Music

Aims and Philosophy

  • To create and foster the enjoyment of a variety of styles of music through student participation
  • To provide pupils with  the skills and opportunities to confidently perform on musical instruments and/or voice
  • To develop pupils’ skills so that they can apply their knowledge and understanding of music through performing, composing, listening and commenting.
  • To provide opportunities for pupils to learn a musical instrument or voice through peripatetic lessons.
  • To encourage pupils to develop musical skills through use of ICT within the department.
  • To provide pupils with the opportunity to achieve qualifications relevant to today’s work place.

S1
Pupils are given the opportunity to listen to, play and create their own music through various projects and themes, including:
– ‘Sounds and Play Instrumental’ looking at instruments of the orchestra.
– ‘Scotland and it’s People’ a cross curricular project looking at music from Scotland.
– ‘1960s Project’ a cross curricular project looking at music and related events from the 1960s.
Performance skills are developed on a variety of instruments including keyboard, guitar, bass guitar tuned percussion, drum- kit and voice

S2
Pupils continue developing their music skills and experience through various listening, performance and inventing tasks within the following topics:

  • ‘Jazz, Ragtime and Blues’: exploring the origins and features of jazz and blues music.
  • ‘Tortilla Challenge’: a cross curricular project looking at music in the media and advertisement
  • industry.  Pupils work in groups to create their own jingle to advertise their own tortilla product.
  • ‘Musicals and Opera’: listening to and playing music from a range of works

Further development of performance on a variety of instruments including keyboard, guitar, bass guitar tuned percussion, drum- kit and voice. S2 students also undertake a short unit on Music Technology.

S3
S3 is the culmination of the Broad General Education, during which pupils continue to develop their skills and lay down foundations for learning leading towards National Qualifications in S4.

S4
Further information about National Qualifications in Music can be found by following this link:

Nationals in a Nutshell

S5/6

Higher Music
To gain Higher Music, learners must pass all units and the Course Assessment (Question Paper and Performance)

The marks for the Course Assessment are allocated as follows:

  • 30% of marks for the 1st instrument
  • 30% of marks for the 2nd instrument
  • 40% of marks for Understanding Music

The minimum standard for performing for Higher is equivalent to Associated Board or Trinity Grade 4

Units in Performing, Composing and Understanding Music are internally assessed.

Higher Music provides a good grounding for further study in Music and Music Technology.

Advanced Higher Music
The Advanced Higher course design is:

  • 30% of marks for the 1st instrument
  • 30% of marks for the 2nd instrument
  • Inventing folio (Pass/Fail)
  • 40% of marks available for Listening
  • Analytical Commentary

The minimum standard for performing for Advanced Higher is equivalent to Associated Board or Trinity Grade 5.

Advanced Higher requires students to develop the skills of independent study, something which will be of great use o them in further education and in future occupations. Students are encouraged to make use of opportunities such as the Central Music Library and the University of Edinburgh Music Library.

Higher and Advanced Higher Music courses are also available for students who have good performing skills but who have not previously studied Music in S3/4. The courses also provide opportunities for students to learn about and use Music Technology.

Free-standing Performing Units are also available at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels.