Musical understanding – a definition of learning

Refining a unit’s title captures the broad focus of learning. However, the detailed understanding of the chosen style, genre or tradition needs to be more precisely defined. This will enable the knowledge and practical experience that leads to that understanding to be planned for more accurately. The following chart (also available as Document 1a  62kb) therefore defines musical understanding in six stages of progression appropriate to Key Stage 3.

Note that the following points.

• The objective for understanding is defined both by the understanding of conventions the pupils acquire and the practical work by which this is developed and demonstrated. This reflects the dual nature of the definition for musical understanding, and the left and right hand sides of the model for understanding.
• The outcome for understanding describes in more detail what that learning might look and sound like in the classroom. The word ‘understand’ at the start of each stage reflects pupils’ capacity to musically internalise and formalise their knowledge of conventions. This will involve appraising, as well as the other practical forms of musical learning described.
• The stage of progression is a simple summary of the understanding to be developed. It is a shorthand way of describing the stage of learning that the pupils are working at. It captures both the knowledge and the practical work by using an initial word that relates to understanding, and a final word that relates to practical application.

Defining musical understanding: six stages of progression

Stage of progression	Objective for understanding	Outcome of understanding
Recognise and Respond	Learn how layered combinations of sound can express and communicate ideas; by Learning how to use layered sounds in order to respond to and convey simple moods or messages	Pupils understand how music layers and combines sounds to express ideas. They recognise and respond to expressive gestures including those that are particularly intense and/or personal and idiosyncratic
Identify and Manipulate	Learn how musical sounds can be manipulated into effective, predictable patterns and structures to reflect simple contexts; by Learning how to use patterns of sound to create a specific mood for a defined but basic expressive purpose	Pupils understand how music fits together, and can identify how music works to realise a simple but defined purpose. They produce effective, patterned music that matches basic intentions, but does not readily reflect the full breadth of wider musical contexts of style, genre or tradition
Identify and Relate	Learn how musical styles, genres or traditions and the conventions they use can be compared and related to their origins; by Learning how to experiment with combinations of conventions to meet a range of expressive purposes that reflect changing contexts	Pupils understand a range of styles, genres or traditions, comparing and relating their differences to origins of time and place. They begin to identify how changes to (or breaking of) conventions can be used to create different expressive outcomes. They try this out in their own practical work, showing a wider awareness of contextual implications and controlling the conventions of the music with the support of teachers or peers
Identify and Integrate	Learn how details of musical conventions can be developed to express individual ideas, while staying integrated within a given style, genre or tradition; by Learning how to explore within a range of idiomatic musical styles, genres or traditions, integrating their own ideas into stylistically consistent outcomes	Pupils understand the detailed processes of the style, genre or purpose of the music being studied. They can use this understanding to create music or perform convincingly within the style (good pastiche). They are also able to deliberately and successfully explore the details of stylistic idioms, bringing some individuality to their work, and are able to work at this expectation with confidence
Discriminate and Develop	Learn how known musical styles, genres and traditions can develop into distinctive forms; by Learning how to refine and/or combineconventional procedures to create new and coherent forms of musical expression that challenge and excite	Pupils understand how known music can be developed into a modified, coherent style that is distinctive to a composer or group of musicians. They can develop interesting music by increasingly pushing the boundaries within one style, or by using ideas from one style when working in another to formulate an emerging ‘fusion’ style
Discriminate and Exploit	Learn how individual musical characteristics can be exploited and extended into new music; by Learning how to create music that can express and symbolise personal views	Pupils understand how musical starting points can be exploited to go beyond a style, and begin to create a distinctive musical ‘voice’. They have the capacity to talk about the processes involved and to explore music’s impact on personal meaning and values

To supplement this table, refer to the exemplification of each stage of progression in Document 1i  43kb. The exemplification provides:

• a single sentence summary of the understanding pupils develop at each stage of progression;
• a broader description of the key features of understanding that distinguish each stage from the preceding and following stages;
• an example of a typical unit of work that might address this stage of understanding;
• a description of the practical outcomes pupils might be expected to produce in order to demonstrate this stage of understanding.

Task 7: Clarifying the detail of musical understanding (25 minutes)

Read the statements and exemplification for each stage of musical understanding in detail. Note the characteristics of each stage by reading across the columns in the statement table and then reading the exemplification for that stage. Identify the progression through the stages by reading down the separate columns in the statement table: this can help to clarify the difference between each stage of musical understanding.

Task 8: Applying the progression to unit planning (5 minutes)
Select the stage of progression that most closely matches the current understanding of the pupils who will be undertaking the unit identified in Task 6. Copy either the stage of progression summary, or the objective for understanding bullets from the statement table into the relevant box in the planning template (Document 1b  49kb).