Music

"Creativity is experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun"

Mary Lee Cook

"Music can change the world because it can change people"

Bono

Curriculum Intent

We begin with the assumption that all children are musical and have a right to learn music. Music is fundamental to being human and all can develop their identity, a sense of belonging and their character through rehearsing, playing, singing, creating, appreciating and listening to music. Through the Oasis Brislington Music Curriculum our students will grow into adults who enjoy, appreciate and engage with music throughout their lives.

We value character, competence and community in our curriculum:

Character: Engaging all pupils in musical learning that develops creativity, resilience and the confidence to express feelings and thoughts, experiment with new musical ideas and grow imaginations.

Competence: Developing pupils’ ability to make music well so that musical outcomes are excellent and aspirations are raised. Ensuring that all are equipped for further musical study if they choose it.

Community: Inspiring all pupils to develop a lifelong love, appreciation and understanding of a wide range of musical styles and traditions. Ensuring all experience the power of music to include, to draw people together, understand others and facilitate positive connection.

Subject Intent

The Oasis Music curriculum is carefully planned so that core musical skills, knowledge and understanding are developed over time. Knowledge of music is developed through ‘learning in and through music, not solely about music’.

General musicianship (sense of pulse, pitch, notation reading, interpretation, musical memory, rehearsal skills) is developed through whole class singing, percussive playing, Kodaly method and explicit teaching of practice techniques which are embedded by returning to these same practices in increasingly challenging contexts throughout KS3

Instrumental and vocal skills develop from a basis of general musicianship, with all children gaining simple skills on a selection of instruments before settling on one which they develop mastery of

Ensemble skills are initially taught through teacher-led modelling and workshopping as well as explicit teaching of rehearsal and musical communication skills. Then ensemble skills (leadership, empathy, collaboration, listening, resilience) are developed through increasingly challenging ensemble singing, playing and performing, large and small groups with increasing independence, playing increasingly complex repertoire.

Musical language and contextual understanding of music begins with simple musical concepts and language then builds and accumulates over time as children learn music from a wide range of genres and traditions, listening, describing and analysing music through speech and writing with increasing discrimination

Composition and improvisation opportunities are integrated throughout the curriculum, incrementally increasing in demand and complexity from short rhythmic patterns to entire song compositions

Music technology understanding and use is introduced gradually, starting with simple loop arrangements and building to a Beethoven sequencing project and song composition.