🎸 IESS Music
Year 7 Music
Unit 1: Blues Ensemble
Weekly planning
v.34
- Attendance & first introductions
- Who Am I? Musical introduction
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Musical Memory Game
- What do you remember? Y6 knowledge check
- Classroom expectations & “3 Before Me” review
- What will we learn? Y7 preview
- Getting to know your musical growth
- Clean up & next week preview
💡 Did you know? The microphone was invented before the loudspeaker — early singers heard themselves through telephone receivers.
v.35
- Attendance
- Blues historical context
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Feel the Blues
- 3 elements in blues context
- Basic guitar introduction
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? BB King named every one of his guitars "Lucille" — after a fire started by two men fighting over a woman with that name.
v.36
- Attendance
- Gospel origins & cultural context
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Gospel Celebration
- Gospel vs blues musical comparison
- Assessment information & practice
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? BB King named every one of his guitars "Lucille" — after a fire started by two men fighting over a woman with that name.
v.37
- Attendance
- Jazz evolution & sophistication
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Jazz movement exploration
- Jazz musical elements deep dive
- Jazz ensemble experience
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? Thomas A. Dorsey, the "father of gospel music", started out playing blues piano under the name Georgia Tom.
v.38
- Attendance
- Jazz evolution & sophistication
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Jazz movement exploration
- Jazz musical elements deep dive
- Jazz ensemble experience
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? Ella Fitzgerald planned to dance at her first amateur night in 1934 — she got nervous and sang instead. She won.
v.39
- Attendance
- Hip hop cultural revolution
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Hip hop elements
- Assessment: style identification & theory
- Hip hop creation workshop
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? Hip hop was born at a birthday party: DJ Kool Herc spinning breaks for his sister Cindy in the Bronx, August 1973.
v.40
- Attendance
- Performance preparation
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Performance warm-up
- Ensemble performance practice
- Performance feedback & discussion
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? The Beatles performed live together for the last time on a London rooftop — the police shut it down after 42 minutes.
v.41
- Attendance
- Song analysis workshop
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Analysis in action
- Advanced ensemble techniques
- Advanced performance practice
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? The Beatles performed live together for the last time on a London rooftop — the police shut it down after 42 minutes.
v.42
- Attendance
- Song creation project introduction
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Creative brainstorming
- Song creation elements workshop
- Initial creation time
- Clean up & progress check
💡 Did you know? The "loudness war" is real: many modern songs are compressed so hard that a 1980s vinyl can have more dynamics than a streaming hit.
v.43
- Attendance
- Assessment preparation
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Assessment warm-up
- Assessment part 1: ensemble performance
- Assessment part 2: musical creation
- Assessment feedback & reflection
- Clean up
💡 Did you know? A grand piano has over 12,000 parts, and its strings together pull with a force of around 20 tonnes.
v.44
No lessons — enjoy and recover!
v.45
- Attendance
- Advanced style analysis
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Advanced style movement
- Advanced ensemble techniques
- Ensemble performance workshop
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? The Beatles performed live together for the last time on a London rooftop — the police shut it down after 42 minutes.
v.46
- Attendance
- Digital music production in context
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Digital inspiration
- Soundtrap advanced workshop
- Advanced digital project beginning
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? The "loudness war" is real: many modern songs are compressed so hard that a 1980s vinyl can have more dynamics than a streaming hit.
v.47
- Attendance
- Music in visual media analysis
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Visual-musical expression
- Visual-music project development
- Initial visual-music creation
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? The "loudness war" is real: many modern songs are compressed so hard that a 1980s vinyl can have more dynamics than a streaming hit.
v.48
- Attendance
- Project development strategy
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Creative energy building
- Intensive creative session
- Project planning & next steps
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? The "loudness war" is real: many modern songs are compressed so hard that a 1980s vinyl can have more dynamics than a streaming hit.
v.49
- LGR22 checkpoint framework
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Reflection & energy
- Individual project review & feedback
- Project refinement session
- Checkpoint summary & next steps
- Clean up & preview
💡 Did you know? A grand piano has over 12,000 parts, and its strings together pull with a force of around 20 tonnes.
v.50
- Attendance
- Professional project presentations
- ⚡ MOVEMENT BREAK: Celebration & appreciation
- Comprehensive reflection & assessment
- Clean up & celebration
💡 Did you know? The microphone was invented before the loudspeaker — early singers heard themselves through telephone receivers.
v.51
- Attendance
- Term reflection
- Clean up & celebration
God jul! 🎄
💡 Did you know? Listening to music you love makes your brain release dopamine — the same reward chemical as eating your favourite food.
Fun & practice 🎮
About the course
But here’s what most people don’t know: every song on your phone, every beat that makes you move, every melody that gets stuck in your head — it all traces back to the same musical DNA. This term, we’re going to discover that DNA and learn how to use it.
Why do we study music? (from the curriculum)
Music exists in all cultures and touches people physically, mentally and emotionally. As a form of aesthetic expression, music is used in a variety of contexts, has different functions and means different things to each of us. It is also an important part of people’s social community and plays a role in the development of an individual’s identity. In our time, music from different cultures and time periods is combined with other art forms in new expressions.
Proficiency in and knowledge of music increases opportunities to participate in the cultural life of society.
Our goals in Year 7 (LGR22)
Music at school follows the Swedish national curriculum, LGR22. The subject develops three long-term abilities:
- Sing and play in different musical forms and genres
- Create music and express and communicate thoughts and ideas in musical form
- Experience and reflect on music’s content, function and meaning in different social, cultural and historical contexts
Year 7 is the start of the åk 7–9 stage, where we deepen everything from Y6. This means we will:
- Sing, play melody and accompaniment with genre-typical expression, in unison and in parts
- Improvise rhythmically and melodically, and compose in different genres — songs, sound compositions and full tracks
- Use voice, chord, melody, bass and percussion instruments and digital tools, including accompaniment patterns and bass lines
- Read music symbols, chord symbols and basic notation
- Understand how singing, playing and listening can cause damage to voice and hearing, and how to prevent it
- Explore how music expresses identity, norms and belonging, and how music creates meaning in media like film and games
- Learn about rights and obligations when using music (copyright)
- Compare musical characteristics across time periods and genres, how genres emerged, and some central composers, songwriters and works
Assessment across åk 7–9 looks at how you perform your part and adapt to the music’s character, how you compose with working form and characteristic style, and how you compare styles across time periods and reflect on music’s function and meaning.
The purpose of the unit
- Discover: the origin and evolution of blues, gospel, jazz, and hip-hop — and understand how they connect to today’s music
- Experience: what it’s like to work as a professional music ensemble — the collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving that happens when musicians work together
- Create: your own musical expressions using traditional instruments, voices, and modern digital tools
- Connect: how these musical styles shaped society, culture, and continue to influence the music industry today
By the end of this unit you'll be able to demonstrate
Musical understanding
- Identify characteristics and elements of blues, gospel, jazz, and hip-hop
- Understand how musical styles evolve and influence each other
- Apply music theory concepts in practical, creative ways
Collaboration skills
- Contribute meaningfully to ensemble performances (in whatever role fits you best)
- Communicate musical ideas using proper terminology
- Support and build on others’ creative contributions
Creative expression
- Express yourself through voice, instruments, or digital tools
- Adapt traditional songs and styles for modern contexts
- Document and reflect on your creative process
Cultural awareness
- Connect musical styles to their historical and social contexts
- Understand how music serves different communities and purposes
- Recognize music’s role in personal and cultural identity
Unit 2: Compose a Song
Later in the term: advanced style exploration, digital music production in Soundtrap, music for visual media, and an individually developed project presented at the end of term.
Listening examples
Click a style to listen, or an artist name to read about them.
Support times
Every week. Tuesdays 8:15–9:00. Room: Folkets Park