HSM

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of

Teaching the first term of composition at GCSE can be really tricky. It's a delicate balancing act of reinforcing, reassuring and encouraging increasing levels of student autonomy. We've tried all sorts of approaches but it has taken us until now to actually document six of

Here's the playlist for brief 1: Here's the playlist for brief 2:

Admit it - you've got one. We've all got a Pachelbel scheme of work tucked away somewhere. There's got to be a good reason for that.   Could it be that we keep coming back to it because it's a great vehicle for the teaching

We currently use this scheme of work in the first half of year 9. In it we explore the enduring popularity of  'reworking' an existing piece of music. The 'cover version' is nothing new. The work for this unit is based on 'Ain't Nobody'

We currently use this scheme of work in the middle of year 9. The 'hands-on' aspect is centred around two commonly found musical devices: ostinato and sequence. The ostinato section is a helpful 'settler' allowing students working in an ensemble to find their feet

Contemporary folk artists like Kate Rusby, Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling, Fleet Foxes and the Unthanks have been instrumental in bringing British folk music to a much wider audience in recent years. It's a vibrant tradition that can be found in all manner of venues, from

A conversation with two Huntington alumnae Kat Dixon and Lyra Shires, about their studies and hands-on experience, working in the world of Music Technology . We talk about what got them started, what inspires them, and how we in schools can provided role models and support for female students considering a

A conversation with alumna Holly Boyle, about why she chose to study GCSE and A level Music at Huntington, and how her musical learning experiences are paying dividends in her undergraduate life at St. Anne's, Oxford, where she is studying Law and French Law.

We currently use this scheme of work at the start of year 8. It's based on ideas around musical memory, recall, and things that we misremember and piece together from fragments. It's the kind of thing you can use as a starting point for

A conversation about how we use Music Technology musically in our KS3 lessons, how we keep the development of students' musicianship at the forefront of our thinking, and how we use technology to enhance musical learning. There's more detail here too, if you want to dig a little deeper: https:

The impact and influence of Blues Music is much wider than the 30 year window specified in the AQA syllabus. It's worth students being aware of this, and the history and provenance of a musical tradition that is very much alive today. The @HuntSchoolMusic wider listening

60s Rock Music evolved from 'Rock and Roll' styles prominent in the 1950s. This set of slides briefly touches on the following: 60s Hard Rock, Roots/Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Surf Rock. 70sProg Rock and Punk. @HuntSchoolMusic wider listening for this topic:

A conversation about where we are up to as teachers of composition - where we begin with students, and how we move their skill sets forward, through short tasks, modelling, and workshops.

Imagine you are in year 7 - running around a large school site from lesson to lesson - full bag, full day, full brain. So many new things to learn, so much stuff to remember. You arrive at your curriculum Music lesson and instead

A conversation with @HuntSchoolMusic's piano teacher Buffy Breakwell, about how we can make our visiting specialist intrumental and vocal teachers feel valued and an integral part of the school's Music family.

A conversation about the relationship between what happens in the classroom and beyond - the joys of making music for it's own sake and the opportunities for students to learn vertically, rather than in year groups. An honest discussion about the energy it takes to make this happen, and a

A discussion centred around the purpose of the curriculum at KS3, and what we want students to take away at the end of the three year course.

A discussion about designing a Key Stage 3 course that creates pathways to GCSE Music for all students.

If you're anything like me then you will have been thrilled with the composition briefs released on 15th September. Every single one is a corker. At Huntington, we like to begin the process of selecting a brief, by listening to and discussing a wide range of

How do we really know what students actually hear? Who’s to say the sound you hear, is the same as the sound I hear? Photo by Marek Piwnicki [https://unsplash.com/@marekpiwnicki?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit] / Unsplash [https://unsplash.com/

A discussion about what makes an effective learner, and how we can create the right conditions to encourage students to be resilient, proactive, adventurous, and responsive to feedback.

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

This is a resource that complements the revision material of the same name. Unlike the revision slides, it doesn't have answers at the end. This isn't something that can be set for homework or for a cover lesson with a non specialist - it's a framework

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's not uncommon for year 11 students to doubt their ability to tackle A level Music courses. For many, this self doubt may be heightened over the summer holidays between years 11 and 12, due to lack of practice and hands-on experience. We have

How do you know if students are making musical progress? Not simply going through the motions of completing tasks, collecting a bunch of marks, and being no better off for it? How do you create Music pathways at KS3 for everyone, regardless of students' starting points?

At the Music Teacher Magazine conference in November 2021, I presented some ideas on how we use Music Technology to develop students' musicianship at KS3 at Huntington School. A number of conference delegates have been in touch asking to see the slides I used in my

Most people think they know what 'classical' music is. There's a lot of misconceptions and assumptions surrounding the term. A nice place to start with this is to ask some really straightforward questions and find out your students' starting points. In this resource we keep

The term “Broadway,” refers to a group of 41 theatres located in theatre district of Manhattan, New York. Like the West End in London, shows that make it to Broadway are seen as the top of the pile. Most of the theatre productions on Broadway are

(count to 3 and the handbook will appear.....it's a scroller....) For other revision materials and Area of Study topics resources, see https://huntschoolmusic.com/ks5-music.html

Film Music has a long and fascinating history, and like gaming music, film scores have become a familiar and popular part of orchestral concert repertoire. The AOS2 topic focuses on the last 30 years or so. This resource takes a brief look at the work of

Gaming Music began life in late 1970s arcade games. Early soundtracks were limited to simple programmable sounds, which are known as chiptunes.  While chiptunes continue to have a cult following today, gaming soundtracks have become so sophisticated in their use of synthesised and live acoustic forces

(count to 3 and the handbook will appear.....it's a scroller....) for detailed elements revision materials and Area of Study topics resources, see https://huntschoolmusic.com/ks4.html

It's going to happen. You're always on the go. You hear things in passing, something on the radio, something on TV, a film, and you ping out a link to students. It's yet another bit of gold dust that distills the essence of something you've been

Like all musics of the 20th and 21st centuries, British musical styles and influences are vast and varied. There’s the influence of Western European history - German Romanticism, French Impressionism.   There’s the development of technology - the experimental, Avant Garde, film, TV. There’s

The following resources are the fifth in a series of materials we have devised to provide students with meaningful musical tasks (using Soundtrap) when they have to work remotely. This way of working is based on our classwork approach to sequencing (using Cubase). The

These sessions provide students with opportunities to access specialist equipment beyond class lessons. There will always be someone on hand to provide technical and musical support should students require it. When: Monday and Tuesday lunchtime, Tuesday and Thursday after school. Purpose: development and completion of improv/composition/arrangement work.

Choirs various, open to all kinds of voices and experience, no audition required. We sing in various combinations, sometimes by ear, sometimes from dots, always in parts. When: Female voices - Friday after school, Man Choir - Friday after school, Secret Choir (the clue's in the name....). Performing opportunities: Open

Open to anyone at KS3 wanting to start a band. The group is paired with a sixth form mentor, who will provide musical coaching and equipment training for the first half term. After that, the group gains access to book practice spaces at lunchtime to rehearse. When: Wednesday after school

Open to all wind and brass players up to c. grade 4-ish. Rhythm section by invitation. When: Tuesday after school. Performing opportunities: Open evenings, Chamber concert, 'Live Lounge/Larger Lounge', Summer Arts Festival.

Open to experienced wind and brass players of all ages, c. grade 4+. Rhythm section by invitation. When: Tuesday lunchtime. Performing opportunities: Open evenings, Chamber concert, 'Live Lounge/Larger Lounge', Summer Arts Festival.

Open to all ages and abilities of clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, french horn players  - small groups are created to match repertoire, and students' playing experience and skill. When: Morning registration slots and lunchtimes at a time that best suits the group members. Performing opportunities: Open evenings, Chamber concert, 'Live

Open to all sax players who would like to be, or are part of Little Band or Big Band. There are two groups - one for beginners and one for more experienced players. Students join the group that suits them best. When: Beginners Tuesday lunchtime. Established players Thursday lunchtime. Performing

This is a scheme that matches 2 pianists. The match might be one of similar abilities and experience as soloists, but little experience playing in an ensemble. The match might be a sixth form student working with a student in year 7, building skills on both sides - as a

Strings form the core of these groups - created to match students by skill and experience rather than age. When: Thursday lunchtime, and at other times that best suit the group members. Performing opportunities: Open evenings, Chamber concert, 'Live Lounge', Summer Arts Festival.

Handel was brilliant at reflecting a special occasion by writing music on a grand scale. He did it with 'Water Music', and he did it with 'Music for the Royal Fireworks', but he knocks it out of the park with 'Zadok the Priest' (Coronation Anthem no.

Solo piano music really takes off in the 19th century. It's the era of the virtuoso musician, but also a time when having a piano in your home, and learning to play it was all the rage. The vast range of  piano works composed by Chopin

Though Bartok's music was rarely heard outside Hungary in his lifetime, he is recognised today as one of the most important composers, teachers and ethnomusicologists of the 20th century. His life long friendship and work with Kodaly led to the preservation of over 3000 authentic Hungarian

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

It's easy to go round and round in circles with revision. This is a resource designed to help students use their time profitably, identify where the holes are in their knowledge/understanding, and target their revision work so that it actually makes a difference. If it's

Introducing the Music team @HuntSchoolMusic Why we are creating this website, and a whistle stop tour of our own personal Music stories.

Romanticism lends itself beautifully to the exploration of the depths of emotion found in the Requiem Mass. There’s no wonder that the genre has become a concert favourite, because there is so much scope for drama. Emotions expressed in the Requiem range from the

This is a vast topic, so don't expect this resource to do anything more than scratch the surface of the styles, genres, sub genres that are out there. This is just 1 of 16 topics we explore on this course, so the focus is on equipping

I'm really lucky to work with like-minded people. We all really care about providing high quality Music learning experiences for everyone, regardless of their starting point. We talk to one another about our Music teaching all the time. We share stories, exchange ideas, walk through lessons,

Vaughan Williams is probably one of the UK's best loved and best known composers. His musical language draws on the English choral tradition, the long standing craft of the art song, and the evocative compositional language of French Impressionism. 'On Wenlock Edge' (1909) is a deeply

Courtney Pine is one of the most successful British jazz musicians of the modern era, achieving commercial success through his fusion of popular musical styles and jazz. One of the songs on the album 'Back in the Day', references two Jazz legends - ‘Lady Day (and

Possibly the most successful band of all time, The Beatles recorded the album 'Revolver' in 1966. It was the final album the band released before they stopped performing live. Everyone recognises the enormous contribution of George Martin in the Beatles' work, but the great unsung hero

Kate Bush has one of those iconic female voices - like Chrissie Hine and Annie Lennox. Once heard, never forgotten. At just 16 years old  she was signed by EMI with the support of Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour, after he had heard her home made

Like Ravel, Debussy’s ability to paint in sound is breath-taking. Taking full advantage of the developments of the piano in the late 19th century, Debussy's musical language and approach to composition mark a significant change in approaches to harmony, tonality, sonority, and texture. Debussy's work

In addition to the listening  and analysis training students receive in their weekly class lessons, we work through a series of additional top tips in the run up to summative assessments. What we aim to provide is focused training that will enable students to

The following resources are the third in a series of materials we have devised to provide students with meaningful musical tasks (using Soundtrap) when they have to work remotely. This way of working is based on our classwork approach to sequencing (using Cubase). The

The following resources are the second in a series of materials we have devised to provide students with meaningful musical tasks (using Soundtrap) when they have to work remotely. This way of working is based on our classwork approach to sequencing (using Cubase). The

The following resources are the first in a series of materials we have devised to provide students with meaningful musical tasks (using Soundtrap) when they have to work remotely. This way of working is based on our classwork approach to sequencing (using Cubase). The

Since 'fusion music' simply means the combination of two or more musical styles or traditions from anywhere in the world, the possibilities are endless. This resources looks at just one of them - what is loosely referred to as 'African Fusion'. Even this single topic has

Latin American is the term used for music from the Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. The connection to these European languages is as a result of the colonisation of these countries as part of the

Reggae originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. In only a decade it became a style of music recognised around the world. Its roots are in Ska, Rock Steady, and Calypso and its unmistakable sound is characterised syncopated clipped chords, a strong bass line and heavy

Minimalism is a form of music that is created by using a small number of ideas. Its key characteristics are repetition, a fixed pulse, slow moving consonant harmony and short melodic phrases or cells. One of the techniques commonly found in minimalism is phase shifting

Anoushka Shankar has grown up immersed in both Indian and Western musical cultures. Like her father Ravi Shankar, she is recognised as an accomplished classical Indian sitar player and has collaborated with many of the finest pop and classical musicians in the industry. Like Kate Bush

Saariaho is probably the composer from the Edexcel set works list that you are least likely to have come across before. It's this work that students often find hardest to write about, yet they are fascinated by its timbral world. The place we tend to begin,

Here's another great partnership - Stravinsky and Diaghilev. The 3 ballet scores Stravinsky wrote for Diaghilev (Firebird, Petrushka, and the Rite of Spring) are probably his best known and best loved orchestral works but it is the Rite that is regarded as one of the great

Where to start.... it's Bach, and 'Ein feste Burg' is probably the best know of all of his Cantatas. It conveys a powerful Lutheran message: 'A Mighty Fortress is our God' and was written to mark Reformation Day. Examining Bach's reworking and adaptation of the original

Interested in instrumental or vocal tuition? Here's a short video on how, and why you should. Instrumental Tuition.mp4Google Drive [https://drive.google.com/file/d/16r5K-UsATsUOB7pKFrYLbOZM9HkTHh0l/view?usp=sharing]

Technical numeracy is the understanding and correct use of numerical data as applicable to music technology tasks. This resource explores how numerical units are used in Music Technology, MIDI data, and binary data. It also investigates how to interpret information graphically, wave properties and calculations, and

This resource explores compression, delay, distortion, EQ, gates, modulation effects and reverb.

This resource explore what mastering is, how is it different to mixing, and the processes involved. What is the 'Loudness War'? What is remastering? What are digital remasters and how can remastering improve historic recordings?

This resource explores how Reverb (the reverberations of a sound in a space/room) can be used to add ambience and atmosphere to recordings.

In audio terms, the word “dynamic” is used to describe a range in levels between the quietest and the loudest peaks. Dynamics processing is the process of altering the dynamic range of an audio source to make it easier to place in the overall mix. This

This resource looks at the ways in which distortion offers a range of textural and lo-fi effects. It is an effect most commonly found in hard-edged, gritty music production. Distortion was initially avoided in the recording signal chain wherever possible, e.g. by carefully monitored levels

Berlioz is like Marmite, but love him or hate him, his 'Symphonie Fantastique' is pretty 'out there' for 1830. It's programmatic yet uses the symphonic convention of sonata form in the first of its 5 (not 3, not 4) movements. It's by no means the first

Clara Schumann had an incredible 60 year career as a concert pianist, teacher and composer, yet until fairly recently her work and the work of other remarkable female composers has not been widely known. 21 of the greatest women composers in classical musicFrom Hildegard in the

For some reason everyone seems to know the music from the shower scene in 'Psycho'. It's a thing, but how come, when 'Psycho' is more than 60 years old? The film not only broke new ground in terms of both its camerawork and plot, but also

Like Hitchcock and Herrmann, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman have enjoyed a highly successful, and long running film making partnership.  eg. "Nightmare Before Christmas", "Batman Returns” "Sleepy Hollow" and “Alice in Wonderland”. Elfman is a self‐taught composer, with a parallel career as a rock musician.

This is a course for anyone who has an interest in how music and sound is recorded, manipulated and produced. This course is all about working in a studio based environment, making and refining recordings using live and synthesised instruments. The hands-on creative

This is a really challenging course but also an enormously rewarding one. Studying A level Music provides students with the opportunity to really understand how music works both by making it and by analysing it. Students learn how Music in its many forms has evolved, and

Key Stage 4: GCSE Music This is an immensely creative and fulfilling course with a number of pathways to suit a wide range of musicians. Having completed our KS3 Music course, all students will have the learning experiences and skills required to get started. We are

Key Stage 3 is delivered over three years at Huntington. Students are taught for one hour per week by a Music specialist. The purpose of the course is to develop students' understanding of  how music works. What happens in the classroom? In each unit we take

If you would like to contact any of us, just drop us a line via school email. mail@huntington-ed.org.uk Why not follow us on Twitter @HuntSchoolMusic. This is where we post most of our news and events.

Department staff: Tim Burnage (Music subject leader) Ian Wilson (Music Technology subject leader) Donna Stockill (KS3 and primary specialist) Liz Dunbar (York Secondary Music Pathfinder lead) In Music and Music Technology we aim to the nurture and inspire enquiring and creative minds, alongside teaching the rigours of academic study and

Copland is one of the most respected American classical composers of the twentieth century. His music often feels familiar in its use of folk melodies and modality, but it is also modern and other worldly at times, in its use of whole tonality and dissonance. Copland's

The taught Music curriculum at KS3, 4, and 5 is just one of three ways in which students develop as musicians at Huntington. Beyond the classroom, students can take up or continue instrumental or vocal lessons (see Tuition page) and participate in a range of co-curricular choirs, bands and ensembles