Music

Curriculum Intent

The aim of the Music curriculum is to enable our students to appreciate, articulate and participate in the triumphs of musical prowess across the world and the ages. Practically, we aim to give students the opportunity to create meaning through the creative arrangement of components and developing an understanding of Music as an expressive medium of Art.

We teach our students the three main disciplines: ‘Performance’, ‘Composition’ and ‘Listening and Appraising’, teaching the theoretical elements of Music, such as Dynamics, Rhythm, Pitch, Structure, Melody, Instrumentation, Tempo, Texture, Timbre and Harmony, and teaching them about different styles, genres. We focus on developing cultural capital, developing students’ cultural awareness, enabling students to understand the world around them. We do this in components such as Blues music, MOBO, Western Classical, Samba (from Brazil) and others, which exposes students to the wider world and historical and cultural understanding of where music originated from.

Curriculum Overview

Year 7

In Music at Year 7, we develop the fundamental areas of Music to support and scaffold the learning throughout each year group. We initially start with the elements of Music, which consist of: Dynamics, Rhythm, Pitch, Structure, Melody, Instrumentation, Tempo, Texture, Timbre and Harmony. We discover basic performance and composing skills and start to develop their understanding of music of different styles and genres.

Click here to view Year 7 Curriculum

Year 8

In Year 8, we develop and enhance all the knowledge and skills that students gained from the previous year. They are looking at new styles, genres and topic areas to enrich their musical understanding and to use pre-existing skills to start creating and performing music to a certain style, incorporating key musical techniques for authenticity. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of music to enrich their knowledge and skills through analytical development.

Click here to view Year 8 Curriculum

Year 9

In Year 9, we develop and enhance all the knowledge and skills that students gained from the previous year. They are looking at new styles, genres and topic areas to enrich their musical understanding and to use pre-existing skills to start creating and performing music to a certain style and incorporating key musical techniques for authenticity. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of music to enrich their knowledge and skills through analytical development.

Click here to view Year 9 Curriculum

Year 10

Year 10 music follows the GCSE specification by the exam board Eduqas. The Eduqas specification encourages an integrated approach to the three distinct disciplines of performing, composing and appraising through four interrelated areas of study. The four areas of study are designed to develop knowledge and understanding of music through the study of a variety of genres and styles in a wider context. The Western Classical Tradition forms the basis of Musical Forms and Devices (area of study 1), and learners should take the opportunity to explore these forms and devices further in the other three areas of study. Music for Ensemble (area of study 2) allows learners to look more closely at texture and sonority. Film Music (area of study 3) and Popular Music (area of study 4) provide an opportunity to look at contrasting styles and genres of music.

Click here to view Year 10 Curriculum

Year 11

Year 11 music follows the GCSE specification by the exam board Eduqas. The Eduqas specification encourages an integrated approach to the three distinct disciplines of performing, composing and appraising through four interrelated areas of study. The four areas of study are designed to develop knowledge and understanding of music through the study of a variety of genres and styles in a wider context. The Western Classical Tradition forms the basis of Musical Forms and Devices (area of study 1), and learners should take the opportunity to explore these forms and devices further in the other three areas of study. Music for Ensemble (area of study 2) allows learners to look more closely at texture and sonority. Film Music (area of study 3) and Popular Music (area of study 4) provide an opportunity to look at contrasting styles and genres of music.

Click here to view Year 11 Curriculum

Career Pathways
  • Film/TV Composer 
  • Performer 
  • Session musician 
  • Music therapist 
  • Sound and lighting technician 
  • Classroom Teacher/Lecturer 
  • Peripatetic Teacher 
  • DJ 
  • Music Journalist 
  • Conductor 
  • Orchestrator 
  • Orchestra musician 
  • Radio 
  • Live sound 
  • Performing Examiner 
  • Recording Arts 
  • Producer 
  • Mix editors 
Contact Information

You can contact Miss Clifton, Subject Leader of Music, via

Ask Lowry (ask.lowry@lowryacademy.org.uk).

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