As our children progress through our Key Stage 2 Music, they will develop key skills that are directly relevant to Music, continuing to build on skills learnt in Key Stage 1. These will be at different levels depending on the child’s age and ability and on the topic being studied.

We aim to develop each child’s Music skills and knowledge, to inspire pupils to develop their creative skills as a musician and to foster a love of a range of different types and genres of music. We aim to improve their self-confidence as a performer and provide them with opportunities to compose their own music, learn musical staff and notation and to perform to a range of audiences. We encourage them to be constructively critical of the music they hear within the inter-related dimensions of music and listen to music carefully and thoughtfully.

The key Music skills are as follows:

• Perform, Listen, Review and Evaluate – this should be a chance to experience music from a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions including the works of great composers and musicians and listen with attention to detail.
• Sing, Perform, Create and Compose – children should have the opportunity to create and compose pieces of music using a range of instruments, including electronically, as well as performing to a range of audiences both solo and in groups / ensembles with increasing fluency, control, expression and accuracy.
• Understand and Explore – children should investigate how music is created, produced and communicated using the inter-related dimensions of music and appropriate musical notations.

Key Vocabulary

There will be words and phrases that recur throughout the Music curriculum and it is important that the children know what they mean and how they can be used. These words and phrases include:

creativity, critical, compose, canon, perform, analyse, review, evaluate, genre, style, tradition, composer, inter-related dimensions of music – pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure, staff, notation, control, composition, aural, solo, ensemble, accuracy, fluency, control, expression, Mediaeval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, Contemporary.

There will also be topic-specific vocabulary that will arise during each block of lessons.