Course Overviews MYP Music, UWC Thailand 2018-2019

All units taught in grades 6 to 10 are continuously being developed and improved to best meet the needs of the students at UWCT. Therefore, the following overview is only a reflection of current plans for the course. Some
changes to these course overviews may occur as a result of planning done throughout the academic year.

Grade Unit Number Key and Related Global Context Statement of Inquiry Inquiry Questions Content (topics / knowledge/ subject specific skills)
and Title Concepts

6 Unit 1:Night and Communication Personal and Interpretation of the Elements of Factual: This unit allows students the opportunity to engage in active music making while exploring how the
Day Cultural Music helps to create and 1. What are the elements of music? Elements of Music are used in a range of music from different times and places.
Interpretation and Expression communicate a message. 2. What is the role of the elements of music in communication?
(Exploring Composition 3. What is a good way to compose music? Students will learn about ​Pitch, Dynamics, Duration, Tempo, Texture, Timbre or Sonority, Articulation ​and
Sounds and Artistry, Craft, Silence​ and will be introduced to Graphic Notation and Graphic Scores through the inter-related musical
The Elements of Creation, Beauty Conceptual: strands of Performing: Playing and Singing; Creating: Composing and Improvising and Critical
Music) 1. How can communication convey a message? Engagement: Listening and Appraising which will develop their understanding of the Elements of Music
2. How do we communicate? and provide students with a foundation of musical vocabulary.

Debatable: ​Can similar compositions convey different messages? During this unit, students will develop individual control of a range of sounds placing them into a musical
context. They will explore how the elements of music can be adapted and manipulated to create a
composition in order to convey a message. Students will explore how different composers have used the
elements of music to describe different times of the night and day.

6 Unit 2: Form Form   Personal and Structure provides a base for Factual: ​What is the principal function of form and structure in music? This unit begins by developing students’ awareness of the importance of regular pulse in music. They will
and Structure   Cultural creation and expression. be able to make a clear distinction between pulse and rhythm.
Composition and  Expression Conceptual: ​How important is form in the analysis of musical pieces? Students will be introduced to note values and musical alphabet in both treble and bass clefs.
(Exploring Structure 
Musical Products, Debatable: ​Is is possible to identify how music is structured without knowing its form? They will explore question and answer phrases as one of the simplest types of musical structures.
Structures) systems and Students will learn about call and response and how musical question and answer phrases balance with
institutions the other to form a complete structure.
They will move onto Binary Form, exploring how musical contrast is achieved between two different
sections and develop this into Ternary Form by repeating the first section at the end to form a musical
“sandwich”.

Throughout the unit, students will listen to examples of music based on each of the musical structures
they are exploring and compose and perform within these forms. Particular emphasis in this unit is
placed on staff notation and melody writing skills and students will use staff notation names when
notating their compositions.

6 Unit 3: Culture Personal and Belief systems and ways of Factual: ​What are the roles of different instruments in Gamelan orchestra? This unit introduces students to the timbres, rhythms, melodies and structure of the Indonesian Gamelan.
Hammers & Cultural learning contribute to the creation They will begin by exploring the cultural context of Gamelan, its origins and where and when it is
Gongs Expression and Expression of cultural expression. Conceptual: ​How can Gamelan music be performed without the traditional Gamelan performed.
Interpretation instruments?
(Exploring Social They will identify the sounds and some of the different instruments which make up a Gamelan and the
Indonesian constructions of Debatable: ​Should the traditional rituals and beliefs be separated from Gamelan roles of each instrument in the form and structure of the music. They will learn about tuned percussion
Gamelan) reality; music? damping techniques as used by the Saron players within a Gamelan and explore interlocking melodies
philosophies and and how these are repeated to form cyclic melodies. They will perform and compose their own
ways of life; “interlocking” melody parts in Gamelan style.
belief systems;
ritual and play After further exploration into the timbres and roles of different Gamelan instruments, students will work
towards a class Gamelan-style performance of a traditional piece - “Bendrong” - supported by helpful
video sequences demonstrating the different parts.

Finally, students will use their learning from the unit to compose and perform their own Gamelan-style
piece based on one of the two most commonly used Gamelan scales.

6 Unit 4: Communication Personal and Communication is an essential Factual: ​What makes a good chant? This unit develops students’ ability to explore the voice through singing a wide range of different types
Voiceworks Cultural aspect of a successful and styles of songs, developing their ability to sing music in two (or more) parts.
Presentation and Expression performance. Conceptual: ​What is the relationship between the chants and audience?
(Exploring Vocal Audience Beginning with Call and Response songs, students will learn to sing in pitch and in time as a class and in
Textures and Artistry, Craft, Debatable: ​Should the lyrics play the decisive part in chants performance? groups. They will explore songs with an Ostinato accompaniment, experimenting with melodic ostinati
Singing) Creation, Beauty and learning to sing part-songs in harmony developing their technical musical vocabulary.

Students will explore vocal chants and understand its basic musical features. They will listen to a variety
of chants from different times and places, identifying vocal features. They will perform, improvise and
compose chants for different occasions and contexts.

Finally, they will research and then present chants specific for sports occasions which will be used as an
inspiration for their group compositions and performances.

Grade Unit Number Key and Related Global Context Statement of Inquiry Inquiry Questions Content (topics / knowledge/ subject specific skills)
and Title Concepts

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 7 Unit 1: African Culture Personal and Interpretation and delivery of Factual: This unit explores the main rhythmic musical features and devices used in African music, particularly the
Music Cultural music are part of a culture. 1. What is African Music? African drumming tradition of West Africa.
Interpretation and Expression 2. What are the different drumming techniques in the West African tradition?
Composition 3. What vocal presentations are characteristic of African music? Students will ​learn about some of the techniques in African drumming for producing different sounds and
Artistry, Craft, they will explore how these techniques can be combined. They will practice performing different
Creation, Beauty Conceptual: drumming techniques using African "djembe" drums. They will look into the ways how drums were used
1. How can music be used to support culture? to communicate the message between different African tribes and how drumming and singing represent
2. How do we compose music inspired by a certain culture? the diverse African culture.

Debatable: ​Does music from different cultures influence one another? They will learn about how cyclic rhythms and polyrhythms are used in African drumming and perform
rhythms turning these into cyclic rhythms and a group polyrhythmic texture. They will learn about
syncopation as an offbeat rhythmic feature and its effect on a regular beat.

Students will explore call and response as a feature of African music and they will improvise and
compose different call and response rhythms. They will also sing an African-inspired song using
syncopation to create an offbeat feel as well as call and response.

They will use features of African music such as rhythms, cyclic rhythms, polyrhythms, syncopation and
call and response to create, rehearse, perform and evaluate a group piece of African-inspired music.

7 Unit 2: Change Personal and ​I​nterpretation and development of Factual: ​What compositional techniques can be found in variation form? This unit develops students’ ability to recognise, explore and make creative use of the elements of music
Variations Cultural ideas can be a vehicle for found in variation form.
Interpretation and Expression change.
(Exploring Composition Conceptual: ​Why do we consider the elements of music when composing in variation Students begin this unit by revising the importance of regular pulse in music and the relationship between
Ways to Artistry, Craft, form? pulse and rhythm. They will revise note values and rests and will be introduced to the musical alphabet in
Develop Creation, Beauty both treble and bass clefs.
Musical Ideas) Debatable: ​Should tonality or rhythm play the main role in variation form?
They will then move to working with a famous theme and exploring different musical ways in which this
can be varied and developed, using the elements of music and exploring changes in tonality and rhythm.

Students will explore how composers have used variation form in a selection of music from different times
and places. They will learn about the concept of Ground Bass, as a type of Variation Form; performing
Pachelbel’s “Canon” before looking at how Ground Bass has been used in popular songs.

7 Unit 3: Jazz Culture Personal and Genres created in a specific time Factual: ​Why is Blues and Jazz music considered This unit will develop students’ understanding of bass lines and chords as a harmonic foundation upon
Improvisation Cultural and place reflect the beliefs America’s music? which a melody can be constructed and as a foundation for improvisation.
Genre and Role Expression valued by the artist. They will begin by learning about the history, origin, and development of the Blues and its characteristic
Conceptual: ​What would Blues sound like if slavery was never abolished? 12-bar Blues structure; exploring how a walking bass line is developed from a chord progression. They
Social will practice performing the simple bass line, chords and walking bass line parts of the 12-bar blues chord
constructions of Debatable: ​Can any other type of music convey the same emotions, feelings and sequence. Students will also explore the effect of adding a melodic improvisation using the Blues scale
reality; message as Blues? and the effect which “swung” rhythms have as used in jazz and blues music.
philosophies and
ways of life; They will learn to combine the features of blues to create a performance of a piece of jazz with
belief systems; improvisation sections, using the notes of the blues scale and with a jazz feel to the music. They will be
ritual and play introduced to seventh chords and how these are formed and their characteristic sound used in jazz and
blues music.

Students will examine the lyrics of blues songs before composing their own set of lyrics for a performance
of their blues song using different textural layers.

7 Unit 4: Recycled Creativity Globalisation Innovations and non-conventional Factual: ​What artists are famous for using junk materials to create music? This unit begins by looking at how “junk” and “recyclable” objects can be used as percussion instruments
Rhythms and ways of performance challenge and explores the different timbres available from these non-conventional sound sources.
Innovation and Sustainability creativity. Conceptual: ​How can non-conventional sound sources be used in creating musical
(Exploring Expression sounds? Students will watch and listen to a number of performances by percussion groups such as STOMP and
Ostinato and Weapons of Sound, to see how they have used “junk” objects to create percussive pieces using elements
Junk Debatable: ​Can the conventional musical instruments be replaced with junk ones? of music such as rhythm, ostinato, beat/pulse. They will explore how those pieces are structured and how
Percussion) different “junk” percussion timbres have been selected and combined to create an intended effect.

Students will create and perform their own “junk” percussion piece - the stimulus will be “The Kitchen”.

Grade Unit Number Key and Related Global Context Statement of Inquiry Inquiry Questions Content (topics / knowledge/ subject specific skills)
and Title Concepts

8 Unit 1: Identity Personal and Creation and transformation of Factual: This unit introduces students to the development and conventions of minimalist music. Beginning with
Minimalism Cultural musical motifs contribute to the 1. What are the main features of contemporary minimalist style? Steve Reich’s “Clapping Music”, students will analyse how minimalist composers use small rhythmic
Expression identity of a genre. 2. What is a motif? motifs to build up a bigger piece and learn about “phase shift”. They will apply their understanding by
(Exploring Composition and 3. What compositional techniques are used in minimalist music to work with performing their own version of “Clapping Music”, reading their own part from rhythm notation and
Motifs) Genre Artistry, Craft, motifs? composing their own rhythmic minimalist piece using features of “Clapping Music”.
Creation, Beauty
Conceptual: Students will then move from rhythmic motifs to learn about melodic motifs and their use by minimalist
1. How does minimalist music influence club dance and electronic music? composers such as Mike Oldfield and his minimalist piece “Tubular Bells”. They will perform different
2. In what ways can different compositional techniques impact the final piece? parts to “Tubular Bells” creating a group arrangement using “phase in” and “phase out” techniques
developing an awareness of how parts dropping out and coming back in are key features of minimalist
Debatable: ​Is the process of composing more important than the product? music.

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 After a brief investigation into another piece of minimalist music - Terry Riley’s “In C” - students then use
their knowledge, skills, and
understanding of minimalism to compose their own piece of minimalist music based on melodic motifs
and minimalist compositional techniques. For this purpose, they will use the music software "Noteflight".

To end the unit, students will explore how minimalist music has influenced contemporary club dance and
electronic music and perform a class arrangement of Jean Michel Jarre’s “Oxygene (Part IV”).

8 Unit 2: Rock ‘n’ Culture Personal and The application of similar Factual: ​What are the origins of Rock ‘n’’ Roll? This unit looks at Rock ‘n’ Roll as a musical genre developed in the 1950’s from the combining of country
Roll Cultural techniques creates a genre which and western and rhythm and blues.
Genre and Role Expression reflects ways of life. Conceptual: ​How does Rock ‘n’ Roll reflect the time period in which it became
popular? Students will learn about the origins and key features of Rock ‘n’ Roll music by listening to a variety of
Social Rock ‘n’ Roll songs and performing bass lines which are developed into a chord progression and finally
constructions of Debatable: ​Which instruments are more essential in Rock ‘n’ Roll music? into the twelve bar blues, upon which Rock ‘n’ Roll music is based. They will learn about triads as a type
reality; of musical chord and construct and perform different triads along with a bass line.
philosophies and
ways of life; Students will take part in a class performance of “Rock Around the Clock” with awareness of the
belief systems; harmonic structure founded on the bass line and chord progression, and the overall structure of the song
ritual and play including the different sections e.g. the “Shuwaddy” section making use of scat singing.

They will explore the lyrical content of Rock ‘n’ Roll songs from the 1950’s before composing, rehearsing,
refining, performing and evaluating their own Rock ‘n’ Roll songs based on the twelve-bar blues bass line
and chord progression.

8 Unit 3: Popular Creativity Personal and Creativity involves arranging Factual: ​What are the skills and knowledge required to arrange music? In this unit, students will explore the genre of popular song, learning how different artists and groups have
Song Cultural elements in such a way as to created different musical arrangements of the same song.
Composition and Expression accomplish a particular purpose. Conceptual: ​How does arranging music require creativity and original ideas?
(Exploring Song Expression Students will learn about different musical devices used in popular songs.These will include how the
and Products, Debatable: ​Is arranging existing music more difficult than writing an original different structural elements are sequenced horizontally to produce the classic form of a popular song, as
Arrangements) Systems, composition? well as, how textural layers are combined vertically, showing different parts used in a popular song. They
Institutions will perform a Popular Song as part of a group with an awareness of structure and textural layers.

Students will research different popular songs and decide on one they will make their own arrangement
of. They will work in groups in order to make the arrangement, rehearse, refine and perform it.

8 Unit 4: Musicals Aesthetics Personal and Occasion, style, and context Factual: ​What conventions and elements can be This unit explores songs and music from the stage, beginning with an exploration into “What makes up a
Cultural often influence understanding identified as specific to musical? musical?”
*under revision Genre and Expression of aesthetics.
Presentation Conceptual: ​What is the relationship between the musical performance and audience? Students will learn about the origins and development of musical theatre which have led to the modern
Artistry, Craft, day musical. They will understand how these influences have led to a wide variety of styles in musical
Creation, Beauty Debatable: ​In what ways does entertainment touch people’s lives? theatre.

They will learn about the importance of the “opening number” in a musical and how it sets the scene and
style for forthcoming events, plot, storyline, and characters. They will also take part in a group
performance of the “opening number” from the musical “Chicago” – ‘All That Jazz’ with an awareness of
occasion, purpose, and context.

Students will explore how songs from musicals create a range of different emotions and moods, suitable
to the overall theme, style, storyline, and plot of the musical as a whole. ​The unit ends with the
performance focus of the unit and allows students to work on a group performance of a song from a
musical.

They will consolidate their learning by writing an evaluation of their performance of a song from a musical.

Grade Unit Number Key and Related Global Context Statement of Inquiry Inquiry Questions Content (topics / knowledge/ subject specific skills)
and Title Concepts

9 The Elements of Aesthetics Personal and Knowledge of the elements of Factual: This unit allows students the opportunity to compose their own music while analysing how the Elements of
Music Cultural music allows us to express 1. What are the elements of music? Music are used in a range of music from different times and places.
Composition and Expression ourselves through a composition. 2. What is the role of the elements of music in a composition?
Structure 3. What is a musical structure? Students will study and analyse works of different composers in which they will focus on the Elements of Music
Artistry, Craft, such as TIME: Duration, Pulse, Metre, Tempo and Rhythm, PITCH: Melody, Harmony and Tonality and
Creation, Beauty Conceptual: Texture, Timbre/Sonority and Dynamics.
1. How do we compose music?
2. How does knowing the elements of music allow us to compose more Students will learn how to construct chords and then build a melody over the given chords using the chord
creatively? tones, passing tones and neighbour tones. They will learn about basic chord progressions, major and minor
keys and standard musical forms.

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 Debatable: ​Is composition the only tool in creating music?
Students will complete short composition exercises to strengthen their composition techniques and build a skill
base.

They will use the acquired knowledge to compose their own piece in Binary Form and document the process of
their composition in the Process Journal. They will build an artistic intention and develop their composition in
line with this intention experimenting with multiple applications of the elements of music.

9 Unit 2
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9 Unit 3
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9 Unit 4
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