Music

Introduction

In Taibo from Lunyu, Confucius said, “Poetry motivates us to action, the rites establish us in society, and music perfects our personality”. Music education has been recongnised as one of the priorities in Confucius’ teaching among the “Six Arts” and has a crucial place in the school curriculum for nurturing students’ intellectual, physical, and mental growths.

The subject of music is designed for junior secondary education. To facilitate the effectiveness of learning and teaching, applications of e-learning, such as performing by using virtual musical instruments, composing in GarageBand and in other applications, are extensively implemented in all forms. Through integrated activities of creating, performing (singing and instrumental playing) and listening, students are able to make use of music's uniqueness to i) stimulate creativity and ii) develop various abilities and generic skills, and iii) to cultivate values and attitudes.

Aims/Objectives

Developing Creativity and Imagination

• Develop music ideas and acquire creating skills, together with performing and listening, to cultivate creativity and imagination;

Developing Music Skills and Processes

• Develop performing skills to experience and express music, with emphasis on cultivating music imagination and musicality in practice;

Cultivating Critical Responses in Music

• Comprehend, respond to and appraise music so as to nurture aesthetic sensitivity and awareness; and

Understanding Music in Context

• Understand the functions of music and the relationship between music and cultures.

Curriculum stucture

With strengthening students’ basic musical skills, i.e. creating, listening and performing abilities, the curriculum in form 1 and 2 focuses on various musical elements, music history, musical instruments and creative music making activities with different integrated activities conducted in the lessons.

In form 3, the curriculum is designed on a project base. S3 students are expected to compose a Cantonese or English popular song individually by exploiting the musical skills they developed throughout the junior secondary music education. Topics about traditions and local cultures are included for the sake of enriching students' music knowledge and broadening their perspectives.

Form 1

• Rhythm, Percussion Instruments, Melodic Progression, Form, Instrumental Playing (Recorder or Virtual Musical Instruments), Western Instruments, Musical Expression

Form 2

• Scale, Beethoven, Texture, Instrumental Playing (Recorder or Virtual Musical Instruments), Chinese Instruments, Musical Expression

Form 3

• Chord, Development of Musical Phrase, Song Lyrics Writing, Instrumental Playing (Recorder or Virtual Musical Instruments), Chinese Opera

Activities

YOTTKP music department aims to provide students with assorted in/out-school activities in the purpose of widening students' music experience. Study tour, music training camp, in-school singing contest & musical instrument competition, musical ensembles and western & Chinese music instrumental classes are a list of examples.

Student Achievements

Music department is eager to encourage and invite students to take part in different competitions. In the past, School orchestra, school Chinese orchestra, students participated in miscellaneous musical competitions, and received excellent results. Below are some of the examples:

Year	Competition Name	Award
2013	Hong Kong Youth Music Interflows (Chinese Orchestra Contest Secondary School Class A)	Merit Award
2011	National Youth Science and Arts Contest	Gold Award
2009	The 61st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival (Folk Church Music – Secondary School Choir)	First
2008	The 60th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival (Folk Church Music – Secondary School Choir)	Second
2005	The 57th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival (Folk Church Music – Secondary School Choir)	Second
2004	The 56th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival (Folk Church Music – Secondary School Choir)	First