Orange High School

Honour the Past; Create the Future

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Music

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2023 Welcome Letter Music - Extra Curricular Activities Music

Stage 4 Mandatory Music (Year 7 or 8)

Students complete their mandatory music course over two semesters in either Year 7 or Year 8. They are exposed to activities through performance, listening and composition. Students explore the concepts of duration and pitch, the instruments of the orchestra and performing in a rock band. They will be able to perform and create music using a variety of music notation systems, both formal and informal. Students will learn to play drums, keyboard and guitars. This will set them up to perform in a class rock ensemble towards the end of the course.

Stage 5 Elective Music (Years 9 and 10)

Students explore music from Africa and its foundation in styles such as jazz, rock and popular music of today. Students are given the opportunity to refine their skills as soloists on their chosen instrument. Students will also play in ensembles to develop their understanding of the role that they play. Students are expected to analyse a variety of music styles to enhance their knowledge of the music concepts. Students will also create compositions using traditional and technological methods. Students make connections with composers and utilise this learning in their own creations.

Students will be given performance opportunities at various school productions, public performances, competitions and workshops.

Stage 6 Music 1

Students who proceed with this course should have some exposure to music performance and a basic understanding of the music concepts and willingness to extend this knowledge. All students are required to perform one core performance piece. They then have the opportunity to elect three options in the areas of performance, composition and/or musicology. All students will be exposed to a variety of listening examples and will be able to extend their knowledge and understanding through conceptual analysis. This aspect of the course carries a 30% weighting of the total marks.

Stage 6 Music 2

Students who undertake this course should be proficient on an instrument of their choice. Students should have a solid knowledge of music theory. All students are required to perform one core piece based on art music of the last 25 years. They must present a 2 minute composition demonstrating their understanding of advanced notation and the music concepts. One elective is required in the areas of performance, composition and musicology. Students must study five mandatory pieces composed in the last 25 years. They are required to have excellent score reading skills, be able to sight sing and write melodic dictations.

Stage 6 Music Extension

Students will be able to extend on their strengths to perform, compose or write a musicological essay. 

   

YEAR 7 & 8

Term 1 

Term 2 

Term 3 

Term 4 

Organising Sound

Keyboard and Guitar

The Orchestra

Performing in a Band

Concepts: 

Pitch and Duration.

Concepts: 

Pitch and Duration.

 

Concepts: 

Tone colour, dynamics, expressive techniques, texture and pitch.

 

Concepts: 

Structure, dynamics and expressive techniques.

Students explore sound through graphic and standard notation and learn to identify instruments in relation to how they make their sound.

Students use a variety of percussion instruments and the drum kit. They also explore sub-concepts through listening.

 

 

Students use standard notation to perform on the keyboard and the guitar. They are also introduced to harmony through chords and explore TAB as another notation format.

Students also use harmony to provide rhythmic structure on keyboard, guitar and bass guitar.

 

 

The students learn how to analyse orchestral sections and identify instruments according to the orchestral section they come from. They also listen to orchestral music and explore sub-concepts. Students will also study the evolution of the orchestra based on different time periods and changes in technology.

 

 

Students listen to Rock music and learn how to identify rock instrumentation, structure and form.

Students then learn how to perform in a rock ensemble and explore the evolution of the rock genre from the 1950s to the present.

The Learning Areas in focus are: listening, composing and performing.

The Learning Areas in focus are: listening, composing and performing.

The Learning Area in focus is

listening.

The Learning Areas in focus are: listening, performing and composing.

 

Year 9 and 10

Term 1 & 2 

Year 9

Term 3 & 4  

Year 9

Term 1 & 2  

Year 10

Term 3 & 4 

 
 

 

Year 10

Music of a Culture

African/Latin Focus

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students explore a variety of instruments from Latin/African cultures.

They analyse the role of instruments in their respective cultures, then go on to compose and perform using elements of rhythm and pentatonic scale that have been studied in class.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

Jazz

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Through listening and performing, students explore a range of different Jazz styles.

They go on to analyse Jazz structures, chord progressions and chord make-up.

Students learn how to describe the role of improvisation and then begin to use improvisation, themselves, in their performances.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

Pioneers of Rock

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students learn how to identify and analyse the music of influential artists of the rock genre.

They progress to learning how to analyse rock structures, chord progressions and chord make-up.

Students then map and outline the evolution of rock music and then perform a range of pieces from their chosen artist.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

Rock Since 1980

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students begin the semester by learning how to identify and analyse the music of well known, post 1980 rock musicians. They then analyse a range of sub-genres and learn to discuss unity and contrast. Finally, students perform the pieces of their chosen artist.    

        

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

 

Year 11

Term 1 

Term 2 

Term 3 

Concepts of Music

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students begin by learning how to identify the concepts and their sub-concepts. They then go on to a performance including a variety of music using the concepts, then progress to incorporating the concepts.

Finally students begin to compose music demonstrating the studied concepts.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

An Instrument and its Repertoire

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students explore a range of instruments and their capabilities. They then learn how to analyse the role of an instrument in a variety of ensembles. Students then learn how to describe the role of improvisation and then use improvisation in a performance.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

The Musical

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students begin by studying the evolution of the Musical and learn how to identify its structure and different music choices.

Students then learn how to analyse a range of musical genres and then explore vocal types and how they are utilised in the musical context.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

 

Year 12 

Term 4 

Term 1 

Term 2 

Term 3 

Music's Greatest Hits

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students learn how to identify the progression of music from the Baroque to the early 20th Century.

Students then map out the music concepts for each music period.They also learn how to analyse different genres in each of the studied musical periods and learn how to identify different musical techniques and devices that align with each of the periods.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

An Instrument and its Repertoire

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students explore a range of instruments and their capabilities. They then learn how to analyse the role of an instrument in a variety of ensembles. Students then learn how to describe the role of improvisation and use improvisation in a performance.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

Music for a Small Ensemble

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students learn about and explore a range of small ensembles. They then learn how to identify the structure and music styles composed for small ensembles.

Students then listen to the music of small ensembles and utilise the music concepts. Finally students learn how to perform in a small ensemble.

 

Learning areas are:

listening, composing and performing.

Rock Music

Concepts: Pitch, duration, texture, structure, dynamics, expressive techniques and tone colour.

 

Students learn about the progression of rock music from the 1950s to the present. They then learn how to map the concepts for each period of rock music.

Students progress to learning how to analyse a variety of rock genres and how to discuss unity and contrast. Students then learn to identify the effects that technology has had and the influences that impact rock music.

 

Learning areas are: listening, composing and performing.

 
 
 

 

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