We provide opportunities for all students to learn, develop and combine skills in performance and
composition through both curricular lessons and extra-curricular opportunities.
Students are encouraged in lessons to listen widely and experiment creatively with musical ideas.
Each year group creates music which can be used in Drama lessons later in the year and are, as a
result, able to engage within the partnership of the Performing Arts Faculty.
There is an expectation on students to perform to a high standard in every lesson and each 10 week
topic at Key Stage 3 culminates in a National Curriculum Assessment.
The Music Department is proud to support and extend the emerging skills and talents of our students
through a broad extra-curricular programme and provision of peripatetic instrumental lessons. The
Department fosters a sense of community cohesion through school productions, extra-curricular
activities and events with the wider community. The Department is also the proud home of the Fulford
Music Academy which provides after hours music tuition for the entire York community.
The KS3 Music Curriculum at Fulford School
Every year group studies 2 different topics on the Department’s state of the art JamPod equipment.
Students are taught to use this technology to work on ensemble projects where every student is able
to learn and develop skills on electric guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, keyboard and vocals…all in
a relevant rock band setting! Students are also introduced to the technical skills needed to manipulate
and record their work,
Year 7
In addition to the JamPod topics, Year 7 also complete a notated composition topic based on Carnival
of the Animals. They work on writing rhythm and pitch notation whilst developing their keyboard skills.
Students also work on an African Drumming topic, working in groups to create polyrhythmic pieces centred
around the skills of pulse, metre, improvisation and structure.
Year 8
The additional topics in Year 8 begin with Underscoring, where students create two different pieces of
music to underscore the Drama performances that they will create later in the year. Students are also
introduced to Samba and work in small groups to create authentic rhythmical textures using set rhythms
and interlocking patterns of their own invention!
Year 9
Year 9 complement their JamPod topics with the study of Motifs. This project allows the students to
experiment with melodic transformations and create a selection of scoring ideas to be used alongside
their drama work on Greek Theatre, later in the year. Year 9 students also study the art of Taiko
and create dramatic pieces of powerful, tightly choreographed percussion work!
GCSE Music
Aim
To develop 3 areas of musical skills and knowledge.
o Composing
o Performing.
o Listening with understanding.
Type of Work
Composition can be for all types of instruments (including drums, keyboards, guitar, etc.) and voices.
You will learn how to create a musical score and recording using Sibelius software. The ‘JamPods’ will
also be used to generate and record live composition ideas in lessons, as well as during composition
workshops held during 2 lunchtimes each week.
Performance: you will perform two pieces on instrument or voice. Once again, any instrument may be used,
including the guitar, keyboard or drums. You should aim for a standard of Grade 4 or 5 (Associated
Board/Trinity Guildhall/Rock School) where possible.
Preparation for the Listening paper will involve learning about, and responding to, a wide variety of styles
of music. There are 12 set pieces, ranging from classical to popular and world music and organised into 4
Areas of Study.
Syllabus
1. Composition: 2 pieces, approximately 2” each.
2. Performance: One solo piece and one ensemble performance.
3. Listening: Based around 4 Areas of Study.
Assessment
1. Written Paper (Listening) 40%
2. Composition 30%
3. Performance 30%
AS LEVEL MUSIC
AS Level Music is made up from three separate units:
Performing Music (30%), Composing (30%) and Developing Musical Understanding (40%).
UNIT 1 – PERFORMING MUSIC
This unit will help you to develop your performing skills by providing opportunities to perform
as a soloist and as part of an ensemble. You can perform music in any style, using any instruments
(including voice). You will need to perform for 5-6 minutes and this work will be recorded and
assessed by your teacher in school. The music you perform can be notated or improvised.
UNIT 2 – COMPOSING
The composition unit allows you to explore your creative music skills! You will be given a selection
of composition briefs to choose from and will be encouraged to work creatively using the department’s
new JamPod equipment in order to create your final 3 minute piece. You will write an accompanying
CD sleeve describing aspects of the music that you have written, explaining how other pieces of music
have influenced it.
UNIT 3 – DEVELOPING MUSICAL UNDERSTANDING
This unit will help you to understand how music works by building your listening skills. You will
explore set pieces of music through listening to them and analysing their notated scores. This unit
is the only part of the AS level which is assessed through a CD based listening exam. The exam has
3 distinct sections:
Section A) Listening
Section B) Investigating Musical Styles
Section C) Understanding Chords and Lines
