This resource uses Wham!’s Christmas classic ‘Last Christmas’ as the starting point for a range of creative and listening activities that will work for in-person and online teaching. It would be...
Jane Werry KS 3
These four songs from Barbra Streisand’s 1966 album Color Me Barbra are the prescribed music for OCR’s Area of Study 2: Popular song. They need to be studied in the context of other examples of music...
Simon Rushby KS 5
This resource introduces the basic functions of Ableton, enough so that you’ll be able to make music with your class. We’ll introduce the software and provide classroom projects that can be used in...
James Manwaring KS 3
There are five Ofqual-regulated boards, and this resource briefly summarises what they offer. While it may sound obvious, make sure you thoroughly read the syllabus. Put away any preconceived notions...
Edward Maxwell VMT
In this resource, we’ll look at the history and context of the show and the musical characteristics of the three songs. I don’t intend to go into the depth of analytical detail that can already be...
Simon Rushby KS 4
English singer-songwriter Kate Bush released Hounds of Love, her fifth studio album, in September 1985. It received immediate acclaim from critics and record-buyers alike, and was soon being hailed as...
David Kettle KS 5
Focus on Sound Pro is a piece of cloud-based software from Music First. This resource looks at
features of the software, and explores how you can use it in your teaching across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5.
The subject of arranging is vast, so in this resource I’ll focus on chord and riff arrangement, since it’s the staple of most popular guitar playing. I’m also only working in the realms of popular...
Paul White VMT
This project is about developing an understanding of the value of repeating patterns in music. Students will need to know what a riff is, and the different ways in which repeating patterns can be...
Jane Werry KS 3
Chopin and Schumann are Romantic composers who wrote many piano pieces in the first half of the 19th century. The AQA specification suggests that students study Chopin’s Preludes (including the...
Maria Johnson KS 4
In part one of this resource (Music Teacher, September 2021), we began to see how music, having reached something of a stylistic crossroads at the end of the Romantic period, took off in a multitude...
Simon Rushby KS 4
The environment in which you teach can have a huge impact on the quality, effectiveness and enjoyment of your lessons. Being a visiting music teacher can involve rather unpredictable and challenging...
Richard Barnard VMT