances and to
  • promote their understanding of how music works


How is the Music framework structured?

  • Music is divided into level 3 and level 4 Experiences and Outcomes.
  • Most level 3 outcomes are delivered in S1 and S2.
  • The remaining level 3 and level 4 Outcomes are delivered in S3.
  • Level 4 outcomes will prepare pupils for SQA National 4 and National 5 qualifications
  • and beyond.


The Music Course

  • Pupils will choose two instruments to focus their performing activities on.
  • The majority of the course adopts a combined approach where pupils will be further
  • developing an understanding of music and creating their own music by building skills
  • on their chosen instruments for performing.
  •  A diverse range of musical styles and cultures will be explored creating relevance
  • and personalisation.
  • Materials are richly differentiated to ensure a balance of challenge for all learners.


What are the features of effective learning and teaching in Music?

  • Teaching and learning will be flexible to allow for enjoyment, interest challenge.
  • Teaching will include a variety of approaches, including AifL techniques, ICT, relevancy, collaborative and independent learning, discussion, debate, cross
  • curricular experiences, concert opportunities and external contributors.
  • Self-paced and independent practice of musical instruments
  • Personalisation and choice in the nature of classroom activities and resources to
  • support skills development.
  • All tasks encourage creativity and imagination in pupils.
  • Collaboration among pupils to complete larger tasks.
  • Whole class, group and individual teaching strategies to engage all pupils.
  • Pupils are set appropriate, challenging and differentiated tasks which meet the needs of all pupils. Some pupils may access resources of a higher ability especially if they are experiencing music lessons outside the classroom.
  • Real life experience of performing with professional musicians in classroom workshops.


How do we build on prior learning?

  • The musical subjects contained in each topic from S1 to S3 are delivered in a progressive way so that each year group builds upon prior learning
  • Increasingly challenging contexts develop pupils’ knowledge and depth of understanding.
  • Course content connects with pupils’ experience and interests in the real world of contemporary music
  • Pupils who access music outside the classroom are encouraged to integrate the advancement of their skills into the music curriculum.


What are the broad features of assessment in Music?

  • Assessment will be a combination of summative (end of unit assessments) and formative assessments.
  • Pupils will constantly receive formative assessment by way of verbal feedback from the teacher. This feedback is personal to each pupil and ensures a steady understanding of progression throughout the course.
  • Other formative assessments will include:
    • teacher observation
    • pupil self evaluation
    • peer evaluation
    • performances to the class in groups and as individuals
    • discussions
  • A combination of formative and summative assessment will play a vital role in the guidance of pupils regarding National 4, National 5 courses and the next steps


Connections with other areas of the curriculum

  • Activities to support the development of skills in literacy, numeracy, health and well- being and ICT are embedded in activities throughout the course
  • Music is Science and Maths. It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper. Music demands exact and specific acoustics. A score is a graph of frequencies, volume changes, melody and harmony simultaneously with an exact control of time.
  • Music is a Modern Foreign Language. Most of the terms are in Italian and pupils learn a new language through the comprehension of musical notation.
  • Music is a Social Subject. Music reflects the environment and times of its creation and often the social and cultural diversity if that time and place
  • Music is Physical Education. It requires co-ordination of fingers, hands, arms, legs, feet, facial muscles and control of the diaphragm and posture, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets
  • The application of creative and critical thinking skills in music translates to every curricular area across the school
  • Performance orientated tasks in music nurture confidence in presenting and public speaking activities inside and outside the classroom.



Progression

National 4/5
Higher Grade

Also in Column F...