Music
Lower School Curriculum
All pupils in Lower School have one music lesson per week, taught by specialist music staff.
Three fundamental musical skills form the base of the class music syllabus. These are: listening, performing and composing.
All pupils have the opportunity to perform throughout the year either in their class Chapel, Lower School Informal Concert or end of year Summer Concert.
By listening to a wide range of music, pupils become familiar with the different orchestral instruments, helping them to decide whether they would like to take up instrumental tuition in the second half of the Autumn Term. Pupils perform songs from memory in the Christmas presentation.
In the Spring and Summer Terms, all children are introduced to standard musical notation through the use of percussion, singing and keyboard work which they undertake within groups or as soloists, leading to improvisation and composing.
Pupils continue to learn a wide range of songs, developing their voices with particular emphasis on posture, breathing and diction, the culmination of which is the Christmas Presentation.
They will learn to use and recognize major, minor and pentatonic scale patterns through composition, singing and improvisation.
Two part singing and keyboard work is introduced.
Pupils are encouraged to perform regularly and use musical vocabulary to appraise their own and others' work.
The repertoire and difficulty of songs is increased with pupils singing confidently in rounds. The Spring Term drama presentation often involves singing and playing.
Through listening and rhythmic work, pupils are introduced to World Music and they continue to compose and improvise using percussion instruments and keyboards.
Pupils are encouraged to perform regularly and use extended musical vocabulary to discuss and appraise.
Learning an Instrument
The value of learning a musical instrument goes much further than merely acquiring technical skills. Self-discipline is needed to practise between lessons, and self-confidence, general awareness and a sense of achievement can also be derived from individual music lessons.
Each week lessons take place at the school given by a team of visiting teachers, and lessons are available in every orchestral discipline and voice as an optional extra to any pupil.
Pupils are actively encouraged to perform in the regular concerts, recitals, music lessons, and morning assemblies.
Parents should contact the Director of Music or Form Tutor to discuss taking up an instrument at school.
Upper School Curriculum
Autumn Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
In unison/2 parts
Protest/pop/traditional/
carols
Keyboard Skills
COMPOSING*
New lyrics to an existing tune
New tune to existing lyrics
A new version of a Christmas carol
Listening and Appraising
To different song styles, with special reference to the lyrics.
Performance Opportunities
Grandparents Day, Harvest, Christmas Concert, Chapel.
Spring Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
In unison/2 parts
Performing together as a class
Orchestral instruments/percussion
Keyboard skills.
COMPOSING*
Original introduction for a song
Graphic and traditional notation.
Listening and Appraising
To each others performances
Discussion of merits and ways to improve their work
Performance Opportunities
Informal Concert, Chapel, Spring Concert
Summer Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
Preparation for Activities
Week – musical or play
Solos/duets/ensembles
Keyboard skills
COMPOSING*
Composing using different stimuli
Graphic and traditional notation
Listening and Appraising
To each others performances
Discussion of merits and ways to improve their work
Performance Opportunities
House Music Competition
Chapel, Activities Week, Summer Concert, Year 6 Play
Autumn Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
In unison, 2 parts, call and response
Sea shanties/spirituals, work songs, carols.
Baseline testing
Keyboard Skills
COMPOSING
Jazz project, popular song arr
Graphic and traditional notation
Original compositions using structures – Call and response/ABA/form/rondo
Listening and Appraising
Inspiration of music
Structures in music
Musical terms and vocabulary
Performance Opportunities
Grandparents Day, Harvest, Christmas Concert, Chapel.
Spring Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
Keyboard skills
Improvising
COMPOSING*
Variations on a well known theme
Using a set harmonic structure
Cyclic patterns, Indian music
Listening and Appraising
How variation form works
Analysis of well known works
Music from Java, Africa and India
Performance Opportunities
Informal Concert, Chapel, Spring Concert
Summer Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
Folk Tunes
Keyboard Skills
Improvisation, syncopation, chromatic scale
COMPOSING*
Original piece using musical clichés
Listening and Appraising
Analysing arrangements of well known tunes.
Performance Opportunities
House Music Competition, Chapel, Summer Concert.
Autumn Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
Auditions – Year 8 Musical
Carols
Keyboard Skills
COMPOSING*
Using ostinatos, minimalism project
Chord structure/jazz improvisation/12 bar blues/7th chords
Listening and Appraising
Ostinatos in pop and classical music
Musical terms and vocabulary
Performance Opportunities
Grandparents Day, Harvest, Christmas Concert, Informal Concert, Chapel
Spring Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
Keyboard Skills
COMPOSING*
Musicals
Theme tunes in film music style
Improvisation
In style of ragtime
Listening and Appraising
Musicals
Film scores
Ragtime
Performance Opportunities
Informal concert, Chapel, Spring Concert, Year 8 Play
Summer Term
Performing and Composing
SINGING/PLAYING
Reggae
Keyboard skills
COMPOSING*
Original piece in a reggae style
Listening and Appraising
Reggae and other music influenced by it
Revision of styles and terms
Performance and Opportunities
House Music Competition, Chapel, Summer Concert
Prep
No formal prep is set in Music. However, for children learning an instrument, practise is essential if real progress is to be made. We would recommend at least fifteen minutes daily practise for a beginner and thirty to forty-five minutes for more advanced pupils. All pupils learning at school are provided with a Music Record Book, where teachers notate details of the lesson and what should be prepared for the next lesson. Pupils must ensure that they obtain permission from the teacher whose lesson they miss at least 24 hours in advance, to ensure that any alterations can be made where necessary, by the Director of Music.
Instrumental Tuition
We currently offer individual tuition in the following instruments:
- Piano
- Electric guitar
- Flute
- Clarinet
- Saxophone
- Violin / Viola
- Cello
- Classical Guitar
- Drum Kit
- Trumpet
- Cornet
- Tenor Horn
- French Horn
- Euphonium
- Trombone
- Tuba
- Singing
If you are interested in lessons please request an application form from the school office or contact the Director of Music.
Performance Opportunities
- Chapel services
- Informal Concerts
- Christmas concert
- Carol Services
- Upper School Summer Concert
- Drama Productions
- Activities Week
- House Music Competition
- Concerts with other prep schools
- Summer Concert
Curriculum Enrichment for Gifted and Talented Pupils in Music
From year 6, potential music scholars are identified; they are encouraged to take part in ensembles and undertake a more rigorous programme of private practice to support this and their class work. It is hoped that they will attend outside concerts and deepen their awareness of the cultural and social involvements that music offers. Class discussion is an important part of the development of gifted and talented musicians and pupils are encouraged to share and express their ideas and opinions using formal, technical vocabulary, referring to the wider repertoire that they experience in their ensemble work. Composition work will be more formally structured, and pupils will be expected to notate their compositions using more complex notation procedures.
Music Department Handbook
A comprehensive guide to music at Belmont for staff, parents and pupils is published each year.
