Unit 13. Music and media
Trailer for 2006 film starring Tannishtha Chatterjee, which is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Monica Ali. This is a deeply emotional British film about a young Bengali woman, in an arranged marriage, who is brought to London by her older husband. She has never loved her husband and deeply misses her family back home. 18 years on she falls in love with a younger man and rethinks her options.
Some members of London's Bangladeshi community protested that they were being portrayed as backward and uneducated.
KS3 idea: Use this trailer to stimulate discussion of questions such as: What musical features of the soundtrack signal that this is a deeply emotional film? What is the balance between Asian and European musical styles in the soundtrack? How is the most intense musical moment of the soundtrack achieved and what is happening in the drama?
Official classification: Film & TV Clips, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
The timeworn Dickens' story about the old merchant Scrooge and how his own disappointments in life shape his view that both life and men are not worthy of his notice or concern
Official classification: Christmas, Film & TV Clips, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
A kung-fu obsessed American teenager goes to China to join a band of warriors aiming to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
KS3 idea: Discuss which musical characteristics of the soundtrack suggest martial arts. How many Chinese musical clichés can pupils count? (There are none - why do pupils think there are no Chinese clichés?)
Official classification: Film & TV Clips, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Trailer for 12-part 'fly on the wall' documentary on important minimalist composer Philip Glass as he approaches his 70th birthday. This short trailer shows glimpses of the character of Glass at work and play and in family life. The trailer soundtrack contains some short excerpts of his music, but no in-depth explorations.
Official classification: Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media, Glass, Philip
A short trailer for the film that uses the famous main theme as a musical backdrop to some thrilling action excerpts.
KS3 idea: After viewing the trailer, discuss with pupils which musical characteristics of the main theme make it so suggestive of thrilling action.
Official classification: Film & Animation, Film & TV Clips, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Musical Cliches, Unit 5. Musical cliches, Unit 13. Music and media
2008 stage-to-film adaptation of the 1999 West End musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA.
KS3 idea: The opening section of this trailer has a soundtrack that is very different from the Abba songs used later on. Can pupils give an accurate musical description of the musical texture at the beginning? How exactly does it contrast with what follows and what is the effect of the simpler opening (i.e. why do they think the composer decided to do this)?
Official classification: Musical, Film & TV Clips, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Trailer for the second movie based on CS Lewis Chronicles of Narnia.
KS3 idea: Compare this soundtrack to the one in the 'Star Trek: The Future Begins' trailer. What are the similarities and differences, both in the the musical features and the subject matter of the films? What would the effect be if the music tracks were swapped over?
Official classification: Film & TV Clips, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Floating Balloons - Ford Mondeo advert, filmed in London. Excellent example of music creating mood with beautiful haunting Piano track in a minor key as accompaniment.
Official classification: Piano, Expressive & Descriptive Sounds, Advertisements, Video, Key Stage 3, Scales & tonality, Minor Scales, Harmony, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Cadbury's dairy milk advert, accompanied by Queen - Don't Stop Me Now. We hear Queen's 'Don't stop me now' as the soundtrack, while models of airport ground support vehicles race along the runway.
KS2/3 idea: Ask pupils to describe (using musical vocabulary) how the music changes as the race begins. On which beats of the bar does the snare drum play? [Ans: beats 2 and 4 (the backbeats)]
Official classification: Tempo, Advertisements, Video, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
The message in this advert is that it was made cheaply so that customers could suggest a good cause for donating the rest of the money.
KS3 idea: Discuss with pupils what aspects of the music track suggest that it is low-budget. [Ans: only 2 cheap instruments - acoustic guitar and electonic keyboard, amateur performance difficulty, amateur composition complexity,timing not precise, amateur recording quality includes 'string noise' from guitar etc.]. Can any pupil play (by ear) the simple arpeggio pattern used for the guitar chord? [Ans: root, 5th, 3rd, 5th]
Official classification: Advertisements, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
This advert has no voice-over so the soundtrack features strongly. Architectural scenes of the refurbished St. Pancras international terminal are shown to music by Philip Glass (Heroes).
KS3 idea: Discuss with pupils the musical features in the soundtrack that match the idea of rail transport. What features of the soundtrack are typical of the minimalist style of composition?
Official classification: Advertisements, Video, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media, Glass, Philip
Tags: minimalism
This advert features a video performance of part of Mary J. Blige's track 'Work That'.
KS2/3 idea: Get pupls to focus attention on the vocal melody. Describe/discuss its melodic contour in the opening phrases and how it's nature changes by the end of the excerpt.
Official classification: Advertisements, Video, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, 4d Listening, and applying knowledge and understanding - context, 4d Listening, and applying knowledge and understanding - context, Unit 13. Music and media
Perhaps one of Bach's most well known pieces, a good example of music used in advertisements.
KS2 idea: listen for subtle changes in sound of the melody using the bow and short sounds in the lower instruments.
Also useful to compare with Wagner's Ride of The Valkyries for contrasting tempo and dynamics.
Official classification: Unit 4. Feel the pulse - Exploring pulse and rhythm, Classical Pieces, Audio, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Written in 1962 as theme for a TV series, "Stranger on the Shore" became the first British recording to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Unique sound of Acker Bilk's breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style accompanied by strings.
Official classification: 1960s, TV, Audio, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Famous jazz theme from the original 1960s film, used for all pink panther films and the cartoon. Excellent example of jazz theme and variation, solo improvisation and big band sound.
Official classification: 1960s, Film & Animation, Jazz, Audio, Jazz, Curriculum support, Unit 8. Jazz improvisations, Unit 13. Music and media
Dramatic theme music for the 2002 Spiderman movie and subsequent sequels (II & III). Composer of TV & Film music Danny Elfman has also written well known themes such as The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives and Tim Burton's Batman.
Official classification: 2000s, Film & Animation, Audio, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media, Soundtrack
Originally written for the TV show in 1963, this version written by Murray Gold in 2005 features samples from the original theme enhanced by additional orchestral and electronic sounds.
Excellent example listening for a Space theme at KS1 or KS2 or for a TV theme tune at KS3.
Official classification: Space, 2000s, TV, Audio, Electronica, Unit 18 Journey Into Space, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Shorter version of Murray Gold's 2005 version of Dr Who theme.
KS3 pupils may want to compare the structure of the two and could be set the task of 'chopping' or re-writing another longer piece to create a shorter TV theme version. Primary teachers may want to use this as 'tidy-up' music in the classroom.
Official classification: Space, 2000s, TV, Audio, Electronica, Unit 18 Journey Into Space, Curriculum support, Unit 13. Music and media
Example of popular and well known theme tune, at just over 50 seconds long, this is ideal for use in the classroom as 'tidying up' music.
From the Soundtrack by Michael Giacchino
Official classification: 2000s, Film & Animation, Audio, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Curriculum support, Unit 5. Musical cliches, Unit 13. Music and media
Number 2 single from March 2009 also known as 'Go Baby Go' and used in the advert for Mazda 2, therefore may be a good example for a KS3 focus on music and media.
Official classification: 2000s, Audio, Curriculum support, Funky, Indie, Unit 13. Music and media