Year 09/10 5MUS4– Creating Music 2: Don't Forget Your Roots

This course is designed for students who already have a strong base of composition and theory skills.  Year 9 students with more advanced knowledge may access this course in consultation Mrs Price prior to enrolling.

Main areas of study:

This course further develops the skills learned in 5MUS3. Students will explore a range of musical genres and use their knowledge of musical elements to experiment with different structures and ideas, and create their own sounds. Students will be encouraged to enter the Play It Strange national song-writing competitions and perform their music at events such as Rockquest and Central Soundwaves. They will continue to access programmes such as:

• GarageBand
• Guitar Pro
• Soundtrap
• Ableton 
• Sibelius
• Musescore

Other programmes can also be utilised.

In this course, you will further develop:

• the skills to create soundtracks for a range of contexts.
• your understanding of how to present and record your own music using a range of programmes.
• the skills to create your own song, solo instrumental, or band music.
• the use of musical elements and features in a variety of creative contexts.
• the skills to read and notate music.
• how different genres of music evolved their musical characteristics.
• instrumental and vocal understanding to assist with composition writing. It is expected that students will complete a portfolio of work that incorporates pieces of music using a mixture of the programmes above. There will be opportunities for both individual and group-based work.

This course also incorporates the Akonga Profile in the following ways:

• Developing artistic knowledge and literacy
• Developing capabilities in self-management, collaboration and creativity, communication, critical thinking, metacognition.
• Building confidence, self-awareness, empathy and a sense of wellbeing.

Methods of assessment:

We assess using the four strands that are outlined in the NZ Curriculum; Practical Knowledge, Communicating and Interpreting, Developing Ideas and Understanding in Context.

This course leads to:

Level 1 Music (6MUS) which in conjunction with 5MUS3, provides the skills and background needed for success in the senior level. Students will be expected to have completed at least two semester of Music over Years 9/10 to enter the NCEA Level 1 course.