Subject Overview

Content

• Music Elements: Exploring fundamental elements such as rhythm, melody, harmony, and form.
• Music from Film and Media: Understanding the role of music in film and other media.
• Music Appreciation: Experiencing a diverse range of music genres and styles.
• Vocal and Instrumental Performance: Developing singing skills, breath control, pitch accuracy, and vocal expression.
• Music Technology: Introduction to basic music technology tools and software.
• Music History and Context: Learning about significant composers, musicians, and musical works from different historical periods.

Skills

• Rhythmic Notation: Reading and interpreting rhythmic notation, including more complex note values and time signatures, and performing rhythms accurately through clapping and counting.
• Pitch Development: Expanding pitch recognition and production abilities, refining singing skills, and improving pitch accuracy.
• Musical Notation: Reading and interpreting staff notation for both melody and rhythm.
• Musical Symbols and Dynamics: Identifying and understanding musical symbols, dynamics, and articulation markings.
• Ensemble Skills: Listening to and following other musicians, playing in coordination with others, and developing blending and balancing skills within an ensemble.
• Creative Composition and Improvisation: Creating simple melodies, rhythms, or accompaniments and experimenting with improvisation within a given musical context.
• Historical and Cultural Appreciation: Developing an appreciation for the historical and cultural contexts that shaped musical traditions.

Content

Content

• Music Theory: Exploring concepts of pulse, musical notation (including rests and rhythm), and reading both bass and treble clefs. Reviewing pulse, rhythm, beat, solfege, and time signatures (4/4, 2/4).
• Music History and Appreciation: Learning musical history related to performance pieces and styles.
• Instrumental Performance: Introduction to members of the wind and string families and beginning level performance skills.
• Vocal Training: Introducing sight-singing and solfege as tools to aid instrumental performance and aural comprehension.
• Music Composition and Arrangement: Creating short basic compositions involving simple rhythms and a selection of notes.
• Music Technology: Integrating music and technology using apps to improve musical understanding and develop musical skills.
• World Music: Performing musical selections originating from diverse countries and regions.

Skills

• Steady Pulse: Developing the ability to maintain and use a steady pulse.
• Aural Time Recognition: Identifying 4/4 and 3/4 time by listening to recordings and performances.
• Rhythm Practice: Clapping and performing simple rhythms in 4/4 and 2/4 time.
• Pitch Matching: Matching pitch vocally and on instruments.
• Note Reading: Identifying and reading notes in the treble and bass clefs.
• Collaboration: Working with others to achieve goals in musical performances.
• Musical Terminology: Understanding, identifying, and applying basic musical terminology and symbols.
• Music Context Analysis: Analyzing and identifying the context of music.
• Musical Response: Responding to and connecting with musical performances.

Grade 7

Content

• Music Theory: Building on concepts of pulse and musical notation, introducing 16th notes and further subdivisions. Exploring time signatures such as 9/8 and 12/8.
• Music History and Appreciation: Studying musical history related to performance pieces.
• Instrumental Performance: Continuing instruction on wind, string, and percussion families with intermediate-level performances and more advanced repertoire.
• Vocal Training: Advancing sight-singing and solfege techniques with passages including intervals of a third and above.
• Music Composition and Arrangement: Creating short compositions using more complex rhythms and simple two- and three-part harmonies.
• Music Technology: Integrating music and technology through apps for improving musical comprehension and aural training. Introducing notation software for compositions.
• World Music: Performing musical selections from diverse countries and regions of origin.

Skills

• Steady Pulse: Maintaining and using a steady pulse.
• Complex Rhythms: Subdividing more complex rhythms over a steady pulse, including 16th notes, rests, and dotted rhythms.
• Aural Time Recognition: Identifying 9/8 and 12/8 music by listening to recordings and performances.
• Rhythm Practice: Clapping, performing, and transcribing more complex rhythms in simple and compound time.
• Aural Reproduction: Reproducing longer rhythmic and tonal passages by ear and from memory.
• Pitch Recognition: Identifying and singing specific pitches (e.g., Middle C, Bb4) from memory.
• Collaboration: Working with others to achieve goals in musical performances.
• Advanced Musical Terminology: Understanding, identifying, and applying more advanced musical terminology and symbols.
• Music Context Analysis: Analyzing and identifying the context of music and musical performances.
• Musical Response: Responding to and connecting with musical performances.

Content

Music in grade 9 aims to develop three fundamental skills that help students to develop their musicianship. These skills are Performance, Composition and Music Appraisal, (also known as analysis and interpretation). Units of work aim to focus on one of these topics at a time, although on occasion, these three core skills can be studied concurrently through a single unit. The appraisal part of the course focuses on listening to, identifying features of, and writing about music. Specific key language and terminology are taught so students know how to accurately describe music from a compositional perspective. It is also important to make interpretations of how a piece of music may represent, or have been influenced by, themes that can be found in a wider global context, including culture, history and social context. Composition focuses on the study of the three elements of Melody Harmony and Rhythm, and how these elements work together. Case studies are used to support students’ understanding. Performance is developed through classroom rehearsals as well as a dedicated practice routine that has been established at home, this is sometimes supported by homework tasks.

• Music appraisal, a focus upon global themes found within Music, including a historical commentary of the creation of music in its wider social, political, and economic context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of musical notation through performance and composition.
• Apply the elements of music through performing, composing, and arranging music for a clear and imaginative intention.

Skills

• Through rehearsal, develop the tools and techniques of musicianship.
• Create musical compositions to develop musical literacy and the understanding of functional harmony.
• Sing and/or play, in tune, music in unison and in two or more parts to develop the internal ear.
• Understand the musical elements for appraisal and analysis.

Content

Music in grade 10 continues with the three skills that were the focus of study in grade 9. The aim is to develop a student’s musical literacy by working on compositional ability, performance ability and descriptive appraisal skills. The PCUP is the one central unit of work in grade 10, and all practice of music appraisal up until now, is used to create a piece of coursework that receives an official IB grade. This appraisal again focuses on listening to, identifying features of, and writing about music; although now in grade 10, students will also implement their own compositional skills to create music that is relevant to the themes they are appraising. In this sense, the work becomes more connected to one topic in grade 10.

There is still time to develop performance skills, and this is planned out by preparing for specific dates where students receive grades for their performances. The process and preparation leading up to the performance is as important as the performance itself, as it requires planning, organization, and dedication to a long-term goal. As in year 9, this performance area of the course is supported by classroom rehearsals as well as a dedicated practice routine that has been established at home, sometimes supported by homework tasks.

• Music appraisal, focusing on global themes found within music, including a historical commentary on the creation of music in its wider social, political, and economic context.
• Compare and contrast music using a wide variety of music terminology.
• Demonstrate an understanding of musical notation through performance and composition.
• Apply the elements of music through performing, composing, and arranging music for a clear and imaginative intention.

Skills

• Through rehearsal, develop the tools and techniques of musicianship.
• Create musical compositions to develop musical literacy and understand functional harmony.
• Sing and/or play music in tune, in unison, and in two or more parts to develop the internal ear.
• Understand the musical elements for appraisal and analysis.

Content

Skills

Content

Skills

Content