Yr 10 Music
10MUS Course DescriptionTeacher in Charge: Mr R. Breed.
Recommended Prior LearningOpen Entry
You will learn to:
use DAW music software (Garageband, Soundtrap) and sit an NCEA level one-unit standard that assess your skills with these programs
perform music within a group and as an individual
compose (write) your own music extending your DAW skills
analyse music and develop a deeper understanding of musical elements and theoretical concepts
Through this course you will learn basic skills on a range of instruments and develop your ensemble awareness by playing together in groups. Those intending to continue into Y11 Music will be encouraged to select an instrument of choice and may begin taking lessons prior to Y11 if there are spaces available.
Course Overview
Term 1
- Group performance at the end of term:
• Learn the fundamentals of a combination of guitar, bass, drums, and piano (four chords/notes and basic drum beats).
• Form groups of these instruments and learn the chorus/verse/intro of a ‘four chord song’ using the fundamentals they have learnt
• Recap/learn the main elements of music (rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, texture, timbre, and form) by experimenting with how they can be used to make our performance more interesting.
- NCEA L1 Midi Sequencing Standard (while this is an assessment, the main reason we are doing this is so we have the skills to make our own music next term):
• Start with recreating “Mi Gente” using the video tutorial to learn the basics of Soundtrap and how DAWs work.
• Unpack the basic features and functions of DAWs/Soundtrap and have students label and explain how they work in their finished “Mi Gente” project in pairs/groups with others and yourself.
• Final NCEA assessment task: Two options to choose from to recreate (Laxed Siren Beat & Redbone). Students need to screenshot and explain how they use the features and functions as they go (task two) and recreate one of the pieces of music (task one) to achieve the assessment (minimum requirements are three midi tracks and at least one minute in length, but only explain this to students struggling on a case by case basis).
Term 2
- Composition portfolio:
• Students will complete a number of small tasks (around two-three, depending on time and size of tasks) that demonstrate their ability to create music (previous examples are in Google Classroom, you’re more than welcome to come up with your own, every year I experiment with at least one new task).
- Performances:
• This can be either individual performances, duos, groups where students learn a piece of music of their choice and perform it at the end of the term (I’ve also sometimes used this as a chance to expand on the groups formed in term one and have them write a piece of music as a group, entirely up to you and the students and what you both want to do).
- Elements of Music:
• Explaining to students the main seven elements we use (Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Texture, Timbre, Dynamics, and Form) and understanding through listenting to and analysing music to a simple level. Usually woven into the composition/performance work as mentioned in the units of work and above.
Assessment Information
Students get a taste of NCEA by completing one Unit Standard using the DAW Soundtrap.
This course is about furthering your musical skills, but will also help you develop a wide range of generic skills and habits that will serve you well in any career pathway.